Table Of ContentA SELF-HELP HOUSING
PROJECT IN RURAL TUNISIA
IN RETROSPECT
Mirina Curuchet
Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala
in cooperation with
Department of Building Function Analysis, Lund University, Uppsala
A SELF-HELP HOUSING
PROJECT IN RURAL TUNISIA
IN RETROSPECT
Mirina Curuchet
Seandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala
in cooperation with
Department of Building Function Analysis, Lund University, Uppsala
Photographs by the author, unless otherwise stated
ISBN 91 -7106-261 -0
O Mirina Curuchet 1986
Printed in Sweden by
Uppsala University, Uppsala 1987
IN MEMORY OF MY BROTHER,
ALFRED0 CURUTCHET
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to analyze and dissemina-
te an experiment of rural self- help ho~~siilgi nitiated
as part of the vocational training of a group of stu-
dents of architectgre and which allowed to improve
significantly the housing conditions of a group of
deprived peasants in rural Tuilisia.
The discussion of the various aspects and requirements
of the project gives rise to a series of reflections
about the means and conditions indispensable for im-
plementing projects oriented to meet the basic needs
of the deprived groups. Equally crucial are the re-
flections about the dissemination of the results of
the project.
Conclusions connected with aid policy, training in
architecture and the resulting quality and economy of
the housing scheme are drawn, but the main interest is
put on self-help construction as a housing policy
strategy. The author stresses the positive results of
the Rohian experiment for the beneficaries on a
short-term basis, but she is doubtful about self-help
as an adequate strategy and of a general validity for
solutions to a larger scale.
CONTENTS
PREFACE 7
PART I - BACRGROURJD 9
1 INTRODUCTIOBX l l
1.1 A few remarks on self-help housing and
participation 13
1.2 The Rohia-El Haria project 17
1.3 Evaluation study 18
1 .3.1 Methods 19
1.3.2 The presentation of the study 20
THE PLAIN OF ROHIA-E1 EWUA IN TBE
TUNISIAN CONTEXT 23
Geographical description 25
Some historical notes 26
The experience of cooperatives in the sixties 27
Present line on rural policies 28
Rural policies in relation to the deprived
peasants 28
Structure of agricultural employment and
income distribution 29
Production and agricultural employment 3 1
Standards of living and rural exodus 3 1
Summary 33
HOUSING IN TUNISIA
Housing situation
Facilities and services
Some data on the situation in Siliana
Gouvernorat
3.3.1 Gourbis
3.3.2 Stone houses
Housing policy and rural housing
SNIT Rural Housing - Three examples
Case I Road to Magrouna
Case I1 Zgag
Case I11 Ajejia
Some reflections about the SNIT schemes
New rural housing policy: Support for
self -hel.p projects?
PART I1 - THE PROJECT 5 1
THE S=-HELP HOlJSING PROJECT IN
ROHIA -EL HARIA
ASDEAR
4.1.1 Irrigation pr3j ect in Rohia
Sadel and self-help housing schemes
Aims of the self-help project
The experimental house
Pondo:lk Debiche -- The pilot project
4.5.1 Background for the proposal
4.5.2 Costs
Kllebina
Oul.<?d Zina
4.8 Ouled Khadra 68
4.9 A key in the development of the project 69
4.10 Beneficiaries of the self-help housing project 79
5 IMPLEHEXWATION OF THE PROJECT
5.1 Human resources
5.1.1 Bricklayers
5.1.2 Technical supervision
5.1.3 Administration
5.1.4 Promotion
5.2 Adoption of appropriate buildxng materials arid
techniques
5.2.1 The barrel vault
5.2.2 Flat roof
5.2.3 Conrete mixer
5.2.4 Block-maker
5.3 Supply and transport of building materials
5.3.1 Sand
5.3.2 Cement
5.3.3 Miscellaneous
5.4 Financing
5.5 Recouping the investment
PART I11 - TBE OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT 83
EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT
Housing conditions
Standards of construction
Use of houses: new functions
Changes in daily life
Dignity and self-consciousness
Hygiene
Affording the costs
Technical approach
Transfer of technology - appropriate
technology
Development effects - dissemination of the
results
CONCLUSIONS
About the quality of housing
About the economic feasibility of housing fo
the poor peasants
About the role of the State in housing
provision and the Tunisian housing policy
towards the poor in the rural areas
About organized self-help and participation
About the assistance for development
About the teaching of architecture
Final remarks
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX I - THE QUESTIONNAIRE
APPENDIX I1 - FAMILY STORIES
APPENDIX I11 - VOLUME OF WORK AND COSTS
PREFACE
The present study is about a project begun in 1977 by
a group of students of architecture at the University
of Lund, Sweden and in which I was envolved the first
year as teacher and project supervisor.
Inspiration and support was given by late professor
Lennart Kvarnstr-om, who was well acquainted with the
bad situation of popular housing in Tunisia. This is a
country which also possesses one of the richest verna-
cular architectural -heritageso f the Third World.
It is also important to point out that since 1968 the
School of Architecture of Lund has a tradition of pro-
moting 'international projects' set in the Third
World, especially in Africa and Asia. This is in line
with the Swedish Development Assistance Policy initia-
ted i.n 1962 and administered by the Swedish Interna-
tional Development Authority (SIDA) under the assump-
tion that the principle of solidarity should play a
significant role within this policy.
Together with this attitude of solidarity, Sweden lac-
ked enough knowledge and experience on the Third World
to efficiently administer this assistance. This is one
of the reasons why a process of internationalization
of teaching was promoted in the universities from
governmental level. The aim was to form technicians
qualified to work abroad, be it in the framework of
the SIDA programmes, or, more recently, in the context
of export services belonging to private Swedish
enterprises.
The project analyzed here partakes of the Swedish
activities for assistance to development in the Third
World. The participants were a group of students and
teachers who had different reasons to participate in
it: an attitude of solidarity, at times close to cha-
rity, a challenging attitude in the face of a problem
which seemed without solution.
The especial interest of this project lies in the fact
that it began in the framework of vocational training
of a group of students of architecture, and managed to
become a reality with the implementation of a group of
54 houses. It contributes to knowledge both in the
domain of teaching of architecture and in the domain
of providing housing for Third World deprived groups.
I will in this study draw the relevant conclusions
from both domains, but mainly in the area of the gro-
wing problem of housing in the Third World.
The sources of information for this stady are ro be
found ln the reports of the project group plus the
material I collected through several visits to Tuni-
sia, particularly the last one in december 1983 when
field work was carried out in the region of Rohia-El
Haria.
During the period which has elapsed since the field
work, I have been able to spend only part of my time
on the completion of this report. In this period I had
the opportunity to di.scuss a draft of the stlidy -,iihi:
researchers at CEVE (Centro Experimental d? la Vivien-
da Econ6mica) in Chrdoba, Argentina, getting
helpful comments.
Part of this report was written in Spanish and trans-
lated into English by Tamara Nutting and Fabianne
Warrington - Joanne Hurman scrutinized the final ver-
sion.
I would like to acknowledge all the support I have
received, especially from Professor Birgit Krantz, my
supervisor at the Department of Building Function Ana-
lysis, at the School of Architecture in Lund, and from
Ann Schlyter and Per Iwansson through helpful comments
on the manuscript.
I am grateful to Philippe Lebatard and to SADEL mem-
bers for having been allowed to share their documenta-
tion, experiences and insights.
I am equally grateful to Jacques Lagercrantz and to
Maria Udriot for their help with lay-out and
illustrations. Finally, I also want to express my sin-
cere thanks to Marianne Olson and Ingegerd Nicklasson
for the transcription of the manuscript.
M.Cltina CWLLL~C~QR
Lund, May 1986
BACKGROUND
