Entrepreneurship Zone: 28 August 2020: Cameroon: Using the age-old 'building from mud' construction technique for greener homesb

Fri Aug 28 06:13:55 CAT 2020

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Entrepreneurship Zone: 28 August 2020: Cameroon: Using the age-old ‘building
from mud’ construction technique for greener homes

 <mailto:cpd at icaz.org.zw> 

In 2005, Messina Guikome took the decision to quit her job as a flight
attendant in France to go back to school to qualify as a civil engineer. Her
construction company Messibat International, founded in 2007, first won
contracts working with conventional building materials in Cameroon, and
then, in 2016, it started focusing on eco-homes using the age-old rammed
earth technique of utilising natural raw materials such as earth, chalk,
lime or gravel.

Today, the company is registered and operating in Cameroon, Togo and Ghana,
while also having a presence in the UK and France.

Using the eco-building technique, the construction of a one-bedroom house
takes only three to four weeks and cuts costs for the customer by almost
40%.

We talk to her about the challenges of building a construction business in
Cameroon and convincing customers to convert to eco-friendly construction
materials.

How did you start Messibat International?

After finishing my studies in 2007, I was working in construction and living
in London. I decided to go on holiday in my native Cameroon. I fell in love
with this “Africa in miniature”, it is such a country of opportunities.
(Cameroon is often called “Africa in miniature” due to its diverse
landscapes that represent the continent’s major climatic zones.)

When I returned to Europe, I decided to leave my job in London and return
firstly to France, where I grew up and studied, to establish my company
Messibat International.

In 2008 I made the decision to return to Cameroon to create a subsidiary of
Messibat, with the aim of building affordable and ecological housing.

I have been campaigning for the recovery and use of local, sustainable
materials in building – such as clay, laterite, gravel, bamboo, wood and
stone – since then. I believe that using this material can help to overcome
the housing challenges in sub-Saharan Africa.

A building constructed by Messibat.

Housing is a key social need. Nevertheless, almost half of the population in
Africa are surviving under precarious housing conditions. To house
themselves, families often have no other choice but to raid their limited
healthcare, food and education budgets to purchase expensive and imported
materials for housing.

I also wanted a construction method without cement because it is actually
toxic in our tropical climates. It combines with heat and moisture to create
very poor indoor air quality.

Explain how your eco-buildings differ from normal buildings?

We are essentially building homes from mud, using a 21st-century technique
that leverages the power of bioclimatic design – designing buildings based
on local climate and making use of solar energy and other environmental
sources. Our concept relies on “rammed earth”, the name for this modern
iteration of building with mud. The construction is as strong as concrete
and can last thousands of years. In fact, parts of the Great Wall of China
are built with rammed earth and it is still standing today.

We decided to use this design and method because of the ecological impact of
concrete production. Cement accounts for about 6% to 7% of the entire
planet’s carbon emissions and its production is also very resource
intensive. We wanted to design buildings that are in harmony with their
climate and culture. Local, sustainable materials just made more sense.

The interior of a house constructed by Guikome’s company.

Originally it was difficult to convince the public in Cameroon to build
houses from mud and earth. In Africa, building with earth is perceived as a
synonym for poverty. For my first project using this technique, I had to
build an exhibition house to convince people that the house is durable and
non-toxic, along with having a zero-carbon footprint.

We can deliver a modern, maintenance-free, well-appointed one-bedroom home
with plumbing, wiring, fixtures and all – for as little as $5,000. It only
takes three weeks to construct and is 30% to 40% cheaper.

Which of the countries where you operate, currently offer the best
opportunities?

Most of my clientele in Cameroon are expatriates. Previously, before
starting with eco-housing, and with the networking assistance of the French
business association in Cameroon, I was involved with traditional
construction projects for larger companies such as Total and Orange
Telecoms.

Today we focus on eco-housing and have just signed a partnership agreement
with GM Bamboo Eco-City Ltd in Ghana to implement the Bamboo Eco-City
Project. Ghana provides great opportunities at the moment. The political
climate is stable, and it caters for investors. We are launching a funding
round to raise $5 million to enable the realisation of the Eco-City project
in Ghana.

We have also signed a contract with the Togolese government for the
construction of an eco-neighbourhood. The land has been made available in
Lomé and the original commitment is to build ten houses, with the
possibility for many more. The neighbourhood is going to be autonomous in
terms of energy with solar panels included. Elements like double-flush
toilets and energy-saving bulbs come standard.

These larger projects offer great opportunities for Messibat International.

The rammed earth building technique utilises natural raw materials such as
earth, chalk, lime or gravel.

Is it easy to convince people of this new way of building?

No, unfortunately not at all. Partly because there is still a lack of
information about our construction technique, and also due to a lack of
education or perhaps at least a lack of curiosity from the population and
communities. A large part of the population still has the perception that
construction in cement represents luxury and a “high-class status”, which is
completely wrong.

Who is your target market?

We aim for all the income sectors – low, middle and high – and we have
private and public interest and contracts.

What are the biggest challenges facing Cameroon currently?

There is a lack of support for entrepreneurs, especially for women
entrepreneurs. The lack of financing support for innovators is also
concerning. I only started with eco-housing in 2016 because I had to save
money to reinvest into this part of the business. The banks did not provide
financing. I unfortunately also experienced the challenge of corruption when
I first started out.

In the beginning, I had to overcome judgement because I was considered a
foreigner, having grown up between Marseille, London and Chicago. I suffered
severe financial scams and at one stage found myself close to ruin, but I
refused to go back to Europe. –Howwemadeitinafrica

Messina Guikome

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