Jinja, Uganda (AP) – Simon Tigawalana for many years dreamed that he had done something about the dirt floor in his small house, blaming them for his family sick. However, in a rural area, one of the poorest countries in the world is forced to make concrete simply unavailable.
Then the company, known as Elihenable, came closer to it to offer an alternative: clay -based clay floors that could give it durable, closed floor for less than half of the concrete price. Tigawalana now has a new floor in two rooms and hopes to add it in the last room soon.
“I am glad that we now have a decent home and can also visit visitors comfortably,” said Tigawalana, a 56-year-old father of the 56-year-old.-when I got clay floor, my children no longer have cough and flu, which used to originate from dust, growing dirt floor. ‘
Elimensable to renovate housing throughout Africa since 2017. Advertising and installing Uganda clay -based flooring. In addition to eliminating dust that can irritate the breath, they are credited to reduce dryer infestation-parasitic flea, which can cause skin and cause pain, itching and infection. Ugandan Ministry of Health says poor hygiene due to dirt flooring contributes to such contamination.
“Our floors help prevent pathogens and other diseases associated with dust floors, as most of these families cannot afford to care in hospitals,” said Elienable sales and marketing manager Noeline Mute.
As the floor is built
The first step in the construction of the floor is the excavation and leveling of the surface. Then the murram – the local red soil, which is rich in iron and aluminum oxides – is mixed with sand and water and then compacted. After two weeks of drying time, Masons use wooden floats to smooth out and even more compacted the surfaces. Next is pasting: Apply fine clay to further level the surface and prepare it for the final sealant-linseed-based varnish that hardens a durable plastic-like resin.
Typical floors cost about 240,000 Uganda shillings (about $ 65), which, Earther Enable, says it is about 70% cheaper than concrete. Buyers can pay in installments. Elimenable, a US non -profit organization, is managed by profit -making companies in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya, and says any profit is invested in new markets, as well as research and development.
Elimenable said it was located in Uganda about 5,000 floors, more than 39,000 in Rwanda and more than 100 in Kenya. The company also performs wall plastering to help reduce dust, moisture and insect contamination, common in dirt at home.
The Jinja company program employs more than 100 Masons from the community. Many are the boys in an unfavorable position who have left school because they cannot afford taxes, the company’s construction officer Alex Wanda said.
“We focus on the recruitment of these young rural boys, which we teach the skills to create this clay floor, creating their employment opportunities,” Wanda said in an interview.
About 42% of Ugandans live in extreme poverty. Her statistics office states that the country’s housing deficit is $ 2.6 million. Units, and it grows. The country must add 300,000 housing units per year to form a deficit, mainly in rural areas with many Ugandans and where the quality and availability of housing remains relevant concerns.
More sustainable floors than concrete
The company also refers to the clay floor as a more sustainable concrete alternative, which, in addition to being more expensive, creates a large production of carbon in production.
The cement industry is one of the largest uganda carbon exhaust, which is about 628,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023, which is the highest level of registered. Based on the United Nations Environmental Program, construction and construction accounts for 37% of the world’s emissions.
Uganda, like most of the rest of the world, has noted that extreme weather events have been increased, which is more likely to be more likely to climate, including flood and prolonged drought.
“Such initiatives are very important in global efforts to decarbonize the construction sector,” said Penina Atwine, an Environmental Alert program officer in Uganda. “Such innovative local solutions satisfied both climate change and social needs, such as the Elimenable model, could inspire a similar approach worldwide.”
To “live a better life” with cleaner floors
In the Budima village, Rehema in the houses saved most of his family to build a house. She could not afford a cleaner floor until she worked through the Masenable to pay for the clay floor in parts. She lives there with three children and credits a new floor for improving the health of a sick daughter.
“It’s available to my family and help us keep hygiene,” she says, “We now live a better life.”
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