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Design For Development Society is extremely excited to be pioneering research into the use of sustainable local materials in the design and manufacture of emergency medical transportation devices (EMTD).
Building on the success of Design for Development's steel-framed bicycle ambulance, the Bambulance goes even further to minimize costs and utilize local manufacturing processes by using bamboo as the primary construction material.
Bamboo - a locally available, sustainable resource in Western Kenya and other African regions - is inexpensive, lightweight and strong.
With the initial design taking place at the Emily Carr Institute and Design for Development in Vancouver, Canada, in consultation with Kenyan partners and healthcare providers, the Bambulance will first be manufactured and tested in western Kenya.
Two Nairobi based local organizations will partner with DFD as manufacturers of the ambulances:
The Women's Empowerment & Education Program is an initiative that assists HIV+ women in learning a trade and becoming self-sufficient.
The WEEP groups will create the sewn parts of the Bambulance.
The Community Transformers are a group of young people in the Mathare Slums who provide home-based care and support in their community. They will be trained in manufacturing and marketing the Bambulance as a means of generating income for their organization.
Both groups have skills and needs that complement the project. This building of social capital and providing a means of increasing economic opportunity for these groups should be considered no small part of the project output.
Five community-based health organisations will also join DFD in bringing the Bambulance to communities in the region and will participate in training, monitoring and evaluation activities throughout the upcoming year.
The Bambulance Project is an open-source, ongoing process combining ethical design practices and social responsibility to aid communities in need. The Design For Development Society welcomes your participation in this much-needed and exciting venture.
Did you know?
Southern Africa
The average life expectancy is 47 years
96/1000 infants don’t survive their first year
The average annual income is US$841
Only 1% of people have access to private motor vehicles
Every day many children die because of lack of access to appropriate health facilities: lack of transport from their home to primary care settings and from primary care settings to district hospitals.
Bamboo
Actually belongs to the grass family
Has a tensile strength of 28,000 per square inch, versus 23,000 for steel
Is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet
Can be reharvested every 3 years with no harm to the surrounding environment
Has an extensive root system that is extremely effective in preventing soil erosion
The Project
Full Bambulance Project Brief available here
