Houses of ReedHouses of Reed

A fairy-tale about the vision of PACA, inspired by a A fairy-tale about the vision of PACA, inspired by a consultancy mission in El Salvador, in February 2003consultancy mission in El Salvador, in February 2003

The small city The small city was located at a was located at a wide river. wide river. The people lived The people lived in solid houses in solid houses and pursued and pursued their daily work.their daily work.

Life went on until the Life went on until the day of the big day of the big earthquake. earthquake. For three days and For three days and nights the ground nights the ground trembled and shivered trembled and shivered so that even the so that even the strongest buildings strongest buildings collapsed like card collapsed like card houses. Those who houses. Those who could not escape in could not escape in time were buried time were buried under the ruins.under the ruins.

While the While the earthquake was earthquake was still going on, still going on, everyone tried their everyone tried their best to rescue the best to rescue the victims.victims.

The women and men The women and men of the small town of the small town

immediately set up an immediately set up an improvised hospital improvised hospital

and shared the and shared the remaining food remaining food

supplies.supplies.

After a few days, After a few days, helpers came from helpers came from nearby cities and nearby cities and even from far away even from far away countries. countries. The support was The support was more than more than welcome. The welcome. The people, who had people, who had lost their houses, lost their houses, now lived in now lived in provisional tents.provisional tents.

After some time, After some time, when the first need when the first need

was eased, the was eased, the helpers left the helpers left the

place. place.

The citizens did not The citizens did not know what to do know what to do and wondered:and wondered:

““What will happen without further help?”What will happen without further help?”

People living in tents complained: People living in tents complained: “We still lack real houses! Without outside “We still lack real houses! Without outside help, we are lost! In winter with the cold and help, we are lost! In winter with the cold and the snow we will freeze to death!”the snow we will freeze to death!”

As the helplessness As the helplessness and fury reached its and fury reached its climax, a small girl climax, a small girl asked: asked:

“Why don’t we try “Why don’t we try to build our houses to build our houses by ourselves?”by ourselves?”

After a short silence, everybody laughed at the child.After a short silence, everybody laughed at the child.

””What a stupid idea", growled the fat merchant, What a stupid idea", growled the fat merchant, “for building houses we need expensive bricks “for building houses we need expensive bricks which we cannot afford without the help of other which we cannot afford without the help of other cities and rich foreign countries.”cities and rich foreign countries.”

At this moment a At this moment a young craftsman young craftsman raised his voice: raised his voice:

“If we don't have any “If we don't have any bricks, why don’t we bricks, why don’t we build our houses from build our houses from reed that grows in reed that grows in abundance here."abundance here."

This had never been heard of before, and the This had never been heard of before, and the director of the urban planning authority grumbled: director of the urban planning authority grumbled: “Such an utter nonsense! We have always built our “Such an utter nonsense! We have always built our houses from bricks.”houses from bricks.”

The old master of the The old master of the craft guild seized the craft guild seized the word: word: “Only because “Only because something has never something has never been done, doesn't been done, doesn't mean that it is not mean that it is not possible."possible."

““You just have to weave it properly in order to You just have to weave it properly in order to create a load-bearing structure”, said the create a load-bearing structure”, said the female basket maker.female basket maker.

The focus of the discussion turned and the whole The focus of the discussion turned and the whole assembly warmed up to the idea. Some already talked assembly warmed up to the idea. Some already talked about the practical realization and finally a group about the practical realization and finally a group agreed to build a sample house of this new type.agreed to build a sample house of this new type.

The next day The next day craftsmen and craftsmen and female basket female basket makers met to makers met to discuss how the discuss how the reed house reed house should be built to should be built to be solid and look be solid and look beautiful.beautiful.

After some heated debates, the group came to an After some heated debates, the group came to an agreement and the farmers showed their enthusiasm by agreement and the farmers showed their enthusiasm by supplying the necessary reed.supplying the necessary reed.

With joint strengths, With joint strengths, craftsmen, basket craftsmen, basket makers and farmers makers and farmers started the work and started the work and after three months after three months proudly presented their proudly presented their new reed house. new reed house. It was greeted with It was greeted with curiosity and also with curiosity and also with some skepticism by the some skepticism by the citizens.citizens.

The young craftsman’s family moved into new house.The young craftsman’s family moved into new house.

We must confess: it was not yet perfect, the wind We must confess: it was not yet perfect, the wind whistled through the walls and the roof leaked. whistled through the walls and the roof leaked. However, these insufficiencies stimulated the creative However, these insufficiencies stimulated the creative spirit of the craftspeople, who found new solutions.spirit of the craftspeople, who found new solutions.

As the reed house became ever more comfortable, As the reed house became ever more comfortable, other citizens wanted to possess such a house as well. other citizens wanted to possess such a house as well. More and more reed houses were built and soon all More and more reed houses were built and soon all families had a roof over their heads again.families had a roof over their heads again. ..

After the reed houses survived another earthquake After the reed houses survived another earthquake undamaged, the remaining doubting spirits were convinced. undamaged, the remaining doubting spirits were convinced.

No one missed the old brick houses.No one missed the old brick houses.

The whole town was proud and people came from The whole town was proud and people came from everywhere to look at the reed houses. everywhere to look at the reed houses. The craftsman, not as young anymore, already thought The craftsman, not as young anymore, already thought about selling the reed houses beyond the borders of the about selling the reed houses beyond the borders of the small town for good money...small town for good money... The End. The End.

The tale “Houses of Reed” was inspired by a The tale “Houses of Reed” was inspired by a consultancy mission in El Salvador in February 2003consultancy mission in El Salvador in February 2003

Idea and textIdea and text by Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke by Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke

IllustratedIllustrated by by Arnoldo Baltodano CuadraArnoldo Baltodano Cuadra

with the with the supportsupport of German Technical Cooperation of German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)(GTZ)

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua 1/2004San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua 1/2004