Nashetu-E-Maa
Practical Action
• the enhanced skills base means project trained women have the ability to provide
training for others; enabling broader dissemination of the technologies;
• an increased awareness of housing issues and the options available to address them.
Within groups decisions are made as to whose housing problems are prioritized and how
labour is shared and organised to carry out the construction work. For example the
Kumpa Group have been collaborating with Practical Action since 1992; they now have
their own procedures for assisting members, banking and accounting for monthly
contributions from members and materials purchasing for house improvements without
input from Practical Action;
• the enhanced technical knowledge and improved linkages between the women, hardware
merchants and local artisans have resulted in the development of new, trusting
relationships that enable women to access building materials at a fair price and to
control the process of acquisition and construction;
• artisans are finding new opportunities to generate income; housing and social
infrastructure markets are continuing to develop and alternative technologies are being
considered more often;
• the increased confidence and ability to seek government services has led to women’s
groups approaching the Health Department for assistance in the provision of latrines or
solicitation for inclusion in Community Based Health Care Programmes;
• many of the women’s groups’ members now sit in a number of development fora, land
boards, parent teacher associations and other development organisations.
• improvements in health are a significant benefit of the technological changes made in
housing. A reduction in chest infections and eye illnesses has resulted from improved
ventilation; ‘I can cook the whole meal inside the house without taking a break outside
to get some fresh air’. The associated improvements in lighting levels have also resulted
in a reduction in the number of accidents that occur in the home. The impact on health
of the various design changes are outlined in the table below:
• the reduction in time spent by women repairing houses and fetching water has led to an
increase in other productive activities such as:
o small kitchen gardens improving the diversity of food available and generating
income;
o small scale enterprises e.g. building and renting rooms, manufacturing craft
goods, transport and sale of charcoal to urban markets, retailing foodstuff such
as milk, sugar, maize flour etc.
Elements of House Improvement Effect
Health Benefit
Better ventilation
Reduces air pollution
Reduced respiratory infections
Wire mesh in windows/eaves
closure
Corrugated iron roof
Ferro-cement wall panels or SSB
Compacted floor
Limits entry of mosquitoes and
sand flies
Eliminates hiding places of
mosquitoes
Eliminates hiding places of peri-
domestic pests
Reduces flea population
Higher birth weights
Reduce incidence of malaria
and kalaazar
Reduce incidence of malaria
Reduce transmission of
diarrhoea diseases
Reduce incidence of jiggers
Cupboard for storing utensils
Guttering on the roof
Limits access to food by vectors
Water harvesting
Reduce incidences of
diarrhoea diseases
Increased personal and domestic
hygiene
Source: Health Impact Study on Improved Housing in Kajiado, Patrick Wanjohi, August 1997.
Many women are also seeing tangible benefits for their families. Girls and boys are benefiting
directly from the improved domestic environment and also from the improved conditions which
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