All Because of You I Am: By Liesel Bakker

Date: 2004
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Contact: lieselbakker@yahoo.com

I live in a country of despair, of injustice, of resentment and discrimination. I live in a country where people live in squalor, a country where people go days without food; die because they have a curable disease with no hope of treatment. I live in a country of inequality, where those who have crush those who have not. I live in a country where you are killed for a few cents, a country where fear shrouds your life.
There is a man I know, we rarely speak, but he once told me what he knew for sure. He said, "Do you know the Truth about life? I'll tell you - whatever happens is the truth. That's it." So here it is, this is my truth:

I’m just an ordinary girl; I have my own issues, my own insecurities, my own mistakes. I live in a good neighbourhood, I went to a good school, from which I’ll soon have my architecture degree. I grew up in a different world to the reality of most people in my country. Until 3 years ago I had no idea of the harshness of life, what people do to survive right on my doorstep. As a school project I got involved in an international student build through Habitat for Humanity. It all began as an innocent week of fun, a time to make new friends, of ‘good deeds’, building a house in a township I would never dare enter under any other circumstances. I’d heard of life altering experiences, of epiphanies, but that week transformed not only my life, but also my entire reason for everything I do. Going into the township I had known what to expect, I had seen the pictures - I had been warned, but what I saw was nothing like that. I saw love, I saw compassion, I saw community. I saw Ubuntu realised – all because of you, I am.
After a week of blood and sweat, of good laughs, of meeting new friends, the day came that the house was finished. The day the last brick was laid, the last tile fitted, the last window inserted. That was the day I wept. I wept not for the way I ‘helped’ a family that week, not for the poverty around me, not for the need I saw; I wept for the hope I found in that place, I wept for the unconditional love I experienced, I wept for the way the people I came to know over that week helped me, helped me more than I could ever hope to help them.

There is a story I know; it is of two men out in a boat on the ocean. One of them began drilling at the bottom of the boat, while the other aghast says, “what are you doing, stop drilling!” The other replies, “it’s all right, I’m only drilling on my side.” And so that is the truth then, this is what I realised that week; we’re all in this together, no each-to-their-own attitudes, we are all beholden to each other, we need to work together not against each other, we need to get our hands dirty, we need to be the ones that make a change, not the ones who wish it was different.

And because of this I am now ready to tell you, this is what I know for sure, this is my truth: I live in a county of freedom, of hope, of change, of love, I live in a country where I am certain goodness is everywhere, and will ALWAYS prevail. And for this, it is my home.


Notes and thoughts:


I work a lot with Habitat for Humanity in South Africa, and I have been out to Kenya to build on a school with a company called Madventure. Next year I hope to continue this work by partnering with them in Peru, as well as East Africa. Should you be able to help me out in any way, shape or form - please be in touch!

I am currently in my final year of my architecture degree. I have the belief that buildings have an ethical responsibility to communities. Should you know of any programme/ company that specialises in community involvement and upliftment, again please let me know...

Peace, Liesel x