Organization: Build Change

All Photos Our mission is to greatly reduce deaths, injuries and economic losses caused by housing collapses due to earthquakes in developing countries.

Focus Areas:	Technology, Disaster Relief, Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health, Human Rights, Poverty, Gender & Equality, Microfinance
Countries Served:	China Haiti Indonesia

Description of Services:
Build Change designs earthquake-resistant houses in developing countries and trains builders, homeowners, engineers and government officials to build them. Build Change uses low-cost, earthquake-resistant construction methods that will continue to be used once it leaves the area. We collect and spread best practices and lessons learned from post-disaster housing construction programs; identify the needs and develop culturally appropriate training and construction manuals; and work with engineering experts to evaluate, develop and test innovative, low-cost methods for building and strengthening houses using locally available materials and skills.
History:
Founded in 2004, Build Change has ongoing, post-earthquake programs in Indonesia, China and Haiti. Its founder and CEO, Dr. Elizabeth Hausler, a civil engineer, is an Echoing Green Fellow (2004), Draper Richards Fellow (2006), Ashoka-Lemelson Fellow (2009), Lemelson-MIT Award Winner for Sustainability (2011), Schwab Foundation US Social Entrepreneur of the Year awardee (2011), and a Fulbright Fellow to India (2002). In addition, Build Change is a 2008 Tech Awards Laureate and winner of the Katherine M. Swanson Equality Category Cash Prize. Build Change's work has been featured by the New York Times, abcNEWS World News Tonight, Christian Science Monitor, BBC Website, National Public Radio All Things Considered, and Businessweek.
Accomplishments & Progress:
Build Change has empowered 8976 homeowners to drive the process for building safe houses. No houses built to our minimum safety standard in West Sumatra, Indonesia were damaged when a second earthquake hit them in 2009. Using local materials, labor, tools, and working with partners, Build Change increased capacity for safe building and repairs, training 2788 builders, 3399 engineers, and 10 block?making enterprises. To build a pipeline of safe builders, Build Change developed courses in hazard mitigation practices for technical schools across China and West Sumatra, and for Haiti in 2012. Build Change developed housing guidelines and inspection systems for government staff in our programs to enable them to enforce building standards.