Unleash Your Passion for People

Life Coping - DIY

by Wendy B
(Durban)

If Zoleka's out of work husband could get together with say six other men they could work through Habitat for Humanity and build their own and each other's homes.

Ask various advertising agencies with clients who manufacture building materials to co sponsor a billboard nearby indicating their part in this upliftment. Once this team of men have done their own seven homes (and no one moves in until all seven are finished!!) they will have the knowledge to hire themselves out for the next six. Once they have something to show, and a time frame they promise to keep to, the new owners of houses will be able to go to the bank and arrange to have them paid on a weekly basis.

Her husband could, meanwhile, be creating a vegetable garden, both around their small house and elsewhere for eating and selling. Why not drop a note in all the well off houses in the area, volunteering to set up an organic vegetable garden for the household, either to be paid in cash or by harvesting half of everything grown for himself to sell. I would go with this if someone offered.

Quite a lot of prep needs to go into even such a simple idea as this. The farmer/gardener must be utterly trustworthy, turn up on the days he says he will be there and be clean and neat in his person. He must allow no one else onto the property under any circumstances whatsoever. A "uniform" of khaki or green t shirt and shorts would look smart. He needs knowledge of what he is doing so quite a lot can be culled from the internet or from the curator of Kirstenbosch gardens.

Well, good luck! Wendy B

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