EarthEnable
EarthEnable is a social enterprise providing affordable earthen floors in Rwanda and Uganda. 70% of Rwandans and Ugandans live on dirt floors,[1] which cause numerous health problems.[2] The organization has developed an affordable alternative to dirt floors.[3] [4] [5] It won the global first prize of €500,000 (≈ 5.38 bn RWF) in the 2017 Postcode Lottery Green Challenge.[6]
Development
The idea for EarthEnable was formed in 2013, during a trip to Rwanda as part of the Entrepreneurial Design For Extreme Affordability course at Stanford University.[7]
Dirt floors cause both short-term health issues, like diarrhea,[8] [9] E. coli,[10] papular urticaria,[11] tungiasis,[12] and longer-term health complications, like anemia, malnutrition, and poor cognitive development.[2] While switching to cement flooring can reduce health risks substantially,[13] poor families in developing countries cannot afford such floors,[14] [15] more so in landlocked Rwanda.[16] Additionally, building cement floors is energy-intensive, contributing to 5% of global carbon emissions.[17] EarthEnable adapted earth flooring technology used in the U.S. for Rwanda and Uganda by developing a proprietary plant-based varnish sealant that could be produced from affordable ingredients.[18] The resultant floors are 66% cheaper than cement floors[19] and have less embedded energy.[20] They decrease the risk of pathogen-borne and respiratory disease, and give women and girls more time for non-cleaning activities, for example, education, rest, and paid work.[21]
Besides construction fees, EarthEnable has been funded by grants from Mulago Foundation,[22] Autodesk Foundation,[23] other donors,[24] Stichting Dioraphte, CRI Foundation,[25] Godley Family Foundation,[26] and prize monies. Currently, it is partnering with ASTM to develop an international standard for earthen floors.[27]
References
- ↑ Beatty, Alexandra S.; et al. (2012). Country-Level Decision Making for Control of Chronic Diseases: Workshop Summary. National Academies Press. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cattaneo, Matias D.; Galiano, Sebastian; Gertler, Paul J.; Martinez, Sebastian; Titiunik, Rocio (2009). "Housing, health, and happiness". American Economic Journal. Economic Policy: 75–105.
- ↑ "Low cost earthen floor technology helps to improve the quality of lives in Rwanda". 2018-01-12.
- ↑ Kabeja, Boris Bahire (2018-02-20). "Earthen floors can really make it in Rwanda!". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ↑ Schiller, Ben (2014-08-11). "Stopping Disease With A Simple Innovation: New Floors".
- ↑ Virgin Unite. "Rwandan start-up, EarthEnable, wins €500,000 in Postcode Lottery Green Challenge".
- ↑ Hawk, Steve (2017-10-02). "WrittenPaving the Way to Healthy Homes".
- ↑ Habtu, M.; Nsabimana, J.; Mureithi, C. (2017). "Factors Contributing to Diarrheal Diseases among Children Less than Five Years in Nyarugenge District, Rwanda". Journal of Tropical Disease: 3, 5.
- ↑ Koyuncu, Aybüke; Mi‐Suk Kang, Dufour; Constancia, Watadzaushe; Dirawo, Jeffrey; Mushavi, Angela; Padian, Nancy; Cowan, Frances (2020). "Household flooring associated with reduced infant diarrhoeal illness in Zimbabwe in households with and without WASH interventions". Tropical Medicine & International Health 25. 25 (5): 635–643. doi:10.1111/tmi.13385. PMID 32080944 Check
|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Bauza, V; Majorin, F; Routray, P; Sclar, G.D.; Caruso, B.A.; Clasen, T (2020). "Child feces management practices and fecal contamination: A cross-sectional study in rural Odisha, India". Science of the Total Environment. 136169: 709. Bibcode:2020ScTEn.709m6169B. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136169. PMID 31905545. Unknown parameter
|s2cid=ignored (help) - ↑ Halpert, E; Borrero, E; Ibañez-Pinilla, M; Chaparro, P; Molina, J; Torres, M; García, E (2017). "Prevalence of papular urticaria caused by flea bites and associated factors in children 1–6 years of age in Bogotá, DC". World Allergy Organization Journal. 10 (1): 36. doi:10.1186/s40413-017-0167-y. PMC 5674867. PMID 29158868.
- ↑ Nsanzimana, Jerome; Karanja, Simon; Kayongo, Moses; Nyirimanzi, Naphtal; Umuhoza, Hyacinthe; Murangwa, Anthère; Muganga, Raymond; Musafil, Aimable (2019). "Factors associated with tungiasis among primary school children: a cross-sectional study in a rural district in Rwanda". BMC Public Health. 19 (1): 1192. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7481-y. PMC 6716852 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 31464600. - ↑ Cattaneo, M. D.; et al. : 97.
…a complete substitution of dirt floors by cement floors would lead to a 78 percent reduction in parasitic infestations, a 49 percent reduction in diarrhea, an 81 percent reduction in anemia, and a 36 to 96 percent improvement in cognitive development among young children
Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Tipple, A. Graham; Willis, Kenneth G. (1991). Housing the Poor in the Developing World: Methods of Analysis, Case Studies and Policy. Routledge. Search this book on
- ↑ Sati, V.P.; Vangchhia, L. (2016). "A Sustainable Livelihood Approach to Poverty Reduction: An Empirical Analysis of Mizoram, the Eastern Extension of the Himalayas". Environmental Science.
- ↑ Schiller, Ben (2014-08-11). "Stopping Disease With A Simple Innovation: New Floors".
- ↑ Emad Benhelal; Gholamreza Zahedi; Ezzatollah Shamsaei; Alireza Bahadori (2013). "Global strategies and potentials to curb CO2 emissions in the cement industry". Journal of Cleaner Production. 51: 142–161. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.10.049.
- ↑ Gunther, Marc (2019). "Dirt floors can kill you. This graduate might have a solution". National Geographic.
- ↑ Postcode Lotteries (2014-09-14). "Rwandan start-up EarthEnable wins €500,000 in Postcode Lottery Green Challenge 2017".
- ↑ "EarthEnable". Extreme: Design For Extreme Affordability. Stanford. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ↑ Chiu, Bonnie (October 2018). "Investor toolkit with a focus on girls and young women" (PDF). Spring Accelerator: 51. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- ↑ Mulago Foundation. "Mulago Foundation - Our Portfolio".
- ↑ Autodesk Foundation. "Who We Support".
- ↑ EarthEnable. "EarthEnable - Our Partners".
- ↑ CRI Foundation. "CRI Foundation - Who We Fund".
- ↑ Godley Family Foundation. "Godley Family Foundation - Portfolio Items".
- ↑ Enright, Cicely (April 2019). "A Standard for the Ground You Live On". Standardization News. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
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