White architecture in Kenya thanks to hand-crafted lime
The global pandemic has made 2020 a challenging year for the whole world. However, for some geographic areas, such as the one occupied by the Nariokotomé (Kenya) hand-crafted lime factory, this has been a year of growth and consolidation.
Its location in a remote environment has made this its main strong point when tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, which has fortunately had very little repercussion in the zone. This has enabled the Saint Paul and Mother Mary Missionary Community (MCSPA) together with the NGO Emalaikat to progress with their humanitarian project in the region, a project with which CALCINOR has been collaborating for years, and which has taken shape with the setting in motion of the Nariokotomé sustainable building materials factory.
The previous article on this project published on the Calcinor website mentioned the need for funding to enable enlargement of the factory infrastructures. We are pleased to say that said enlargement is now a reality and that today the factory has two kilns for the hand-crafted production of lime and gypsum as well as the corresponding infrastructures for grinding and sifting the materials obtained. Thanks to these new resources, the factory has increased its capacity to produce building materials, such as bricks and trabadillo mortars, using centuries-old techniques respectful towards the environment and the local culture.
Kiln for producing hand-crafted lime in Turkana
Production of sustainable building materials at the Nariokotomé factory
All of this represents an important opportunity for the region and its people, who are finding in the use of sustainable construction techniques a perfect tool for development of the zone.
From Calcinor we continue to support this project and, aware of the merits of the myriad uses of lime, we look forward to being able to inform on the global benefits that the use of this hand-crafted lime product can bring to sectors such as agriculture or local health.