The Wonderful Window

This story is for children in kindergarten through 3^rd grade. Before reading it, look for pictures of a shantytown. The National Geographic website may be helpful. “The Wonderful Window” takes place in South Africa. Explain to the listeners that there are many nice houses in South Africa as well, and there are shantytowns in other places in the world too.

Story: The little boy named Mtembo walked on the sandy path from school. He was on his way home. Home was not a house. Home was not an apartment. It was not even a tent. Home was a shanty.

Mtembo’s family was the poorest of the poor people in his town. To have a place to live, they built one out of anything they could find. Houses like these are called “shanties.” Mtembo’s shanty was made with some old boards, Most were brown, some were black and one was green.

It was also made with big pieces of cardboard left over from boxes.

A few sheets of metal were laid on the top for a roof. An old tire on top of the metal kept the roof from blowing off in a big wind.

Large sheets of plastic were put up where there were big holes in the cardboard walls. They helped keep out the wind and rain.