Build Up Nepal works with local entrepreneurs in rural Nepal to rebuild safe and affordable housing that was lost after earthquakes.

The organization uses Compressed Stabilized Earth Bricks (CSEBs), which are made from recycled stone dust, readily available waste from stone crushers. Compared to fired brick, walls built from CSEBs produce 50%-80% less CO2 emissions and cost 35%-50% less.

Build Up Nepal recruits people in rural communities to produce bricks and build houses, with a particular focus on underemployed populations. The organization sells CSEB-making machines at a low cost and trains purchasers to produce bricks and run a business that produces safe, cost-effective houses. Build Up Nepal provides continued training, machine maintenance, and connects entrepreneurs to work.

To date, Build Up Nepal has saved over 111,137 tons of CO2 emissions through the creation of its CSEBs, as much as is produced by 24,000 cars in a year. Since the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Build Up Nepal has trained 307 teams internationally in CSEB production, built 11,026 houses, and created 2,232 jobs.

Over half of the organization’s entrepreneurs belong to disadvantaged groups, including Dalit (the lowest caste) and Indigenous people. The average salary of a CSEB brickmaker is NPR 17,856 (US $129.10) per month, or $4.24 a day — a 119% increase over the minimum livable income in Nepal.
Build Up Nepal estimates that more than 43,000 people benefitted from new homes. [1]

Learn more: https://www.buildupnepal.com/

In Minnesota, Lower Sioux Indian Community Hemp Program and Housing Project builds eco-friendly, disaster-resilient housing while creating jobs.

For more guidance on disaster resilience, see CHIP’s disaster relief guidance.