Mahatma Gandhi is often quoted as having said: "India lives in the villages." However, not all villages meet human needs of an adequate, safe and dignified housing even though it is considered by many to be a fundamental human right. Therefore, the Rural Housing Project's prime objective is to construct 21 weather-proof houses as well as sanitation facilities in the Narangamoola village in accordance to values, traditions and needs of South India's indigenous population: the Adivasi.
Traditional tribal huts are made out of mud walls with bamboo roofs thatched with dried paddy grass. These huts require rebuilding both before and after the monsoon. Additionally mud walls are prone to cracking and, if left unrepaired, these cracks can cause huts to collapse. The huts are also in danger of being trampled by wild elephants.Open fires inside the house pose a threat to thatched roofs catching fire. A lack of sanitation forces people to practice dangerous and undignified defecation.
Experiences from past projects showed that weather-proof houses relief the Adivasi from the hard work of reconstruction their homes twice a year. Instead this time and energy can be used to generate income. Moreover, the solidly build houses are not in danger of collapsing, safe from dangerous snakes and insects, less prone to being trampled, less flammable and resistant to varying weather conditions. Sanitation units ease the daily defecation and enable to defecate safely and dignified.
The long-term sustainability of this project will be ensured because skills and knowledge are transferred to the Adivasi community in order to enable them to continue the project and, henceforth, build the houses on their own. Having a safe and solid home and close-by sanitation units will improve the overall living and socio-economic conditions as well as the health situation for one of India's poorest ethnic minorities. It helps to break the cycle of poverty in a remote tribal village.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
