July 2008

In China, Build Change partners with the Tumen Township government and a local NGO to implement a successful technical assistance programs.

All elements are in place – Money – Technology – People.

Money: the government provided sufficient funding for rebuilding a basic house.

People: they provided enforcement (through our team of Chinese construction professionals) and incentives for following the standards.  Build Change empowered homeowners with the knowledge and technology to build safely (Read Xing Dayan’s Story).

May 12, 2008

Mw=7.9 earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan, China levels entire villages, kills 69,195 people with an additional 18,392 missing, and leaves at least 5 million people homeless.  Many collapsed buildings are multi-story, made of poorly confined masonry walls with precast concrete plank roofs.  This building type is common in China, Central Asia and Eastern Europe and likely to result in more devastation in future events.

January 10, 2008

Build Change begins operations in West Sumatra, providing design advice to 655 homeowners who receive small grants from the Indonesian government to rebuild.  Many homeowners cannot afford to build confined masonry buildings well; Build Change begins promoting timber frame with masonry skirt wall, a common building type in West Sumatra.

August 15, 2007

Mw=8.0 earthquake near Pisco, Peru kills 519 people and destroys over 58,000 houses.  Elizabeth visits the area in early 2008; many commercial building owners following good practices in rebuilding new confined masonry buildings, while homeowners lack access to engineering advice and construction supervision needed to rebuild safely.  While trying to raise money to start a program in Peru, the earthquake happens in Sichuan and shifts Build Change’s course to China.

May 26, 2006

Mw=6.3 hits Indonesia near Yogyakarta, killing more than 5,700 people.  Build Change does a reconnaissance study which uncovers some very compelling photos of why buildings collapse and why they don’t.

March 17, 2006

Build Change joins the Draper Richards Kaplan portfolio of social entrepreneurs.

2006

Build Change finishes its first houses in Aceh.  They are called “best in Aceh” by a team of Indonesian academics and engineers.

Ibu Ruslan AB says, “now I can sleep at night”.

March 28, 2005

Mw=8.6 earthquake off Nias island rocks Aceh, a few days after Elizabeth arrives in Banda Aceh.

Build Change hires its first three staff: an Indonesian engineer, an Indonesian architect, and an Indonesian quantity estimator, and begins designing and building houses with Mercy Corps in Lampisang and Keunue eu, Aceh Besar.  The partnership with Mercy Corps has continued through other earthquakes in Indonesia, China and Haiti.

December 26, 2004

Massive Mw=9.1-9.3 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean causes devastation throughout the region. Given the enormous need for housing in Sumatra, Indonesia and the high likelihood of additional seismic activity there, Elizabeth abandons plans for starting first programs in India and Iran and focuses on Indonesia.

June 10, 2004

Elizabeth wins an Echoing Green Fellowship, providing the seed funding and confidence to start Build Change.

May 2004

Elizabeth visits Iran twice, in May and October of 2004, planning to start a technical assistance program in the areas hit by the Bam earthquake, noting deficiencies in construction practices on newly built houses.  Unfortunately, Build Change’s application for a license from the U.S. Treasury Department to work in Iran is turned down.

December 26, 2003

Mw=6.6 earthquake near Bam, Iran kills 26,271 in the early morning hours, many crushed by heavy roofs on weak walled buildings.