About Construction

I am convinced that the most valuable resource here in Addis is the Eucalyptus tree branch. I am completely serious. These people use these branches for an amazing number of things. Broom handles, axe handles, walking sticks, crutches, and to build buildings. Not stick huts mind you, but full scale concrete buildings. They use them for ramps, scaffolds, supports for concrete pouring, roof props, spacers, levers, and more things I am sure. Everything is manual. The cinder blocks are moved by donkey or human "day laborers" buckets of mixed concrete are carried up the building ramps to be dumped to pour floors, columns, etc. They mix the concrete in 2 bag mixers and again, "day laborers" carry, shovel, mix, carry, pour, spread, carry and more. A 2 storey building takes about 1.5 years to build this way. A typical "suburban home" a little over a year. When it is done, it is nearly all solid concrete, and not going anywhere. Out in the country the houses really are the huts you would expect. Sticks, mud and dung walls, no furniture to speak of, grass roof and quite the smell when the rainy season arrives.

Another curious thing, the people cannot be private land owners here. The government owns it all for the people to use. So if you want to build a house, you have to lease the property from the government for 99 years. In the end, you own the house, but not the land. You own the plants, but not the dirt they are planted in.