Um...I Don't Think So...

This week's Arusha Times had a great story that brought to light some US housing trends we've apparently been missing since we've been here. Two journalists from Kenya and Uganda were visiting Arusha (and Tanzania) for the first time and were commenting on their experiences. Apparently the two journalists had won an award from a trust based in London. Among their observations was the fact that in the long run the whole world would adopt mud structures because they are environmentally friendly, long lasting, and can withstand tough conditions.

The Ugandan reporter went on to say that he had visited the United States where people contemplate building mud houses but can't do so because they can't get the materials they need and such buildings require plenty of labor, which you can't easily get in the United States. But here in Africa, where there's plenty of dirt and water and a strong labor force, people can afford to build mud houses.

As God is my witness, I don't even know where to begin. I'll set aside the argument that people in Tanzania want to live in mud houses, because there are many that do for cultural reasons. I rather tend to think, also, that there are many who are living in mud houses that would very much like to have a concrete block house with a metal roof, but can't afford it. I'll grant him the access to dirt and water (mostly) and cow poo--and with employment over 50% in this country, I'll concede that there is a work force available. Although I'm less certain on mud highrises or malls. Or areas where there are heavy earthquakes. Or monsoons. Mud structures don't seem as viable there in terms of their ability to withstand tough conditions.

We do have our own cultural claim to mud houses, with the adobe buildings in the Southwest. I actually think I've read about "green" building where people are using natural materials such as adobe, straw, etc. to build houses that are eco-friendly and in the long run much more energy efficient. But I'm less certain that a whole lot of my fellow Americans are hankering for a mud house. And darn it, America is blessed with abundant natural resources, so don't tell me we don't have enough dirt to make a mud house if we really wanted to. Given the amount of stuff we do build, I'm also pretty sure we've got people who are available to build and I do think that my house in the States might be a bit more complicated construction-wise than many of the houses I've seen here. I'm just not sure we (most of us) really want to. I know I don't, even though I imagine I could build a nice one if I had the money.

This same journalist (who has a degree in urban planning) also proclaimed Arusha a "well arranged town compared to many other urban centers in Africa", a claim that I can't dispute since I haven't been to many other larger cities. But after visiting a slum area near our own home, he approved them as "quite nice" and needing only minor adjustments. In fact, he concluded, "there are no slums worth that title in Arusha!"

Yeah, right.

I suppose that since the vast majority of Tanzanians live without sewer, water, or electricity in their homes, I can't count those as minor adjustments. But I'm definitely sure that there are slums in Tanzania, having visited many, as have a number of our volunteers who have done student verification visits with us. I'm talking mud houses (yes, mud) with no windows, no doors, often an incomplete or badly damaged roof. Dirt floors. Garbage piled everywhere in the streets, animals and children using streets and sides of buildings for toilets. "Houses" that consist of an 8 x 10 foot room for 4-5 people with only 1 bed and a couple chairs. No kitchen--everything the family owns fits into a couple boxes stacked in a corner with the few pots for cooking. And no electricity, no water, no toilet/sewer, no sanitation services.

But not a slum. Not here.