Home - Growing up
MCDC
Growing up, our house was a simple thatch structure, constantly at the mercy of the elements. I vividly remember the roof blowing off and the mud walls collapsing during storms. Once, when cholera ravaged our village, my father tragically succumbed to the disease. We lived on a small plot of land, with the thatched house taking up most of the space. The remaining land was used to grow vegetables and other crops, but it was never enough to sustain us.
From a very young age, I joined my family in working to make ends meet. At just five or seven years old, I would take the cows and cattle out to graze. As I grew older, I started ploughing fields for others, just like my brothers. We all worked as labourers in the fields, following in our father’s footsteps. My mother also worked tirelessly, planting and harvesting crops.
Our two-room house, which my father had managed to build, was the centre of our lives, where we endured hardships and toiled day after day.
At 18, I finally obtained my citizenship, and by the time I was ready for marriage, I was around 20 or 21. My in-laws’ house was also thatched, just like ours. After
my marriage, my father added more rooms to our home, but storms continued to cause us problems. Living on the landlord’s land became increasingly cramped and uncomfortable as all five of my brothers got married.
Eventually, I moved my family here, and over time, other landless people settled around me. My wife and I built a small hut and began our life together. We were blessed with four children, three of them are married now. The youngest son and his wife also live with us. Our humble dwelling has seen us through many ups and downs of life. We also had to endure all sorts of weather – cold waves, floods, storms – so the house needed constant repair.
This new house you see, was through the municipality’s support. Through their housing program, our family amongst others, were selected for housing support. The construction of this house was a collaborative effort. My son, wife, daughter-in-law, and I all contributed our labour, mixing materials, cutting bamboo, and more. We even treated the bamboo used in its construction to prevent pests, making it incredibly strong.
We all put in our efforts to make this house a reality. Now that it’s complete, we are immensely grateful for its benefits. It should last us at least fifty years, and after enduring so much hardship, we finally have a proper home.
In this new house, I live with my wife, youngest son, and daughter-in-law. We moved in without performing any rituals, so I still sleep outside. I’ve decided to sleep inside only after we’ve conducted the proper ceremonies and had a celebratory feast. But even sleeping outside, I feel content.
After a long day of work, it’s such a relief to come home to this house, our haven.
