Gamo’s have indigenous construction techniques to build their homes. They construct two types of huts. The bigger one is called wega-kitessa and the smaller one embera-kitessa. The builders work in groups and are known as hillas. They are famous for their skills. Houses are almost all constructed from bamboo stalks. The roof is covered with grass or bamboo leaves. To construct a permanent house requires ample time for preparation, which includes selecting and chopping the bamboo as well as construction. There is a tradition of exposing the unroofed structure to sunlight to strengthen its frame and enable it to resist termites.

The hut has at least five partition, kola-kitessa, is a space for the husband and wife; zona is a space for guests; enda-kitessa is a place for children and close relatives; kola is storage space; zoaa is a place for cattle; and gacheno is a place for birth and recovery. The roof has an opening for smoke and air circulation. Well-built traditional huts (kitessa) serve more than fifty years with only minor repairs.

In Dawuro, people construct three kinds of traditional houses these houses are named ‘Godoma ketsa’, ‘Ek’a ketsa’and‘Golga’. These houses differ based on agro-ecology, durability of the houses and the availabilities of the construction materials.

Traditional highland hut/‘godoma’‘ketsa’/

‘Godoma’‘ketsa’ is a house (wooden shelter) mainly constructed in highland areas. The upper part of ‘godoma’ ‘ketsa’ is cone shaped and has average height of 7-9 meters while its lower part is structured with circular and 3 meters high. The upper parts of the house is thatched with hard grasses like elephant grasses /savanna grasses/.

Lowland Traditional Hut/‘ek’a’‘ketsa’/

‘Ek’a’‘ketsa’ is mostly constructed in lowland areas where there is a sufficient savanna grasses. The structure of this house is oval and is covered from its upper part up to lower ground with elephant grasses. It has uniform shapes from top to bottom. The diameter of this hut is almost similar to ‘godomaketsa’. Most of these houses have an average length of 3meters and a height of 9 to 11 meters.

‘Golga’

‘Golga’is a house having a rectangular or pyramid like shape and is covered with Mariam grass. The purpose of golga is to shelter for short time until they construct a new house. Sometimes, it is additional house near their bigger house-to-house cattle.

In Dawuro, a hut building site where investigated during a rainy season in order check whether or not the bases spring water around it, flood, slide etc. After selection is completed, they engage on cutting, splitting and storing wood until they get it dry. Consequently, they keep woods out of the reach of termites.

The building of a hut takes place mostly from January to April when peasants are free from farming activities and have leisure time to build their houses. However, huts are built with communal labor association known as ‘Ketsa Sera’/‘Idiriya’/. Relatives and neighbors come up with foods and local drinks to attendants in the party called ‘aluwa’.

Leveling foundation is the first activity. Afterwards, holes in which the wall woods erect are dug, cedar/durable woods/ and eucalyptus erect until building of the wall is completed. On the other hand, indigenous woods such as ‘zuziya’, ‘chachahuwa’, ‘ambiya’, etc are tied together with sisal to strengthen the horizontal beam.

They pick up the top of ceiling already made on the ground with the pillar and place over the top of the walls by working groups. The pillar at the center erects over pit dug of the hut they built and ended with the blessing of famous elders. In this blessing, the elders bless the owner as follows:

‘Ha keetsaan attuma na’ay yelletto, goshiya booray yeletto, shaluu mas’tto, shemppuwa baratisso’ kaatiyanna siga udo, gadiyanna siga udo’, etc. Literally means, ‘in this hut, let the owner bear a male child, his cow gives strong oxen, get wealth, long live for the owner and his families, may he lead a peaceful life with government and people, etc.

After making walls and then pillar, they accomplish roofing, and attach with hard grasses whereas the door is made of timber or other local materials. The communal labor receive foods and drinks and is accompanied by singing, boasting and praising the beauty of the hut they built and ended with long live blessing for the owner.

The owner daubs the inner wall of the hut with clay. Finally, his wife and daughters beautify the gate of the hut by animal’s dung.