(Tumen, China) April 22, 2009. After barely five months of field work in areas devastated by last year’s magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Wenchuan, China, Build Change’s track record of success has been so impressive that the Chinese government has just invited it to implement a hundred-fold expansion in its operations. On April 7, Tumen Vice-Mayor Long Fei and Tumen Party Secretary Zhong Sheng formally requested that Build Change increase its area of operations to cover seven villages within the Tumen municipality, which is near Minyang, about two hours from Chengdu.
This invitation marks the fourth time the Chinese government has taken the initiative to prompt an expansion in Build Change’s operations. Build Change’s field work began at the behest of its Chinese partner, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, which invited Build Change to work with 150 families in Minle village beginning in December 2008. By early February, Chen Faquan, a village leader from nearby Luorong, was in Build Change’s offices, requesting that Build Change work with Lurong villagers.
Just two weeks later, in late February, following a training for government officials and partner organizations, officials from Aba and Yingxiu asked Build Change to begin operations in their districts. “We welcome Build Change,” says Liu Zhibin, who works in the Planning and Construction Bureau in Aba.
These successive invitations provide powerful validation of Build Change’s work in earthquake-ravaged Sichuan. “Support from the Chinese government is critical to our effectiveness,” says Build Change founder and CEO, Dr. Elizabeth Hausler. “We’re very excited to have the opportunity to make such a difference in people’s lives.”
Build Change provides technical assistance to villagers rebuilding earthquake-resistant homes. This assistance typically begins with trainings about quality construction practices and proper design of brick-and-mortar confined masonry houses.
Build Change staffers also meet one-on-one with homeowners, to learn their preferences for their rebuilt houses. Using the information homeowners provided, Build Change staffers draft individually-tailored layouts for homeowners that incorporate their stated preferences, along with earthquake-resistant design features.\
Once villagers break ground on their new homes, Build Change conducts daily inspections of the construction, using a checklist to ensure that the rebuilt houses meet Build Change’s safety-standards. “If you Build Change tells us the construction is ok, we trust them,” says Yang Shifu, a villager in Minle.
Operations in all seven villages in Tumen began on Monday, April 20. Build Change’s scope of operations now covers approximately 9,700 families. To provide technical assistance on this greater scale, Build Change has quadrupled the size of its local staff, which now numbers 17 and is growing. “The demand for Build Change’s technical assistance is fantastic,” says Hausler, “That’s why we’re here.”
About Build Change. Build Change was founded in 2004 to provide technical assistance to homeowners in developing countries who are rebuilding after earthquakes. Since its founding, Build Change has improved the design of over 5,000 homes in Banda Aceh and West Sumatra, Indonesia, and in Sichuan, China. It has trained over 600 people in the fundamentals of earthquake-resistant construction for single-family homes, including builders, technical high school students and teachers in Indonesia and China. In recognition of its accomplishments, Build Change was named a Tech Award Laureate and awarded the Katherine M. Swanson Equality Award in 2008. For more information about Build Change, please visit www.buildchange.org.
About Build Change founder and CEO, Dr. Elizabeth Hausler. Dr. Elizabeth Hausler was named one of the world’s “Best Emerging Social Entrepreneurs” in 2004 by Echoing Green for her plan to promote and implement affordable, disaster-resistant housing construction in less developed countries. She is a 2006 Draper Richards fellow and was a Fulbright Scholar to India during 2002-2003. Dr. Hausler has a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a skilled brick, block and stone mason and has lectured on sustainable, disaster-resistant construction in eight countries. On 10 March 2006, Dr. Hausler was featured by the US-based evening news program abcNEWS World News Tonight as Person of the Week for her work rebuilding houses in Aceh, Indonesia.
Contact:
Dr. Elizabeth Hausler
No. 4 Unit 4 Building 1, No. 8 Huaxing Road
Chengdu, Sichuan 610017 P.R. China
Office: +86-28-8691-8210
Mobile: +86-13880149925