Man, 23 years old, newly arrived at Caledonia Farm. I am from Mbare. I had little money or food, I was making Z$100,000 a week. The other men from the street are given medicine to help them sleep, prescribed by a Doctor. I am originally from Madzira, it is just me here in the camp, my parents are in Madzira. I have been living in Harare for six years. At first I was at work, then I earned a living mending baskets. There was not hope. We were living like squatters. Now I work in the camp kitchen as a supervisor. In the future I want to have a job. There is an urgent need for the Government to review its proposed strategy and methods for reconstruction and to use Operation Garikai as a means of restoring the livelihoods of those directly affected while addressing their longer-term shelter and housing needs. Lessons learned from over two decades of housing and urban reconstruction experience would indicate that a more effective and sustainable approach would be to distribute a major portion of the Z$ 3 trillion in the following manner: a. One-time equity grants for those rendered homeless and the most needy to serve as compensation for loss of housing stock and as start-up funds for meeting their immediate shelter needs; b. Subsidized loans and guarantees to building societies, housing cooperatives and other community-based organizations to engage in incremental self-help housing for their respective members that have been affected; c. Interest-free start-up capital for the establishment of building materials depots and stores to be managed by non-for-profit organizations to provide a source of affordable building materials; d. Earmarked transfers to local authorities to employ labour-intensive public works to boost the supply of stands using more reasonable norms and standards such as footpaths rather than roads, on-site ventilated improved pit latrines and communal stand pipes. Site layout would provide for installation of standard infrastructure when funds eventually become available. 50