Compare the before and after
The house shown in the first picture above is still a common feature in most homesteads in OlKalou and Nyandarua at large. Some homesteads have other semi permanent and permanent houses but the houses most Pioneer Parents built in the 1960s and 70s are still standing. Most are occupied by their adult children and their families. Others are used for storage. Some are occupied by the hired workers while some are reserved for guests when there is an overflow from the main house especially during family gatherings, celebrations or functions.
The plastering you see on majority of those houses were mainly done by women. Plastering houses (ithinga) was considered a woman’s job. But society has changed and we ought to change with the times. Some young men can get together and start a business of plastering houses and get paid for it. All the materials are local, and you could improve on what your grandmothers used and make the houses look even fancier.
Always start with a model house, plaster it beautifully and take pictures for advertising. Go to homes and let the women see what their houses could look like if they gave you the job. Women are very competitive and once they see what you have done for other women in their neighborhood, they will definitely want a facelift for their house.
You will make money using raw materials you did not pay for, and even if you did, it is an insignificant amount of money and you will change the appearance of homes in your neighborhood.
If you get together with other young men who can do roof painting, landscaping, fencing and walkways, you can all do these jobs simultaneously leaving the homesteads looking new and refreshed like the house I remodeled above to show you what is possible. The results speaks for themselves. Who wouldn’t want their home looking like the second image of the remodeled house? That is your selling point and you will be amazed at the results. Get to work.
