Social study II: getting lost in area B

Msitu Wa Tembo has 6500 inhabitants and is divided into 5 areas, with original names (Majengo, Londoto) and not that original (A, B, C). My home visiting is being focused mainly in area B. It’s not the biggest at all, but it’s enough to feel lost between sand and clonic houses. With the sun above us, thinking while walking gets hard, and after some mistakes during first days which made me walk some extra kilometres, I decided the solution was… drawing a map!

How hadn’t I thought of it before? I could count steps from every point to each other and make a perfect map of area B for next volunteers coming! Hahaha, of course, it came out that counting steps was not doable at all, so I had to do it counting electricity poles. For now, it is just a draft, but in few days it will be ready for updating google maps! xD

Well, I was supposed to talk about how is the home visiting going. We are starting to work quite efficiently, I think we realize quicker now which the problems are. However, it is hard to talk with people in such a difficult situation and not be able to help immediately. We have to keep our goal in mind: the more information we get, the wiser our actions will be.

Anyway, there was a very good new last week. We would meet Cre.Aid, a friend NGO which develops architecture projects, to select some cases from Msitu Wa Tembo in order to help them rebuilding their house or business. We met them and there were several interesting ideas, which will give sense to the work we have been doing.