Fiche projet

Promotion of local materials and skills in the Andkhoi district

Pays : Afghanistan
Date : 2005 - 2007
Continent(s) : Asie
Thème(s) : Habitat

Context

Building technologies used for conventional constructed schools and water tank are based on "modern" material. Qualities of these buildings are appreciable. On the other side, such architecture is not really answering the very difficult climatic condition existing in Andkhoi district. Due to temperatures of about 45°C in summer or below 0°C in winter, most of the classrooms need to be closed from end of November up to the 20th march and again between July and September. Finally, technique actually on use do not have very important local socio economic impact as they are not labour intensive nor based on the use of the existing local building material. Since 2004, VUSAF is trying to develop more appropriate architecture to:

  • Develop the local economy ;
  • Create local jobs ;
  • Adapt better to local climatic condition, to help schools to be open for a longer period during the year ;
  • Impact on the local skills and on the housing situation in the area.

Objectives

The project objective was to promote the use of local material and local know-how in the Andkho District of the Jowzjan Province to answer Andkhoi population needs in term of school infrastructure facilities and water supplies.

More specifically, the project aimed at :

  • Contributing to the development of school infrastructures to offer decent education to girls and boys from Andkhoi / Khancharbagh / Qaramqul / Qurghan;
  • Improving the local economic situation through the use of local material and intensive labour technologies;
  • Impacting on the quality of rural housing by restoring the lost know-how.

Description

To reach the above objectives, the following strategy was developed :

  • Development of adequate architectural design;
  • Construction of demonstration buildings;
  • Training of local artisans, technicians, engineers and architects;
  • Training of trainers;
  • Organisation of opinion leaders and decisions makers' during awareness events.

Results

  • Construction of demonstration schools adapted to local climatic condition. These building should allow the extension of the actual annual academic year period both in winter and summer time ;
  • Team of artisans, technicians, engineers and architects trained to implement actual ongoing VUSAF programme;
  • Skilled resource persons locally available to train masons, technicians, engineers and architect needed to implement VUSAF programme and expand it to other potential interested institutions;
  • Global awareness of local decision makers and opinion leaders;
  • Development of the use of promoted technologies in the whole region;
  • Duplication and adaptation of the building technique on other projects by the trained team.

Partenaires

MISEREOR, VUSAF E.V, GERES Afghanistan, Local population, Local decision makers