We didn't get to go to Haiti this time.
But three of our blocks and some critical components for making two machines are there now.
Our missed trip to Haiti involved being there for the Building Back Better expo where the competitors for housing contracts. An invitee for the recycling expo at that event wanted us demonstrating the machine and blocks as part of her exhibit. Her invite came at the last minute and we couldn't justify the expense or effort. She took two of our blocks made just from bottles for her show and tell.
President Clinton With Harvey Lacey’s Ubuntu-Blox | FrontBurner
We placed 12th in the $300.00 House Contest.
jovoto / empowering creatives / ideas That in turn got us invited to be an advisor at
The $300 House: Empowering the Poor
For us the biggest reward out of the event with the building expo in Haiti was an introduction to a major charity operating in Haiti. We were looking for contacts in Haiti while we were there for the expo and found them, they found us, etc. That put us having three conversations with three different major charities working in Haiti.
The best thing I've discovered about charities today versus the charities of yesterday is the desire to do two things first and foremost. The first thing they want to do is to create independents instead of dependents. The proverbial hand up instead of the traditional handout of yesteryear as I see it. Just as importantly they want to partner up when it comes to projects. Every charity brings skills to the table. When they partner up it is like home building where the trades work together as a team instead of one trade trying to build a house all by themselves. I haven't interacted with any of the religious charities yet. The above statements reflect that.
The three conversations have become one. I see Ubuntu-Blox being at a point where it needs managers more than it needs my talents. So I have stepped back into the crowd and experienced and even more passionate experts are working on Ubuntu-Blox in Haiti. Three major charities are working together to make Ubuntu-Blox a reality in Haiti.
The University of Oklahoma hasn't done the structural tests on our model home yet. We have a wall section that is ready to put on their shake table so we can have some seismic results too. Keep in mind they are doing those tests for free. They are trying to work it into their schedule and we are appreciative.
We are in discussions with a group that wants to do a project in the Philippines with us. We are also working with a group that wants to try Ubuntu-Blox in Uganda and Kenya. We are wanting to go into Mexico and Central America also as soon as possible.
One of the reasons I handed over the reins so easily to the experts is my expectations for Unbutu-Blox. The vision is to create education centers that teach welding skills. That center will also be a production center for the machines that make Ubuntu-Blox. While we are training welding skills we are also manufacturing machines and building a support mechanism for the machines. The machines are designed where the repairs will involve only welders and locally available materials.
We also want to create a cottage industry that makes the blocks using the machines. This will involve entrepreneurs who have a machine, acquire plastic trash from others, and process that trash into building blocks that are sold to individuals and home builders.
Since the building method we use for the Ubuntu-Blox house is unique we create a third industry that has the skills to build good houses with our blocks.
The only thing the outside world is introducing to the country receiving aid is education. We are teaching them to weld, to learn commerce, and to build good houses using an abundant and free material.
Haiti gives us a great example of how much an impact this vision can have. Current alternative housing concepts that are viable have a cost of about $7,500.00 for a two room plus porch house. We see Ubuntu-Blox coming in around $3,000.00 and half of that is for the local labor.
Haiti has traditionally used concrete blocks for housing construction. The blocks are made on site a lot of the time using molds and concrete mixed on the ground. We only use concrete for the footer and recommend it for the outside plaster of the Ubuntu-Blox house. Inside we recommend earthen plasters because of allergies and toxins in concrete. What we do is we relieve the pressure on the price of portland cement in Haiti with Ubuntu-Blox houses. That's a big thing, a very big thing.
One of the reasons the big charities are excited about Ubuntu-Blox is because there is huge need to deal with all of the plastic trash in Haiti. If a house is built just with water bottles we estimate it will remove 30,000 bottles from the landscape and landfill. If all plastics are used we estimate 20 to 30 cubic yards of plastic trash is diverted into a house's construction.
Nothing is happening on the surface at this time for Ubuntu-Blox. But under that surface huge things are happening.
On a side note a lot of interest involve preppers. They see the Ubuntu-Blox as a great system for building economical houses off grid. I agree.