Development and Mud huts

Development is great. Church aid organizations often help build orphanages and other homes for underprivileged people. My problem with Western development is the ignorance of culture and tradition.

Who or which culture sets the standard for development? Here is one example. Is a mud hut by definition a substandard home? What does it say if that is how your people have been living for thousands of years? Does it mean that their traditional homes are inferior to those of concrete? I never realized how cool a mud hut home is compared to a cement structure until I stayed in one. I never realized how well they keep water out with only grass roofs and how much cooler they are compared to metal zinc roofs (which is the main alternative in Ghana at least.)

If mud huts are well maintained – worked on every year, they are very accommodating homes. They are cool and comfortable. They are affordable and within the price range of nearly every Ghanaian at least in rural areas. They are easy to maintain and not so costly as more Western style homes. The people already possess much of the expertise to build and maintain them.

I grant that cities can be a different animal since people are living right on top of each other in ways that are not accommodating to traditional African ways of life. Any thoughts? Any thoughts on the millenium goals? http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ Check em out.