Sarah's House Update

Sometimes I feel like I process my day in the form of a blog. While I’m doing the dishes,  my mind runs and I play out just how I am going to write about something that happened. Nunu knows when something funny happens and he always turns to me still laughing and says, "What will you blog about this?" Sometimes I think in such detail about what I’m going to write that I think I’ve posted a blog, when in reality the blog has never even left my head.

Many of you remember my blog from a few months back about Traduzire and his sister Sarah (http://amanda-nichols.blogspot.com/2013/02/heres-what-i-know.html). Well today I sat down to write my 2^nd update and as I looked through my past blogs I realize that I never actually wrote the first update!!!! I just thought about it so much and I posted some pictures on Facebook and guess I must have thought I blogged about it!

So to those of you who were touched by the story of Traduzire and Sarah, here is the long overdue update!

With in days of blog about Sarah’s house, we had raised $600! And we had 2 – 3 more people interested in helping. But I wanted to talk to Traduzire first and determine the cost of the house.

We brought him into our house and asked him if he thought his family would like a new home and he simply shook his head and said “yes.” And once again, he sat in silence. His response isn’t what you or I would imagine. It goes a little more like the tv portrayal of someone being told they have cancer. He puts his head down. Silence. He processes. It sinks in. Thinks, “Did they really just say we are going to build a house for my family?” More processing. Thinks, “okay, a new house.” Wow. After all of that, he looks up and says “Thank you, I’m happy, I don’t even know what to say.”

A few days later when it’s really sunk in, we talk with Traduzire more. Whenever possible we want to give a hand up, not a hand out. So we plan to talk to him about earning a portion of the money to build this home. Being the hard worker that Traduzire is, he understands and agrees it is better that he work to provide this house for his family. We agree on a few tasks and offer to pay him a good rate and then match it. We agree to start once a portion of his tasks are completed. 

As he is nearing the start point, we meet to come up with a budget. Often times projects are difficult, as I ask “how much with this cost?” and inevitably they come back to me one or two more times saying they need more money to finish the project. So I ask Traduzire to go though all of the building materials and tell me how many he will need and what they will cost. He lists bamboo, rocks. roofing, roof trusses, sticks (sort of like a 3x3), and tells me that is about it. The conversation goes on like this:

A: What about doors, will you need new ones or use the old?

T: Oh yeah, we will need one new door, we can use one old.

A: What about windows?

T: Oh yes, we will need 2 windows.

A: What kind of window (glass, iron (to prevent thieft), mosquito net…)

T: Oh yes, we will need windows. The iron will cost extra.

A What about locks and hinges?

T: (he laughs) Mana Amanda, you think of EVERYTHING!!!!!

A: Uh… that is what a budget is, you have to think of everything or else we will run out of money!!!! (I’m laughing too and teasing him… a valuable lesson for someone who is studying Accounting!)

In this little budget, I learn a lot about budgeting and money in Moz. While the big picture items do indeed cost $500, the details cost another $500 and to cement the house (which helps the house last longer) another $250. 

I heard just a few weeks back that the house is basically done. I think he ran into some problems trying to reuse some materials, like the old door. I'm waiting for more of an update but can't wait to see the final product when we return in a few months. 

So to all of you who have wondered, I hope this feeds your soul a little and I hope the next time you put together a budget that you think of Sarah and her mother living in this safe new home.

PS I wrote this blog in early December and just noticed it was still in draft form. Traduzire and I have already talked about going to see his house. I'm hoping we can go in the next 2 weeks.

PPS With the rains this year I can't even imagine that old house standing and keeping Sarah dry. I'm so thankful that we were able to get this new house built!