This Global Home | Day 7: Mozambique

My name is Sheila Yoder and I live in Maputo, Mozambique, serving at a day center/reintegration program for street boys. I am a relative newcomer, only now approaching the 2-year mark, but moving into my current apartment at the beginning of 2018 made this city truly begin to feel like home. Living alone as a single 30 year old makes most locals question my sanity ("you're not afraid?" is most often asked) but I knew having a space to call my own would allow my life to become more sustainable here long-term and I have never regretted it. Setting up this home on my own has been one of the most empowering things I've ever done and it's the first time I've been able to fully express myself in a home through interior design. There are still a lot of unfinished spaces and empty walls but I love the process of acquiring the right pieces and it doesn't stop me from inviting people into it in the mean time. One of the main reasons I wanted to have my own place was so that I could invite people into it. I wanted to be able to have a safe, inviting, restful space to offer to friends and fellow missionaries for a night, a month, or just a cup of coffee. And it has. I feel so blessed to be able to open a space to others that has been so rejuvenating to myself as well. I hope you enjoy! And if you ever find yourself in Maputo, look me up!Connect with me: Blog Instagram

Building facade. Mozambique still retains so much Portuguese influence from the time of their colonization and the one really beautiful (albeit slightly dilapidated) thing remaining from that time is the architecture. Most of this city looks like it's frozen in 1975 and I'm not mad about it. I love walking the streets and taking in all the variety and post-modernist styles of that era. My building is the one on the left. My apartment is on the second floor from the top in about the center of the photo, spotted by the pink veranda. I'm located in a central but safe part of town where there aren't that many expats which I kind of enjoy. Oh, and most of the elevators in these buildings don't work anymore so, yeah, I get a daily workout living on the 7th floor.

My entryway. I wasn't even in the market for an apartment when a friend arranged to show me this one but as soon as I walked in, I knew I needed it. From the herringbone wood floors to the original Portuguese tiles and pink veranda, it was love at first sight.

Living room. It took a couple months of living with one chair and a mattress on the floor while I was having furniture made but the wait was worth it. I was able to get most of my large pieces custom made by a local carpenter and the rest I sourced second-hand through facebook groups.

Dining area. I wanted to be intentional about trying to find more local sources for decor and furniture and getting my furniture custom made was the perfect fit. It actually ended up being even cheaper than if I had tried to find second-hand pieces and I was able to design it exactly as I wanted it. It has its imperfections but I love it all. Even that large, woven light fixture was a custom piece I had made by a group that sells down at the local beach.

Couch. This is one of the pieces I had made as well. I'm telling you, finding a good carpenter is the way to go! Although, maybe go for higher priced cushions than I did, your bum will thank you in the long run haha.

Kitchen. This is one of my favorite spots in the house. What it lacks in counter space (pretty much zero!), it makes up for in charm. A kitchen with white tile and black grout was something I had prayed for before I even knew this apartment existed and it was one of the reasons I knew this place was mine.

Sink & entrance to back veranda.

Kitchen shelves. I got the joy of having my parents visit for a few weeks soon after I moved in and my Dad made me the shelves and little table you see pictured. It means so much to me have something that he made here with me in Mozambique.

Back veranda. Although it's mainly just enough space for my washing machine and step ladder, I love pulling my kitchen stool out here and watching the sun set while soccer games at the sports complex go on down below. The view is perfection.

View from back veranda. Like I said, perfection. From watching the sun set, to blankets of fog settling over the city, to storms rolling in from the sea, I still have not gotten tired of this view. It looks out across the bay opening to the ocean if you continued going left.

Bathroom. Obsessed with this white tile/green grout combo. Unfortunately you can't find anything like this anymore in Maputo so when it's time to do some plumbing work (which I am in need of), I'm going to have to deal with a patchwork tile situation. Not looking forward to it.

My bedroom. Bed and light fixture made here, duvet cover and pillow case made by my amazing mom when her and my dad visited. I spent hours at the corner fabric shop picking through bolts to find the right fabric for the beds, it was so much fun!

My bedroom. This rug was the first home purchase I made here in Moz and technically it wasn't even a purchase. A missionary being reassigned invited us over to her place for a rummage sale and it caught my eye hidden under a dining table. It's quite old and has a few holes so she simply offered it to me for free. Such a gift! The print on the wall is one of my own photos that I had blown up and sent with my parents when they visited.

Art print/entry. This print from the Cageless Birds collective reminds me of what it's all about- "fly high, build home."

Unfinished space. This veranda off of my bedroom is one of my favorite things about my apartment and yet it is annoyingly empty. I just have not made the time or finances to finish it off and let it fill it's potential as a prayer/coffee room. One of these days it will happen!

Guest bedroom. This bedroom is amazing in that it opens up to my front veranda but it also means I have to warn guests about street noise. It's still a bit of a work in progress as the walls are still empty.

Front veranda. Another one of the things I prayed for before I found this apartment was for a bit of the dusty, faded pink paint I see all across the city. I walked out onto this veranda and boom, sold. Interestingly though, the color you see now is not the same color as when I first saw it. Through some unfortunate miscommunication with the painters before I moved in, it became a bright Barbie pink for a couple months before I repainted it to this somewhat more subdued rose color.

Veranda plants. I do not have a green thumb in the least but so far, these plants have managed to stay alive! I'm hoping to grow this collection but I always have to weigh the cost of every purchase: lugging it up my 8 flights of stairs with no elevator.