Alaska Journal of Commerce: African lessons for Alaska... -
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Published on: 3/22/2004
Last Visited: 3/23/2004
Deborah Naybor signs a copy of her book, "Making a Difference," for a member of the Alaska chapter of the National Association of Women In Construction during the chapter's luncheon on March 10.Naybor, a member of the national organization, inspired the local gathering with tales of her experiences that took her from New York to Africa.PHOTO/Robert Howk/AJOC
The stereotypical image of a construction worker is usually some big, burly guy in a hard hat.But Deborah Naybor does not quite fit the profile.
Naybor, owner of a land survey firm in Buffalo, N.Y., was the featured speaker at a gathering of the Alaska chapter of the National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC) March 10 at the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage.
And they got an earful.
She regaled the crowd of women engineers, bankers, builders and contractors with stories about her adventures in Africa.It was there that she established an international chapter of NAWIC in Johannesburg, creating 400 jobs for local women; built a school and orphanage in Malawi; and had her car stolen at gunpoint in the countryside.But Naybor takes the unusual in stride.She also holds graduate degrees in forestry, humanities and literature, and is a certified scuba and karate instructor.In 1985 she became the 12th woman in New York state to receive a professional surveyor's license.She later spent ten years as a consulting expert for the National Council of Examiner for Engineering and Surveying.
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Naybor also sees common problems when it comes to making affordable housing available in African and Alaska Bush communities."It's a village to village thing.We can work together and help solve problems," she said.
But the situation in many areas of South Africa is dire, she said.
"A small house costs $10,000 and the average family annual income is $2,000," she said."But they charge 50 percent interest, and you can only get a mortgage for five years, maximum.It's impossible."
Working with international groups including Habitat for Humanity and NAWIC is helping to turn the problem around, she said, but there is still plenty of work to do.
"In South Africa about 30 percent of the construction jobs are held by women, and they apologized to me for such a low number," Naybor laughed.
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