Africa Region
Ongoing — Tiba & Matibabu Foundation — Ugenya, Kenya
Need & Opportunity
Tiba Foundation is a U.S. nonprofit that works to build and improve healthcare in rural Kenya. The foundation extends substantial grants to health-related infrastructure, with the Matibabu Foundation being one such organization.
Matibabu Foundation is a Kenyan NGO located in Ugenya. Its mission is to empower communities to take charge of their health, improve access to quality integrated health services and strengthen linkages to other essential services.
The Matibabu Foundation Hospital consisted of a 25-bed facility that handled more than 24,000 outpatient cases annually and more than 2,000 inpatient cases annually. CfC partnered with both foundations to expand the existing hospital campus.
Solution & Value Add
CfC built a 52-bed inpatient ward and assisted the foundations with a master plan for the entirety of their hospital expansion, including an operating ward. The social infrastructure provided by CfC will allow the foundations to reduce morbidity and mortality from the prevailing disease conditions in the area. The facility also improves the clinical learning experiences for students from local and international higher learning institutions.
Quick Stats
- Budget: $328,000
- Actual: $276,000
- Value Engineering Savings: $52,000 (16%)
- Annual Users: 16,464
- Square Feet: 11,000
- Project Manager: Brad Manders, Angela Quiceno, Nelius Wanjohi
2020 — Mother Health International — Atiak, Uganda
Need & Opportunity
MHI (Mother Health International) operates a Maternal Health clinic in Atiak, Uganda, to reduce the maternal mortality rate. While a surge of refugees fleeing violence in South Sudan has doubled the birth rate in Atiak, the health care infrastructure to care for these women and babies has remained stagnant. MHI contracted CfC to expand its maternal and child health services to meet the increased demand.
Solution & Value Add
CfC refined the design and managed the construction of a four-bed postnatal ward, an eight-bed malaria isolation ward with a laboratory, and a wash house. The unique footprint of the postnatal ward reflects the local architecture and allows the central nurse station to observe each patient directly. With the new buildings, MHI plans to safely deliver over 350 babies annually.
Quick Stats
- Budget: $117.045
- Actual: $94,000
- Value Engineering Savings: $23,045 (20%)
- Annual Users: 3,650
- Square Feet: 5,000
- Project Manager: Suzie Dean
2018 — Dandelion Africa, the Ministry of Health — Nakuru, Kenya
Need & Opportunity
In Kenya, 1 in 42 women dies during childbirth. In addition, six of every ten women go into labor and deliver at home. The cultural setback and lack of facilities contribute to maternal and infant mortality in the area.
Dandelion Africa, a women-led NGO focused on women’s health and economic empowerment, aimed to build a maternity ward to serve 6,000 patients annually.
Solution & Value Add
CfC worked with Dandelion Africa to renovate a clinic and build a new maternity ward to offer HIV counseling, testing and medication, immunizations, and family planning services. The new facility allows the community access to reproductive health services, including delivery and neonatal care.
Quick Stats
- Budget: $58,000
- Actual: $58,000
- Annual Users: 13,218
- Square Feet: 3,100
- Project Manager: Angela Quiceno
2018 — Med 25 — Mbita, Kenya
Need & Opportunity
Serving the district of Mbita, Kenya, Med25 provides individuals from rural Africa with quality, culturally appropriate, and affordable health care. Its health center, which CfC assisted in the build back in 2014, required a new ward to accommodate the additional 150 patients a month in need of services.
Solution & Value Add
CfC added the new ward to serve the community and help Med25 enter the national health insurance program, providing the funding needed to operate the new ward. The Mbita District is Kenya’s highest infant mortality and HIV/AIDS prevalence. The health center serves a community of 118,000 people and aims to reduce these rates.
Quick Stats
- Actual: $131,406
- Annual Users: 320
- Square Feet: 2,369
- Project Manager: Rosie Leake
2016 — FIMRC — Bududa, Uganda
Quick Stats
- Budget: $162,000
- Actual: $158,000
- Construction Savings: $4,000 (2%)
- Annual Users: 27,849
- Square Feet: 5,300
- Project Manager: Kassandra Scheve and Colton Cox
2015 — EKARI — Phalombe, Malawi
Need & Opportunity
The EKARI Foundation is a community-based nonprofit organization operating in Malawi. To help the foundation carry out its vision to “empower students with education and their communities with sustainable livelihoods for students and communities to empower future generations,” CfC assisted in the construction of a community building.
Solution & Value Add
The community building helps the EKARI Foundation carry out several programs to help better educate the people of Malawi. The building includes an office for the administrative staff and three classrooms, which accommodate tutoring, health education & HIV/AIDS awareness, computer access, university coaching, adult literacy, and sustainable livelihoods programs. When the classrooms are not in use, they are available to the whole community. There are also two office spaces in the building that are rented out for professional use; the money received covers all utility and maintenance costs of the building.
Quick Stats
- Budget: $60,000
- Actual: $60,000
- Value Engineering Savings
- Annual Users: 4,250
- Square Feet: 2,691
- Project Manager: Malia Waters
2015 — HELGA — Kajiado, Kenya
Need & Opportunity
The HELGA (Humanitarian Efforts for the Learning of the Girl-Child in Africa) school is home to 70+ young girls who live in dorms and have the opportunity to learn in a safe environment. HELGA aims to rescue young Massai girls who come from a background of abuse, child marriage, and other traumatic circumstances. While at school, students are provided with personal care items, counseling, food, and education on human rights. Many of these young girls have moved on to attend university and even obtained government jobs.
Solution & Value Add
CfC partnered with the HELGA school and Lift Up Africa to construct a new kitchen. The new facility provides the staff and students with safe and nutritious meals and acts as a community gathering center for the town of Kajiado.
Quick Stats
- Budget: $500,000
- Actual: $142,000
- Value Engineering Savings: $358,000 (72%)
- Annual Users: 250
- Square Feet: 15,747
- Project Manager: MJ O’Brien
- Change Fellow: Cecilia Melendez
2015 — Kizimani Clinic — Kangundo, Kenya
Need & Opportunity
Kangundo is home to over 35,000 people, many of whom are young children with relatively young parents, are caregivers or widows impacted by HIV, AIDS, other communicable diseases, and poverty. The community sought to create a health clinic to provide basic medical care to its people.
Solution & Value Add
The facility was designed with sensitivity towards the social fabric and culture of the region by creating a large shaded gathering area that encourages public interaction while providing privacy for the patients. The health clinic comprises four exam rooms, a storage room, and a covered gathering area. The floor is concrete, with the main structure built of steel. The walls are made from hand-made bricks — all materials found locally and typically used in construction. The design promotes natural ventilation for cooling, with large overhangs to provide shade for those waiting.
Quick Stats
- Budget: $60,000
- Actual: $35,000
- Construction Savings: $25,000 (42%)
- Annual Users: 2,200+
- Square Feet: 1,080
- Project Managers: Tim & Robyn Pham
2015 — Partners in Health — Dambe, Malawi
Need & Opportunity
The Neno Chronic Care Clinics serve the rural Neno District in the southern region of Malawi and are the primary outpatient facility for 20,000 people in the district.
Solution & Value Add
CfC helped construct two stand-alone buildings to house the acute and chronic care service lines. The facility offers treatment for chronic illnesses such as HIV, tuberculosis, and diabetes. The building also provides integrated women’s health services, including prenatal care, cervical cancer screenings, family planning and pediatric care.
Quick Stats
- Budget: $158,000
- Annual Users: 20,275
- Square Feet: 4,528
- Project Managers: Tyler Weinbrecht and Marco Olivera
Americas Region
2019 – 2021 — Solar Projects — Various Cities, Puerto Rico
Need & Opportunity
Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico in September 2017, leaving the island without electricity for 11 months. The lack of electricity was especially concerning for thousands of insulin-dependent Puerto Ricans.
Solution & Value Add
To ensure diabetic patients received a continuous supply of insulin, Construction for Change managed the installation of solar arrays with backup battery systems on six medical facilities throughout the island. Each installation was engineered to withstand category 5 winds, with the addition of a third rail to the panels, high wind load panels, and attachments that meet FEMA and Rocky Mountain Institute recommendations. The new solar and battery systems provide emergency backup power for medical refrigeration units, ensuring the continuity of the cold chain before, during, and after an emergency.
Quick Stats
- Budget: 158,000
- Actual: $97,966
- Construction Savings: 38%
- Annual Users: 2,371
2018 — Children of the Nation: I Love Baseball — Barahona, Dominican Republic
Need & Opportunity
COTN’s (Children of the Nation) I Love Baseball® (ILB) program gives Dominican youth a place where they can pursue their dream of playing professional baseball while still getting an education, living a balanced life, building strong moral character, and growing mentally, physically, and spiritually.
ILB sought to create a permanent baseball field to impact the lives of thousands of Dominican boys. The ILB program aims to increase the number of high school and college graduates and reduce the amount of crime and gang activity to develop a healthier and safer community.
Solution & Value Add
CfC joined ILB for pre-construction, project assessment, and design. The new property included:
- 1 Baseball Field
- 2 Dugouts (Home & Visitor)
- 2 Restrooms
- Office and Kitchen
- Foundation of the grandstands with 3 seating rows from left to right
The new facility allows ILB to directly impact over 250 players through varsity and little-league programs in six communities, including leadership development with junior coaches.
Quick Stats
- Budget: $500,000
- Actual: $142,000
- Value Engineering Savings: $358,000 (72%)
- Annual Users: 250
- Square Feet: 15,747
- Project Manager: MJ O’Brien and Cecilia Melendez
Asia Region
Hetauda House, Nepal
2017 — Hetauda House — Hetauda, Nepal
Need & Opportunity
For 14 years, the Women’s Protection Center Nepal (WPC) and Hetauda House had been fighting to eradicate human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of women and children. Major programs included advocacy, healthcare, educational & preventative workshops in surrounding Nepali towns and villages, safe housing, and HIV/AIDS awareness & training. In 2015, a magnitude of 7.8M earthquake devastated the former safe-house, the Hetauda House, making it unsuitable for habitation. CfC partnered with WPC to construct a new, seismically sound space to continue their vital work.
Solution & Value Add
The new facility provides a secure home for women and their children where case management, advocacy-based counseling, tutoring and educational development, and vocational skills training programs are available. The five-story concrete building includes office space, bedrooms, a kitchen living area, and a rooftop terrace. The terrace allows safe outdoor recreation and houses solar panels, which generate power for the safe house. Due to the location in a high earthquake zone, we worked to design and construct the new building to meet rigorous, current seismic design standards. Because the Nepalese standards had not been updated since 1992, CfC worked with Coughlin Porter Lundeen to engineer the building sufficient for magnitude 7.5+ earthquakes experienced in the region.
Since the rebuild, the facility has provided over 600 women and children vocational training, counseling, computer literacy training, and many other benefits to help them find a happy and healthy place in society.
Please consider a donation to Construction for Change. Your contributions help expand our hubs in Africa and the Americas, resulting in the completion of social infrastructure in education, healthcare, and community empowerment worldwide.
“It is so important to have the right building and the right resources. This has been made possible by working with CfC. They helped us achieve our vision and a beautiful building.”
— Warucu Kijuu, Executive Director of Flying Kites