In a remote village in Tanzania, on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, a sustainable, efficient and off-grid library has arisen, dedicated to children and schoolchildren in the area. With this structure, created by applying and updating traditional building techniques and using only locally available resources, we want to offer children the possibility of a decent education, in a context that respects both the environment and the local culture.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
In a remote village in Tanzania, on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, one has arisen sustainable, efficient and off-grid library, dedicated to children and schoolchildren in the area. With this structure, made by applying and updating traditional building techniques and using only locally available resources, we want to offer children the possibility of a decent education, in a context that respects both the environment and the local culture.
Built with a budget of only $ 5.400 (less than 5.000 euros) on the initiative of the NGO Excel Education Foundation and designed by the architect Patricia Erimescu, the Njoro Children's Library allows the 408 pupils of the local elementary school and the students of three other schools in the area to have a protected and comfortable space in which to read and study. Young students thus have free access to books that they would not be able to buy: a way to spreading literacy and education among the population of the area, helping to offer better life prospects to the new generations and to break the circle of poverty.
The construction of the library, mainly made of raw earth and fired bricks, actively involved the whole village and the location of the building was carefully chosen together with the teachers and local authorities. Construction took place using and perfecting traditional construction methods, without using electrical tools and using raw materials present in the area, as well as materials coming from recycling.
The layout of the library is inspired by the traditional house of the Masai, one of the ethnic groups in the area, and all the building solutions used - from the "perforated" wall to the setting up of an outdoor garden with banana plants - have been designed to make the most of ventilation and natural lighting and to allow the internal environment to be kept as cool and “naturally air-conditioned” as possible during the hottest months of the year.
The result is a building that integrates perfectly into its surroundings, respects local traditions and will allow young students to read and learn all year round.
Lisa Vagnozzi
Photo Credits: Patricia Erimescu
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