The smiles of 17 year old Bertha and her mom tell no tale of cyclone Freddy, the bone chilling storm that ravaged their home and community. Bertha lives with her mum, older brother and younger sister on a plain surrounded by hills in the rural parts of Phalombe District in Malawi and their family home cost only $38 to build. Can you believe it?
The walls of the house are made of mud bricks that are not baked, and the roof is thatched with grass. When asked, ChatGPT couldn’t comprehend how a house could cost $38 dollars, according to the AI, whose suggestions seem based on a western lifestyle, $38 could get you a meal, a movie or a bowling game but certainly not build you a house.
Yet, as Bertha's mom breaks it down; the mud bricks cost K6,000, which is equivalent to $5.87. The labour cost for the builder, who is also a relative, was K15,000, about $14.67. And the grass for thatching cost K10,000, which is about $9.78. They didn't have to buy land because they built their house on their family's customary land, which was passed down to them. It's incredible to think that with such a small amount of money, they were able to build a house that provided shelter for their family.
However, with a house so simply built, there is little wonder why it didn't survive one of the worst cyclones in Malawi's history - Cyclone Freddy whose advent saw to the death of over 1000 people in the southern parts of Malawi. Due to the cyclone, one of the walls of Bertha's $38 home collapsed leaving the family exposed to the elements, and in an attempt to recover they built a makeshift wall from straw.
Even though Bertha and her family lost their home, they are grateful to have survived. Their story is a powerful reminder of the plight and their literal resilience in the face of the storm. Despite facing many challenges, they find ways to make the best of what they have and support each other.
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