ICCM changing the perception of waste in Malawi

"Solid waste sorting is critically low at all levels."
Solid Waste Composition and Greenhouse Gases Emissions Baseline Study in Lilongwe City, Malawi September 2016 written by Lilongwe City Council LCC, Environmental Affairs Department EAD, United Nations Development Program UNDP, National Climate Change Program NCCP and Ministry of Natural Resources Energy and Mining MNREM 

Waste, it builds up in the streams and in piles that are behind offices, unseen to the public. Waste in all types, mainly plastics and papers are used for good burning products to light fires for cooking, heat and light. The pollutants roam into the atmosphere to solve the ongoing problem.

Agriculture waste, biomass is also put into piles all across the central and southern region of rural Malawi and burnt to clear the fields before planting season. Burning these nutrients will turn Malawi into a desert and the effects are clearly seen as the basking sun burns the soils every year.

With 82% of Malawians living in the rural areas agriculture is one of the main economic activities. People all sew the fields by hand and depend on rains for good growing crops that they buy and sell for profit. Every planting season begins with people having to buy fertilizer at 16,000 to 18,000mkw ($22-25) a bag not knowing that the biomass they collect and burn from the fields can be made into good organic compost. With the average monthly salary ranging from 25,000mkw to 40,000mkw ($35-55) a month for lower paid jobs in the city centre of Lilongwe you can see the personal damage in the rural villages. Making compost for the fields is a tradition that has been lost, although north Malawi are continuing to make compost due to a higher level of education in that region.

Managing waste at JTI Family Day, Lilongwe Golf Club

 "The largest source of solid waste is biomass"
Solid Waste Composition and Greenhouse Gases Emissions Baseline Study in Lilongwe City, Malawi September 2016 written by LCC, EAD, UNDP , NCCP and MNREM 

So people are struggling in peri urban and rural areas around Lilongwe while the highest rate of waste has been proven to be biomass, full of nutritional value for the agriculture sector. I think it is simple to say we can use this waste to improve the lives of the communities and the main factor of succeeding is education. 

International Conservation and Clean up Management, ICCM is working to change the mindset of people to understand the envelope of the environment and how we can best work with the environment using all natural resources which includes waste.

Waste sorting structure at Mbinzi Primary School 

Environmental Week at Paramount School

 ICCM will empower people in communities to understand to keep all biomass that can be used to make good natural compost, or used as an energy source. Depending on the skills of the people, the location, the natural resources and waste available ICCM analyse all criteria to create efficient programs. We facilitate and give people ideas based on there own thoughts to ensure the income generating project are owned by the community.

Our team in ICCM are currently a group of volunteers, environmentalists and some graduates /students from Universities. We create a platform for continual research and to support ideas towards designing and constructing sufficient innovative devices. Our continual on the ground activities include recycling collections, capacity building workshops and events to support the ICCM team initiatives and resources for some government school cleanup, education and low tech waste innovation workshops.

ICCM Team

I'd like to personally thank you all for your hard work, passion and commitment to expand our ICCM network and projects throughout Lilongwe, Malawi.

For more information please go to www.iccmanagement.org

When nature meets the mind in Malawi

Neverending Food Permaculture Discovery Centre

 
It is currently the middle of construction season. I am now diving face first into community builds focusing on developing the rural regions in Malawi. Development is very contradictory but I know and truly believe durable strong low technology earth buildings will create breathable stunning affordable homes. With this passion I am slowly sharing the knowledge, while designing and site managing with my team at Grassroots Eco-Build.  Using earth in construction is still very sensitive. I say this because it is the material used in villages where it gives a status of being economically deprived. Not only this, but there are other factors, like the cost, time, labour and quality of construction. The preparation time for fired bricks and rammed earth are very similar but fired bricks are faster and easier to build. Using earth also destroys the top layer of soil and effects the environment in a different way so this needs to be accounted for and designed into the space accordingly.

Rammed earth corner section

As we develop, the more builds we construct and therefore the more proof we have to show success. The more reports of cost, time, labour and quality of construction will bring detail to get more attention to this traditional technology that has been abandoned due to the culture of what development is. 

Glass bottle window at Neverending Food PDC

Neverending Food PDC interior

Persevering, I have now been connected to groups desperate to find alternative building solutions due to the lack of trees and natural resources left in extremely rural villages. In the last year Grassroots Eco-Build has trained 10 people from Chitedze village while constructing the Permaculture Discovery Centre at Neverending Food.

We have also been very fortunate to have partnered with World of Difference, a superb team from America who are supporting our environmental education program at Kapudzama Government School. Grassroots Eco-Build are constructing a girls hostel using natural materials and local skills while teaching many of the community about this appropriate technology. As we use earth for this community construction we have also designed and started the permaculture gardens to create efficiency in design and promote a sustainable livelihood. As the community have been fully involved in helping the volunteer group in so many activities including construction, painting existing school classrooms, renovating desks and just being such great light to the community I know they will be missed. Anything can be done with such positive energy and we are truly blessed to be a part of such a huge influence within the Kapudzama community. What a great introduction to such an incredible project.

Environmental education week; introducing all levels of the community to the project

Eston Mgala teaching the ingredients to make a good compost pile

Mapping exercise at Kapudzama giving students knowledge and ownership in design

Digging foundations; the start of  Kapudzama girls hostel

A fantastic leadership team missing our Billy Milimbo!

My 4 years in Malawi have boosted ideas and needs and truly shown me what a rich country Malawi could be with its natural resources and constant energy from the sun. I hope and pray to empower more so they can live smart lives knowing and understanding the riches around.

   

Flood response affordable home using tithonia; termite resistant indigenous plant

Last month was also very exciting, I have had 2 volunteers from Italy who have had an interesting time taking part and learning different skills in each building project being constructed at present. These include;

·         Glass bottle cutting with natural locally available materials to build the windows of the                        Permaculture Discovery Centre, Chitedze

·         Profiling the foundations of guest house at Ecoline Farm, 6 miles

·         Ramming earth walls, building a house at Landirani Office, Njewa

·         Designing and constructing the beginning of a flood reponse/ affordable home at Dali Pottery, 6          miles

Cutting glass bottles at Neverending food Permaculture Discovery Centre

While defining different techniques of natural construction I have also developed the importance of using waste as a resource.  Waste is mismanaged throughout Malawi and therefore also a natural resource. As more cost efficient design logistics were being planned I realized collections of recyclable waste would be very beneficial to our projects. With no system of waste management, myself and a team of Malawi volunteers started working together to research and understand the future needs for Lilongwe.

1 year on and I have a passionate team of Malawians taking the responsibility to conduct recycling collections, education programs and environmental talks. We have been working hand in hand with the City Council to encourage and build capacity in waste innovations. This has given further inspiration to target and train some skilled people from the community to design and construct appropriate waste innovations.We share and spread our technical knowledge to existing waste management groups.

 

Our projects now include events, to raise money for the formation, design & construction of new recycling hubs for ease of recyclable collections throughout Lilongwe Town. Many companies that benefit from our service reusing the paper and plastics provide resources and support for us to grow in which we are truly grateful. 

ICCM promoting our recycling initiatives at the Farmers Market, Lilongwe

 Our sustainable holistic approach using recycling collections to support our education workshops will expand and attract more activities that will be focused in rural communities looking at many other ways to manage waste to benefit the people, including bio-gas. The hands on approach and community participation using all interested key people already in existing structures will give a positive response. The ICCM team is very dedicated and our ethos promotes hard work to ensure we obtain money through recycling collection and the selling of items made out of waste to move forward rather than depending on funding which proves unsuccessful for many projects in Malawi due to the ignorance of continual support.

ICCM recently constructed our first recycling waste sorting structure at the Wildlife Centre in Lilongwe. This is designed and built with local materials and waste; bamboos grow throughout the grounds that are very sustainable and recyclables create suitable walling for the bins.

 

Completion of our first ICCM waste sorting structure; Lilongwe

My time in Malawi turned 4 years this month of August and has provided me with enough experience to understand the culture to bring about small amounts social of change. I am committed to promoting all types of design including natural construction and waste innovations. I have been privileged to meet such incredible people to create that international network while also giving me more inspiration to continue my path. There are always projects to be completed and people to support so please, if you can support a great cause...

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/visa-to-enrich-lives-with-environmental-knowledge

African Vision Malawi; Private House constructed by trained earth builders from my past projects at Sams Village

The patterns of life within earth building

 

Permaculture Discovery Center in Chitedze, Lilongwe

Environmental

While cycling around and observing, there are many patterns in my Malawi life.

·         The magical people that make this place, make life so easy.

·          The simplicity and balance of work

·         Dependence on people in society : this need for help with power or water is all part of socializing

·         As my job has started taking me up and down the country of Malawi I am linking, meeting and expanding my network.

The direction is often distorted as I meet some great people who have inspired me through my 3 years of being here. I always make time as there is time to pop in and visit them on my travels. 

June Walker is a permaculture, skills sharer and community worker: an inspirational character who has been living and practicing on affordable sustainable living within nutrition and other environmental activities in Malawi. For more than 50 years she has resided on Lake Malawi and shared the information that people used to walk from Cape Maclear side to Monkey Bay.  The Lake is situated on the rift valley, and as the water edge is now creeping back due to the movement of the tectonic plates June has started planting trees.  Her aim is to develop many trees growth by using the retracting water line to plant. June has started building large compost piles on the old water level from last year then planting trees so they grow strong and the roots feed downwards as the water level does the same. People who live and know so much to work with the environment give me further thoughts…

June Walkers Solar dryer

From working for at least 6 months and networking with as many keen passionate environmentalists as possible I can see the future. My research, design ideas and knowledge within waste management has made a big impact in Lilongwe.  We had a very successful introductory talk with many stakeholders and partners keen to work with us in the future. With so many links any project would now be setup with ease, knowing who works in which areas to collaborate to ensure we create a large impact. We have had so many positive people wanting some direction on where and how to manage waste so with our International Conservation and Cleanup Management solutions we have hit the target.  Using crowdfunding to raise money, I have built a recycling point in Mbinzi School in Lilongwe, one which has plenty of waste paper and one which has no resources or books for children. With the waste paper there will be 2 keen Malawian environmentalists who will be teaching people how to make recycled paper and booklets while sharing environmental education. The same will be done with food waste, to make food compost for the struggling school gardens. The rest of the money has been used to officially register our charity so we can apply for some big grants as the need is obvious. Our future plans include sustainable waste management in several villages along the Lakeshore including afforestation, beekeeping and nutrition programs.

Recycling point at Mbinzi School, Lilongwe

Educational

I came to Malawi as an architect so including starting the waste innovations charity in which has a large focus on construction I have also specialised on natural materials within our architecture and construction company: Grassroots Eco-Build

Grassroots Eco-Build is a social enterprise company as we are focusing on sharing knowledge with a great team of welders, builders, and school and university students. We look at designing and constructing using the local sustainable materials available using techniques such as rammed earth, adobe blocks, domes, adobe bags and thatch instead of burned brick which is more expensive and inappropriate for the Malawi climate. Design should account for the needs and work with the environment including natural ventilation and light, solar heated water, water collection, harvesting, compost for plant nutrition, and other daily activities. Our aim is to use earth construction as a contemporary method so people can see the potential and future encouraging projects and development.

Having realised people want burned brick it was then focusing on the education and environment sector to talk to people about the durability and opportunities of developments using earth building. We have talked at Pitch Night in Lilongwe and have networked with many who are keen to build our prototype earth building house after seeing the Sams Village, Landirani work from my past years.

With a focus on environmental education we were very lucky to be requested to work with the famil Nordin’s at NeverEndingFood, Chitedze.  They have been inspirational within the permaculture sector: giving low cost, locally available nutrition options for growing all types of plants. Not just Nsima (which does not have a high nutritional value and is inappropriate as people can only grow it to harvest once a year.)

Our conversations have reflected a similarity within the building sector where so many other natural available building materials to use but people just choose the burned brick technology with iron rooves which is too hot for the climate and causes a huge environmental impact.

The inquisitive people have breached out and looked to understand and develop in a way that is efficient and we want to find and train as many of those people as possible. Luckily in the construction sector we have proven natural building is 10% cheaper than the conventional way of building which is a big advantage.

Our project at NeverEndingFood is to build the Permaculture Discovery Center. This is a great opportunity for us as our clients are extremely happy for us to experiment with some more local natural waterproof plastering options. These will be analysed to bulk our research. The build uses 2 types of earth technology: rammed earth and adobe bag to give different options for the surrounding community. The 9m x 11m build includes a storage room, classroom space and raised seating for the amphi-theatre like space. At the back of the seating the north light will shimmer through the glass bottle walls while the westerly winds cool the central space for natural ventilation. The classroom walls have full height regular openings and are angled to see the outside while sitting inside. The roof overhang prevents heat and direct light from coming into the space. For the roof structure we will use gumpoles and weaved bamboo and earth plastering with natural waterproofing. We would also like to try weaving sansevieria trifascia plant for the ceiling.

The classroom has a central light well above as we need appropriate costs we have decided to use plastic bottle tiles fixed to our gumpole existing roof structure. There will be an opening below the lightwell so all exhausted air leaves the building.

·         Local plants and materials grown and used from site:

·         Bamboo

·         Sansevieria trifascia plant, also known as English woman’s tongue

·         Recycled glass and plastic bottles

·         Earth

Thatch is a common well used material but it is only found on the lakeshore which is 1 hour from our site in Chitedze, Lilongwe. For us, it was important to find local available materials (so changing the design to weaved bamboo and earth so people can copy the design themselves and give good alternative solutions to the hot corrugated iron. Having researched many materials we are also excited to be testing different waterproofing plasters.

·         Cactus liquid and lime

·         Cassava flour and sand

·         Termite clay and sand

I will have to give analysis results in the next blog.

Each build is training local people, giving skills and environmental education. The reason to why, is just as important as what and how so people understand fully and can talk to other people about the subject as a whole.

As things have picked up and the projects for this year 2017 are increasing and our company work will be accelerating: giving many jobs and training many people in Malawi. As Sams Village, Landirani Trust (my old construction team) is finishing the project, the 50 trained earth builders from North West Lilongwe will be available for work which is brilliant timing! I have been very satisfied at the continual work progress and completion after leaving Landirani Trust.

As many earth building teams combine around Malawi we hope to create more impact and national recognition this year with an increase in acknowledgment of existing durable natural resources available. Check out the Earth Building Malawi Facebook Group for more information.

Grassroots Eco-Build are also designing to completely change the education system in Malawi looking at the holistic approach of sustainable schools and how the food gardens and environmental science can become part of the teaching in physical class activities. This is at concept proposal stage, but again very exciting.

Natural

Grassroots Eco-Build are also discussing contracting and building a very large EcoLodgy Center in Blantyre which will keep us extremely busy. The site brings inspirations: my designs keep me planning with nature, observing the existing systems that work together and developing them to compliment and improve one another.  I find the geometric patterns of nature fascinating. Fibonacci uses an algebra equation for numerical perfection and the replications produce incredible structures in nature like bee hives. The Bucky ball uses perfect geometry for good strength; this is like many designs in nature.  I now have the chance to design a village looking at environmental science and how our buildings can reflect the works of nature.

And the patterns of life keep moving, and the correct people keep linking so the projects will keep proceeding…

Architecture inspired by nature