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Report 2 (of 6): Maasai Housing
- Kenya
Introduction
The Maasai have traditionally been pastoralists
leading a nomadic life, moving from place to place
with their cattle in search of better grazing land
and good sources of water.
In the last two decades, however, the Maasai have been
forced to lead more settled lives. It is impossible
for them to keep on moving because of land subdivision
and their traditional nomadic lifestyle is changing
to a more sedentary one. The Maasai women have always
been responsible for constructing, maintaining and
managing their homes and now more durable and permanent
houses are required.
Until now, their settlements had always been temporary
and were used mainly for sleeping and cooking in.
The enkangs were built around the central cattle
kraal and, along with the peripheral fences, formed
the security barriers for cattle. When the time came
to move from one grazing area to another, the settlement
structures were left to decay.
Enkangs are made of poles, twigs, and grass, and plastered
with cow dung and mud. They are characterised by low,
leaking roofs; damp, smoky and dark rooms; cramped
space; stench from animal odour; lack of security;
weak, termite infested foundation posts and lack of
durability. Ventilation is channelled through a narrow
opening which serves as the entrance and some enkangs
have one or two "windows" - holes in the wall of no
more than 20 x 20 centimetres. The roof and the walls
frequently crack and peel, requiring constant maintenance.
Enkangs are uncomfortable, lack privacy and require constant time and effort
to maintain. They are susceptible to fire, pests and harsh weather, and pose
health risks - particularly eye and respiratory ailments.
Appropriate Technologies
Any changes to the houses must respect the cultural traditions of the Maasai.
The women plan and redesign their own homes, using the same internal designs
that exist in the enkangs which provide the physical setting for family rituals.
Any adaptions to the technology respect and maximise the women's indigenous
building skills, such as plastering, and remain within the reach of local resources.
The house improvements aim to reduce the need for time consuming maintenance
tasks by preventing roof leakage; reduce water collection time and improve
water quality through rainwater collection for domestic use; improve the living
environment by improving natural lighting in the home; reduce smoke levels
and improve health through improved ventilation within the home.
Following tradition, the Maasai women work together when they are building
a new home. As in the past, the main frame of the house is built from wood
and the walls are plastered using cow dung.
Skin Roof Construction
A thin layer of cement mortar is used to form a concrete skin roof over the
existing wattle and mud with dung roof. It is laid on a base constructed with
twigs, grass and compacted soil. A polythene sheet is put between the base
and the concrete layer to give protection against leakages and act as waterproofing.
Chicken wire is used to further reinforce the mortar.
If the skin roof is made for a new house only twigs should be used because
grass takes time to settle. Using it on a new roof could cause sagging in places
and lead to water traps forming which may produce leaks.
The roof incorporates guttering which channels rainwater into a small ferrocement
water collection tank. During the rainy season, this is an efficient way of
collecting water. Also, the women do not have to do the repetitive work of
plastering the roof with cowdung after every rainy season.
Raw Materials
Cement mortar: sand and cement are mixed in the ratio of 3:1. The cement should
be a fine powder and it should be stored in a dry place, above the ground.
The sand should be well graded and come from a pure source, with medium size
coarse grains to enable the cement to bind with it properly. If it contains
big stones, it should be sieved to remove them.
Water: the water must be clean and not from a stagnant or polluted source.
Wire: different sizes of chicken wire can be used for the skin roof. The smaller
the hole sizes, the more expensive the wire tends to be. To avoid rusting,
the wire should be kept in a dry place until it is ready to be used.
Plastic Sheeting: the sheeting acts as water proofing and holds back any cement
mortar that may seep through gaps in the soil layer.
Water Proof Cement: mixed with ordinary cement in the ratio of 1:1 and used
as a finishing layer to make the skin roof water proof.
Tools
Very basic and simple tools are needed for the construction of the skin roof.
They include sieves for removing the large particles of sand; spades for mixing
the cement and sand; pliers for cutting and folding wire; batch boxes or karais
for measuring quantities of raw materials; and trowels for laying and smoothing
the mortar.
Benefits of the Improved Housing
The new enkangs are more durable and are capable of withstanding extreme weather
conditions. The design, with wider entrances and increased roof height, allows
for a flexible internal layout. The natural lighting and ventilation are much
improved and the fire risk has been reduced. The risk of domestic accidents
have been minimised due to the increase in lighting and extra space. More activities
can be comfortably carried out inside the house. Improved ventilation and wall
heights have lessened the rate of eye and chest infections (from smoke) and
backaches (from constant bending). Air circulates more easily and there is
less heat inside during cooking.
These enkangs have reduced the amount of time women spend on repair and maintainance
of their homes and the time spent on water collection from far away places
has been significantly reduced. This has allowed focus on other important concerns
such as child care, health, nutrition and kitchen gardens. Women have been
able to utilise their time effectively in income generating activities by carrying
out small business activities such as bead making.
For more information, please contact:
Elijah Agevi, IT Kenya, Chiromo Access Road, off Riverside Drive, P.O. Box
39493, Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: +254 2 442108/446243/443710 Fax: +254 2 445166 E-mail: itdg@tt.gn.apc.org
This programme is one in a series of five about what ordinary women, often
in very challenging circumstances, are doing to build better lives for themselves
and their families.
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