Sustainable Housing for Rural Families in Africa

NV masons build village for refugees in Mauritania

Teams of NV masons from Burkina Faso and Mali are building Nubian vault houses in Diakre, Mauritania for refugees fleeing persecution. Many refugee families – such as the family picturedpictured - who have been living under tents or corrugated iron roofing sheets in this camp now benefit from secure comfortable housing, sheltered from the searing heat, tempests of wind, and occasional heavy rainstorms.

This relief programme, financed by the Dubai Charity Association (DCA) involves the construction of 51 houses – 28 of which are now completed and occupied - and three community buildings. It is the result of a partnership between AVN-Senegal, the NGOs Banlieues du Monde Mauritanie and Le Partenariat (Senegal).

AVN buildings on CartoTerra

CartoTerra is an interactive online world atlas of earthern architecture, with images and brief details of a wide range of adobe earth buildings and relevant stakeholders. A representative selection of 50 or so NV buildings (out of the total of over 1500) in Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Benin, and Ghana are featured, as well as AVN's national offices (see Stakeholders). Enjoy exploring the site (see the link below) – it's easy to use, and clearly demonstrates AVN's predominance as a key player in promoting contemporary earth architecture in West Africa.

Thanks again

Once more, many thanks for your continuing interest in our programme to develop a market in decent affordable housing for as many people as possible, and especially for those families struggling to survive in impoverished rural communities, and those suffering persecution and civil disorder..

Links:

• Dubai Charity Association
• CartoTerra
• AVN website