The shack I helped build

On my first day in Johannesburg, South Africa - after 30 long hours of travel from Houston to Frankfort to Joburg - the folks at Come Back Mission sent me directly into volunteer service. I didn't mind. I didn't come to South Africa for rest and relaxation. I came to volunteer my time and do whatever I can to help those in need. The folks at Come Back Mission were saddened to hear that a local family in Eldorado Park had lost their home to a fire and volunteered to help them rebuild their home. Their home was not exactly what we Americans think of when we say the word home or house. This family of three - an elderly couple and their mentally challenged adult son - lived in a shack erected in the back yard of a larger, but still run down concrete home. Their home was much more similar to the metal sheds sold at Home Depot or Lowes in which to store lawn or pool equipment.

With the help of about 12 young black and coloured men and a few neighbors and volunteers from Come Back Mission, I joined in and helped assemble a new home for this family in desparate need of shelter. No one really knew how to build a shack from scratch - this was no kit from Home Depot - and we struggled with a plan until a neighbor with construction skills showed up. He provided direction and soon we were on our way to constructing this home with few materials (wood, nails, and corrugated tin siding) and few tools (2 hand saws and 2 hammers). Unfortunately, jet lag set in before the shack was completed and my host family, Beryl and Eugene Jegels, took me home for a rest before a lovely welcoming party by the Come Back Mission family.

Several days later, I was able to see the finished product...the fruits of my labor (as pictured above). These type of shacks, unfortunately, are quite common in Johannesburg. There are just too many people and not enough housing to go around. Many of these shacks are erected in the back yards of houses and the tenants pay rent ($60-$100 a month) to the homeowner. In other areas, such as Heavenly Valley and Kliptown, there are large settlements of these shacks often divided by fencing and barbed wire - what we would call "shanty towns." There are few sanitary facilities - if you're lucky there will be a port-o-john nearby. Otherwise, French holes are dug in the yard and designated as the toilet. Bathing is usually done out of a bucket as there are almost never any shower facilities. Electricity is also limited and usually consists of extension cords running from the main house or from a nearby electrical pole.

I am blessed to have a home with running water, electricity, showers, toilets and all the other modern conveniences, none of which I will take for granted again.