Hi, my name is Amar Shanghavi and I am the founder director of Tanganyika Plywood LTD (www.tanganyikaplywood.com). We produce sustainable plywood for the regional market in Tanzania. Having spent the past 10 years in building my company, I have come to admire the role of wood and biobased materials in solving Africa’s urbanization problem. With a shortage of housing and rapidly growing population, we need a quick solution that is both affordable and scalable.
I am looking to connect with people have built wiki homes and are willing to share their experiences. Currently, with my building partners (contractors and engineers) we are looking for R&D support to develop designs suitable for Tanzanian conditions and taste and preferences. The optimal outcome will be to have a low-cost model where the house can act as a moveable collateral, whereby unlocking access to mortgage financing in absence of secure land rights.
I look forward to connecting and learning more from others who may have thoughts or inputs or would like to join us on our journey as we figure out the next steps. Thanks, WikiHousing for making this possible, as the housing crisis is one of the major human rights and dignity challenge, we face in our society.