Rondewels

We have mentioned several times already that the basic home unit of people in this region is the Rondewel (pronounced ron-de-vel). As you can see by the picture above, they are circular huts with thatched roofs. They are generally about 20 feet in diameter, although this can vary, and can be made out of mud and wattle, mud-brick or stone. The name Rodewel simply means "round hut".

These homes dot the landscape and seem somewhat fitting of the terrain. They are the cornerstone of a society that is proud of its culture. As one person we met told us "We need many things here, but we don't need to be 'built up.' If we suddenly started putting large buildings and high rises where the Rondewels are now, our ancestors would turn their backs to us"

The interior of the Rodewels are very spacious and usually can house 2-5 people (sometimes more depending on the family). They are slept in, cooked in, played in. Families often have 2 or three Rondewels together and they sometimes function the same way as rooms do in a western style house. The ceilings are high and the floors are either packed dirt or covered with a thin layer of cloth.