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BUILDING MATERIALS TRAINING CENTER

INTRODUCTION

Rapid Urbanization, inefficient land administration and inadequate capability to cope with the housing needs of people in urban areas have contributed to the development of the informal settlements, which is a common phenomenon in all developing countries. In Uganda, the apparent need for better housing, basic needs like sanitation facilities, water facilities and skills for employment opportunities resulted in innovations such as use of low cost building materials in construction of housing and sanitation facilities. The building materials training and community center project (BMTC) in walukuba East settlement is one of the few such projects.

The NSDFU has previously engaged in construction of sanitation units and houses using Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks and prefabricated materials known as T-beams and laddys; making housing more affordable for low income groups. Establishing a Building Material Training Center to give training in fabrication of low cost building materials is an idea SDI and NSDFU developed to promote the new found technology that could make housing for the urban poor affordable, durable, environmentally friendly and able to support their livelihood.

Jinja has a total of approximately 9 informal settlements in the periphery of the city center. According to the 2010 Jinja slum profile report by the NSDFU, the settlements are home to over 20,000 people. The need for decent housing and skills for employment is evident in the population that inhabits Jinja’s informal settlements. OUR ROLE

The Urban Ecological Planning course is an opportunity to study contextual cases and derive lessons that can nudge the urbanization process into a somewhat sustainable future. By creating partnerships with ACTogether Uganda and the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda, the objective of the field course is realized.

Our role was to investigate the need for a Building Materials Training Center and engage stakeholder’s to kick start the project.

LOW COST BUILDING MATERIALS

Low cost building materials have the ability to significantly reduce the overall cost of a building. The materials reduce construction time; amount of mortar used in construction, number of blocks needed for the same structure and in the long term, less maintenance is required.

Examples of low cost building materials include; precast concrete T-beams and laddys, Fiber Reinforced Cement roofing tiles and Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks (ISSB). The ISSBs have various types that serve different purposes depending on the needs of the structure.

For low income earners, reduction in the cost of a building is only realized if the project is seen as a whole and not the cost of a single unit like a brick. The cost of one burnt brick is lower than the cost of one ISSB. However, the amount of cement used in making mortar increases the cost of a building by at least 40% whereas in in using ISSBs, minimal mortar is used because they are 75% dry stacked.

ISSB top, projecting ISSB bottom, depression

The Building Materials training center is designed to respond to the need for skills for employment and self-help housing, provide an aff ordable alternati ve to housing and contribute to the need for a community space. The stakeholders in the project are SDI, JMC, NSDFU, ACTogether and the community. • JMC contributed land that had been reserved for a community center. • SDI has contributed startup capital for the project UGX67million (USD 27000), • NSDFU has contributed UGX 2.4 million from their community fund (monthly savings).

For SDI, NSDFU, the BMTC is an investment that should aid the establishment of other projects. Based on this the center is designed with three major concepts: Buisness, Training center and Social space. FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY

The fi nancial feasibility is done under some assumpti ons looking at the current market situati on. The feasibility is not conclusive but gives a scenario of profi t that can be generated by the center.

The center will generate income from; fees charged from training in fabricati on of low cost building materials, income generated from sell of building materials, hire of the community center and gardens for social functi ons.

The center should generate enough profi t to repay the loan, to bear overhead charges and to develop the enti re infrastructure for the project. In order to do so, the profi t should be maximized to at least 40%-45% per annum. Looking at the current scenario at the center, it is only able to generate 7% profi t which makes the project highly unpredictable.

Income 208.9 M UGX/Year Expenditure 178.2 M UGX/Year Loan (12%) 18 M UGX/Year

Profit 12.7 M UGX/Year DESIGN APPROACH

The site is designed to accommodate the major acti viti es; producti on of low cost materials and training in fabricati on and a community social space. The site layout is based on four aspects; the functi onality of the diff erent acti viti es of the center, circulati on on site, orientati on and opti mal use of land. In the site layout, we proposed an arrangement of producti on shed, curing ponds, storage shelter, demonstrati on house, a training/community center and community gardens. The design process was done together with the PMC, Mr. Waiswa (ACTogether) and Mr. Kaliro(Architect)

It is esti mated that the enti re project setup will cost approximately UGX138 Million (USD 55000). However, with a startup capital of UGX 67Million, the project has to be phased and the business part must thrive to enable the completi on of the project and the loan repayment. We are proposing to develop the site in 4 phases.

Entrance Parking & on/o loading

Opportunity for extension of the production center

Production shelter

Storage shelter

Demo house

Ponds for laddies and T-beams

Training & community center

0 m 1 m 10 m

Phase 1: Construct a basic temporary structure in wood with iron sheets which gives shelter for training and producti on of ISSBs, T-beams and laddys. Construct curing ponds, the foundati on of the ground fl oor of the center, and a temporary toilet.

Phase 2: Moving the storage container closer to the fence to give space for the community gardens and space for the demonstrati on house. Start the ground fl oor of the community center building with sanitati on faciliti es, an offi ce and a training room.

Phase 3: Construct a demonstrati on house and the fi rst fl oor of the community center- the hostels. The center should be built with few fi xed walls to allow fl exibility in use of the rooms as well lower the costs of the building.

Phase 4: completi on of the center. The second fl oor of the center will have the community hall. Basically an open room with a roof ti lted to the back to allow rain water harvesti ng. CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions are drawn from a criti cal perspecti ve of the project resulti ng from interviews, observati ons and analysis of the current situati on in Uganda.

There is a market risk for low cost building materials in Uganda att ributed to a number of issues which include; • High cost for initi al producti on. • Highly saturated market by traditi onal building materials that are widely produced and are easily accessible compared to low cost building materials. • The lack of training in fabricati on and use of low cost building materials has left room for mistrust for these materials among the public. • No eff orts have been made by architectural and constructi on insti tuti ons in including low cost building materials in curriculum.

To cover the costs of constructi on and setup of the enti re project there is need for more funding.

0m 1m 10m RECOMMENDATIONS

The center holds great potenti al of achieving its goals both as a business and as a social space. However, the recommendati ons given below hold a great impact on the ability of the center to functi on as desired.

The current unreliable market for low cost building materials remains the biggest threat to the project. The federati on, ACTogether and JMC must invest in building a market through Projects, sensiti zati on, bylaws. Makerere University through student internship programs can promote the BMTC and sti mulate innovati on in fabricati on and constructi on techniques.

The center should only produce as per market demand so that there is a balance in demand and producti on.

The ti meline for the loan repayment should be increased to give enough ti me to establish the business and explore the market.

It is important to phase the project and not use the enti re loan before a market assessment is done. Phasing the project protects the investment and allows monitoring and evaluati on.

Stakeholders and partners should be integrated into the project with specifi c roles that would bring the cost of the project lower. This can be done through a Memorandum of Understanding.

The producti on lines for business and training should be kept separate to have a system that allows opti mum producti on to meet market demands and training that meets the objecti ves of the training center.

REFLECTIONS

“Practice is not about following a set pattern rather being adaptive and flexible at the same. When we are talking about the planning for low income earners, we can expect the unexpected to happen because of the degree of volatility or sensitivity of the problem they face.”

“A frog in a hole assumes the extent of the sky is equivalent to the circumference of the hole unless it gets out of the hole. This study program for me has acted as a means to explore beyond my local knowledge.”

“During the interviews we felt that the members from the various communities had strong ideas about what they wanted. The balance between what people wants and professional knowledge and skills should lead to quality projects.”

“It was harsh to see their reality and how things that are so simple and not even a thought in our society can be so crucial a point in another.”

“Someone who never had such an experience may not realize how much is to be done there. Stories of corruption and scenes from the slums may seem discouraging at first, but in me, they sparked a kind of compassion which now motivates me to do more work in the developing countries or any other place where our help could be of any use to those who struggle.”

“The duality in our approach, with a combination of onground field studies and theoretical/factual lectures and readings, made my first visit to Africa into an in-depth analysis and a very special learning process.” “Above all, this fieldtrip gave me in-depth understanding of Housing for Low income earners. Believe I can make a positive change when I return back to Nepal. I must admit that my thinking has changed due to what I learnt in Uganda.”

“Looking back now it’s clear that whether one is planning a big city, or a single community project, the conflict between the plan and what actually happens is still at play. The need for better housing may not be as urgent as the need for a toilet but they are all dependent on one another.”

“It’s the people in slum areas that are more exposed to climate change related hazards and suffer the consequences severely.”

“We need to incorporate the people and the place in our plans because the problems of today’s cities require collaborative approaches like having an open minded approach of frank questioning, political creativity, tolerance and understanding.”

“Calling ourselves “developed” we discourage ourselves from continually improving and assume that “developing” countries need to adopt our solutions to become “developed”.”

“One thing that has become clear for me during this study is that it is not just, for us to come up with new and brilliant ideas for solutions to the challenges, I have learned to understand the reasons behind and how connections can be used.” “Each city had its own distinctive character, issues and had a unique underlying ‘feeling’ attached to it. This field work or should I say the course gave me the freedom to be sensitive towards the need of the people we are working with. It is safe to conclude that we cannot impose change on people, because however surprising this may sound, even poor people know what they want. What is development for us might not even qualify to their priority list.”

“At first, it appeared as a design task but after a deeper understanding of the priorities and needs of the community, it turned to be more than just the design. It was a response to the housing needs, sanitation needs and the need for a community space.”

“Communication between local authority and the community is important. I think we often believe that people who are not professionals wouldn’t understand the process, so it is no point in trying to explain it to them. But I think not knowing anything is worse than not understanding everything.”

“The more people are involved in a particular project, the more they perceive it to be their own and the more they are willing to see it succeed.”

“I have been so humbled to learn from all sorts of sources; the most striking of these being the informal settlements with which we worked. It is not only about the physical infrastructure of a place but also the economic, the social and the cultural systems that concurrently exist with the physical.” “Place, something I feel is heavily under looked in the creation of public spaces in Uganda, but one whose creation would probably serve as the biggest tool for change in the slum communities that are up for redevelopment.” “My training and practice as an urban planner has always been drawn from traditional planning processes, however the field work in Kampala exposed me to new experiences and insights of approaching planning issues in the 21st Century; finding solutions together is important.”

“Being in the field for two months and being in contact with the people who are living in the slums and working with them, Was definitely a great opportunity for me which i would have never achieved it with just sitting in classes and listening to lectures about them, especially for me who was coming from a completely different background.”

“I got this project on land sharing at Kisenyi, I looked it as a typical planning project but the more I learned doing the homework on it, it helped me in enhancing my knowledge and changed my perception towards how to deal with planning problems at a ground level.”

REFERENCES

PRINT RESOURCES

ACTogether A (2012). Jinja slums: Enumeration report, 2012. Kampala: ACTogether.

Lwasa, S. (2010). “Adapting urban areas in Africa to climate change: the case of Kampala”, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 2, pp. 166-171.

Mugisha, S and Berg, S.V. (2006). “Turning around struggling state-owned enterprises in developing countries: the case of NWSC-Uganda”, Reforming public utilities to meet the water and sanitation MDG. Prepared for the seminar Reforming public utilities to meet the water and sanitation Millennium Development Goal, UK: Department for International Development. INTERNET RESOURCES

UN. Statistics: Graphs & Maps: Drinking water, sanitation & hygiene. Available at: http://www.unwater.org/ statistics_san.html (Accessed: 19 November 2013). UNESCAP. Low carbon green growth roadmap for Asia and the Pacific: Fact sheet decentralized wastewater management. Bangkok: UNESCAP.

MSC MASTER PROGRAM URBAN ECOLOGICAL PLANNING FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND FINE ART PROGRAM COORDINATOR: ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ROLEE ARANYA PHONE: (+47) 73 55 02 75 FAX: (+47) 75 59 50 94 EMAIL: STUDADM@AB.NTNU.NO ADRESS: SENTRALBYGG 1, 3 ETG. ALFRED GETz VEI 3, 7491 TRONDHEIM WEB: HTTP://WWW.NTNU.EDU/WEB/URBAN-ECOLOGICAL-PLANNING-MSA1