Lafarge Zambia in partnership with the Zambia Green Jobs Programme has successfully launched their affordable demo houses in Musamba, Chilanga showcasing unique technologies that will provide increased employment opportunities.
The demonstration houses have been constructed by Lafarge Zambia in partnership with Zambia Green Jobs Programme with financial support from the Government of Finland and technical support from the United Nations.
The launch held yesterday 30 march 2016 at Lafarge head office at Chilanga, was officiated by the Minister of Local Government and Housing Hon. Stephen Kampyongo, Ambassador of France to Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Cohet, Ambassador of Finland to Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Timo Olkkonen, Country Director of the International Labour Organization, Mr. Alexio Musindo, Chilanga District Commissioner, Mrs. Edith Muwana and Lafarge Zambia Chief Executive Officer Mr. Emmanuel Rigaux.
The Lafarge Zambia CEO commended both the Lafarge and Green Jobs Programme teams for coming up with improved technologies used to build the demo houses. He further stressed the need to resolving the financing element was crucial in meeting the affordable housing objective.
Speaking at the same event the French Ambassador congratulated Lafarge Zambia and Zambia Green Jobs Programme for responding to the challenges Zambia was facing with regards to urbanization, development and climate change by coming up with sustainable housing construction technologies. Ambassador Cohet also commended the Zambian Government for its commitment to the COP21 Paris Agreement signed in 2015.
The Finnish Ambassador to Zambia said his government had introduced new policy guidelines aimed at strengthening the private sector focusing on creating more and better jobs. He said the Finnish Government recently approved an additional financial contribution to ensure the successful continuation of the Zambia Green Jobs Programme.
And the International Labour Organization (ILO) which spear heads the Green Jobs Programme was grateful for the support they had received from both the Government of Finland and from Lafarge Zambia, in helping the people of Zambia get ahead in achieving their sustainable development goals.
The Minister of Local Government and Housing was pleased with the innovative technologies used in the demo houses being launched and commended Lafarge Zambia and UN Zambia Green Jobs Programme for coming up with a sustainable housing partnership.
“The collaboration of this project impacts many major sectors including construction, finance and manufacturing. It is also linking Medium and Small Scale Enterprises along the local value chain and facilitating their access to business development services hence creating more and better jobs, an objective that Government greatly welcomes”
The Minster said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister, of Hon. Nicholas Banda.
Two demonstration houses have been built one using Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB), while the other using Habiterra Blocks. Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks consist of earth (soil from site) and cement that are then compressed manually or mechanically prior to curing of the blocks. Habiterra Block technology is a mortarless inter-locking concrete block system that can be used for residential,
Fear is the greatest power known to man, and fear is what religion is based on. It is the perfect means of control. Fear of the unknown is omnipresent in an industry that has quietly been controlling those who are susceptible, and that control increases commensurately with the level of fear in society.
THIS IS NOT NEW TECHNOLOGY BA LT. THIS HAS BEEN USED A LONG TIME AGO IN ESPECIALLY THE WESTERN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. BA MWACHUSA DO IT IN TANZANIA, TOO. PA ZAMBIA WE ARE JUST TOO BEHIND IN EVERYTHING. THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN IN AFRICA, GOD, KNOWS FOR HOW LONG. IT IS THE WAY OF MAKING BLOCKS/BRICKS WHICH IS NEW DUE TO THE MODERN MACHINE WHICH ARE NOW EMPLOYED TO COMPRESS THE EARTH.
even uni-turtle industries used to do this
Ba LT, why not give more pictures, info on number of rooms, etc. for us to make informed decisions? Your report is very sketchy on detail! I concur that this technology is not new….
Kindly show the technology on youtube, I have 3 plots that need classic homes.
It’s good to see the development of essential amenities linked into Zambian job creation.
The University of Zambia, through TDAU, is proud to have contributed to the promotion of affordable housing in Zambia. TDAU has been promoting the use of stabilized soil-cement blocks in Zambia and across boarders for over 15 years now. Indeed the technology is old but as rightly observed by Peter, it is the compressing devices which we have improved. In-fact the blocks used to construct the house in the top picture were produced using the machine developed and supplied by TDAU. Let us promote local efforts!!
This technology has been around for a long time. Where in Zambia can anyone find a compressed earth block making machine? They are being made in China! In Kenya! In the USA! In Brazil! Why not in Zambia? Or, if they are, where? Who is selling them? And at what price?