When building a house, engineers and architects are usually worried about location, materials to be used, cost, and recently, about the damage that we could cause to our planet as well.

When a family undertakes the construction of its own house, it builds it in a natural manner and according to its possibilities. It is not unusual to see blocks, adobes or tiles kept in the yard for long periods of time, to be used later in a process that usually lasts years before the house is finished.

It is a well-known fact that the large cities in most developing countries are spreading at a dangerous rate. Formerly rural areas are being developed or simply invaded, and the urban sprawl limits the possibility of its inhabitants for natural recreation activities. It also creates incredible costs for the urban society. The services that eventually have to be provided (roads, water, sewage, electricity, security) are much more costly in a horizontal growth pattern than in a vertical one. Over the centuries most towns have grown vertically as much as horizontally, and it is only in recent decades that many societies have adopted the “North American Style” of ever growing suburbia and of relinquishing the inner cities to business and low level / low cost apartments.

CHP construction goes ahead in Otjiwarongo
An EU evaluation of projects in Namibia included the CHP/SODI project in Otjiwarongo. As the evaluator expressed pleasure at what she saw, a positive outcome of the evaluation is likely. Not even the Easter weekend could stop the enthusiasm of the builders who were working full time and during those days erected the walls of seven houses. At the moment, transport of bricks is the main problem because of the incredible speed of the builders.

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Producing bricks with sawdust briquettes
In a village in the Municipality of Fomento in Cuba the first brick factory that uses briquettes of biomass and clay, developed by CIDEM, is producing bricks. When the brickmaker saw how to produce these briquettes, he immediately began his own experimental production which he tested in a burning. “It comes out cheaper to buy firewood, but aboveall I do not have to go and look for it nor ask anyone for persmission,” said the ingenious producer. He explained that now a neighbor produces the briquettes and he buys them delivered to his brick factory.

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Youth MCR workshop in Zimbabwe
A core group of youth educated in the 2002 MCR technology transfer program has formed Kiclah Investments (Private) Limited. The quality of their tiles is excellent, passing 85kg in the bending strength test and many even passing 100kg. Not only has the Kiclah group picked up the technical aspects well, they have also absorbed many management principles in a complementary training program. We wish this entrepreneurial group well in the future.

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