Nashetu-E-Maa
Practical Action
communities to understand the issues surrounding technology choices and to facilitate
debate (see Figure 4);
• production of technical publications to offer guidance on the construction techniques
developed;
• one in-depth research study showed the significant impact improved housing has on
health and another explored the role and housing needs of women and children. These
studies have informed the development of new areas of work;
• distribution of promotional materials to Government of Kenya officials, institutions and
individuals in the community which helped to create greater awareness;
• radio coverage in the local language, including interviews with staff and project
beneficiaries generated interest and resulted in several enquiries being received;
• attending national and international conferences and workshops, exhibitions and
displays enabling project staff to inform and influence policy and decision-makers on
pertinent issues. An example, above, is the construction of a demonstration house at
Ngong agricultural show-ground; for several years this has provided the caretaker with a
home and acted as a permanent display of the technologies;
• collaboration with public sector and community based organisations (CBOs) has enabled
the project to create synergy and widen its sphere of influence.
Building on tradition
The range of building materials and designs used by people in any one location will be the result
of a combination of many factors:
• local climate and natural resources;
• locally available materials;
• traditional skills;
• cultural preferences;
• the functional requirements of the structure;
• the resources available to, and personal choices made by, the builders and the end-
users…
… a host of variables which will be context specific and reflect the ongoing influences
forcing changes in people’s lives. The Maasai people have had to adapt and continue to
A comparison of materials used in house construction
Component
Indigenous
Modern
materials
materials
Walling
cow-dung on twigs
dressed stone
twigs alone
timber
posts
concrete blocks
stone fill
Roofing
Floor
Door shutters
Window
animal hides
cow-dung &
ash on grass
soil
Soil
Ash
dung
twigs
Cloth
Glass
wire gauze
GCI sheets
tiles
cement screed
floor tiles
Timber
sheet steel
steel/glass
timber/glass
Improved
materials
stabilised soil
blocks
ferro-cement
mortar mesh
mud & wattle
rammed earth
ferro-cement skin
GCI on traditional
structure
rammed earth
tiles
stabilised soil
blocks
timber
framed timber with
GCI infill
timber shutters
wire gauze
Source: Maasai Housing Project impact assessment survey for improved houses, Building Materials & Shelter Programme,
July 1995.
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