Page 65 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 10

CULTURE

The beauty of building and living in

A traditional Afrikan Earth House

Interview by Chioma Phillips

my clinic was running, all you had to about the original, the authentic,
do was just come and sit and let the our ancestors, how we lived, the
Holy Spirit do the rest of it. That peaceful lifestyle; you don’t have to
was how it came to be known as have everything. And they abso-
The Garden of Eden and to be the lutely loved it, it was different and
way it is. they also got to touch and see cows,
because I also kept – it was Old
You built the house from the McDonald’s farm! They got to know
earth itself using traditional where milk comes from they got to
practices. Please tell us about know where carrots and tomatoes
the inspiration behind that, came from – a lot of kids are losing
why did you go that way? all that stuff.
When I was little, I loved playing
with mud outside. Those are the From that I kept on thinking I want
things, when you look back; they to build something else, something
were saying who you are. I loved it. I that is going to speak to people
used to make models, model houses, about life, about how we all came
grass houses, you name it. Before I from one place, what we need in
put this up, I had three other mud life, to lead an intentional, fulfilled,
huts in this area, but they were like purpose filled life - and this came
a summer school for kids when they up. I drew it out, I did a model and
were on holiday. They would come then I realized there are many of
and they would get to learn about these kinds of houses being built Shibero Akatsa
the environment as well as about abroad and they can stand for so
what God has provided for us to long, they are actually really beauti-
live. They had never seen a mud ful houses and they are unique. But
house. For a lot of people, when here, until we see a mzungu doing it ‘high end’). My response was, “No,
you talk to them, about mud houses, only then will we accept it. I realized I know what I want and I know
they immediately have in mind a hut that we need to start preserving exactly how I want it and this is how
that’s dark and cold, because that’s our culture. We need to let people we’re going to do it.” There was a
what’s been spread around. Even know that we too had and have struggle there in educating them to
with adults. I realized that not many those building skills. They’re just not let them know yes I am in Karen
children actually go upcountry to western and that the houses that our but this is who I am.
see the reality, to see where we are parents lived in worked and they can My neighbors were so curious, I had
coming from as human beings. So stay up and you can make it however people coming and asking to see it.
those three mud huts were a holiday you want to make it and you don’t The houses next door were built by
camp for children and we did a lot have to spend much money. Chinese, even the Chinese wanted to
of outdoor stuff, we did gardening, So I started this project and I loved come. But I said no one is enter-
we talked about how God gave us it. I knew what my vision was and I ing this compound. Because this is
mud to create things like homes had it down and I got to realize that like seeing my heart and when you
and we made little mud huts for even the people that were helping get inside it speaks of who I am. I
ourselves for them to take home. I me build had to get their minds recycled a lot of stuff, I made it very
introduced them to the long drop renewed as well. People were telling creative, and for people who like to
toilet and it was like huh?! The way me, “But you’re in Karen, how can dot their i’s and cross their t’s, this
we’re bringing up our children now, you build a mud house?” (Karen is might not be for you.
they will lose this. They have no idea suburb in Nairobi that is considered

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