Organic NZ – September 2019

Promote • Educate
54 September/October 2019

Solar Hot Water Systems

for homes, pools & cowsheds. Government grant available to cover

finance costs for home systems “Conditions and credit criteria apply”

Solar – Wind – Hydro

for baches, rural homes, boats, motorhomes and farm applications

Good range of light fittings, electrical and motorhome accessories

SELF POWER LTD

9 Puke Road, Paeroa,

Phone/Fax 07 862 6235

email: [email protected]

http://www.selfpower.co.nz

3

ulling up at the Kaiwai whānau

homestead where Grant lives with

his partner Alice Kaiwai, we found

a crew of people preparing a feast. One

group was building an Argentinian-style

barbecue – a corrugated iron enclosure

around an open fire, over which two beasts

were barbecued. Others were preparing

vegetables, hāngi-style, to cook in a large

pizza oven.

Grant Steven’s all-consuming passion

is teaching light earth building techniques

to empower people and communities to

build low-cost small buildings using local

materials. He’s employed as a tutor by the

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Above: Grant Steven is using light earth to

insulate a garage. Photos: Philippa Jamieson

Many hands

make light earth

Eastern Institute of Technology (Ruatoria

campus), and organises workshops in

various communities around the rohe.

He’s a get-stuck-in kind of a guy. The

way he works suits groups of people,

whānau and hapū all mucking in together.

He has quite a following on Facebook,

and regularly posts photos and videos of