Welcome!

Welcome to my research blog. This blog documents a month long journey through South Africa exploring the importance of architecture in the healing process for individuals and communities impacted by the AIDS epidemic. Please browse through my experiences that I had exploring the diversity of community building and architecture as a social act.

Reflection

Design rendering of new Home Based Care Center in the Umlazi Township

This research has culminated in the design of a home based care center for Zimisele - a community based organization in the Umlazi township of Durban. The design will be used as a tool to help Zimisele fundraise for some of their community programs and the construction of their future center.

back in joburg

Time for last minute connections, visits......preparing to head back to the US! Finally stationary, working in Mandlas office....see how much typing I can get done before heading back to work.....

Project Build and the St. Clemens Home Based Care Center

This was my final site visit for Durban. One of the project managers at Project Build took me to see a clinic/community care center that they built 3 years ago for a retired nurse. Ms. Mlambo is one of the grandmothers of the community and she started the St. Clemens center in 2001. This project has been the most comprehensive community health center that I have seen so far. There are spaces/programs for economic development, farming, computer training, HIV Counseling and testing, food distribution...and the list goes on.....They are not a full running clinic, yet, but the Dept of Health is working with them to get a volunteer doctor to visit during the week. I popped into one of their home based care training centers to find a room full of women being trained on treating people with AIDS......

Tomorrow I will take a break before my flight to Capetown on Thursday........

Zimsele! Get Ready!

"Yazi Isimo Sakho" - Know Your Status

vacant site for first Zimisele building.

Visited another township/informal settlement today with a Project Officer from the AIDS Foundation. Umlazi is located southeast from the Durban City Center. The AIDS Foundation is working with a group of nurses (Zimisele) who are trying to formalize their home based care project for people infected with HIV/AIDS. They are presently renting offices and intend to build an admin building for their organization. We visited a site that the City will donate to them to build their own office space. I spoke with them to get a sense of the type of "starter" building that they want to develop and how they see this project changing in the future. It is a small site, that they currently are using as a garden and kitchen. They have a full financial committment from "Operation Jump Start" - another foundation that funds building projects.

Zimisele is currently a small community based organization, but with the help of the AIDS Foundation they will be able to apply for grants in order to expand on the services that they offer community members. I attended a grant writing workshop for the women of Zimisele by the AIDS Foundation. These women have the basic infrastructure in place to do great community work. I would love to help them in the development of their first community center.

Zulu Reed Dance Festival

Today was by far the highlight of my whole trip! I attended the annual Zulu Reed Dance Festival in Zululand. Thje festival occurs every year in the grounds of the King of Zululand. All of the virgins of the surrounding villages come to the Kings palace and dance for him. Traditionally, this is when the King chooses his new bride, but custom has changed and now it is just a cultural festival and an opportunity for the community to celebrate.

There were SO many women and young girls dancing in traditional garb and beautiful beads. Each woman/girl holds a reed that is indigenous to this area. Some girls come from as far as Botswana to participate in this festival. The speakers stressed the importance of young women maintaining their virginity and being aware of the dangers of the AIDS virus. It was simply amazing!

The trip took us four long hours to travel from Durban city to the heart of Zululand. It was well worth the trip. On the way we hit some road blocks.........pretty funny....this cow was not about to mooooove for anyone!

East Coast Architects and The Blue Roof Clinic

Yebo! - Yes....in Zulu

Today was pretty good. Derek Keerden -Principal of East Coast Architects took me and some staff on an architectural tour of Durban. Most of his design work is in poor neighborhoods, and so we visited three projects in two different townships. One project was done for Alyssa Keys' organization "Keep a Child Alive" - the clinic he designed "Blue Roof Clinic" seemed to be the most holistic project that I have seen thus far. It started as an abandoned warehouse and he transformed it into an ARV (Anti-retro viral) clinic and community center. The center has a library, community lab, pharmacy, counseling rooms and a large multipurpose room. The center was originally intended for children, but has had to change because of the need in the community.......We had a brief discussion about his experience working in poor communities.......his impression is that this kind of work is more challenging because you have to work on a really tight budget and therefore must be more creative with your resources.

His signature designs incorporate African based designs and materials and always have a component of open space for community gatherings.....I left inspired. Derek is pretty fearless and seems to be very comfortable in the rough and rugged townships of Durban. He claimed that he feels safer in a township than in a shopping mall....