In Malawi, 90% of housing is built through informal construction using traditional building materials. Yet, houses built using traditional building materials with poor quality bricks are mostly affected by recent disasters. Furthermore, burnt bricks for example, exacerbate deforestation.
In 2018, through the Sustainable Construction Materials Regulations of 2018, the Malawian government banned the use of burnt clay bricks in commercial and public building projects, in an attempt to spur the adoption of more environmentally friendly construction materials.
However, implementation of these measures have been hampered by lack of accessible affordable sustainable construction materials across large parts of the country. As part of addressing these challenges, Habitat for Humanity Malawi in partnership with Habitat for Great Britain and other philanthropists, have set up the Production and Resource Training Center, aimed at fostering the use of eco-friendly materials in the construction industry. The center is situated in Machinjiri, South Lunzu, in Blantyre.
The Center has been equipped with two plants to produce cement blocks and Soil Stabilized Blocks (SSBs). The center is one of the state-of-the-art which has installed the Hydraform Conventional and Interlocking Machinery which has the capacity to produce 48,000 SSBs and Cement blocks every month. Within two years, the center is expected to support 541 houses which can be built from the SSBs or Cement Blocks that are produced through this project. 200 disadvantaged youths and other vulnerable groups will be engaged through the Resource and Training department of the center.
Habitat is expected to start producing these eco-friendly construction materials early March 2024. Meanwhile, construction of the center is nearly completion. To ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the production, Habitat Malawi has engaged experts from the Hydraform to conduct an onsite training for the newly recruited staff in Blantyre. The newly recruited team is undergoing training in various aspects of Hydraform operation, learning the intricacies of sustainable construction practices. This training will empower the production team to utilize the Hydraform machines efficiently, production and maintenance, health and safety thereby contributing to the success of the Centre. Not only will they learn production but also construction using the Hydraform interlocking Technology. The onsite training program symbolizes a step towards a more sustainable future, combining innovation, skill development, and environmental consciousness in the pursuit of housing solutions for vulnerable communities.
