Life prior to 2008 April:
Shuva Kharna 8 years old, eldest of three children, lives with his parents in Ashapur, West Bengal, India. Their father is a daily worker and earns $ 28 a month and mother is a home maker.
Like most other villagers, their home was constructed with help of several villagers, with the materials available with in close proximity. Some walls of the house were built out of traditional Wattle and Daub construction. Building material used for making these walls, include a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw. Wattle and daub has been used for at least 6,000 years, and is still an important technique in many parts of the world. This technique is becoming popular again in more developed areas as a sustainable building technique.
In rear part of the house, there were locally burnt bricks columns supporting the roof and open bamboo frame walls. Large palm leaves were used as a cladding on these open frames walls to prevent harsh sunlight reaching the interiors in hot summer days and protection from heavy rain during the monsoon season. Large gunnysacks were sewed together and used as screens to manually control the light reaching interiors.Shuva Kharnas home utilizes abundantly available natural light and encourages natural ventilation.
The floor was made out of elevated compacted earth and finished with layer of mixed clay and cow dung, which they believe keeps the snake away. Locally produced clay tiles used as the roof cladding were laid on top of the bamboo frame.
Even though this habitat falls into sustainable category, it was a dangerous shelter to live in during the Monsoon season.
Heavy rains beat the unprotected earth walls causing them to damp decay. The family had to struggle constantly to up keep the walls. Sometimes it would not be possible to live in the house; they would take shelter in community centers. This continuous struggle took time away from children’s education and their father’s time earning his daily wage.
Heavy rains beat the unprotected earth walls causing them to damp decay. The family had to struggle constantly to up keep the walls. Sometimes it would not be possible to live in the house; they would take shelter in community centers. This continuous struggle took time away from children’s education and their father’s time earning his daily wage.
Where do sustainability points fall with the daily struggle of the less fortunate people?
Data is collected from Children International recorded project. Photo credit : Children International
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