Upgrading La Esperanza - PART 3 of 4

Note: The following is a shortened version of the graduate report prepared for the Minimum Cost Housing Group (MCHG) of McGill University, Montreal. This report was written by myself, along with Cesar Gonzales, Tong Gan, Yue Li, Annalyn Maribbay and Alejandro Lopez. 


Second Layer: Design Proposals


Objectives


The main objective of these proposals is to provide the community of La Esperanza, as well as the local governmental agencies, with a sound base from which they can, in a progressive and self-sustainable manner, improve the living conditions of the settlement. The role of the upgrading process, though, should be defined not by itself, but by the end users, which must participate in all stages of its planning and development. The methodology for implementation assumes that people will be willing to take most of the action in their hands and invest part of their time, labor, and incomes in an effort that will eventually benefit all. Therefore, the main requirements for the overall success of the undertaking are its sustainability, accessibility, affordability, fostering of income generation activities, integration with social and cultural activities, etc. The processes of implementation must be regarded as community affair. The understanding of these basic premises is fundamental for the understanding of the proposals which are presented herein.
It is the interest of this upgrading proposal, with the concept of progressive development, to create an understanding and appreciation of the participatory methods to empower the residents of La Esperanza and make them self-reliant. The intention of imparting skills in every development phase is crucial for the upgrading process, as much as the responsibility of enhancing their awareness and capacity. The proposal promotes and encourages collective action towards community self-management keeping the underlying principles of sustainability, convergence and cost-effectiveness always in view. The design proposal is pegged to the existing social conditions, residents' aspiration and cultural changes, as such, it shall proceed incorporating these elements. Propagating user-oriented, community-participated activities resulting from a bottom-up design approach would enable communities develop that sense of pride and self-worth needed for a cost-effective and realistically time-framed implementation of the upgrading process.

Methodology of Implementation


Considering the residents as prime beneficiaries of the upgrading process, the initial step to be taken is to organise the participants and increase their awareness to establish a self-help centre where community participation, government intervention and professional advice are recognised and incorporated into the upgrading process. As the proposal proceeds from different entry levels, its cost-effectiveness and technologically appropriate means in delivering every aspect of community development would always involve the collective action of the residents.
The proposals for physical upgrading were structured in several layers of intervention. The use of minimum cost, entry level solutions, reflects the preoccupation with the primary stages of the undertaking, in which results must be achieved with minimum investment. The strategy for progressive development, therefore, provides the users with several stages of intervention, delivering construction methods and other solutions which are accessible to all income levels within the community.

Strategy


By maximizing the element of community participation, the upgrading strategy incorporates the idea of a Self-Help Centre, which is regarded as the main component, the place where discussions are held and decisions are taken, a place envisaged to promote and stimulate the participation of users and planners. The physical location of the Centre, next to the main access to the colony in an area already identified by locals as the main gathering place, reflects its level of importance in the context.
The main role of the Self-Help Centre is to serve as a focal point, a physical reference that congregates the administrative and organizational functions, from which other specific branches would eventually grow. Some of the branches already incorporated in the proposed methodology, such as the Builders' Yard and the Planting Nursery, are very specific in its functions, serving as a base and providing the foundation for the development and growth of branches that relate to other areas, such as social and cultural. It should be noted that, although this upgrading proposal does not include actual strategies for non-physical aspects such as health care, education, employment, etc, it is a common understanding that the local governmental agencies must realize the importance of these fundamental issues, thus taking them in account and incorporating them into the physical structure that is been proposed for that matter.

Proposals for Non-Physical Aspects:


The non-physical aspects of the upgrading proposal encompasses, socio-economic conditions, changing cultural attributes, education, health, recreation and other communal amenities. Upgrading this particular aspect of community development requires intensive community participation, without which efforts would all be futile. To begin the process, it has to rely on the existing community organisation which is comprised by dedicated individuals, resolved in helping themselves and their community achieve a better life. The self-help centre would be instrumental in this regard.

Health Factor


To increase the residents' awareness of the existing health issues that affects them, teaching modules would be presented at the self-help centre, in collaboration with local government agencies, private health institutions, professional volunteers and the NGOs. Health awareness belongs to top priority in the upgrading process, since it is only through it that the individual learns to take responsibility of their family's physical welfare and well-being together with that of their surroundings. Sanitary education is one important factor that is complimented by the physical aspect in the upgrading process. Community participation, with special regard to its women, would be strongly encouraged through proper scheduling of lectures on selected topics and health seminars within the self-help centre.

Income-Generating Factor


Proposals for income-generating activities which would be presented either in the self-help centre or via door to door method, would definitely be welcomed by the residents. The informal sector workers know very well that skill training that would be imparted in every phase of the upgrading process could generate increase in thair incomes. The strategy is first to organise people, then enhance their awareness and collective action, encourage community self-management by providing them access to community training seminars and to the physical components in the upgrading process like the planting nursery, where they can grow edible plants that could later be sold, thereby making it an income-generating activity, or they can have access to the builders' yard where construction skills are practised. The same skills could be use for services in nearby towns who require it. The physical aspect of the proposal encourages income-generating activities through the appropriation of two meters along the street 21 to allow for home extensions to use for commercial purpose.

Coming up next, the proposals...