Helping Hands Kenya – Building a New House

Helping Hands Kenya Development (HHKD) is dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable families by providing secure and dignified housing. In many rural villages, families live in mud structures with patched metal roofs that are leaking and susceptible to structural collapse. The HHKD house building activity responds to these challenges by providing durable homes with essential sanitation in the form of a combo pit latrine/bathing area.

The Reality of Village Housing

In the rural villages, most families live in traditional houses built with sticks and mud – with a “patched” metal roof and a bare dirt floor. While these houses are a testament to resourcefulness, they offer little protection against the elements and keep families trapped in a cycle of instability.

A traditional village home

Replacing these inadequate shelters with durable, secure homes is not just about providing a better house structure – it is an urgent necessity to restore dignity and provide basic stability families need to thrive.

Building a Foundation for the Future

The typical new house is a 11′ X 30′ three room structure – a bedroom on each end and a sitting room in the middle – each room being 10′ X 11′. The outdoor kitchen is 8′ X 10′ and the combo pit latrine/bathing room is 3′ X 6′.

The House: Each home is constructed with a sturdy timber frame and high-quality corrugated iron sheets (mabati) for the walls and roof. These houses are built to last many years. A critical feature of the HHKD home is the poured concrete floor, which replaces traditional dirt floors. This significantly reduces the risk of jigger infestations and other parasites, providing a healthier environment for children to play and sleep.

A new house under construction

Combo Pit Latrine/Bathing Area: Sanitation is a cornerstone of good health. Along with the house, HHKD constructs a combo pit latrine/bathing area for each family. This facility provides privacy and dignity while drastically reducing the spread of waterborne diseases and improving overall personal hygiene.

A new Combo Pit Latrine/Bathing Area

The Construction Process

The construction of an HHKD home is an efficient process that is intended to provide the family with a dignified place to live.

  1. Site Preparation: The ground is cleared and leveled to prepare for the 11′ by 30′ three room structure.
  2. Framing: A timber skeleton is erected to provide the structural integrity of the home.
  3. Siding and Roofing: Corrugated iron sheets are fixed to the frame. This material is chosen for its durability and its ability to keep the interior dry during Kenya’s rainy seasons.
  4. Flooring: The final stage of the house involves pouring a cement slab floor, which strengthens the structure while providing a clean floor.
  5. Sanitation: Simultaneously, a 45′ deep pit is dug by family members (especially the children) for their outdoor latrine with an attached bathing area.
  6. HHKD also constructs an 8′ X 10′ outdoor kitchen – which has a steel siding and roof, with a dirt floor. This is important as families typically cook over a wood or charcoal fire in their homes – which is not very healthy. An outdoor kitchen is essential to achieve a healthy and save environment for the family.
A completed house

Partnership through Participation

Helping Hands Kenya Development operates on a model of partnership rather than traditional charity. A key requirement of receiving a new home is that the recipient family must actively participate in the building process well as contribute certain materials, such as:

2 pickup trucks of sand

2 pickup trucks of gravel

12 bags of cement

Children typically dig the 45′ deep pit for the latrine

Mother and family members make lunch for all the workers

This is the families “Sweat Equity” – paying for the sand, gravel, and cement is very challenging for the family, taking up to six months to accomplish. When completed, the family has a deep sense of ownership as well as the pride of Helping to build their home.

Impact upon the Family

The transition from a mud hut to an HHK home is life-changing. The impact is felt across several key areas:

The most important “Gift” that Helping Hands can provide to an individual/family in Kenya is one of Hope – Hope for a better day and Hope for a better future!

Receiving a new home gives the entire family, as well as neighbors – Hope, Dignity, a feeling of self respect and so much more. The impact is life changing!