What is the name of your organization?
EarthEnable
What is the name of your solution?
EarthEnable
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Developing green and affordable housing products and upskilling local masons to better the living conditions of the most vulnerable people.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Kigali
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
Rwanda
What type of organization is your solution team?
Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
The poorest 1.6 billion people in the world, including 21 million Kenyans, 8.5 million Rwandans, and 27 million Ugandans, live in unsafe homes that pose health risks and are structurally unsound. There is an unmet demand for safe and sustainable housing options that are affordable for those in poverty.
What is your solution?
EarthEnable designs affordable, durable, and green housing solutions for rural families, and distributes them through a network of local masons who benefit by significantly increasing their income. EarthEnable provides an alternative to unhygienic dirt and out-of-reach concrete housing. The flagship product is the earthen floor made from earth (laterite, sand, and clay) and sealed with a proprietary flax seed varnish to protect it from wear and tear; this floor is 80% cheaper than concrete and creates 95% less carbon-embedded energy. The second product, plaster, harnesses the same technology to seal walling from rain and insects. In addition to these two products, EarthEnable has other products on the market that are under testing (including adobe blocks and roofing made from bamboo) and continues to develop more with their Research & Development (R&D) team, in the hopes to increase the product range and finally be able to offer a fully-sustainable home.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
EarthEnable serves rural families who are largely excluded from the housing market due to low incomes, unpredictable agricultural livelihoods, and poor access to affordable, safe homes. Many of these families live in unsanitary homes with dirt floors and walls. To address this, EarthEnable has developed innovative ways to transform locally available earth into high-quality floors, plasters, and blocks, bypassing costly supply chains. Our proprietary flax-based varnish makes floors waterproof and durable while keeping costs far below conventional concrete and reducing CO2 emissions. We also work with local governments to establish quality standards for earth-based construction, creating a regulatory framework where none existed.
Our model is strengthened by a scalable micro-franchise system, where trained local masons receive ongoing support in both construction techniques and business management. This approach ensures high-quality homes while empowering communities economically. Since 2014, EarthEnable’s interventions have transformed more than 250,000 homes and early childhood centers.
