In 2007, a poll by the British Medical Journal found that clean water and sanitation comprised the most important medical advancement since 1840. We take for granted that the water in our homes is abundant and safe. In Kenya, out of a population of 39 million, 17 million lack safe water and 22 million have no sanitation services
Our own Sia Herr, a project designer at Fennick | McCredie, travelled to Waumini, Kenya as part of her participation in Architecture for Humanity where she became an Ambassador for Sustained Health (ASH) . Here is her story on what she saw, experienced, and learned in her pursuit to help create healthier homes for the Waumini community.
Two years ago I joined Architecture for Humanity Boston to explore design with a social impact. I began working with Ambassadors for Sustained Health (ASH), a newly formed non-profit organization whose mission is to partner with impoverished communities to help them get healthy and stay healthy by every means possible. One of the means is better housing.
In 2010, I traveled to ASH’s first partner community, Waumini, Kenya, to get a first-hand experience of the culture, environment and housing situation. My days started at the hardware store watching ASH’s founder, Michelle Chang, negotiate a good deal for supplies needed to renovate the Waumini community center. With supplies in hand, we squished with as many as 11 other locals in a 7-seat minivan to take us to the village. To preserve money for the program, we would often get off halfway and walk.
The rest of the day consisted of even more walking as we tried to visit with as many residents and leaders as we could. We immersed ourselves in their needs and learned about their resources, social structures and lifestyle. We met with local organizations to gain more knowledge and build more partnerships. This is important because the core component of the ASH program is to work with the community, not for them, so that efforts can be sustained without the physical presence of ASH.
Although my trip lasted less than a week, I have a greater understanding of Waumini than from the previous full year I spent researching it at home. This understanding shifted our initial focus from the home’s structure to its interior functions. Stay tuned for my next post which highlights ASH’s first stride towards healthy housing.
-Sia
