Water is heated over firewood for both personal use and washing clothes, and must be carried from a nearby stream. Gisese finds large pieces of firewood by walking a mile or more up a path from her house. She carries the heavy load in a bundle on her back, secured by a band worn around her forehead. After work, Gisese may heat water and bathe, have dinner and sit with her family. Dinner is served in bowls with the children sharing.
Food is scooped out using hands.
When the weather is nice, sometimes Gisese sits outside in the moonlight on a wooden stool or bench. Sundays she attends her church and somehow finds time to be part of a local dance group. Inside the house, one room is used as a living room, the other for sleeping in addition to storing the crops. At a homeowner's meeting last year, Gisese was commended for paying ahead on her mortgage. Tilly Grey is an international partner working throughout Africa for Habitat for Humanity International.