"Theoretical Economics"

I visited Sande’s home on Sunday. He lives in Maranyundo, which, as it turns out, is the name of the neighborhood/village just up the hill from us. It may actually be the name of the hill. Compare if you will, the economy/standard of living in Rwanda and the U.S. Sande is an ambitious and judicious 27-year-old teacher (and also a master’s candidate). He took out a loan that will take him two or three years to pay back, and with it he built a house. Needless to say, I would not be able to do that on a teacher’s salary back home.


On the other hand, Sande’s house is pretty basic, even with the addition he put on. It is five rooms altogether. The bedroom has a bed and not much else, and the living room has a coffee table, loveseat, and two chairs. The windows are large with wrought iron frames, keeping the house cool and well-lit. In places, you can see that the walls are built up with mud and plastered over with concrete. There is minimal electric wiring, and although I didn’t see the kitchen, there is probably no refrigerator or coffee maker.  There would be light in the evening, although we kept them off since our visit was during the day. There are exposed rafters, which still have the shape of tree limbs, since the trees here are small. You can see all the way up to the tin roof. Sande says he had the ceiling lofted because that is another way to keep the house cool.

Now, I’m not saying I’d like to give up my refrigerator, (and the durability of Sande’s walls bear further consideration), but there is a part of me that is jealous. Why can’t I own property and a place to live with a teacher’s salary and a three-year loan?  My cousin Stephanie just signed a 15- (or maybe 30?)-year mortgage—an enormous commitment. Maybe our “standard of living” has advanced too far if we can’t actually afford it. As far as I’m concerned, it wouldn’t hurt for amenities at home to be scaled back a bit.  I would rather buy a small house lacking some amenities than rent an apartment until I’m 32 and then sign my life away on an eternal mortgage. Who needs lights on during the day anyway?

Finally, Sande lives with a “house boy”; yes, someone to cook and clean for him. I will also NOT be able to afford this—probably ever.

Clearly, this entry is full of what I like to call “theoretical economics” (in other words, made up). I don’t really have the training to think through the relative purchasing power of a salary, the relative cost of amenities, the health and safety implications of housing, and the cost and availability of labor and natural resources in Rwanda versus the U.S.  Undoubtedly, part of the reason costs are higher is the electrical and plumbing infrastructures at home, as well as the need for heating and air conditioning (but then again, I know for a fact that we could be building with natural materials that both insulate and keep cool better than what we use).  Maybe most people at home would prefer the huge investment for the high amenities as opposed to whatever it is you might be able to get with a three year loan. But I also wonder, I just wonder, if we’re letting ourselves be robbed by using more than we can afford.