Building most vulnerable communities
POOR FAMILIES BUILDING ON THEIR OWN
The Interlocking Brick technology is especially effective in poor, rural communities. Families can come together in groups, make their own bricks and build their own homes at low cost.
Majhigaun is rising from the rubbles!
55 houses and one school has been rebuilt. The community enterprise and families are now rebuilding the last 15 houses! We support poor families to rebuild their own homes with Interlocking Bricks that they produce by themselves in the village.
The situation in Majhigaun after the earthquake was very bad.
More or less all houses were completely destroyed. The families were living under tarps or in temporary sheds. The Majhi people is a discriminated ethnic group in Nepal and the whole village lives in poverty. Traditionally fishermen but a huge stone crusher has destroyed the river. Now they are struggling for their livelihood.
Taking matters into their own hands
We started the project by setting up a production of Earth Bricks and training the local community in earthquake resistant construction while building the first model house. The locals learned how to make a solid foundation and how to reinforce with cement and rebar. Now they have taken matters into their own hands and rebuilding their whole village!
This was the first model house & now the villagers have built their houses on their own!
Rebuilding with Interlocking Earth Bricks. Most rural families in Nepal dream of a house of brick and concrete but simply cannot afford it. Interlocking Bricks makes this dream possible. By using local materials and their own labor the villagers are able to lower the cost of construction and build new homes.
We are now organizing a group of 15 families in another poor village to build their own houses. The families do all the work by themselves. They collect soil and sand for the bricks and stones for the foundation. They reuse and repair old doors, windows and other materials. They produce the bricks and use their own labor to build the houses. Our team provides the machine, training and supervision. Ensuring that the houses are earthquake resistant.
We need sponsors to cover the cost of foreign materials. The families are very poor and needs your support. The people have weathered monsoon and winter under plastic tarpaulins and in temporary sheds. They have taken matters into their own hands and are working to rebuild their future. Support us in helping more vulnerable families build their houses next:
Contact us to build houses for most vulnerable families!
Shanti Majhi built her own home
Born into poverty, a mother of four and an earthquake victim – Shanti Majhi has now taken matters into her own hands. This is the story of her hardship, determination and joy in rebuilding a new, safe home for her family
Shanti, like many women born into poverty, was married and became a mother at young age. She lives in Majhigaun, a poor village suffering from social issues such as lack of education, hopelessness and alcoholism. Their situation was further worsened by the earthquake, turning family homes into rubbles and forcing them to live under tarps. When Build up Nepal came to Majhigaun Shanti, like many others, wished to have a new home. She was filled with joy when she heard the opportunity that Build up Nepal would support them to build their houses. Along with seven other families they agreed to do all the labor themselves. A few days later, they started training with Build up Nepal.
“It was the most difficult work I ever did in my life but it was satisfying to feel that I was capable to make my own bricks and build my house by myself. So, it felt good at the end of the day despite my body ached.”
Shanti started getting up before sunrise – every morning – to take care of her children, in-laws and cattle, before starting producing Earth Bricks for her new house. She shares her stories of hardship as she decided to build her family a new home.
“It was summer when we started so we had to work under the scorching hot sun. Resting for few minutes and drinking water before getting back to work.”
While building the house there were spectators coming by. Many were curious but Shanti also recalls people passing harsh comments. She felt hurt but she knew that those who passed the comments had no idea about Earth Bricks. She continued building and told them to wait until the house was finished…
“The time we installed the roof and painted the last corners I felt so satisfied. I was happy that I built the house by my own hands. After living under tarps for almost two years it was now so nice to have a comfortable home.”
The people who once passed harsh comments was now admiring the house. Shanti laughs as she says, “Our house looks identical to a brick house, only it’s much better”. It is a great joy to see the people who build their own homes and now enjoy living in it. Remembering the earthquake and the following hardships puts Shanti at unease – the scorching hot summer, the rain, storms and the numbing winter, making their situation close to unbearable.
“Seeing our house turned into rubble, living under a tarp, building my own house and now living in it has been a story of hardship but also joy. I am proud that I had the strength and guts to attempt it and was able to build a home for my family.”
Just like Shanti, the other seven families are also trying to adapt to their new situation. Each family have their own set of challenges but they surely also look content. They have successfully built new safe and comfortable houses and now the process to make them into their homes is still going on…