The psychologist building support structures for South Africa, one shack at a time
In his quest to improve people’s wellbeing, psychologist Quinton Adams is starting with their basic needs. Having led research on informal settlements in the Western Cape, South Africa for over 20 years, he’s developed a deep understanding of the challenges people in poverty face. Thousands are forced to live in shacks assembled from scavenged materials including corrugated iron sheets, construction debris and repurposed consumer waste. These structures can’t withstand extreme weather conditions such as heavy rainfall and strong winds, placing families at risk of homelessness and simultaneously affecting their mental and physical health. “Nobody deserves to live in constant fear that their home will collapse,” Adams says. So he initiated The ShackBuilder, an NGO that restores the human right to adequate housing.
In 2017, a storm wreaked havoc in township communities in Cape Town. Witnessing the devastation of homes that ensued was a turning point for Adams. “My research has shown us that we have a big housing crisis in South Africa where 600 000 families are waiting for houses,” he says. With his initiative, Adams has set out strict specifications for structures to be built with new corrugated iron and three-metre timber poles, secure cement flooring, and roofing with laminate aluminium foil insulations to regulate temperature. “Together with my team we’re ensuring families have decent houses,” he says. His project creates opportunities in the construction industry for unemployed youth and ex-criminals. As they complete their training, they’re improving their skills and can use the initiative as a stepping stone for other job options. “Every time we hand over a shack it is always overwhelming also for us as builders,” he says.
So far, Adams has built over 100 homes in informal settlements and backyards. His solutions go beyond providing homes and informing his research. “It’s not only the shelter and the shacks that we are building but it’s the emotional support,” he says. Going into communities after storms and shack fires, he meets the families to provide aid and relief, and strengthen relationships with them. Instead of assessing a problem at the surface level, he’s getting to the root of it to effect a bigger change. “We know what it means for them to move into a new place, a safer place, a secured place and where they can start to rebuild their lives again,” he says. ”Everyone deserves to have pride and dignity in their homes and that is the foundation of the work that we are busy doing.”
