Woodless construction: the training of trainers and builders
Practical Action
Training for making cost estimates covers learning how to calculate quantities based not only on
units such as a square or cubic metre (using full size examples) but also based on such things as
how many bricks can one make with a cartload of earth. At the end of the session, participants each
develop their own cost estimate for a small building, and then compare the results amongst the
whole group, considering why some builders think they will take longer to build than others, and also
considering how this can discourage future clients. For both drawing woodless construction and
doing costing, there is an illustrated supporting handbook to remind people what they have learnt.
Women are also trained as trainers. Groups of women potters are trained to use the new kilns that
the trainee builders have learnt to build. The introduction of kilns helps women achieve an 80%
economy in fuel and almost completely reduces breakage during the firing process – traditionally
pottery in the Sahel region is made without using a kiln, firing taking place in a shallow pit in the
ground which is extremely inefficient. The
kilns enable women to develop new
products such as floor tiles, and they now
make wide open ceramic gutters that
replace non local metal gutters at half the
price. Women are actively engaged in
building maintenance and the use of
traditional and improved external and
internal renders, and they teach the men
about this too.
Not all the support that builders get is
technical. To function in the public market
for building contracts, builders need to be
organised, and to this end, DW provides
training and support to help groups of
builders set up ‘economic interest groups’
which are a recognised institutional
structure registered with the local
government authority and enabling groups
of builders to take on contracts and
manage their revenues.
Builders keen to go further are given
opportunities to train to become woodless
construction trainers in their own right.
They represent the core network of support
skills in the community that less
experienced builders can call on. Training
of trainers also serves as a refresher course
for builders. Once again, the training of
Figure 6: Teaching builders to draw plans and sections. trainers is based on a ‘trainers guide’
which details the composition of the
training team required, the training
structures that will be used, and then
goes through each step in the whole
training programme, explaining what has
to be demonstrated to the trainees and
then how they will carry out their learning
practice on the training structures.
Trainers also learn how to evaluate
trainees at the end of the training process
and to maintain a daily record of the work
done and the quantity of materials used.
Young people who have been trained to
build using woodless construction recover
pride in their ability and pleasure in the
Figure 7 & 8: Trained builders express pride in their work with
in4ternal and external decoration.