180412, Nobulele

Went for a walk on ‘my’ hill (where I’m building the rondavel) last week some time to see one of my neigbours, Nobulele.  She wanted me to take a picture of her. 

She lives in a tiny shack with her 3 children and her husband is apparently in prison.  When I look inside the shack I shudder a little, because the roof has so many holes, I imagine that when it rains, it must be like a shower inside.  There’s only one single bed, which I assume she shares with the 3 children.  Nobulele has a bit of a tough life I reckon.  She’s been trying to build a little mud house just a few metres up from the shack.  But that building is standing like an old ruin, not making any progress in a hurry.  I have an idea how difficult it is to get something built around here, especially without money or help from anyone else. 

I told her she can use the mud-bricks that were left over from my building, but those things are HEAVY, I know, I was carrying them around one day.  Just a few metres.  She has to carry them about 200 metres.  To find someone around here who has a bakkie and is willing to borrow it is not the easiest thing. She also needs a load of sand and cement to carry on building. (So do I).  ‘Kunzima’  (It’s difficult) is all she could say and I had to agree.  Really wish I had a bakkie.

Nobulele and her kids in front of their house