Repan Sadik, a 27 year-old father of six, has built a three-storey ‘castle’ in the refugee camp, with 24 rooms. Repan built it using bamboo, eucalyptus poles, mud, loads of energy and self-belief.
“People are always amazed by how I designed the house and how it stays grounded. It is quite a surprise, as thoughts and ideas come to mind unexpectedly, mostly while I’m sleeping,” says Repan.
He claims some people have asked him to build them a similar house, unaware of the cost and the excessive labour a project like this requires.
“I buy the bamboo and eucalyptus with money put aside from selling furniture. I used to build the house during the night time and in the day time I would make and sell furniture,” Repan explains.
The large house is not yet complete, so Repan is working hard to buy the remaining materials. Meanwhile, his family has started living on the ground floor.
“I need to do more work inside and outside to make it look nicer, so that my family can make use of every room.”
For a person who depends on humanitarian aid and hand-outs, building a big house is not an easy task. However, Repan is willing to face the challenge.
Repan has developed sufficient confidence over the years, thanks to architectural and engineering skills, acquired from his father before they were separated back in 2011. He also looks forward to the shelter maintenance training that NRC plans to provide.
Interest in agriculture
Repan is a hardworking Sudanese refugee with many skills. He offers his services to humanitarian agencies in Sherkole, as a casual worker. He has also benefited from the seed distributions through the NRC livelihood project.
Repan received cabbage and black pepper seeds, that he was able to plant, harvest and sell for the benefit of his household. He is currently preparing his garden to plant the seeds he acquired, as the rainy season is coming up.
“Finding a strong and colorful house resembling a castle inside a refugee camp is like finding an oasis in the desert. It is creative; it is simple and has a lot of space for every purpose,” says Emebet Abdissa,
NRC’s Programme Officer in Ethiopia.
Sherkole is home to 11,457 refugees from Sudan and Congo. NRC has been assisting refugees in the Benishangul Gumuz Region inEthiopia since 2012, providing them with Education, Shelter, Food Security and Livelihood projects.