Harambee For Humanity:
Oleleshwa Public School, Ewaso Ngiro, Kenya
Culture
Demographics Population Kenya: Nairobi (capital): Narok: Ewaso Ngiro:
37,953,840 2,143,254 40,000 <1000
Lake Lake Turkana Turkana
Population Density Kenya has approximately 4-10 people per square kilometer depending on the geographic location within the country. Ethnicity Nilo-Hamitic (2% bantu) Kikuyu (20%) Luhya (14%) Luo (13%) Kalenjin (12%) Kamba (11%) Kisii (6%) Meru (6%) Other African (15%) Non-African (1%)
SOMALIA SOMALIA
UGANDA UGANDA
Literacy Rate 85.1% of the population over the age of 15 can read and write.
KENYA EQUATOR EQUATOR
90.6% of Males 79.7% of Females Life Expectancy Male Female
(56.42 yrs) (56.87 yrs)
Language Swahili (primary) English (secondary) Maa (Maasai)
Mt. Kenya Kenya Mt.
Lake Lake Victoria Victoria
Narok Narok
EWASO EWASO NG’IRO NG’IRO
TANZANIA TANZANIA
Nairobi Nairobi
Indian Indian Ocean Ocean
Mt. Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro Mt.
Mombasa Mombasa
Provinces
Religion 45% 33%
10%
10%
Indigenous
Islam
2% Other
ETHIOPIA ETHIOPIA
SUDAN SUDAN
Roman Catholic
Protestant
1 - Central 2 - Coast 3 - Eastern 4 - Nairobi 5 - N. Eastern 6 - Nyanza 7 - Rift Valley 8 - Western
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7
5
8 6
1 4 2
Education System The western nations have demanded that African governments (including Kenya) reduce the amount of money spent on education as a condition for receiving foreign aid. They have also become the providers of education in various ways.
• • • • •
Determination of the education system used in Kenya (see graphic) Influencing the languages used both in and out of school (English) Controlling of the educational content taught (Western) Provisioning of the textbooks to be used (Western books in English) Directly educating African students (scholarships to Western universities)
Language Although less than 30% of the Kenyan population is literate in the English language, 90% of the books, magazines and newspapers published in Kenya are in English. Even the government of Kenya’s internet home page is in English. There are several ways the West benefits by influencing the primary language used in Kenya. To begin with, it is extremely useful in opening employment opportunities for Western companies, since there is a ready-made English workforce in the country. It also helps to secure a lasting influence and sense of prestige in Kenya, increasing the West’s global power. This results in the spread of cultural imperialism, strengthened neocolonialism, and ultimately an increase in wealth for the Western world. Kenyan languages and traditions are rendered worthless. This is not occurring solely in Kenya, but is the case throughout Africa Content and Books Through their control of language, Western nations have been able to control much of the content which is studied in Kenya. They control which books are to be printed and used in the schools. Students are exposed to Western concepts of culture, literature, history and religion. By learning the values of a different way of life, Kenyans become alienated from their own culture. They are left with confused morals and few of the skills required in order to industrialize their own nation. 15% of the primary students in Kenya in 1993 were repeaters, most of whom were from the rural areas of the country, where they were unable to translate the Western concepts they were taught in school into the environment in which they lived. Since the vast majority of Kenyans live in rural settings, this depletes the social development of much of Kenya’s human resource. Foreign Education Western nations sponsor the best and brightest Kenyan students to go to the West for both secondary and post -secondary education. This continues to push Western ideals and ways of life upon those who will be the future leaders of Kenya. On their return to Kenya they apply and, in doing so, spread their acculturated knowledge and way of life, thereby becoming agents of neocolonialism. “There is one fundamental difference between pre-colonial African education and Neocolonial education. African education was relevant to the local environment and ultimately aimed to prepare the youth for their responsibilities as adults; neocolonial education does not.”
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
POST-SECONDARY
Government The Kenyan Government is considered a Presidential Representative Democratic Republic, where a multi-party system comprising a President, Prime Minister, and National Assembly share executive and legislative authority. The President and Prime Minister share executive power, which is the authority and responsibility for daily administration and organization of the government. Legislative power – the power to pass, amend, and appeal laws – is also shared by the President and Prime Minister, as well as with the National Assembly. The Judiciary is an independent branch that does not hold any executive or legislative power. The President of Kenya is elected for a 5-year term after satisfying three requirements: receiving the largest number of votes among all contestants nationwide; winning at least 25% of the vote in at least five of Kenya’s eight provinces; being elected as a Member of Parliament in a constituency. If none of the candidates fulfill all three requirements, there is a runoff between the two contenders with the highest number of votes. The President appoints the Vice-President and Cabinet members from those elected to the National Assembly. A power-sharing agreement was signed by President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga after the constitutional referendum of 2005. Prime Minister Odinga was part of the Orange Democratic Movement Party, from which ministers were appointed into the National Assembly to reflect the political party’s strength. The Orange Democratic Movement is currently the largest party in Kenya’s parliament. The National Assembly has 224 members. The Judiciary is headed by a High Court, consisting of a Chief of Justice, High Court judges, and judges of Kenya’s Court of Appeal, all appointed by the President.
Current President: Mwai Kibaki (elected 29 Dec, 2007) Current Vice-President: Kalonzo Musyoka (elected 18 Jan, 2008) Current Prime Minister: Raila Odinga (elected 17 April, 2008)
Maasai Cultural Identity Male vs Female In the Maasai culture, men and women share significantly different lifestyles. Men carry the role of warrior and hedger, focusing primarily on providing protection and raising cattle, whereas women concentrate their lives on village maintenance, including building houses, collecting water, foraging, gathering firewood and cooking. Maasai men and women begin their different lifestyles based on an established age-grade system. At childhood, both young males and prepubescent females are separated from elder men and their wives and children.
Females
Males
Young Males Males grow up learning to become warriors by herding livestock and can only marry when they have gathered enough wealth. In this case, wealth is valued according to the cattle the male can acquire; 50 cattle or more is deemed respectable. Young males become Junior Warriors when they are circumcised within the Manyatta. Senior Warriors are commemorated at the Coming of Age Ceremony and are then allowed to leave the Manyatta. When married, a male can acquire more wealth by having children. However, having plenty of one value (cattle or children) over the other is considered a sign of poverty. Young Females When young females reach puberty, they are usually married to an older man. Before marriage, females help their mothers with necessary responsibilities, such as gathering water. Young females may have sex with younger warriors before marriage. During marriage, females often maintain social/sexual ties with former boyfriends. As a married adult, the female conducts her full responsibilities for village maintenance. When Maasai men and women reach old age, they become directors and advisors to the young.
Normal
Type I
Type II
Type III
Female Genital Mutilation A significant portion of the Kenyan female population undergo what is known as emorata, a form of female circumcision. Although it is illegal in Kenya, 38% of the female population is circumcised. Emorata leaves behind a thick layer of scar tissue which makes it difficult and painful for females to urinate. The circumcision is traditionally done at the Coming of Age Ceremony.
Ritual The Maasai are Kenya’s international cultural symbol. They are distinguished in their artistic and ritualistic practices. Unique music, chanting and competitions form part of Maasai traditional rituals. Chanting is produced in a “call and response” ritual where the Olaranyani, the person who knows the song best, delivers the call and everyone else responds in unison. The sounds and music used in the chants are usually produced vocally without the use of instruments. Males often take turns jumping up and down on the spot during the chants while females will create a line and follow each other in a hopping motion; three steps left foot, three steps right foot and so on. Day to day activities keep the Maasai very physically fit and Maasai men are considered to be at an “Olympic athlete standard” of fitness.
Clothing and Dress The Maasai traditional dress is red, as they believe it symbolizes power. Women typically wear colourful wraps called kanga, while men wear a redchecked blanket called shuka. Warriors have long braided hair while others, including females, shave their heads. Maasai wear simple sandals which were traditionally made of cow hide, however rubber and plastic sandals are more common today due to influence from the western world. Sandals are sometimes soled with pieces of rubber tires. Wooden bracelets and beaded jewelery are worn by both men and women.
Beading A popular cultural tradition for the Maasai women is beading. Women typically wear bead necklaces. Tourists are often interested in acquiring Maasai patterned beads. Beading patterns are determined by age-set and identity grades. white = peace blue = water red = warrior
Food and Nutrition Traditional: Some of the most well known Maasai foods include meat, milk, and blood from cattle. The larger portion of the Maasai diet is made up with porridge and soups made from foraged roots, barks and plants. Porridge (Uoali) made from maize and cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk is a popular cultural dish and is made as either hard or soft porridge. Soups are primarily made with the bark from acacia nilotica, an ingredient which provides Maasai warriors with the necessary energy to be aggressive and fearless. Soups are also laced with barks containing saponis, an ingredient which helps lower cholesterol. Fruits are important to the Maasai diet, however are only foraged and eaten as snacks when traveling long distances and are not typically eaten on a day to day basis. Current: The less nomadic contemporary lifestyle which has been forced on the Maasai in recent years has lent access to a greater variety of foods, but a decrease in some of the traditional foods. Goat, sheep, and cattle are important to the Maasai diet, however are eaten on an increasingly infrequent basis. Milk is still a popular beverage and the average Maasai individual consumes 1 litre per day. The milk is usually a buttermilk bi-product from making butter. Butter and other animal fats are often used for cooking. The new permanance of Maasai villages has caused a shift from foraging to agriculture.
Economy
Employment As of 2008 the employment rate in Kenya was 60%. Almost half of the Kenyan population, or 75% of those currently employed, work in agriculture or an agriculturally related field. The annual per capita income in Kenya is approximately 1200 US$ (89’400KES).
60,000 LUX LUX
50’000 50,000
40’000 40,000
Currency/Exchange The currency is the Kenya Shilling, which was the replacement for the Eastern African Shilling in 1966. The trade over to the new Kenyan Shilling (KES) was at par.
1$ CAN = 70.5 KES
CAN CAN
30’000 30,000
GER GER
1$ US = 76.25 KES 20,000 20’000
10,000 10’000
=
S.AF S.AF
BRA BRA
CHN CHI
KEN KEN
0 $US
GDP 30%
25%
Hides/Skins Meat Dairy Products Pyrethrum Pineapple Sisal Rice Wheat Corn Horticulture Sugarcane Coffee Tea
22% 20%
2% 1% Communication
Insurance
Light Manufacturing Paper Vehicle Assembly Textiles Beer/Soft Drinks Cement Petroleum Products Grain/Sugar Milling
Industry
Tourism
Transportation
Agriculture
Imports machinery vehicles crude petroleum iron/steel resins/plastics refined petroleum products pharmaceuticals paper fertilizers wheat
Exports tea coffee horticulture petroleum products cement pyrethrum soda ash sisal hides + skins fluorspar
Infrastructure Roads Paved: 8,933 km Unpaved: 54,332 km
Railway The internal rail system in Kenya connects the port at Mombasa to Nairobi, Nanyuki, Kitale, Kisumu. This system is then connected externally to both Uganda and Tanzania.
Airports International airports are located in both Nairobi and Mombasa.
Seaport The international seaport is located in Mombasa and is accessible for trade to and from major ports around the world.
Public Transit Metatus (minibuses) constitute the majority of public transit throughout the country.
Enkang (Traditional Maasai Village) The enclosure which surrounds a traditional Maasai village is called an Enkang. The location of Maasai villages usually would avoid rocky and uneven terrain so that holes could be easily dug for the structural posts of their buildings. The Enkang is built by the men and is meant for protection from wild animals as well as human attacks and raids. The enclosure is built to be approximately 2m tall and 3m deep. The construction is of Thorned Acacia (a native tree to Kenya). There are many entrances to the Enkang. At night all the animals are brought into the middle of the Enkang enclosure for protection. The last person to return to the Enkang in the evening pulls thorns across the entrances. Problems During the latter part of the twentieth century, the Kenyan government has forced Maasai families each to live on a particular plot of land. Land ownership has threatened their nomadic lifestyle, but has also dramatically changed the construction of their villages. In many villages the Enkang no longer exists. Therefore the overall village protection for the residents and their livestock has disappeared. The new protection has become a modification of the houses themselves, causing the individualization of protection.
Manyatta (Traditional Maasai Warrior Camp) The traditional Maasai Manyatta, or warriors camp, is a settlement used for the coming of age of the Maasai males. The construction itself consists of houses being built side by side in a circle with their doors facing in towards the centre of the Manyatta. The houses create a protective wall around the central open space. A ceremonial structure is situated in the middle of the Manyatta, often a tree grows beside it for shelter from sun. The ceremonial structure is the location of both the entry and exit ceremonies for the Maasai coming of age. Upon entry, a circumcision is performed, while upon graduation, the Eunto ceremony pronounces the graduates to be elders. Due to cultural requirements, the typical stay in a Manyatta is approximately two years. Graduation is not possible until there are enough boys available for circumcision to take the place of those who are leaving.
Enkaji (Traditional Maasai House) Layout The plan of the Maasai Enkaji, a traditional Maasai house, is rectangular with round corners. The house is 3m x 5m or approximately 15m2 and is used for cooking, eating, sleeping, socializing and storing supplies. The entrance can either be directly to the outside, or protected by the protrusion of one of the curved corners. The kitchen is located in the centre of the back wall, the longest wall. On either side of the kitchen, on the two shorter walls, are the beds. The larger bed is usually for the children of the family, while the smaller is for the mother. The mother’s bed has a screen for privacy. The mother keeps a runga (club) beside her bed for protection. She also hangs her jewelry beside her bed. To the side of the door is an enclosure which is used either to pen livestock or for kids to play in.
Construction The construction of the Enkaji is done by the women of the Maasai community who usually help one another. The finished structure is 3m x 5m x 1.5m tall. • Wood is scavenged for and brought to the building site. • Posts are placed vertically in holes dug in the ground. The posts are placed close together and are exposed to a height of 0.9 - 1.5m tall. • The posts are tied together horizontally at their tops and at a minimum one other place further down depending on material availability. • Larger posts are placed in the middle to help support the roof structure. • Saplings are wedged between the posts and stretched to the other side where the other end is wedged between two more posts. • Saplings are then placed in a similar fashion, but perpendicular to those previously placed. • The cracks are filled with leaves, twigs and grasses. Gaps are left around the building to be used as peep holes. • A vernacular plaster is then applied to the outside of the building in a particular order. The insides are very seldom plastered. First the curved parts of the roof are plastered followed by the flat roof parts. Next the curved wall parts are plastered finishing with the flat wall parts. This order is maintained so as to allow the areas which can be covered most easily with a tarp to be finished last. • Doors are made of reeds or rope hung from the top of the opening. None of the interior features, including walls, are structural elements. Half ceilings are often built for storage. In warmer climates the gap between the half ceiling and the roof is used for ventilation to help cool the Enkaji.
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MOTHER’S BED
CHILDREN’S BED KITCHEN
LIVESTOCK PEN/ CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA
ENTRANCE
PLASTER cow dung and other materials.
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FILLER leaves, twigs and grasses
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ROOF SUPPORT large green posts
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WALL STRUCTURE green posts placed closely together
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FOUNDATION existing soil
ROOF STRUCTURE green saplings
Plaster The primary ingredient in the plaster used to finish the outside of the Enkaji is cow dung. Additions are often made to fortify the strength and durability of the plaster which include mud, sticks, grass, human urine and ash. White chalk is sometimes applied to the outside surface of the plaster for aesthetic purposes. The interiors are sometimes plastered as well, but this is less common.
Problems The traditional Maasai construction technique is suited to a nomadic society. With the permanence of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Maasai villages, some traditional construction techniques have become problematic. Plaster must be repaired quite often requiring slender women of the village to climb onto the roofs to do the repairs. Western technological influence in Kenya has led to the use of more durable iron sheets for roofing. Iron sheets and other Western influences on materiality and construction have created new problems of their own. Although the sheets may be more durable than traditional plastered roofs, replacement or repair requires money. Rather than repairing with free locally sourced materials and labour, rusted corrugated roves break, requiring frequent painting or replacement. The roof is less appealing functionally and aesthetically as it is extremely noisy during rainstorms. The metal also causes the Enkaji to heat up more during hot, sunny days. This shift to rectangular iron sheets has caused a shift in the shape of the house plans. Square corners require a lot more skill and detailing to build and repair. Traditional framing usually consisted of green poles for the walls and rafters, which bind extremely well with flexible fibres. The introduction of nails into the framing of Maasai Enkaji has caused the green wood to split as it dries, creating structural problems. The nails also rust and break due to moisture. Traditional doors of reeds have been replaced with wooden framed doors constructed either of wood or hammered out tin cans. These new doors are usually padlocked or bolted. Vents in the walls have now replaced the doors for both ventilation and lighting.
Climate
Climatic Classification
Temperature Narok experiences a fairly steady temperature range throughout the year with average minimum temperatures of 10 – 14°C and maximum temperatures of 22 - 26°C. Summer clothes can be worn year round, although mornings and nights are cooler. The region’s winter is a cooler period which extends from July to August. Precipitation Most rainfall occurs from December to May, with a heavier period in April. The afternoon and evening are when most precipitation occurs.
Sunlight Due to Ewaso Ngiro’s close proximity to the equator (1° south), the region maintains fairly consistent periods of annual daylighting. Equal northern and southern sunlight exposure occurs throughout the year. In December, the southern facades are exposed and in June, the northern facades are exposed to direct sunlight.
35° 45’ 58”E
General The region of Narok, in which Ewaso Ngiro is located, is situated west of Nairobi. Much of the south-western part of Kenya is within the Great Rift Valley. The region is specifically located at latitude: 1°9’3”S, longitude: 35°45’58”E, with an altitude of 1890m above see level. The climate of Narok and nearby Ewaso Ngiro is considered to be tropical temperate.
1° 9’ 3”S
150 150 100 100 50 50 0mm 0 Jan JAN
Mar MAR
May MAY
July JULY
Sept SEPT
LUX 50’000 40’000 December
March and September Equinox
30’000 20’000
June
CAN
GER
Nov NOV
Annual Daylighting June 21 – Summer Solstice Sunrise: 7:14 AM Sunset: 7:25 PM Daylight: 12 hr 11 min September 21 – Fall Equinox Sunrise: 7:14 AM Sunset: 7:20 PM Daylight: 12 hr 6 min
December 21 - Winter Solstice Sunrise: 6:24 AM Sunset: 6:27 AM Daylight: 12 hr 3 min March 21 – Spring Equinox Sunrise: 7:28 AM Sunset: 7:35 AM Daylight: 12 hr 7 min
Design Considerations: • Long axis of building facing north and south • Short sides on east west for minimal solar heat gain as the sun is directly overhead at the equator • Use of winds - openings, scoops and catchers • Shading from vegetation and overhangs on all sides • High pitched, vaulted and vented roofs to catch wind • Double ceilings or attic space for insulation (from heat) • Maximize openings for wind (while keeping out sun - minimum on east and west sides) • Use of corners for increased air flow • Central courtyards • High thermal mass materials (brick, block) are strongly discouraged (for tropical climates)
Terrain
Flora General Throughout Kenya, there is a wide range of both flora and fauna. That which is in the vicinity of Ewaso Ngiro and Narok will be explored. Ewaso Ngiroâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s surroundings are considered to be woodland and savanna. This semi-arid area is mostly open land but has a canopy cover of approximately 18%. The trees and shrubs grow to a height of 3-5m tall. The main vegetation is the thorned acacia (used in the construction of the traditional Enkang). Climatically, Narok and Kenya as a whole are classified as savannah woodlands or grasslands (tropical temperate climate). Perennial grasses provide continuous coverage often reaching 1 to 2 metres at maturity. Intermediate prevailing rainfalls form an open-canopied habitat where trees are found interspersed throughout the land.
Agriculture In agriculture and individual gardening, maize and wheat are the leading crops in Kenya. Agriculture serves as an important catalyst for economic growth in small villages as excess produced can be sold or traded both locally and to surrounding villages. This creates a surplus of money and time allowing the villages and their culture to grow and profit beyond mere sustenance. In the past, agriculture was practiced in a manner suitable to the Maasaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nomadic lifestyle. The Maasai would harvest from a certain plot and let it naturally grow back as they migrated to a new location. This is considered to be a transhumanance form of agriculture. Today, the Maasaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less nomadic lifestyle has led to more dependence on stable agriculture. Fortunately, Kenya is an ideal location for agriculture in Africa because of its economic reliance on the practice of agriculture.
Sugarcane
Wheat
Aside from maize and wheat, other products of agriculture in Kenya include: tea, coffee, sugarcane, rice, sisal, pineapples, and pyrethrum.
Maize
Transhumanance
Fauna Wild Kenya has a high density and variety of wildlife. Some of the more common animals in the country include the black rhinoceros, the lesser and greater kudu, the eland, and the cheetah. Common insects include the G. swynnertoni Aust and the G. pallidipes Aust (Tsetse fly). Mosquitos in Kenya pose little or no threat in spreading malaria. In the Maasai Mara, wildebeest provide a popular annual spectacle. Tourists from around the world come to see the phenomenon of wildebeest migrating in massive herds. The migration takes place from July to August as the wildebeest travel from the Serengeti to the Mara reserve. They spend a few months in the Maasai Mara before returning to the Serengeti in December and January. Land ownership has led to the disruption of the natural balance of wildlife in the country. With increasing private ownership of land, natural wildlife habitats have become occupied, disturbing natural settlements and grazing patterns for animals. Land ownership is also a leading influence on the Maasaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transformation to a less nomadic lifestyle.
Black Rhinocerous
Leopard
Lesser Kudu
Greater Kudu
Wildebeest
Tsetse Fly
Spectacled Elephant Shrew East African Hedgehog Giant White-toothed Shrew Straw-coloured Fruit Bat Rousette Fruit Bat Epauletted Fruit Bat Pale-bellied Fruit Bat Hollow-faced Bat False Vampire Bat
Yellow-winged Bat Lander’s Horseshoe Bat Lesser Leaf-nosed Bat Banana Bat Yellow-bellied Bat Angola Free-tailed Bat White-bellied Free-tailed Bat Hunting Dog
Greater Galago Bush Baby Black-faced Vervet Monkey Blue (Syke’s) Monkey Red-tailed (White-nosed) Monkey Patas Monkey Olive Baboon
Black and White Colobus Lesser Ground Pangolin Golden Jackal Black-backed (Silver-backed) Jackal Side-striped Jackal Bat-eared Fox Zorilla Ratel (Honey) Badger Clawless Otter African Civet Neumann’s (Small Spotted) Genet African Palm Civet Marsh Mongoose Dwarf Mongoose Large Grey Mongoose Slender (Black-tipped) Mongoose White-tailed Mongoose Banded Mongoose Aard-wolf Spotted Hyaena Striped Hyaena Cheetah
African Wild Cat Serval Lion Leopard Ant Bear Tree Hyrax Rock Hyrax African Elephant Black Rhinoceros Burchell’s (Common) Zebra Hippopotamus
Bush Duiker Coke’s Hartebeest (Kongoni) White-bearded Gnu (Wildebeest) Topi Klipspringer Suni Oribi Steinbok Kirk’s Dik-Dik Defassa Waterbuck Bohor Reedbuck Impala Thomson Gazelle Grant’s Gazelle Roan Antelope Bushbuck Eland African Buffalo African Hare Cane Rat Porcupine
Giant Forest Hog Warthog Bush Pig Masai Giraffe Red Duiker Blue Duiker
Striped Ground Squirrel Unstriped Ground Squirrel Bush Squirrel Giant Forest Squirrel Spring Hare African Dormouse Kenya Mole Rat
Domestic Cattle play a significant role in the Maasai lifestyle and are the main source of meat for the tribe. The Maasai believe themselves to be rightful owners of all cattle; therefore cattle raiding is condoned. According to their traditions, â&#x20AC;&#x153;God stretched his arm down to Earth and all the cattle walked down it.â&#x20AC;? A typical Maasai herd includes: goats, sheep (red Maasai sheep), zebu, and other breeds of beef cattle. Recently, the less nomadic lifestyle of the Maasai has resulted in a decreased amount of livestock. A high number of cattle leads to overgrazing in areas where Maasai form settlements, thus it is necessary to reduce the number of animals in the herd. Overgrazing has forced herdsman to travel far from settlements, often up to 2 days of travel, to find available land for grazing. In most recent times, cattle have even been lead to cities to feed on grass and scraps from dumps. Also, problems in land erosion have resulted from overgrazing, This occurs when the grass is eaten to a length so short that it no longer provides protection for the soil. The soil then becomes dried out to the point where water erodes the soil creating large craters in the ground. The result is land that is severely damaged and unusable.
Primary School Gando, Burkina Faso
Case Study:
General Info Name: Location:
Gando Primary School Gando, Burkina Faso
Designer: Date Start: Date Finish: Cost: Area: Merits: Negatives:
Diébédo Francis Kéré Oct 2000 July 2001 $29 830 (US) Final 526m2 (5662ft2) Passive Solar, Passive Ventilation, Local Materials No Rain Water Collection
Background Less than half of primary-aged children in Burkina Faso attend school; 80% of the population is considered illiterate. The town of Gondo, having a population of approximately 3000 people and being located in the southern plains of Burkina Faso, is no different. Diébédo Francis Kéré became the first person from his hometown of Gondo to receive a foreign education. During his studies in architecture at a university in Germany, Diébédo convinced his fellow classmates to help him design, raise the funds for and build a new school for his hometown in Africa. The previous school Diébédo recalls was about 40 degrees Celcius and “was like a room to make bread, but not to teach somebody.” The new school was to be designed based on the principles of sustainable development.
Design Principles of low cost construction, the use of local materials where possible, and the potential of the local community, guided Diébédos’ design for the school. The result is a building which stretches lengthwise from the east to the west accommodating 120 students at one time (40 per classroom). A large roof covers the three classrooms which are arranged in a linear form creating spaces in between the classrooms for recreation and outdoor education. The main building material used is clay bricks made from local materials. The community had to be convinced, through a physical mock-up test, that these bricks, which were enhanced by technological processes from the West, would be durable enough to last. This was a major concern for the village as their previous school became structurally unsound after only ten years.
• Densely packed clay brick walls, due to their thermal mass, help to • • •
moderate the temperature inside the building throughout the day by retaining the cold from the nighttime. The windows combine lighting, shading and ventilation creating an interior environment that is controllable and more suited environmentally to education. Steel rebar framing lifts the roof above the classrooms allowing for cross ventilation which removes much of the heat of the sun. It also creates a sound barrier protecting the interior of the classrooms from the noise of rain on the metal roof. The large roof projections protect the walls, classrooms, and exterior spaces from rain and sun.
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Construction
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The construction of the school involved all members of the community at many different skill levels. Project managers as well as the labourers were from the village, and both learned their jobs as construction went on. The project received funding from LOCOMAT (a federal agency in Burkina Faso) to train the locals in techniques of making “compressed stabilized earth” using local materials. They were also taught how to weld. Other members of the community who were not directly working on the construction helped out in other ways. Bare hands were used to dig and sieve the clay which was then used for making masonry units. This clay was then transported to the site on donkeys. Children would rise early in the morning and scrounge around finding rocks for the foundation, while women would carry water for up to 7km to the construction site for use in the preparation of concrete.
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ROOF corrugated metal sheets
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ROOF STRUCTURE welded reinforcing steel
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SUSPENDED CEILING clay bricks
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CEILING STRUCTURE reinforcing steel
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RING BEAM reinforced concrete
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SUPPORTING WALLS clay
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BUTTRESSES clay
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COLUMNS concrete
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WINDOWS steel lamella elements
10 COMPRESSED FLOOR traditionally stamped clay
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11 FILLING clay and stone
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12 TERRACE COVERING clay bricks
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13 CONTINUOUS FOUNDATION non-reinforced concrete 13
14 TERRACE EDGE STRIPS natural stone masonry
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15 RAINWATER CONDUCTOR filled with gravel 16 STEPS natural stone or concrete
Impact The current enrollment for the primary school in Gando is 350 students, which is almost three times as many as was called for in the original design. Another 150 children are on a waiting list to attend the school. After school hours, the rooms and exterior spaces are used by the rest of the community for meetings, events, ceremonies etc. Impressed by the architecture of the school as well as the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to it, the local government agreed to pay the teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; salaries. Residences to house the school teachers have recently been built to the same high standards as the original school building. The school has become an example of the effects that well-designed architecture and sustainable design can have on a community, uplifting and inspiring them to become stewards of their own environment. It has also become an example to the local community of the merits of using traditional, locally-sourced building materials. The skills learned by the project managers and builders are extremely valuable, giving them experience to be used in future projects. The local government has hired many of them to construct public buildings in the area. The effects of the building are not only evident locally but have stretched beyond the village. Two of the surrounding towns have also recently built their own schools to a similar standard as that of the school in Gondo.
Primary School Bungoma, Kenya
Case Study:
General Info Name: Location:
Mjengo Panda Bungoma, Kenya
Designer: Date Start: Cost: Merits: Negatives:
PLUM Architects Proposal submitted June 2, 2009 Est. $7 000 (US) per classroom Est. $38 per square metre for site work Holistic Learning (Mjengo Panda), On-site Agriculture/ Livestock, Passive features Lack of technical resolving, classroom design not site specific
Background Three groups from different backgrounds but sharing the same ideals came together to create a proposal for educating children in Eastern Kenya. The Brothers of Saint Charles, 13-year-old Stefan Lyon, and PLUM Architects collaborated to envision what is called the “Mjengo Panda” or “we build and grow” classroom. The proposal is sited in the town of Bungoma where the temperate climate ranges from 24-30 degrees Celsius year round with intermittent heavy rains and lots of mosquitoes. Mjengo Panda is designed as a living classroom that is self-sufficient, productive, and specific to Eastern Kenya. The approach is to create an environment where students live and learn on site. This approach encourages students to stretch their learning environment beyond the classroom and into the outdoors, gaining experience in farming, raising crops, and constructing their own classrooms. All aspects of daily life are incorporated into the curriculum. Students range in age from 3 to 12 years old.
Design The learning environment is based on the “build and grow” ideal, where daily routines influence the site layout and building design. Livestock are located in the centre of the site in proximity to the classroom buildings. Annually-harvested staple crops surround the site, providing a perimeter which creates visual “fencing” and erosion control. A pond is included to serve as a fish hatchery to engage students and to
involve the locals. The pond also generates an income for the school (e.g. fish market). There is no running water or electricity on site. In response, sanitation facilities are designed with cisterns made of recycled metal drums. Shower â&#x20AC;&#x153;podsâ&#x20AC;? are painted black to absorb heat to maintain comfortable water temperatures. Cisterns from the composting toilets are recycled every 3 to 6 months and used to fertilize crops on site. Grey water is also recycled to irrigate the orchard. The classrooms are designed with a learning space at ground level, and a living/sleeping loft space above. The upper space is accessible by ladders which extend down into the classrooms. The learning space accommodates up to 60 students and a teacher, with minimal openings for light and ventilation. Most of the light and ventilation is provided from openings above in the loft space, which penetrates through the hanging trampoline mesh flooring. In the loft space, children can sleep on the mesh flooring or in hammocks hung from the rafters. Inward-sloping roofs collect rain water in a running centered valley trough. The outward-sloping roofs allow for large screen windows at the loft level, bringing in light and creating cross-ventilation. The underside of the ceiling, along with the flooring, is painted a light colour to maximize day lighting.
Construction The intention is that students involve themselves in the construction of the classrooms to gain practical building experience. Materials proposed for the construction include rammed earth for the principle walls, locallysourced wood and corrugated metal for roofing, trampoline mesh for loft space flooring, mosquito netting, and woven fabric. The earth used in the rammed earth walls is proposed to be that which is excavated to make the pond on site. Corrugated metal sheets are used as the formwork for the rammed earth, creating an interesting wall texture, and then re-used as a finishing roof material. Recycled bottles are cast into the wall for limited light penetration. The rammed-earth wall forms the base of the building surrounding the classroom, and supports a structure of wood posts and roof rafters for the loft space above. Netting and screening is attached to the wood posts in the loft space to provide protection from unwanted mosquitoes.
School of Light Uganda
Case Study:
General Info Name: Location:
School of Light Uganda
Designer: Date Start: Cost: Merits: Negatives:
Eric Ho Proposal submitted May 31, 2009 Not provided Use of recycled material, flexible/adaptable design Lack of passive energy design features
Background The School of Lightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intent is to enhance the design caliber of typical schools in Africa by ameliorating the integration of fundamental architectural elements, such as natural lighting and spatial quality, while maintaining building materials and methods appropriate to the region and its economy. By using recycled products as building materials, the School of Light achieves a desired architectural appeal without having to increase budget. Recycled drink bottles and used tires are proposed for re-use in the scheme and form the more interesting components of the design. The result is a classroom that is spacious and well-lit, with a flexible outdoor learning/play area.
The School of Light’s main design features are its components derived from recycled materials. The “light wall”, forming the main façade of the classroom, is composed of stacked, recycled drink bottles and mortar. The vast bottle wall lets in a generous amount of daylight and provides protection from the weather without the expense attributed to standard glazing. The wall is also visually appealing and can present varying expression as light filters into the classroom throughout the day. The outdoor learning and play space is an open area that is designed to be flexible. Used tires are principle elements in the space that encourage this flexibility. Their arrangement into different configurations to serve as seating for presentations or discussions, stacked or aligned for play, or used as planting beds for small plants/trees, etc. The classroom is designed with a traditional thatch roof, rather than the common corrugated metal response. A significant drawback of corrugated metal as a roof finish is the teaching/instruction noise disturbance caused by rainfall. Using a thatch roof eliminates this issue and embraces traditional craft and culture in Uganda. The classroom is designed as a module that may be repeated and spread throughout a situated site. The module may be arranged in a manner that allows each classroom to receive necessary daylight, while creating supplementary shared outdoor “courtyards”.
Construction The classroom is primarily constructed of masonry, forming the exterior walls that support a wood-framed roof structure. The glass bottle wall acts as a curtain wall, meeting the underside of a large wood truss. The “open-web” wood truss creates a ventilation void for hot air to escape the classroom. The proposal suggests that students are encouraged to involve themselves in the construction of the classrooms. Although not specifically stating in which stages/portions of construction this involvement would occur, this may imply arranging the recycled elements, the bottles and tires, in a personalized manner to make the building “their own”.
Integrated Housing Magadi, Kenya
Case Study:
General Info Name: Maasai Integrated Shelter Project Location: Magadi Division, Kajiado District, Kenya Client: Arid and Semiarid Lands Program Designer: Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), East Africa Sharon Sian Looremetta, the Maasai community Date Start: 1999 Date Finish: 2002 Cost: 721$ (US) per house (Danish Embassy main funder) Website: www.itdg.org Merits: Sensitive to Maasai culture (indigenously, technologically, economically) Negatives:
Background The past few decades have presented the Maasai people with challenges that have led to significant lifestyle changes for the tribe. Traditionally, the Maasai lived nomadically, raising cattle to graze over traveled land. However, recently increased urbanization and establishment of reserves in Kenya have diminished available area for cattle grazing. This decrease in land availability has forced many of the Maasai to become less nomadic and create more permanent settlements for living. As the less nomadic lifestyle became more popular, so did the need for adequate permanent housing. The growing housing crisis eventually led to a call for aid from ITDG in Kenya. Since Maasai women are traditionally builders of homes in the tribe, ITDGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first objective was to work with the women to develop appropriate and innovative responses to new housing.
Design The Maasai women explained that the principle design issues in their traditional housing were the lack of natural daylight and lack of proper ventilation. Traditional houses often have no windows and only one door. Lack of ventilation in traditional houses leads to trapped smoke from cooking fires, leading to respiratory complaints. Other practical concerns were raised with traditional housing, including the high level of maintenance required to keep the outside walls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; made from plaster of dung, mud, and ash - intact and durable, especially during rainfalls. Traditional homes are also built with low ceilings, preventing adults from standing upright in their houses. In the end, three different housing options were proposed to the Maasai: (1) building with rammed earth (2) building with cement-stabilized soil blocks (3) building with ferro-cement, cement reinforced with chicken wire The latter was the most popular option. Ferro-cement proved to provide necessary durability for creating more permanent and weatherproof construction. It was used to construct the roof and walls of the houses and to separate water-collection containers. The roofs were designed to drain water into the containers. Durable walls allowed for larger spans and openings, creating larger interior spaces with bigger windows for light and ventilation.
Construction (1) Rammed Earth: earth (often stabilized with cement), compacted in layers and formed accordingly with use of formwork. (2) Cement-stabilized Soil Blocks: mixture of small amount of cement with local soil (ratio between 12:1 and 18:1 depending on soil quality) and water. Mixture is placed in a hand-operated pressing machine and compacted into blocks. (3) Ferro-cement: mixture of cement, sand, and water, reinforced with wire or mesh (e.g. chicken wire).
Impact Since the project began, more than 2 400 houses have been built in the region. Health issues and illnesses have declined. Time is no longer wasted on house maintenance and water collection. Maasai women now have time to focus on income-generating activities, including agriculture and selling shuka. This project not only presents a response to a change in living quarters, but also to a significant transformation in the lifestyle of the Maasai people. Today, the Maasai are facing some of the most difficult pressures put forth by modern society. Adapting to a less nomadic lifestyle brings forth challenges to the traditional methods and day-to-day life of the Maasai. A proper dwelling is a fundamental element in this transformation and therefore must respond appropriately to both the traditions of the Maasai and to the need for innovation and future outlook for the tribe. These houses are successful because they set a new and improved standard of living by embracing innovation and new technologies, while maintaining a necessary sensitivity to the building traditions and culture of the Maasai people.
Harambee For Humanity:
Linking Hands Through Action Director: Kyla Dent Designers: Alec Ring Karl Sarkis Geoffrey Wasonga