I began the new year by announcing a new program as part of the Nebraska Synod and Alegent Health mission in Northern Tanzania: HOUSES FOR HEALTH.
In the very poor of Tanzania, poverty leads to bad health, and bad health leads to poverty…a vicious downward spiral. This is particularly true of those with HIV-AIDS. There is some good news in that at least some of the AIDS sufferers in Africa are now able to get the medicines needed to help keep them alive. But we are finding that some of these people are living in such substandard housing (even by African standards) that their health and even life is further threatened. Despite the medicine, it is not easy to survive AIDS, tuberculosis and more if you are wet, cold, and sleeping in the mud or dust.
To address this need we have begun the HOUSES FOR HEALTH program to build very basic but dry and functional homes for special targeted individuals: Those with severe health problems that are further threatened by their seriously substandard living situation. Those who are extremely poor. And especially those whose death would leave behind more orphans.
We learned a lot while building our first two pilot houses. The third is in process and we are now ready to build more. The need is great. 100% local labor and 99% local materials are used. Cost for a house is around $3,000.
Lord of Love has had a long history of supporting Habitat for Humanity…maybe that is partly where I got the idea for this program. I can’t wait to see who next comes forward wanting me to build another house here. This is fun!