By John Motley | Assistant National Director
As winter approaches we have buttoned up the exterior of the Compressed Earth Block (CEB) home currently under construction for Paul Shields and his family. The roof is on and the exterior walls are stuccoed. The windows and doors are all framed and set. It is now time to turn these four walls and a roof into a proper home for the Shields family! With your support, we can do this for a deserving family in need.
In partnership with Lakota Solar Enterprises, we have framed the interior walls but before they can be finished we will need to run all the electrical wiring which will not only provide lighting but also heat. To continue finishing the interior, it is imperative to have a warm space so that we can continue working through the winter. This home is already inspiring many people on the Pine Ridge Reservation to think differently about housing possibilities and is proving to be a way to expand their economy as all block for the CEB are made on the site from locally sourced materials.
“Building our own homes with renewable energy, I believe we can build our economy,” says Red Cloud, founder of Lakota Solar Enterprises (LSE) and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. “We’re building awareness around this.”
As Henry said, we hope that through this home building, we can show people the many possibilities of Earth Block construction. With your help we will not only house a Lakota family but also open the door to more sustainable construction on the reservation. Please consider donating to help us finish this home!
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