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Before I post the next chapter of our travels in Burkina Faso, I think I should take some time to address a comment that was made on my last post.

The commenter raised some really important questions, and I don’t think we can over-explain here.  I thought it was a good opportunity to bring some more understanding to what this is all about.

The first point he brought up was that he felt that our estimate of what it takes to train a mason is too high.  $500 does not seem high to me, by any standard, but the important point is that AVN is not undertaking the training of masons who simply make rectangular shapes out of earth bricks, but the training of masons who understand and employ the technique of the Nubian Vault, a method of a beautiful vaulted roof that will stand for decades and was previously unknown in West Africa.  Many people do know how to make earth bricks, but few know the complicated technique of building a freestanding arch that puts its weight on precisely the right points, in order not to collapse.

The next question was the durability.  Durability is totally an issue, and the commenter was right when he mentioned that many homes last only for five years.  The problem is building with mud which allows water in, then undergoes the blast of heat that is the Sahel hot season.  We were so impressed by the technique that AVN has come up with to make their houses more durable.  They use a nut oil which can be found locally (the trees were pointed out to us several times) mixed in mud, which forms a watertight coating, applied to the outside of the house.  The difference we saw between the homes that had this and the ones that didn’t was incredible.

The commenter then remarked, The problem isn’t finding someone who will build the homes (this is often done by families and kids without the need for a mason), but finding the funds to get the quality materials to build houses that will last past 5 years. This means concrete, and yes, metal roofs.

This really is the whole point of what AVN is doing in Burkina Faso.  Does a small society need to be dependent on money from outsiders to import the hugely expensive materials used in other areas of the world?

A famed Egyptian Architect named Hassan Fathy championed the right of the “economic untouchables”, those outside of the cash economy of the rest of the world, to adequate, decent housing.  He believed in putting the power to create these houses into the hands of the people, and believed in doing it in a way that was low in energy use.  Thus the use of the materials underfoot- the earth, water and straw.  These things are free and widely available.

His work took place in Egypt, and it wasn’t until AVN began implementing these techniques that this style of roof came to West Africa.  The roofs bring the temperature inside the house down by many degrees. They withstand rain and storms. They are beautiful and high and quiet during the rain.  And the materials and methods are within the hands of West African people, not the hands of the rich few.

Sounds like LJ Urban has found an inexpensive way of making themselves sound like a great firm without much investment.

Remember that I’m guest blogging here.  I don’t work for LJ Urban.  However, I know this company well and I can only say that they ARE a great company.  They don’t have to make themselves sound that way.  Values get sticky between for-profit and not-for-profit corporations, but as a company, what LJ Urban is doing is making a decision about where their money for advertising goes.  They could have joined many other developers in creating billboards, but they decided to try something different.  It’s admirable.  I would love to see more corporations developing similar ideas.

Monetary power, however small, is a gift.  You can decide what you do with it.

They also sound like a group of tourists who hung about West Africa for a few weeks and made decisions with a western viewpoint on an issue that needs African eyes.  

This makes me laugh.  Because Hello?  Yes?  We are totally a group of tourists.  Jessie and Cindy and I hacked our way through language barriers and handshakes and culture differences with only the goodwill of our dear hosts to save us.

Let’s be clear.  We know next to nothing about solutions for West Africa.  We would not dare to assume anything about what we don’t know.  We found an organization that has been working there for ten years, that has a co director who is Burkina Faso born and raised.  What they are accomplishing in the face of all odds is astonishing.  Their work is multiplying exponentially year by year.  They are empowering people, creating jobs, and getting people into housing that properly shelters them.

Our trip was meant for exploration.  We came away with some stories (which we will share) some photos (ditto) and a huge respect for AVN.  That’s all.  We are not experts.  Think of us as reporters.  We want to report the good we’ve seen and help this organization out however we can.

It would be great to have more conversation.  Feel free to comment and share thoughts and ideas.  If you are interested in doing more research, check out this page, this one, and this one.

Also, don’t forget to spread the word about the Do Some Good Now site and check out the photos on Flickr.