Build Sustainable Housing for Families in Africa

Summary

In sub-Saharan Africa, the struggle to obtain decent housing plunges millions of families into a vicious circle of poverty. Association la Voûte Nubienne (AVN) offers a solution to this problem, based on three principles: A Roof + A Skill + A Market. AVN organises the training and support of local teams to promote this solution on a large-scale so that families can acquire affordable, sustainable, and decent housing, at the same time improving their economic conditions and quality of life.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

The project addresses the need in sub-Saharan Africa for affordable, environmentally appropriate, sustainable, comfortable housing. Key beneficiaries are the rural families who acquire NV (Nubian Vault) homes, local builders and apprentices working for the program, who become independent NV entrepreneurs, and the associated workers such as earth brick makers, transporters, laborers. Scarce funds previously used for buying imported building materials stay in, and stimulate, the local economy.

How will this project solve this problem?

We organize the recruitment and on-the-job training of Nubian Vault (NV) builders in the Sahel, help them become independent NV entrepreneurs, and provide a developing pool of clients for them through our promotional, communication, and networking activities. By 2011, over 200 masons have been trained in the Nubian Vault technique, in Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Zambia, and over 1,000 vaults (houses, schools, dispensaries, barns, churches, mosques…) have been built.

Potential Long Term Impact

To harness the necessary financial, human, and strategic resources to maintain exponential growth of the Program, and obtain key macro-economic effects, with 5 – 10% of the relevant population of the Sahel affected (c. 20 million people) by 2030.

Project Message

I believe that they are presently the best worldwide in this field … they focus on the social aspect …. Technology is just a tool in their hand to give people the means to build their own habitat.
- Mr Satprem Maini, Director, Auroville Earth Institute, India

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Posted by Michael on February 5th, 2012

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