Sustainable Housing for Rural Families in Africa

EU Project in Benin: results and perspectives from the first year

Since December 2019, AVN and its Operational Partners - l’Union des Associations Villageoises de Gestion des Réserves de Faune (AVIGREF) and the Union Communale des Coopératives de Producteurs d’Anacarde (UCCPA) - have received financial support from the European Union for implementation of a project promoting a bioclimatic construction sector and youth employment in the north of Benin, involving eight Implementation Units in the Departments of Atacora and Donga.

During the first year of operation (the 2019/2020 season):

• 121 youngsters have undergone training on 27 construction sites, including 13 technical and entrepreneurial training modules;
• 14 clients have benefited from financial incentives for construction of their own NV houses;
• partnerships have been formalised between AVN and 2 Operational Partners in Implementation Territories (OP-IT) et 5 Operational partners in Implementation Units (OP-IU);
• 14 focal and subsidiary points have benefited from skills upgrading.

Two ceremonies have been organised in the communes of Ouaké (department of Donga) and Tanguiéta (department of Atacora) for the official launch of the project, bringing together local authorities and development agencies (read the news).

The second year of the project (the 2020/2021 season) started last September wit the organisation of training academies for focal and subsidiary points, and awareness raising to mobilise local masons to join and continue with NV training activities. During this second year of implementation, we plan for:

• 37 training construction sites;
• 67 training modules Reinforcement on Building site – First Clients (RB-FC)* ;
• 27 technical and entrepreneurial training modules;
• distribution of 80 Client Incentive Coupons** (CIC) to villagers for construction of their NV buildings;
• additional support for 36 clients through Wanani promotions.

In addition, a competition for the « most beautiful NV » will be organised to recompense clients who have kept their buildings in excellent condition, and to encourage others to follow their example.

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*RB-FC : The training modules "Reinforcement on Building site – First Clients" help masons who want to become artisans to take responsibility for their first construction sites whilst being accompanied by a Trainer Mason, allowing for combined training on technical issues, working with clients, and team management.
*CIC : these printed and numbered coupons are given to masons by AVN or its Operational Partners. Each incentive coupon corresponds to a maximum of 15 % of the total cost of the building, but nevertheless represents an important proportion of the cash needed to pay the specialist labour costs.

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The PATRIP project: Nubian Vault construction helps to stabilise cross-frontier populations

Since September 2019, AVN has been running the Burkina Faso / Mali project "Émancipation of cross-frontier communities at risk of destabilisation", financed by the PATRIP Foundation and coordinated by the NGO Welt Hunger Hilfe (WHH). The project aims to help stabilise the cross-frontier region between Mali and Burkina Faso by contributing to the well-being of the local population through creation of youth employment opportunities and the rapid construction of community infrastructure. Specifically, the project involves, over two years, the construction 60 NV buildings and the training of 120 young Maliens and Burkinabes as NV masons in 10 frontier communes.

At the half-way point, a workshop presided over by Sahabani Zeba, High Commissioner of Banwa Province brought together the project partners, local politicians and beneficiaries from the 10 communes, was held on October 27th last in Dédougou.

AVN was able to present encouraging results from this first season, despite some construction delays caused by the rainy season and various security and health issues:

• 27 community buildings completed, including health centres, school rooms, storage barns, community buildings for women and youngsters, guest rooms etc.;
• employment of over 100 local youth undergoing NV training;
• the certification of 10 NV head masons who have created their own construction businesses;
• the running of around 50 training modules, on-site and in workshops.

Participants in the meeting welcomed these results enthusiastically and praised the many impacts of the project – social cohesion, economic development, improved access to basic services etc. - reinforcing the capacity of of these frontier populations faced with a disturbing security situation. A strong appeal for continuation of the project beyond 2021 was made by all present.