Kicking off 2023\’s newsletter cycle with strategic and strong collaborations from the Mountain Kingdom to the world!

Launching a new Research & Innovation Programme

• We are very excited to have received support from Irish Aid through our partnership with Action Ireland Trust to spearhead revolutionary indigenous building materials research, that is aimed at capacitating built environment experts, entities, and regulatory bodies to shift towards more environmentally sustainable building methodologies. 
• Over the course of 2023, we are going to research Indigenous building materials such as sandstone, thatch, and compressed earth blocks as well as repurposed materials such as wool, hemp, and packaging waste materials. 
• We hope to develop solutions on how Lesotho can reduce its dependency on foreign imports, which currently stands at 70% for building materials. This will not only help the economy by creating jobs but will also help the environment by decreasing the amount of high-carbon building materials used and the high levels of fossil fuels consumed to keep these thermally inefficient buildings warm in winter. The project aims to document building materials in a catalog that will act as a reference document for everyone in the built environment on material specifications, carbon emissions and so much more.
• Other phases of the project include:– Training of entrepreneurs in the Circular Economy (Teaser for activities to watch out for April Newsletter)

           -Training of policymakers  in the built environment

Celebrating 5 years of operation in Lesotho:

In November 2022, we celebrated 5 years of being operational in Lesotho and being fully led by a Mosotho woman as Country Director, which means that the Lesotho team is now 100% Basotho – an important milestone to have reached, which was part of the plan since we opened in Lesotho. We want to practice what we preach and increase the number of African entrepreneurs working in Africa instead of foreign entrepreneurs. Daniela Gusman, the Founder & Executive Director, has transitioned into an advisory role.

Partnering with Habitat for Humanity toward building environmentally sustainable affordable housing prototype:

At the end of 2022, rise signed an MoU with Habitat for Humanity Lesotho to collaboratively build an affordable housing prototype using sandbag methodology or adobe bricks, to help us move towards more environmentally sustainable affordable materials while simultaneously building comfortable and thermally efficient housing for the poor.

– Wrapping up the 4th in loco fellowship cohort:

• The 4th in loco cohort is currently wrapping up a school kitchen, at Seboka Primary School in the Lithabaneng Area. This area has been identified, by the Ministry of Education, as one of 5 schools in critical condition in the areas of sanitation, food security, and clean water access. The kitchen is being constructed using the innovative and environmentally friendly sandbag method.
• Thank you to donors Action Ireland Trust
• The opening ceremony is planned for 5th April 2023.

International Workshop

Be part of international construction, engineering, and architecture students from the USA, Europe, and Asia who will participate in the in loco program alongside 10 young graduates in the built industry, benefit from an international design and build experience, and allow yourself to develop design skills suitable for working in challenging environments, and conditions of scarcity of resources.

This year’s workshop will take place from the 14th to the 25th of August 2023.

Click HERE for more info and to apply.

• Upcoming events;

Join our monthly webinars, where on Thursday 30th March, Elisa Engel, the Founder of Citizen Architects, who also lectures at various universities, will be talking about  Ethics and Values in Architecture.

Join our radio shows at Bokamoso FM 97.4, every Tuesday, at 2:05 pm where you can learn more about opportunities in entrepreneurship, the built environment, rise’s projects, and programs.