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Building Materials Workshop In Mozambique

26 February 2004

Stakeholders in the building industry will attend a workshop in Mozambique next week, 1-3 March 2004, to help them understand the development and use of resource-based building materials: these are locally available raw materials such as clay, laterite, aggregate, kaolin and other soil types for the production of bricks, stabilised soil blocks, roofing, floor and wall tiles.

The workshop, organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Mozambique, aims to demonstrate the techniques of production in appropriate areas of the country and then focus on transferring this technology to small-scale entrepreneurs. It will also cover key aspects of building materials, technology transfer and skills development and training.

Participants will include government ministries and institutions, professional bodies, donor agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the building and construction sector.

The workshop aims to define actions/activities to be undertaken and the levels of co-ordination to be adopted at the inter-sector level of government ministries and institutions. This is in association with local community participation and support from the international community, NGOs and the private sector.

Ahmed Ahmed of the Secretariat's Special Advisory Services Division said, "The Government of Mozambique has adopted an enabling approach whereby the entire full potential and resources of all the stakeholders in the shelter production and improvement process are mobilised. 

"This strategy recognises building materials as one of the key physical resources in the production and improvement of shelter, and identifies several priority action areas to support local production and the use of indigenous building materials."

These include the promotion of technological innovations, the introduction of appropriate building materials technologies and development of local capacity-building in small-scale enterprises.

The thrust of the government strategy is intended to decentralise the manufacture of building materials for houses, schools and health centres through small and medium-scale enterprise initiatives.

The workshop should help ensure that all the organisations involved in the building and construction industry of Mozambique have an opportunity to play a full part in the subsequent work programme of the project.