One of the biggest tasks after a natural disaster strikes involves the rebuilding of homes and lives for those who have been left with nothing. Problem is; most of the rebuilding efforts of this sort happen in places where natural disaster is ripe to strike again someday. If rebuilding is done in traditional ways, disaster is surely to strike again, and more lives will be destroyed. Without proper rebuilding, the potential for violence in the region grows, as people are forced into alternative choices to feed, shelter and support themselves and their families. Peace can only truly begin to be built when people have access to their basic needs.

Recognizing that earthquakes don’t kill people, but rather poorly constructed buildings do when they collapse, Elizabeth Hausler set up Build Change. Build Change uses five steps to make safer homes in disaster regions:

1) Learn which homes collapsed, and which ones didn’t and why

2) Design more earthquake-resistant homes

3) Educate locals to[...]

[Published in NonProfitBlogs - Read the original article]