Hands-on workshops train local carpenters and masons in earthquake-resistant design

Mohammed Bashir of Kaleri village in Bagh District has worked as a carpenter for 25 years. Yet this is the first time he has made struts to support a wooden post for a house. One of 45 craftsmen trained in earthquake-resistant design in Nariola village, Bashir said he learned many new techniques at this four-day workshop. "It's not hard," Bashir said. "I've just never done it this way before."

"We want to learn about the mistakes we made before so we don't make them again."

-- Mohammed Saqlain Baig, a Nariola mason, on why he attended a training workshop

Before a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Bagh District in northern Pakistan on Oct. 8, few residents knew their homes sat on unsafe ground. They rarely included structural bracing for walls and roofs, and often erected walls from round, uncut stones packed with mud. These tumbled easily when the earth shook. Masons themselves rarely reinforced stone structures and carpenters did not fortify timber joints with metal strips or other means. Large concrete buildings employed inadequate steel support. This lack of awareness of sound building practices contributed to more than 8,100 deaths in the district alone. "Earthquakes don't kill people," explained Kubilay Hicyilmaz, a USAID-funded earthquake engineer. "Buildings kill people."

As the time for rebuilding approaches, increasing local aware-ness of earthquake-resistant practices becomes critical to stronger, safer reconstruction. In response to this need, USAID funded a series of four-day workshops in Bagh District to train masons and carpenters in safer building practices. Nearly 300 craftsmen across six union councils have been trained in earthquake-resistant design so far, with many lending their new skills to USAID programs to build transitional housing and classrooms. Local radio broadcasts and community leaders spread word of the workshops. Run by USAID partner GOAL, the workshops include morning seminars where workers critique photos of local structures, and hands-on afternoon exercises where they recreate what they learn. Craftsmen learn the causes of earthquakes, how to select a site for a home and safely align a structure on that site. Their second day is devoted to timber construction, the third to masonry and the fourth to reinforced concrete construction, ensuring that workers develop a well-rounded understanding of safe practices.

Participants receive a certificate and 1,000 rupees ($16.66) at the end of four days, slightly above prevailing daily wage. Host communities offer trainers a large, flat site with visibility from a main road, so that earthquake-safe models, once erected during workshops, remain standing for others to study. USAID has also sponsored six one-day workshops for self-builders and contractors, and master workshops for NGOs to offer similar training. "Doing it yourself is different from simply listening to a lecture," said M. Saqlain Baig, a Nariola mason. "We've learned a lot of new techniques to make stronger houses for this area."