1.3. Participatory Design Methodology

Now, how this whole process the community participation has been approached one is, they talked about approaching through the social organizations, the communities, the local communities through their own networks so, because the Red Cross personnel will be coming from somewhere else who may or may not be familiar with the local communities and that is where the Adesco which is a kind of community organizations. Become a kind of interface between the local communities and the various NGOs coming and working in it.

The participatory design methodology emphasizes involving local communities in the decision-making process. Social organizations, like Adesco, act as intermediaries to connect external NGOs (like the Red Cross) with local residents. This approach ensures that those implementing the project understand the specific needs and dynamics of the community, which is essential for building trust and collaboration.

Imagine a school planning an event. Instead of the principal deciding everything, they consult students and teachers for ideas. This way, everyone feels included, and the event is more likely to be enjoyable and successful because it reflects the needs and wants of those participating.

So finally, after having a thorough analysis of the 14 communities in San Vicente they have selected 9 communities within that 14, for the reconstruction process. So, for this progressive housing project. Mainly, they have covered in the two major municipalities, one is a Tecoluca and Verapaz, within the department of San Vicente and each community includes El Arco, Llano Grande, El Puente, Santa Cruz de Paraiso, San Pedro, Sand Jose de Borjas, Nuevo Oriente, San Antonio Jiboa, San Isidro so, these are all concluding about 582 houses.

After assessing the needs and conditions of 14 different communities, nine were chosen for the housing reconstruction project. This selection was focused on two municipalities, ensuring that the resources and efforts would be concentrated in areas where they could have the most impact, thereby facilitating the rebuilding of 582 houses across those communities.

Think of a gardener who has a variety of plants in a large garden. Instead of trying to take care of the entire garden at once, the gardener chooses a few plants that are most in need of care, making it easier to nurture and help them thrive.

Now, the all issue to do with the land tenure so, the people who were already legal owners of the land or had a land ownership documents so that, these particular communities have been processed and these communities have received help from the town hall and were provided with the professional service of lawyer which brought down the cost of the process.

Land tenure is crucial in community projects as it determines who has legal rights to the land. The communities selected were those whose members had legal ownership documents, and they received assistance to navigate the legal processes, ensuring that their rights to land were recognized and enabling the reconstruction efforts to proceed smoothly.

Consider a library where only registered members can borrow books. If someone comes in without a membership, they may not have access to resources. Similarly, in these communities, legal ownership served as the membership needed to engage in the rebuilding process.

And, how it is implemented as I said to you, it is a participatory design methodology the communities have collectively prepared a house design so a think tank process has went to the bottom level interactions and what they did was to get a real scale understanding so, they made about the outlines with just two lines of blocks you know, that this is going to be your space so you have this is your room and this is the veranda this is another room you know.

The communities played an active role in designing their homes, which involved brainstorming ideas together. They visualized their houses by marking out spaces in a scaled-down fashion, ensuring everyone had a clear understanding of the layout, leading to designs that truly reflected their needs and preferences.

Imagine kids designing their perfect playground. They might draw a rough plan together, deciding where the swings, slides, and benches will go. This collaboration leads to a playground that everyone loves and uses.

So, as I discussed with you about 3 stages stage one which is a partial construction so here, the communities who are these stakeholders. The communities they also provided some kind of informal the unskilled labour at this process and the local builders because for a group of the some of the local builders were hired by the contractors and the construction supervisors for every group of 30 so, you have one supervisor who is looking at it.

The construction of homes was divided into three stages. In the first stage, communities contributed informal labor, with local builders assisting in the construction. Supervisors helped manage the process, ensuring everything was built according to necessary standards, particularly for earthquake resistance.

Think about a big group project at school where the teacher assigns roles. Some students do the research, some put together the presentation, and some make the poster. By dividing tasks, the project is completed more effectively, just like how dividing construction work helps build homes properly.

Then in stage two, this is where the completion by owners so, communities also have provided so, in the earlier stage the materials were provided because these concrete blocks were not available locally so the agencies have provided the concrete blocks but in here the communities as per their feasibilities as per their available resources they have developed they brought the doors and windows.

In the second stage, community members took on more responsibility, sourcing materials like doors and windows themselves. They also received training from master builders on construction techniques, empowering them to contribute more effectively and ensuring they could maintain their homes in the future.

Imagine learning to bake a cake together. First, one person does everything, but then everyone learns the recipes and techniques, allowing them to bake cakes independently in the future. This builds their skills and confidence.

On the stage 3, the service completion of it, the water supply and sanitation. So here, they installed a sink with two taps, a system of removing grey water connected, a system in each houses for the excreta disposal and there has been also some workshops which has been conducted for the community the training and you know interactions so the community needs how are these identified.

The final stage focused on essential services like water and sanitation. Each house was equipped with necessary plumbing, including sinks and waste disposal systems. Workshops were held to inform communities about these systems and to gather feedback on their needs for effective implementation.

Consider how a new restaurant makes sure everything is in place before opening. They check the plumbing, ensure the decor is appealing, and train staff. This detailed preparation is similar to ensuring homes are equipped with vital services before families move in.

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