Helping Clenteen Move his Shack

Now that Clenteen and Veronica have had their baby, Lisa, they have decided to move their shack (that is what they call it, not me) to a stand of property that will save them 100 Rand ($15 US) per month in rent.  Years ago, soon after apartheid ended, settlement residents could apply for a government house and stand (a lot or piece of land). The new post-apartheid government came into the settlements and built very small concrete block homes on small stands and doled them out to the names on the waiting lists.  Over time the settlements have continued to grow and the government cannot (or won't) keep up with the demand for housing.  So many settlement residents have created their own housing on the outskirts of the settlements, consisting mainly of salvaged aluminum siding, plywood or any other material to build shelters. Holders of government housing with stands have become entrepreneurial and have leased parcels of their stands to settlement occupants on which to build shacks.  Soon after that, another aspiring entrepreneur began selling shack kits of all sizes to be assembled on these rented spots.  Clenteen and Veronica have an 8 x 12 shack that has been located on her grandmother's stand.  However, in an attempt to save money, Clenteen found a spot where the rent was cheaper and so he moved.  On Saturday Jon and I, along with several of Clenteen's friends, helped Clenteen pour the cement floor for the shack and to work on drainage issues outside the shack so water wouldn't run in.  Clenteen had already moved the shack a few weeks before and had been living with a dirt floor and the subsequent water run-off issues. Veronica and the baby have been staying with her mother in another part of Deipsloot until the house is ready.  Here are the photos I took on Saturday.  Needless to say, we weren't as much help as we had hoped.  Their construction methods are much different from ours. It was Jon's idea, however, to include the plastic sheeting under the concrete mix to help with the water issues.  Other than that, we really had to defer to the locals who have done this many times.

Clenteen and Veronica's shack

Their landlord, Patricia

All Clenteen's and Veronica's belongings, sitting outside
while the new floor is being poured.

Jon helping spread the cement mix.  They mix the cement
with the existing dirt and add water.

The local hardware store delivering the cement bags

Another view of Clenteen's belongings. In the background
is his landlord's house and her laundry.

We drew a lot of spectators. This woman told me they had
never seen whites in this part of Diepsloot. Her
son's name is Obama.

Two Diepsloot residents who came to check out our car (in the
background) and wanted their picture taken.

















Some of the neighborhood children, including Obama.

 

Trying to use plastic and cement to stop
the run-off from entering the shack.

Behind Patricia's house a toilet has been added
for the renters.  I am not sure where renters
living on Patricia's stand shower.

Clenteen and Jon

Cleopas (our gardener) and Clinton shoveling dirt that came
from the inside of the shack so they could level the floor.