 http://www.architectureforhumanity.org/ Architecture for Humanity is an initiative started in 1999, and today is a network of more than 40,000 professionals who give their time and knowledge to help those who would otherwise would not be able to afford their services. One of the ironies of our time is the fact that often, the people who are most in need of design and development services, are the ones who can least afford it. In the last ten years Architecture for Humanity has helped rebuild local communities after natural disasters, alleviate poverty and provide access to to clean water. They also work for communities struggling with urbanization, build for the differently abled, rebuild communities post-conflict, and reduce the footprint of buildings.
One of the key areas they work in is sustainable design. They believe (very sensibly) that "Buildings not only have a physical footprint - they have an ethical footprint." Projects they work on range form community centers for tsunami affected people in Sri Lanka, to preservation of defaced structures in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The projects on their site and both numerous and varied, and there is a detailed documentation of each one. Their sensitivity to culture, people and the environment, results in buildings and spaces that blend with and support the local resources, as well as revitalize the local culture and sense of community. As they say, "Design is important to every aspect of our lives. It informs the places in which we live, work, learn, heal and gather. We engage all stakeholders in the design process. We believe our clients are designers in their own right."
Cameron Sinclair is the CEO, (Chief Eternal Optimist as they call it) of Architecture for Humanity, of which he is the co-founder with Kate Stohr. He was trained as an architect in University College, London, where he developed an interest in social, cultural and humanitarian design. Ten years back he and his wife Kate had an idea while watching news of the refugees in Kosovo. Cameron said, "I bet there is more than just us who cares about these communities, who want to help and make a difference." They launched a design competition for Kosovo, and were flooded with a new ideas for refugee housing. And so Architecture for Humanity was born. You can read more on him here. They have co-authored a book 'Design Like You Give A Dam'. (I couldn't have said it better myself!)Cameron believes that when your clients are living on less than 50 cents a day, being 'green' is not a choice. Sustainability is also about affordability, and innovation with the minimum resources.You can request design services or offer design services. Also have a look at Open Architecture Network, another initiative by them, an online, opens-source community to share knowledge and improve living conditions. These people realize that architecture is so much more than just 'buildings'. It is the spaces we live in, and in a way our homes, workplaces and gathering places are extensions of ourselves. They shape us as much as we shape them. I quote their site "One billion people live in abject poverty. Four billion live in fragile but growing economies. One in seven people live in slum settlements. By 2020 it will be one in three. We don't need to choose between architecture or revolution. What we need is an architectural revolution."One of the several current projects is happening in Haiti, post-earthquake. Cameron's entire posts on the home page are worth reading. A quote here, "For those not used to working in disasters the first week is chaotic, filled with stories of heroism and despair. The first responders are not the NGO's or medical personal but the families of those who are injured or lost their lives. It is an overwhelming situation to be in. It is also not the time for architects to show up thinking they can rebuild. People are trying to find their loved ones not think about what their lives will look like in 5, 10 or 15 years."
Do read their site in detail, its range and depth of work is commendable, and have a look at the video below. (lots more videos on YouTube). Its time to design like you give a dam. By Armeen Kapadia
Now its not that often that you come across someone who says 'We believe design can change the world.', as there is a hard-core cynic in a lot of us, but Project H is one initiative that does believe in it. 'Project H Design connects the power of design to the people who need it most, and the places where it can make a real and lasting difference.'Project H is a California based non-profit. Project H is a team of designers, builders, thinkers and doers, working locally to improve the quality of life for the socially overlooked. Project H consists of design initiatives for humanity, habitats, health, and happiness. Its really worth reading their process, as stated on the site. Here it is in brief:1) There is no design without (critical) action.2) We design WITH, not FOR. 3) We document, share, and measure.4) We start locally, and scale globally.5) We design systems, not stuff. These pretty much sum up the holy grail of design, or atleast charts the future course of design.Project H is the brainwave of Emily Pilloton, a designer who in January 2008, decided it was time to quit her job 'designing the superfluous', and create something more meaningful to the world in general. You can read more about Emily here. Don't miss reading the Manifesto page on the site. An extract, "...here’s the brass tacks reality: We need to challenge the design world to take the “product” out of product design for a second and deliver results and impact rather than form and function; to reconsider who our clients really are; to turn our tightly-cinched consumer business models and luxury aesthetics on their heads; to get over “going green;” and to enlist a new generation of design activists. We need big hearts, bigger business sense, and even bigger balls."You can read more about Project H here and here. And definitely take a good look at their projects. Design to inspire in 2010 and beyond.By Armeen Kapadia
 'Amore' ring made from cubic zirconia diamonds Mining of diamonds has a considerable harmful impact on the land, and the people of the area. DIAZ Fine Jewelry is a company dedicated to producing ‘green’ diamonds, which are made entirely in a lab, with no devastating effects on communities in resource-rich countries.
Diamonds have a long history. Since their discovery in around the 9th century BC, till the mid eighteenth century, they were found only in alluvial deposits in southern India, the most famous being the Golconda mines of Hyderabad, which produced a steady stream of some of the world’s most famous diamonds. After 1870 diamonds started being mined in Australia, South Africa, the Congo, and Russia, among other countries.
In the Congo, and countries like Sierra Leone, diamond mining has become dangerous, and controversial, as the social and environmental impact is huge. Mining destroys the vegetation leaving gaping pits, the erosion then runs into rivers and the water supply. The mining companies rarely bother to reforest or cover the mine back, and the local communities remain in a cycle of poverty because of their dangerous occupation. Revolutionary, armed groups have taken over the mining in these areas and major diamond trading organizations continue to do business with these groups. Diamonds from this trade are called blood diamonds, or conflict diamonds. Sierra Leone is a country destroyed from the diamond-fueled civil war, and ruthless diamond mining.
Diaz Fine Jewelry, based in Hong Kong, had a desire to create an ecologically and ethically correct jewelry brand. Salina Khan Fuchigami, who co-founded the company with her husband Takashi, explains, “There's an undeniable link between the degradation of our global environment and consumer culture. The trouble is that these days, things are so nicely packaged, presented and displayed that we hardly ever question how the raw materials used to produce the goods are extracted and processed. We rarely think of how it all affects the environment and humankind. It's impossible to assess exactly how much devastation one single diamond could have caused before it was cut, polished, set and sold at a high-end retailer. It's hard to imagine what a diamond mine looks like by looking at the "stunning sparklers" that are neatly displayed in shop windows. Somewhere along the way it became irrelevant to question the true cost of the stones.”
Diaz Fine Jewelry creates cubic zirconia diamonds, which are made in a lab, not a mine. They also provide customers with an info-leaflet, and donate proceeds from sales to grassroots organizations that run mine-reclamation projects promoting organic farming and biodiversity in mining towns in Sierra Leone. The pieces of jewelry are beautifully designed, mounted on sterling silver, and look exactly like the real thing.
As they say on their site, ‘the stones are unassociated with violence, war and geologic devastation.’ At DIAZ, they ‘believe in promoting socially responsible business practices that respect human beings and the environment.’
By Armeen Kapadia
The refuse from discarded electronic products, e-waste, end up in landfills or incinerators. In today’s ‘use and throw’ philosophy, the amount of e-waste is constantly increasing to alarming levels. It’s easier to buy a new computer, than upgrade your old one, or so most people think. Alex Lin, at age 13, started a progamme in his community to reduce e-waste by refurbishing discarded computers and providing them to families unable to afford electronic equipment.
Alex, from Westerly, Rhode Island, USA, formed Westerly Innovations Network (WIN) in 2002. He explains in the video how improper waste encompasses a lot of things, like burning, burying, and exporting. In the average computer monitor, there is 4 to 8 pounds of lead, there is also mercury, cadmium, and the plastic cases themselves, all causing severe health defects. Earlier, all the residents of Westerly were dumping their e-waste in the landfill. With a few phone calls, and some effort, they set up a receptacle at a certain point, where people could dump their computers, protecting the crops, water and environment.
The WIN team then meets once in a week in Alex’s basement to refurbish the computers. Alex feels that recycling is much more efficient than buying new pieces. They get donations from corporations and banks, and sometimes have to replace hard drives, RAMs etc. After refurbishing, the computers are usually given to people in Westerly who don’t have computers. They also sent computers to Sri Lanka after the tsunami, where they were used in an education centre.
Later the WIN team also made a presentation to the State Legislation, and because of their efforts today improper disposal of e-waste in Rhode Island is illegal. You can see Alex’s speech at the Youth Brower Awards, 2007. Today the WIN team works with people in Sri Lanka, Cameroon and Mexico. They effectively created a system that deals with several problems, those of e-waste, environmental damage, and increased access to computers for poorer sections of society. As Alex says, this is a small step in changing the way the country, and even the world deals with waste.
By Armeen Kapadia
 Kyoto Box Kyoto Box solar cooker is a pin-hole camera kind of solution for food. Joe Bohmer, a Norwegian, now based in Kenya, has designed a basic solar cooker, which looks like a child's science experiment. The outcome is life-altering for thousands living in Africa. It is a cardboard box that uses the sun's rays to cook without burning firewood.
The Kyoto Box consists of two cardboard boxes, one inside the other. The outer cardboard box flaps are intact, whereas the inner box flaps are removed. The inner surface of the outer box is covered with tin foil to concentrate the sun's rays. The inner surface of the inner box is painted black to maximize absorption of solar energy. A plexiglass cover is used to trap heat inside. Temperatures inside the box can reach at least 80 degrees Celsius on a sunny day. Kyoto Box can boil 10 liters of water in two to three hours, and boiling or near-boiling water can cook beans, rice, grains and meat. The Kyoto Box, already in production, costs $6, and can be produced in any cardboard factory.
The design is smart and efficient for rural Africa. It is claimed that this product will prevent two tonnes of CO2 emissions per family per year. This sustainable innovation can make solar cooking widespread in the developing world. With Kyoto becoming popular, villagers don't have to trek miles to collect wood nor spend hours inhaling wood smoke. Reducing reliance on firewood reduces deforestation.
The best ideas aren't always the most sophisticated. In an interview with CNN, Bohmer said, "A lot of scientists are working on ways to send people to Mars. I was looking for something a little more grassroots, a little simpler. It took me about a weekend to design it and it worked on the first try." Some skeptics feel that this innovation is just a band-aid on a cancer lesion.
Listen to the BBC Interview here. The intention here seems right, and the future should reveal its true effect.
By Sanjay Basavaraju
A. Bamublance Trailer Frame — bamboo
1. Hitch — bamboo and nylon webbing
2. Splash Guard — used truck tarp
3. Mountain Bike Tires & Dropout — welded metal
4. Disc reflectors — small plastic reflectors
5. Wheel Guard — used truck tarp
B. Bambulance Stretcher Frame — bamboo
6. Integrated Metal Foot & Stretcher Frame Spreader — welded metal
7. Ergonomic Hand-holds — bamboo and used truck tarp
8. Stretcher Bed & Indexing stripe — used truck tarp
9. Safety Belt — nylon webbing
Africa sees thousands of people die from diseases, serious illnesses and injuries because they have no access to emergency healthcare. Bambulance designed by a Canadian charity Design For Development (DFD) Society is a low-cost, practical and sustainable solution to transport victims during crisis.
Using bamboo, which is inexpensive, lightweight and strong, minimizes costs since it is locally available in many regions of Africa. The prototype will be designed at the Emily Carr Institute and DFD in Vancouver. Bambulance will be manufactured locally by two Nairobi based organizations and five community-based health organizations will participate in training, monitoring and evaluation.
DFD's aim is to reduce poverty and increase community self-reliance through demonstrated and advocated use of the design process. Bambulace is an emergency medical transportation device (EMTD) and its benefits are improved speed and comfort over options that are currently available, while maintaining cost efficiency and sustainability. It can easily transport patients who weigh less than 250 pounds. It was started to improve access to health services, introduce bamboo as an alternative material, generate income among HIV and AIDs affected and promote design as a problem-solving tool.
Bambulance was designed by two Emily Carr design students — Philippa Mennell and Chris Ryan. Currently the project is in need of donations.
By Sanjay Basavaraju
 Charkha in context Gandhi believed that Charkha as a tool can make people self-sufficient. He may not have thought that, one day, the very same tool can actually generate power. Yes, e-charkha is a unique device to spin yarn and also generate electricity.
Using this device for one hour can provide upto 4 hours of light output through a highly efficient LED lamp. A radio can also be played with the stored electricity. The e-charkha is a brainchild of 48-year-old R S Hiremath of Bangalore. It does not resemble traditional charkhas, but it is a hand-operated spinning wheel. it was formally launched by President Pratibha Patil in 2007, the innovation has won several awards including a national award for best innovation in the Khadi field.
In a rural context, where power cuts are common, this device is appropriate. The charkha generates 6-9 watts of power. The charkha stores power using a maintenance free lead acid battery. The charkha is priced at Rs. 5,000 per piece for a minimum order of 500. India's Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) plans to induct two lakh pieces of e-charkha at Khadi weaving centers across the country. "Its popularity is increasing with time. It is not only more productive but also helps the user light his home," said a KVIC official in a Mid-Day article.
Gandhi once said, "In my dream, in my sleep, while eating, I think of the spinning wheel. The spinning wheel is my sword. To me it is the symbol of India's liberty. I would make the wheel the centre around which all other activities will revolve." Some technologists believe that e-charkha isn't anything like Gandhi's Charkha and they argue that innovation has replaced tradition. That might be the case, but
e-charkha finds its place in today's context. The charkha was developed in cooperation with a Bangalore based firm — Flexitron, which is now involved in its commercial production as well.
The e-charkha is one of those very few designs born out of the Indian design ecosystem. Watch this clip from IBN Live.
By Sanjay Basavaraju
 PlayPump in action Children have abundant energy. And it seems like someone is literally tapping into it. The PlayPump system is a genius idea. While children use the merry-go-around, clean water is pumped from underground to a water-tank. Even better, the surface of the water-tank is leased as billboards for advertisements and social messages.
Just to be very sure of the problem it is solving, here are some of the facts:
1. More than one billion people do not have access to clean water
2. On an average, 6,000 people die everyday because of water-related diseases
3. Around 40 billion hours of time is spent fetching water, mostly by women and children.
PlayPump as a system is lifting people out of poverty. PlayPump with its system:
1. Provides access to safe, clean drinking water
2. Improves sanitation and hygiene
3. Reduces barriers to education
4. Promotes play
5. Increases opportunities for women and girls
6. Spurs economic development
7. Helps reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS
The New York Times Editorial puts the effect of PlayPumps succinctly, "South Africa has already installed 500 PlayPumps, which are more efficient, easier to use, and cheaper to run than wells with hand pumps."
If you want to know more about how it works, click here.
By Sanjay Basavaraju
 www.beyondgoodintentions.com Often, a large amount of international aid is available, but yet does not benefit communities that need it the most. Beyond Good Intentions is a movement focusing on discovering more innovative and effective approaches to international aid.
The movement includes a series of ten short films, which cover the travels of Tori Hogan as she travels around the world, investigating how international aid can be made more effective. Tori herself spent several years working in international aid projects worldwide. She realized that sometimes, even initiatives with the best intentions were not creating the difference they ideally should. This is a first of its kind film series, which focuses on positive change in the aid industry. It also asks some questions that haven’t been raised till now, but definitely need to be answered.
You can read about Beyond Good Intentions on their blog Tall Orders. You can join the dialogue where many interesting issues are being discussed such as can international volunteers make a positive difference abroad?
You can share your own story of volunteering or providing aid, and read about others’ experiences as well. The site is also a resource base to learn more about international aid. And most significantly, there are five simple steps to be the change.
As discussed in the first film, foreign aid workers cannot have the kind of insights that the local workers in the community will. Communities themselves know what they really need, and may need technical assistance, or legal advice, but not an entire transplant of western methodologies. Episode 5, shot in India, discusses how aid is not just about dumping money, but also about seeing it through proper implementation.
Ultimately, international aid is the catalyst for bigger change; change that cannot be ‘imported’ blindly into communities, but change that has to come from within communities. The best way to help people is to empower them to help themselves.
By Armeen Kapadia and Sanjay Basavaraju
 M-Pesa affiliate A banking transaction usually involves filling out forms, waiting in queue, and going from one counter to another. That’s if you are lucky and live in a city. If you are in village, you may live hours, or days away from your nearest bank. M-Pesa is a mobile phone based service that is changing all that by allowing users to perform basic banking transactions without visiting the bank branch.
The facility is offered by Kenyan mobile network operator Safaricom, an affiliate of Vodafone. The system works through a network of agents, who operate bank accounts through their handsets. For example, to deposit money in your account, you go to an agent who will use his agent handset to deposit e-money in your account in exchange for cash that you give him. You can send or transfer money to any other mobile phone user, even if they are not a Safaricom subscriber. You can withdraw money with the agent, irrespective of whether you are an M-Pesa registered customer or not. You can withdraw money from any M-PESA agent outlet or participating ATM network. You can also buy Safaricom airtime, and pay bills. Other basic facilities such as checking your balance, changing your PIN or secret word, or selecting a different language are also possible. All these operations are explained here, and its easy to see how simple these operations are to perform, even in remote areas.
‘Pesa’ is Swahili for cash, and M stands for mobile, which explains this service pretty well. It is doing away with the need for a customer to have a bank account, and cross great distances to perform basic transactions. Instead, it is using the medium of the mobile phone, the use of which is widespread and growing rapidly in many developing nations, to move money quickly and securely. The big hurdle of living miles from the bank branch is removed, as agents can operate in every village if needed.
M-Pesa has won global awards for its service. Over 5 million customers now subscribe to M-PESA in Kenya. It has been launched in Tanzania and Afghanistan, with plans to expand into India, Egypt and South Africa. The M-Pesa money transfer system marries technology, network, and culture to provide an essential service to millions of people.
By Armeen Kapadia and Sanjay Basavaraju
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