Case 4: Participatory design for permanent settlement of the Maasai, Kenya
The Maasai of Southern Kenya and adjoining parts of Tanzania are pastoralists who traditionally have a
semi-nomadic way of life. They live in temporary housing, largely made of poles, sticks and soil, where
the women and children remain, whilst the men roam with their herds in search of water and grazing.
After a year or two, they might move to a new site, take the wood with them, and simply reconstruct the
houses on that new site. This was made possible because land was communally owned. However, this
way of existence was threatened in Kenya, because others were taking the land and registering it in their
names, forcing the Maasai into ever smaller territories, or cutting off traditional grazing routes. By the late
1980’s, some of the Maasai started to lay claim on and register their own territories, either in the name
of groups or individuals. With that came a wish for more permanent settlement, and thus more durable
housing. At that point, the Organisation of Dutch Volunteers (SNV) who was working with the Maasai on
livelihoods issues called in Practical Action to help with the housing. In the early 1990’s, Practical Ac-
tion worked together with Maasai women, who are the traditional house builders, to develop a series of
house designs. The women produced sketches of layouts and discussed potential technologies. Plans were
then drawn up by local draughtsmen. The housing options presented ultimately ranged from an improved
traditional house (made higher, with larger windows, and a ferro-cement skin on the earth roof), which
was the lowest-cost option, to those with stabilised soil block walls and a micro-concrete tile roof, which
was the costliest. Ferro-cement water jars were also introduced for water catchment from roofs, as access
to water in the area can be difficult. And smoke hoods and better ventilation were introduced to evacuate
smoke from indoor kitchens. Local women and some builders were trained in all these technologies, and
built several hundred houses. Some of them were able to continue to build houses for their communities
afterwards as a small business.
Practical action programme managers from Peru
and Zimbabwe working with local staff and Maasai
women on participatory house design
Improved traditional Maasai housing
An impact assessment of this project showed that over half of house owners reached continued to
improve their housing. Housing improvements have made a noticeable positive impact on health. The
process of joint design and implementation had considerably improved the capacity of women individually
and collectively. Women trained by the project have gone on to train others. Some are producing materials
for sale, and artisans involved in the project have also found new markets. The reduction in time spent by
women repairing roofs or fetching water has enabled them to undertake additional productive activities
and increase their incomes. There is an increasing awareness of housing issues and the options available
to address them. Women are now more confident to negotiate with authorities, and many women’s groups
members now sit on a range of development committees.
See: Building and Social Housing Foundation (2004) and Practical Action (undated) in the Resources
section.
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