An Overview Of Our Solution
Behind Uganda’s housing construction industry are conventional practices in the choice of building materials,particularly burned bricks (BBs) bonded together with thick mortar of up to 30mm to erect walls for housing.Due to the growing population the demand for houses in Uganda has increased in the recent years,increasing the demand for building materials.However,meeting this increased demand can speed up deforestation &worsen the effects of climate change since the firing of bricks in Uganda takes 5.7 times more energy than general baked clay bricks.In Uganda Smart Havens Africa is focused on ending Housing poverty by developing Affordable housing options by shifting peoples attitudes from burned bricks to the use of Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks technology as an environmentally friendly &appropriate building technology alternative.
- Population Impacted: 44.2 million people
- Continent: Africa
Last name
Organization type
Context Analysis
Despite ISSB benefits,the technology has not been fully integrated in urban housing.smart Havens Africa commissioned research to investigate the barriers to more widespread adoption of ISSB technology in relation to the rationale for building material selection.this
research intended to identify the specific areas that the promoters of sustainable housing should focus on when disseminating the use of ISSBs.The study found that cost,durability,availability &acceptability by clients were the common reasons for material choice.However acceptability by clients was governed by their perceptions towards stabilised soil.From the field interviews,it was established that social attitudes point to stabilised soil as an inferior technology meant for rural settings while adding cement to soil is viewed as wastage.Hence the technology is perceived expensive &unaffordable.We are focused on ending housing poverty by shifting peoples attitudes to take up this ecofriendly building alternative
Describe the technical solution you wanted the target audience to adopt
The use of Interlocking Stabilised Soil Blocks (ISSB) technology where cement is added to soil and compressed in a block press is an environmentally friendly and appropriate building technology alternative. The blocks are air-cured rather than fired. They are more durable with 80 % higher compressive strength than BB and even more cost-effective per square metre with up to 40 % cost savings accruing from dry stacking and less mortar for plastering and rendering. ISSBs are cured over 28 days and not fired thus saving the fragile ecosystems specifically wetlands and forests. The deforestation rate of 1.8 % per year in Uganda is remarkably high and as such the Uganda - Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) notes that there is a risk of losing the entire forest cover in the next 40 years (World Bank, 2013).
Type of intervention
Describe your behavioral intervention
The study concluded that, it is crucial for promoters to understand the local perception towards the ISSB technology and should therefore focus on educating clients as a first step. Client understanding of the ISSB technology as a sustainable and cost effective technology for building construction will go a long way in the adoption of this technology if massive awareness is not properly done. We are changing the society attitudes in a more practical way by involving them directly in the production of the blocks and training them how they can build their own houses.In this way we are changing peoples attitudes from the use of burned bricks to the interlocking stabilised blocks technology
As needed, please explain the type of intervention in more detail
Homes built through Smart Havens Africa are environmentally sustainable as they are constructed from a green&ecological Carbon emission free Building Material(SHA Eco Blocks) &all are equipped to harvest rainwater,reducing the use of municipal water by over 20%.SHA products improves awareness of environmental issues,provides a healthy living environment & increases housing affordability principally for low-Moderate income families. The homes are further equipped with bio-digesters,which drastically reduce the leakage of septic tanks &atrines into underground water sources;wood-saving stoves,reducing the use of wood for cooking by 70%;solar water heaters,which provide hot water with zero gas consumption&solar energy efficient lamps,which reduce the use of municipal energy by 10%.
By training &employing Ugandan Women in ISSB construction, Smart Havens Africa is spreading this low-cost,low-carbon technology across the country&combatting climate change at its very roots.
While wide use of the traditional burnt brick causes mass deforestation across Africa,Smart Havens Africa’s blocks require no wood for firing.At least 10 of Africa’s increasingly rare mature trees are saved for every 2500 ISSBs,preserving the country’s fragile biodiversity. For every House that Smart Havens Africa Builds,we create fifteen temporary Green jobs for women,Masons,Self-Builders &Unemployed youth.We also provide opportunities for young women who want to take up a carrier in affordable housing sector by providing appropriate training &apprenticeship opportunities.
Describe your implementation
In the last 18months we have created more than 3,000green jobs,Housed over 160individuals, women &children,Saved over 900 of Africa's rare trees,reduced carbon emissions and helped our clients save over 30% monthly on their disposable income.
Smart Havens Africa targets those on the Base of the pyramid especially women who earn between $51-$250 permonth,a segment served inadequately by both the public&private Sectors.One of Smart Havens Africa unique selling proposition is our growing league of young women who are trained in this male dominated field &Housing solutions that create green jobs&opportunities for women,masons,self-builders,For every woman that Smart Havens trains she is given the task to transfer the skill to a minimum of five other women in the community In So doing we are creating anetwork of Women skilled with building technology.
Homes built through Smart Havens Africa are environmentally sustainable as they are constructed from a green&ecological Carbon emission free Building Material(SHA Eco Blocks) &all are equipped to harvest rainwater,reducing water wastage by over 20%.SHA products improves awareness of environmental issues,provides a healthy living environment & increases housing affordability principally for low-Moderate income families. The homes are further equipped with bio-digesters,which drastically reduce the leakage of septic tanks &atrines into underground water sources;wood-saving stoves,reducing the use of wood for cooking by 70%;solar water heaters,which provide hot water with zero gas consumption&solar energy efficient lamps,which reduce the use of municipal energy by 10%.
While wide use of the traditional burnt brick causes mass deforestation across Africa,Smart Havens Africa’s blocks require no wood for firing.At least 20 of Africa’s increasingly rare mature trees are saved for every 2500 ISSBs,preserving the country’s fragile biodiversity.
External connections
In Uganda Smart Havens Africa aim to assist those that are disadvantaged by market failure by securing a pathway to home ownership recognizing that it is one of the ways by which the poor can escape from Housing Poverty. We are focused on developing Affordable housing options for those experiencing housing difficulty so that our clients can enjoy stable lives,raise families,engage in employment or study&have enough disposable income to live
Our partners include Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI®), Small Starter Africa, Future Earth, S. Tetteh + Associates, A cube Designers among others
Who adopted the desired behaviors and to what degree?
In the last 18months we have created more than 3,000 jobs for women,self builders and masons who have taken up our solution, Housed over 160 individuals, women and children, Saved over 900 of Africa's rare trees, reduced carbon emissions and helped our clients save over 30% monthly on their disposable income and our revenues have grown 3.5x
Of the 3000 women trained , more than 20 have been able to use out technology to build their own homes
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
Homes built through Smart Havens Africa are environmentally sustainable as they are constructed from a green&ecological Carbon emission free Building Material(SHA Eco Blocks) &all are equipped to harvest rainwater,reducing the use of municipal water by over 20%.SHA products improves awareness of environmental issues,provides a healthy living environment & increases housing affordability principally for low-Moderate income families.While wide use of the traditional burnt brick causes mass deforestation across Africa,Smart Havens Africa’s blocks require no wood for firing.At least 20 of Africa’s increasingly rare mature trees are saved for every 2500 ISSBs,preserving the country’s fragile biodiversity. For every House that Smart Havens Africa Builds,we create fifteen temporary Green jobs for women,Masons,Self-Builders &Unemployed youth.
What were some of the resulting co-benefits?
The eco-technologies Used in SHA Housing contribute to the health,comfort &welfare of the beneficiaries:thermal insulation results in more comfort for those who could not afford air conditioning;the use of filters improves water quality,avoiding gastro-intestinal diseases(representing 70% of medical costs) &solar heaters provide hot water in houses that could not otherwise afford it.
The homes are further equipped with bio-digesters,which drastically reduce the leakage of septic tanks &atrines into underground water sources;wood-saving stoves,reducing the use of wood for cooking by 70%;solar water heaters,which provide hot water with zero gas consumption&solar energy efficient lamps,which reduce the use of municipal energy by 10%.
By training &employing Ugandan Women in ISSB construction, Smart Havens Africa is spreading this low-cost,low-carbon technology across the country&combatting climate change at its very roots.
hey can use as a security, enjoy stable lives,engage in meaningful employment and still maintain sufficient disposable income to live on&enables individuals/families to secure a pathway to homeownership &make this dream easier to reach.
Sustainability
Our model is self sustainable since we provide options for self financing, the skills provided to women enable them in accessing employment, we currently rely on self financing but we welcome grant and equity funding
Return on investment
Business Profitability:Over the five-year period (2018-2022), the net margins of the company shall improve considerably and average at 20% as the company becomes more effective at converting more sales into profits and driving cost efficiencies in its operations
Business Growth:The company’s revenues are expected to grow steadily over the five-year period from $0.03 to $0.5 million by 2022. This forecast growth is expected to be driven by growth in our target markets, and the company’s increasing footprint
The return on Equity investment (ROE) over the 5-year period is expected to reach 20.3% by 2022.
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
Scalability
Our Business model is replicable to promote sustainable development
We use a market -based social impact business model to generate, grow & sustain the local supply & demand via three interconnected concepts A roof, A skill and A market
Social Inclusion:We work with Women to build more green Affordable homes as a way of consolidating peace,protecting the environment &generating sustainable incomes
Technical Support:We provide training & Support in the use of Our Building technology & accompany our clients all the way on their Journey of Home ownership.
Financing :We promote financial education in families and provide flexible self financing schemes. The savings culture benefits people, families and communities.