Today’s young person is quite conflicted. She is in the university studying complex stuff ranging from the arts, medicine, actuarial science or architecture. With the internet, she is exposed to a whole world of ideas, places, lifestyles, and dreams. Yet the home she lives in is a complete contrast to the ideas she is exposed to. Universities can no longer afford to offer quality hallowed halls of residence. The best they can do is put grown-ups on double-deckers; 4-6 per room in conditions worse than high school: and they can only do this to a small fraction of the population. The rest rent whatever is available that they can afford which is mostly around the campuses.
Four years and a degree later our hardworking young person is given the power to pay their own rent. If they are lucky, they get a job. The office is air-conditioned, with quality technology, they have a smartphone, two or three years later they may buy a car, small but with all the modern features and their appreciation of the world broadens. The only thing that does not seem to change is the quality of their housing. They still live in bad neighborhoods far from where they work. They spend hours in traffic or forced to wake up at ungodly hours, the workmanship of their houses is terrible. They work hard and spruce up the interiors with fancy furniture and curtains but deep down they know something is still missing. The houses that are somewhat decent are expensive and unreachable for most of the young people.
Is this the best we can do? Is the conflict inevitable?
What if we provided housing that is in complete harmony with the intellectual, social, emotional and physical desires of our young person? Houses that are functional as the apps people use, as reliable as m-pesa as sleek as I-phones and as eye-opening as the internet. And real-life communities that make social media pale in comparison?.
What if we gave them a place that is convenient, near their workplace and close to all the amenities they need? What if the place is beautifully designed and properly built? What if it contains all the perks of modern living? Lifts, gardens, swimming pool…? What if we provided a level of service that is unbelievably high? where they can be treated with decorum and respect? What if their houses contain all the amenities they need and are well lit with good air circulation? What if we created spaces and an atmosphere that makes it so natural for all residents to want to know one another, to become friends and create a community? What if we created the houses in a way that those who decide to work from home are comfortable doing so and proudly invite their clients during work and friends on weekends? What if we opened up business opportunities for our young people to provide much-needed services to other residents? What if our places meet their physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual needs?
And.. what if we did all this at prices most young aspirational urbanites can afford?
Some might think this is a utopian dream but you who have invested with us know we have done it. More critically, those of you who live at TSAVO know the feeling because you live it. We want to restore dignity to the young aspirational urbanites. We want to tell you that your dreams are valid and there is a place you can be proud to call home. A place where your inner creativity can shine and rise to new levels, a place that makes you fully alive. A place you can make yours.
