Not Up To Code, but...

Compared to the world of codes and specifications to be followed when building structures in the United States, the living quarters of the Kayamandi Township of Stellenbosch were a sight to behold. The diverse mix of housing was very South African. There were shanties made from second-hand metal and plywood, seemingly middle-class homes made of cinder blocks and concrete, and even a few concrete homes that could belong in the middle-class suburbs of Cape Town or Johannesburg.

Housing in the Township usually comes with minimal electricity and plumbing; the government maintains the streets. There are community showers and toilets shared by the poorest of the community. Lot sizes are small and cheap and dwellings are not built to any sort of code or standard. The construction of the shanties makes one wonder how they withstand the elements. They seemed poorly maintained when in fact it is quite the opposite; it takes great skill to build a home from such a limited pool of materials, and that is something to be admired. The shanties are homes for mothers and fathers, children, and even grandparents. To them, shanty homes are all they have ever known. Children hope that education will pave the way to a life out of the shanties, but that hope does not seem to diminish the pride taken from humble beginnings.

Kayamandi is a place where tight living quarters create a strong sense of community and pride, and we felt it the second we entered the Township.