To disseminate the NV technique in the African regions where it is appropriate and needed, Thomas Granier and Seri Youlou have created an innovative program: A ROOF + A SKILL + A MARKET. Its PRINCIPLES are based on the market, It has a TARGET – the clients and builders, and is managed through an efficient METHOD, generating long term sustainable IMPACTS.

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The disseminaTion Program:a roof + a skill + a markeT3/

1disseminaTion Works ThroUgh The markeT

The program “A ROOF + A SKILL + A MARKET” is based on a simple and strong belief: the NV technique will spread quickly only if a real autonomous market is pump-primed and created: in other words, if people want it, and if local entrepreneurs have the skills to provide it independently.

TargeT: BUilders and clienTs

The NV dissemination program is focused on two main activities aimed at two main TARGETS in the field:- promotional campaigns to generate CLIENTS- training programs to generate BUILDERS

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In 2000, Thomas Granier and Seri Youlou, created an innovative dissemination program for the NV technique, and an NGO - Association “la Voûte Nubienne” (AVN) - to bring this program to the African regions where it is appropriate.The program rests on 5 linked principles

The disseminaTion Program > 5 PrinciPles

an efficienT sTraTegY To PUmP-Prime The markeT:

In order to generate and develop the market, and ensure sustainable effects, AVN has set up a “dissemination methodology”. It is put in place by skilled dissemination agents, from tvillages to regions and countries in Africa until autonomy.

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a Professional managemenT Team

The entire program is managed by professional experts with a strategic plan and a network of stakeholders.

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groWing, sUsTainaBle, long Term imPacTs:

At the end of the process, the NV market is sufficiently pump-primed so that the AVN team can withdraw from the dissemination zones: - everybody has autonomous access to a decent house, the housing issue is reversed. - the mission is complete.

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« Spreading the VN technique all over the Sahel will reverse the housing situation there, generating profits at the BOP (bottom of the pyramid) through the market generated by the millions of local VN entrepreneurs. »Thomas Granier, co-founder and CEO of the Nubian Vault Asso-ciation

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The nV BUildershave the skills to deliver the nV technique

Who are they ? > Local subsistence farmers, trained on site as apprentices by other masons.

> They sell their know-how locally, paid 100% by their clients.

> Are not employed by the Association La Voûte Nubienne.

> Skilled through five progressive levels.

> Can also build public buildings (schools, community centers, churches, mosques, dispensaries…) based on the NV technique.

The disseminaTion Program > TargeTs

Some specific NV masons collaborate with AVN as

consultants, to supervise the master masons on their

building sites and training programs, in order to

ensure a proper growth of the market.

how to get the skills ?

a Training Process mosTlY on The JoB

In order to ensure sustainable impacts, the idea for AVN is not to train the masons directly, but to generate a system through which the know-how can be transferred directly from the master mason to the apprentices ‘on the job’ Thus, apprentices face not only the technical aspect of the training, but also the market realities that they will have to manage later as builders.The role of AVN is to improve and accelerate the training process: for example, AVN selects some NV builders as consultants to supervise and advise the other master masons, and to run more specialist training workshops at the beginning and end of the construction season.

5 leVels of Training

1 Junior apprentice 2 Senior apprentice3 NV mason technically able to built a Nubian Vault4 NV master mason: able to manage a building site5 NV entrepreneur: able to manage several buil-ding sites

Drissa Sawadogo, NV master mason‘As a master mason, I am independent. When I have a client, I select the new apprentices on the building site, I work with them and train them during the construction period. The apprentices work with other master masons during the year, and at the end of the season I decide with the other master masons whether or not to upgrade each apprentice.During the year, AVN sends experienced NV master masons as consultants to accompany us in this process. AVN gives us advice on the validation of the expertise of apprentices and masons, and records the results at each level from year to year.’

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The nV clienTsare aware of the nV technique and want it

Most of them are subsistence farmers. They are courageous and inspired. They live in very fragile economies, where it is not easy to risk adopting a new style of architecture, and to invest more labor than with other building techniques. But in exchange they will benefit long-term from better and healthier houses, and from an economical return on their investment.

4 TYPes of clienTs :

1 The majority of clients are subsistence farmers and semi-rural families living in a mainly informal economy, providing a significant contribution in unskilled labor to construction of their houses and community buildings.

2 Civil servants, or traders. From the formal economic sector, will generally pay in cash for his or her building.

3 Private clients whose finance comes from abroad

4 Institutional clients (NGO’s, Associations, local authorities...)

The disseminaTion Program > TargeTs

Who are they ?

hoW i Became a clienT

1 To know about the technique.

2 To be convinced that it is appropriate technically, aesthetically, economically to my needs and means.

3 To get in touch with a builder I can trust.

In my village, four years ago, there was no builder. A local AVN representative came and told us about this technique. With other clients, we were convinced: there is no more timber, and iron roofing sheets are so expensive… this technique seemed very interesting; I decided to build, and some of our sons decided to get trained.

My NV house was an example for other clients, and allowed NV builders to be trained locally

So now, if I or my fellow co-villagers want another building, we can manage that by ourself without AVN’s support.

To become an NV client, I needed three things:

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The Basis of The disseminaTion meThod

The market is the best way to disseminate the NV from a village to a zone, to a region, and to a country.

Thus, AVN trains and guides extension agents in its dissemination method: focused on rural areas, NV agents start from a basis of pilot villages, scaling up into pilot zones, and then into entire regions in several countries.

Progressively, the market becomes more and more autonomous: in the end, clients and builders get in touch by themselves and AVN can withdraw from the area.

The disseminaTion Program > meThod

Requests for training of VN builders

Requests for VN buildings

Construction and Training

Promotion of the VN Concept

Appearance of VN buildings stimulates local demand

VN builders-entrepreneurs promote the NV technique themselves

1 In a pilot village (a main village and its direct satellites), I identify and prepare a local ‘champion’ convinced of

the NV technique and influential locally.

2 I accompany my ‘champion’ to meetings to explain the NV technique and attract potential clients and

apprentices, thus opening the door to a NV market.

3 I send a NV master mason (L5) to start the local market; paid by his clients, the mason builds the first

NV houses and trains the first local apprentices on-site. I accompany him, along with my ‘champion’ so that the market develops better.

4 Progressively, over 4 to 5 years, the program of awareness raising, construction, and training reaches a

self-sustaining level, with the emergence of an autonomous local market; I can then withdraw, leaving the place to locally trained NV masons.

5 In an area of 40 km around this pilot village, other villages will experience the same process, thus

promoting the emergence of a larger pilot zone.

6 At the same time, other NV extension agents are developing nearby pilot zones, extending the program

to a regional footing.

oUmar is an aVn disseminaTion agenT, he exPlains The meThod:

With this strategy, my colleagues and I promote the NV solution on a large scale, moving on to new areas as soon as local independent markets have emerged.

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scaling UP The Vn markeT from regions To coUnTries….

Progressively, AVN: - creates new regional centers and national teams in the countries where the NV is adapted, - sets up technical partnerships with other NGO’s and development organizations, whose field staff are trained by AVN.

Thus creating a network of international dissemination areas.

Technical ParTnershiPs for disseminaTion:

In new appropriate regions, if local partners are identified (interested enough in the dissemination method and able to manage it) AVN proposes to them to set up a technical partnership: - the local partner selects somebody from the community, who will be trained by AVN in the method. - the partner-agent will then come back to his/her community and begin to deploy the dissemination method, with a follow-up by AVN teams (dissemination agents and master-builders).

This model is ideal, as it benefits from the experience and networks of the local partners, which can take a long time to build up.

The disseminaTion Program > meThod

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René, builder, and Issaka, client in the autonomous market of Petit-Balé, Burkina

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… and ToWards aUTonomY

As the number and reputation of NV builders increases, the market becomes more and more autonomous.

The semi-autonomous market: when clients and masons do not need active information campains any more, AVN plays a simple role of linking them together, improving the dynamics of the market.

autonomous market: at the end of the process, builders find clients and apprentices on their own account, without support from AVN teams

This is the ultimate goal of AVN.

research and deVeloPmenT

Besides rural market pump-priming for the basic already-validated NV concept, AVN teams are leading several R&D projects to prepare for the future:

- architectural and technical studies to adress the specific needs of the growing urban market, - complex buildings to widen the offer to public buildings, technical studies to improve the concept, - financial tools to accelerate the dissemination process.

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The disseminaTion Program > managemenT

a strong management teamaVn, a social enterprise

A social entrepreneur recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to bring about social change.

25 staff members (mostly Africans), a board of eight directors, and 30 volunteers.The strength of the team lies in its diversity of cultures, experiences, nationalities, education, gender, history…

AVN is active with eight regional teams in three countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal) and is preparing programs in three new countries (Benin, Mauritania, and Ghana).

Only one challenge: housing in africaOnly one motto :Trust, involvement, ambition

Thomas Granier is the co-founder and CEO of AVN since 2000 1998.

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A strict monotoring and evaluation method

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Impact measurement, control and review of objectives and results, the production of interim and annual reports.

A monitoring committee ensures the proper evaluation and communication of the program internally and externally.

External audits and evaluation of social, economic and environmental impacts are planned at least once a year.

a clUsTer of sTakeholders

Four principal groups of stakeholders are involved in AVN’s strategy of social entrepreneurship, bringing the benefits of employment and better housing to the target populations of independent NV masons and their clients: social investors raise funds used by aVn’s local teams with the help of technical partners to implement specific programs for end-user-beneficiaries-contributors ( NGOs and local authorities)

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generaTing long Term, sUsTainaBle imPacTs …

Impacts in 2012, presented by Ismaila and Boubacar, national directors for Mali and Burkina Faso.

By 2016, the program will have generated 3,500 NV, benefiting 30,000 people in almost 1,000 villages in 6 countries. For a cost of 4 milion €, it will have contributed €4 million equivalent to local economies, with a 30% annual growth and autonomy.

In 2025, the objective is that the market is sufficiently pump-primed in West Africa that the majority of the population has sustainable, autonomous, access to decent housing. Forecast : number of beneficiaries by 2025

The disseminaTion Program > imPacTs

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tIn 2013, 60% of NV clients are subsistence farmers

A better future for millions of families in Africa

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In 2013, 250 builders trained, a 30% average annual growth rate in the number of vaults built since the start of the program

The disseminaTion Program > imPacTs

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In 2013, almost 2,000 NV built, 35% of NV clients are found directly by NV builders.

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… an inTernaTional recogniTion

« … a remarkable initiative… »

Muhammad Yunus – Nobel Peace Prize 2006

« The nubian Vault is until now the best program in the world in this field »

Satprem Maïni, chaire UNESCO for earth architecture

« The leverage effects generated by aVn make it one of the most innovative initiative benefiting the population in the Sahel »Arnaud Mourot, CEO Ashoka France

The disseminaTion Program > imPacTs

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International dinstinctions

Winner of the Ashoka Changemakers Competition on How to provide affordable housing, 2006

Tech Awards Laureate, Economic Development, 2007 (as a result AVN figures on the Global Giving websites)

“Outstanding finalist” at the World Habitat Award, 2009

Laureate of the World Bank Development Marketplace Competition on Adaptation to Climate Change, 2009

Winner of a 2011 SEED Award (UNEP, UNDP, UICN)

Semi-finalist in the Buckminster Fuller Challenge, 2012

Schwab Foundation African Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award, 2012.

Winner, UN-Habitat Dubai International Award, 2013

donors / social investorsAVN mobilizes public and private institutions and individuals to cover its costs (around $4 million between 2012 and 2016)AVN considers its financial partners not just as donors, but as social investors, with a return on their investment being, not in cash, but in social, economic, and ecological benefits.

INTerNATIONAl dISTINcTIONS