
Construction and Cultural Significance of Mud Huts
One of the most common images that comes to mind when Africa is mentioned are mud huts. These simple one room structures made from clay and thatch are extremely common throughout rural parts of the African continent, but little is commonly known about how they are built and used. Although seemingly simple, mud huts are highly variable depending on their use and the region they are built in. Because of this, I'm going to focus on the traditional building techniques in Northern


Mediators and For-Purpose Organizations
Nonprofits act as mediators that connect different groups of people in order to build positive social change Nonprofit means different things to different people. If you asked 15 people what is the first thing that pops into their head when you say nonprofit you would probably hear things like, 'donation, clean water, poverty, Africa, hunger, natural disaster, or medical services.' Probably the largest role a nonprofit organization plays is nowhere to be found on this list. I


Why all foreign aid workers should be designers
The Sahel is a ecological zone in Africa that stretches across the widest part of the continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. This transitional region is where the extreme conditions of the Sahara Desert meet the dry savanna creating a very dry region that only has rain for up to five months of the year. This vast region has a harsh climate that is difficult to grow food and sustain livestock in. A closer look at this region shows that it is one of the most povert


Designing Spaces that Promote Education
There is no one right way to improve education. Education has been a widely discussed topic for decades now; the reason being there is always room for improvement and more discoveries happening on how to get there. When it comes to impacting education, the design of the learning space itself is often overlooked. Perhaps the very first need is to create a space where people can congregate and learn. This typically includes some kind of covered structure that protects the inhab