A house that strengthens women in Africa
Making a fire, cooking, doing laundry. Although housework like this is traditionally done by women in the Ugandan village of Kikajjo, their domestic environment is planned and built by men. Students at Presbiteriana Mackenzie University in Brazil want to change this, by enabling women to design their homes according to their needs. During a several-months stay, students and the 75-year-old Jajja Imaculate developed the project "Jajja´s House". Here is a dwelling that considers local resources and traditional building methods as well as the needs and perspectives of the inhabitant. From the first drawings to the construction, Jajja and other local women were involved in the workshops. Together they conceived, for example, a central kitchen that can be separated from the living space with movable panels. The roof was constructed so that its supporting columns can collect water. The jointly planned house will now become Jajja's new home and can also serve as a model and inspiration for other buildings in Kikajjo—and throughout Africa.
