SSF Students help each other to rebuild their homes

When funds become available for a family living in a house that needs renovating, usually the local community will come together to provide timbers and labour. But that isn't always possible and therefore some of the poorest families can miss out on such opportunities. So when the UK charity, 500Acts of Kindness and private donors provided SSF with funds to rehouse Felix's family and Mitchele's family, the roofing materials were bought but then local help was in short supply particularly due to illness depleting potential helprers.

At one stage,It looked as if progress on Felix's house was unlikely until 6 of our students went ahead with the 'build' for themselves.

The photo shows the new mabati roof supported by donated timbers but the majority of the mud walling was done by Felix and Fred and after a very hard 'slog' the house is now approximately half finished. However this would be impossible without large quantities of water and this had to be carried uphill some distance from the river Miriu. The large plastic containers are taken to the river, filled and then balanced on heads and labouriously carried up to the building site. But this did not become a problem either as 4 SSF students made sure that the 2 boys had a constant supply of water for their walls. These 4 students were Emily, Millicent, Ruth and Mitchele. Normally Tom Bilo would have been heavily involved but as he was ill, they decided to do it themselves. Afterall Fred had helped Ruth build her house and vica versa whilst Mitchele's new house is being rebuilt with similar joint help.

Ruth Mitchele and Emily...they are all about 16 year's old. Each follows a demanding 'grammar' school type education and are responsible for growing 3 sizeable crops of maize for their large families and in their SPARE TIME! they carry large volumes of water repeatedly from the river to ensure this house gets built.

In Emily's words: 'A drum carries 12 buckets and 4 girls filled 3 drums'.

'So between them they carried 36 buckets a long way uphill to make this 'build' possible.

Millicent (right) was the fourth water carrier

Fred (in green) is in this photo with Millicent and Ruth ...they were collecting fertiliser for their crops when the photo was taken. Felix is with part of his family in the first photo.

With regards to the partially built house...it will look very different once finished. 2 more walls will be added and then after a thorough drying out of the walls a fine smooth outer coat will be applied. Photos will be posted as it happens. We have also got funds donated to supply gutters and water butts for fresh water collection...so trips to collect polluted river water should soon be unecessary.

All 6 students have received basic help from SSF...school fees and seeds for crops etc. But they don't just take. Using their combined abilities, initiative and some very hard physical work they are now making their respective families lives so much better. Between them they have a lot of young siblings. So so impressive....well done all.