Who Actually Builds Your House in Sierra Leone? I Started Paying Attention

When you hire a developer to build a house, who actually does the building? Being in Sierra Leone gave me a much clearer view of the chain between the developer, the contractor, and the local people doing the physical work. In this video, work continues around the courtyard as we deal with concrete, drainage, and the aftermath of the flooding. I also introduce you to two men who both happen to be named Muhammad—one working security and another helping with work around the property. As I watched the work being done, I began thinking differently about who gets paid, who actually does the labor, and why hiring trusted local workers directly can sometimes benefit both sides. Then we step away from construction for something quieter: a walk through the garden across from the property, where I'm introduced to local crops, lemongrass, and a medicinal plant called “never die.” Building Ye-Ruqor is teaching me about much more than construction. It's also teaching me about the people, knowledge, labor, and community surrounding the place we're creating. In this series, I'm documenting what happened when the vision met reality. Time Stamps: 0:00 Everything Is Finally Arriving 0:44 Flowerbeds, Concrete Work & Contract Layers 4:25 Meet the Two Muhammads 5:41 Why I Hired Muhammad Directly 7:07 Walking to the Garden 8:35 Muhammad's Garden Tour 🏡 Ye-Ruqor Heritage Retreat: http://www.yeruqor.com 📖 Tracing Our Roots, Reclaiming Our Legacy: https://link.amazon/B04trwnQ7 💬 Consultations: http://www.aishaladon.com #SierraLeone #DiasporaReturn #HeritageTravel