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