JOURNEYMAN INTERNATIONAL
2013 ANNUAL REPORT WHAT WE DO
Journeyman International (JI) is a non-profit that is revolutionizing humanitarian architecture. We recruit the nation’s finest architecture students, and provide them with design-ready construction projects. In 2 years, we plan to have 500 of the nation’s top design students, each working 50 hours per week for 9 months on humanitarian projects — and they will gladly work for free. Our designers go above and beyond their thesis requirements. They pour their hearts, souls and hundreds of hours into our projects because they have negotiated with the city elders, washed clothes with the mothers, and played soccer with the children. And this project is not just a final course study. This project will permanently change the lives of the people who just changed theirs.
WHAT IS OUR PRODUCT? In Africa alone over 30,000 non-profits have a total of $900 million allocated for new facilities — our service is needed on a large scale. JI provides cutting-edge architecture, engineering and project management. Architectural designs are created by our thesis students and partnering universities. All projects are thoroughly reviewed by industry professionals in the United States. We team up only with successful humanitarian partners who fund the construction, and operate the facilities once completed.
WHO AND WHERE JI headquarters is located one mile from the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo, California. The vision is driven by:
Stephanie Fellows Project Coordinator
Daniel Wiens President
Andrew Goodwin Director of Architecture
WHERE WE ARE GOING
Our service is effective, and desperately needed. Our goal is to exponentially increase our number of projects. We believe we can get there in 2 years. To scale this mission we are developing a university course curriculum, which is a step by step guide for humanitarian architecture thesis projects. In the first quarter of 2015 we will be publishing and presenting this curriculum to the best university architecture programs in the world. Our goal is to have 500 designers in 2016 developing 250 projects around the world.
WHY? As construction professionals, we feel compelled to utilize our talents and available resources to improve the lives of those who struggle with basic needs. We have successfully tapped into a gold mine of talent, and we pride ourselves in providing the greatest ‘bang for your buck’ of any non-profit you will ever find.
JOURNEYMAN INTERNATIONAL
2013 ANNUAL REPORT Claiming to revolutionize humanitarian architecture is an audacious statement — one that deserves both an explanation and proof. Let’s look at our Trekking For Kids Kili Orphanage project in Tanzania. Trekking For Kids is a mountain climbing organization that raises funds for orphanages in Tanzania. They have agreed to raise $60,000 to construct a new facility for The Kili Center, a non profit orphanage at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Prior to JI’s involvement, Trekking for Kids had two options for designing, engineering and managing this project:
1
Option
Hire construction professionals in Tanzania.
Pros: •
Local professionals will understand the culture, local protocols, material pricing and availability.
Cons: • • •
True professionals may not exist in the region. Design quality and safety may be inadequate. Pricing is often unstable for western non-profits.
Estimated cost:
$6,000
(design, engineering and project management cost for a $60,000 orphanage)
Option
2
Hire construction professionals from a developed nation.
Pros: •
Design and engineering will likely meet US building standards. Cost subsidizing may be available, if you know where to look.
•
Cons: •
Even at a discounted rate, first world design services are very expensive. Design team likely has not visited the country to study the culture, site logistics, and building materials.
•
Estimated cost:
$25,000
(design, engineering and project management cost for a $60,000 orphanage)
Introducing Option
3
Journeyman International Pros: • • • • • • • •
Our architecture students are among the most talented designers in the country, and are proficient in cutting-edge design software. Each designer spends 10 days immersed in the culture prior to any design work. Designers average 60 hours a week for 9 months on their project. Designers create a 200-page thesis report which our clients use for fundraising, applying for grants, and acquiring land. Professional design is done at pro bono rates. Designers stay involved with their project long after graduation. Designers research for 3 months prior to commencing any design. Designs are critiqued and reviewed by dozens of licensed professionals over the 9-month period.
Cons: •
•
Estimated cost:
Our architecture students typically have several years of industry experience and internships, however they are not licensed professionals. (All student designs are reviewed and modified by licensed professionals.) Project timetable and university schedule must align.
$0-$1,500
(design, engineering and project management cost for a $60,000 orphanage)
JOURNEYMAN INTERNATIONAL
2013 ANNUAL REPORT And 2014 Forecast
For six months now, our Project Director Steph Fellows and I have been eager to send out our 2013 Annual Report. We reluctantly decided to wait until April, so our designers could return from their trips to Africa and develop design concepts to show off to you! Drafting our Annual Report is a highlight for us; it is a rare opportunity to sit back and revel in the accomplishments, failures, and lessons learned in one short year’s time. It also affords us the opportunity to thank our supporters — not just with words, but also with stories, images, dreams and transparency. What follows will be the stories that everyone wants to hear: meet and greet with a king in Cameroon, milking cows with Maasai Mamas, being offered cows as a bride prize in Rwanda, and so many other amazing tales made possible by those who have believed and invested in the vision of Journeyman International.
So sit
back, kick your
feet up
to enjoy the impact
and take a moment
YOU
had on the world this past year!
Bukhubalo, Uganda
Education, Medical and Cultural Center Cameron Hempstead might be the most well-traveled 23-year-old you will ever meet (all 7 continents!). Now she can add visiting the mouth of the Nile and eating a 3-pound Jackfruit to her list of international accomplishments. Cameron is developing a master plan for Espace (a Ugandan non-profit) that will function as an educational, medical, and cultural center. The secondary school will be an alternative schooling facility for children who can’t afford the entrance fees of conventional education. The adult trade school will train community members in agricultural engineering, farming and computer science. The medical center will include an outpatient department, surgery center, eye clinic, malaria research institute, herbal medicine research institute, HIV/AIDS support center, cancer treatment center, and delivery room. Cameron’s design incorporates a fascinating construction style called Guastavino Tile Vaulting. This method creates an arch that is always in compression, and the uniform loads go directly through the material without having to change the direction of the forces as they travel to the ground. This allows for very thin bricks to be used without any steel reinforcement as a structural material. Conceptual Rendering
PROJECT INFO: LOCATION: Bukhubalo, Uganda
Project Type: Education, Medical and Cultural Center ESPACE
Partner NGO: ESPACE, Inc
Designer: Cameron Hempstead Cal Poly
Kumbo, Cameroon Think-Tank Campus PROJECT INFO: LOCATION: Kumbo, Cameroon
Project Type: Think-Tank Campus
Partner NGO: African Research and Exchange Academy
Designer: Derek McFarland Cal Poly
In January, Derek McFarland embarked on a 10-day excursion to Kumbo, Cameroon. Derek’s goal was to visit the future site of the African Research and Exchange Academy (AREA), and to obtain the information he needed to begin his design. How did he fare, you ask? He literally returned as a member of royalty in Cameroon. Upon meeting the Fon (King) of the Nso Kingdom, Derek was invited into a secret society and given the title of ‘Shey’. Shey Derek has been given the power to mediate conflicts in families, meaning he himself must start by being an exemplar of a peaceful and honorable life. Not to mention, he can only be addressed in the third person! Shey Derek is designing a large scale ‘think-tank campus’ in the hills outside Kumbo. The intent of the campus is to bring together the brightest minds in Cameroon to develop innovative strategies for improving the poor nation. After seeing his preliminary designs, the King tried to hire Derek to design his new palace. We salute you Shey Derek! Learn more about Derek’s trip on his blog at www.dmc-arch.com.
PROJECT INFO: LOCATION:
Ddegeya, Uganda
Business Training Center
Ddegeya, Uganda
Project Type: Business Training Center
Partner NGO: Engeye, Inc
Designer: Jessica Labac Cal Poly
Ddegeya is a small village three hours outside of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. It is here where the Engeye Medical Clinic first opened its doors in 2006. Eight years later, designer Jessica Labac has been asked to create a structure so the Engeye impact can be widened. The Business and Training Center will offer vocational classes, a community room, and a community library fully equipped with computers. Jessica recently spent five days living at the clinic and working with the staff to better understand the needs of the community. It was through walks in the village and interviewing many of the village mamas that Jess really understood the need for this facility, which will specifically cater to the education of local women. As you can see above, the local kids played a pivotal role in calculating the slope of the site. The village woman who offered to wash Steph and Jessica’s clothes were truly baffled how two professional American woman could get so dirty!
Kigali, Rwanda
PROJECT INFO:
Gahaya Links Fair-Trade Handicraft Company
LOCATION:
While in Rwanda we were introduced to Gahaya Links, a Rwandan fair-trade handicraft company that focuses on economic empowerment of women. Land and funding was already allocated for a new fabrication facility, but without a designer the project had stalled. JI immediately enlisted 3rd year Cal Poly designer Kyle Rogers to develop a 1,500 sq. ft. outdoor handicraft facility. Gahaya Links makes all the necklaces for Anthropologie and sells their hand-woven baskets at Macy’s. Construction will begin in early June.
Kigali, Rwanda
Project Type: Fair-Trade Handicraft Center Gahaya Partner NGO: Gahaya Links Links
Designer: Kyle Rogers Cal Poly
Manila, Philippines
Education, Medical and Cultural Center In early November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines. Fortunately designer Paige Taff had already been assigned a project in the Philippines. Her work now is needed and appreciated more than ever. Paige is designing a three-story facility that will serve as a church and community gathering space on the lower level, and an orphanage on the upper levels. The site is located about 5 miles outside of Manila and has access to electricity and water. The vision for the new facility is to expand the 400 person congregation and provide a safe home for 50 children. In December, we put on an event to raise money for the relief efforts in the Philippines at a local wine bar. Through this event we raised over $1,600 for disaster relief.
PROJECT INFO: LOCATION: Manila, Philippines
Project Type: Church, Community Center, Orphanage
Partner NGO: Five Loaves Ministry
Designer: Paige Taff Cal Poly
Sunzu, Rwanda Library JI’s RED Studio (summer internship program) spent last summer designing two projects: a library/preschool in Rwanda and an orphanage at the base of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. In early February, Steph visited both project sites and was present for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Sunzu Village Library project. The library is being constructed adjacent to a recently built Women’s Training Center, so while the moms are learning skills, their kids will be next door learning English and Kinyarwanda. The need for a library became truly evident the day Steph spent PROJECT INFO: one rainy afternoon reading the dictionary in a damp guard house with eight older students who couldn’t wait to learn how to pronounce ‘adjaLOCATION: cent’. Construction is projected to be completed by early July. Sunzu, Rwanda
Project Type: Library
SUNZU
Partner NGO: Sunzu Village
Designer: JI RED Studio
Moshi, Tanzania Orphanage
The RED Studio also completed the designs for Kili Center’s new facility, an orphanage in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The land was purchased two years ago and is gradually being developed. Phase 1, now complete, includes guard housing, underground utilities and a perimeter fence. This fall, Trekking for Kids (a mountain climbing organization that raises funds for orphanages) has pledged to raise $60,000 for the second phase of construction on the new compound. We anticipate construction to start on the dormitories in January 2015.
PROJECT INFO: LOCATION: Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Project Type: Orphanage
Partner NGO: Trekking for Kids
DESIGNER: JI RED Studio
Makuyuni, Tanzania Maasai Cultural Center Without a doubt, the most exciting stop in January was with the Maasai of Makuyuni, Tanzania. Upon arrival, we were draped in traditional Maasai fabrics, given scepters and swept up in a tidal wave of chanting, singing and dancing — a celebration that did not subside for three days! The University of San Francisco has done an absolutely amazing job designing the Maasai Cultural Fund’s Campus, which will capture the spirit and unique cultural practices of this tribe. Steph became intimately familiar with one of these customs when she was asked how many cows it would require for her hand in marriage. Steph’s dowry was determined around the fire that night to be 1 million cows...shockingly there weren’t very many takers.
PROJECT INFO: LOCATION: Makuyuni, Tanzania
Project Type: Maasai Cultural Center Maasai Cultural Fund
Partner NGO: Maasai Cultural Fund
Designer: University of San Francisco Architecture Department
Recap: Recent Projects GLOWA, Cameroon: Thanks to Alex Lowden’s continued support of our partner GLOWA, the human trafficking rehabilitation project is moving forward on fundraising and land procurement. Recently Jamils, the director of GLOWA paid a visit to our HQ in SLO. Both Alex and Jamils are devoting huge amounts of time to create material that will kickstart their capital campaign for the safe house. DIVOG, Ghana: DIVOG, an educational non profit, continues to move forward on fundraising for their secondary school. Designer Anna Nagasugi is continuing to assist with preconstruction development and phasing plans. Haiti: Child Hope did an amazing job raising money for David Gibbs’ orphanage in Kenscoff, Haiti. Unfortunately, groundbreaking has been halted due to legal issues with the final land acquisition. Patience and perseverance is needed for all those who are trying to sort this out.
Daniel’s Corner Financials
2013 was a year of growth in many ways. One of these is the expansion of our committed donor base. Thanks to those of you who have pledged to support us monthly, I am comforted greatly knowing we will have some consistent cashflow. Being able to depend on cashflow is critical for our business model as we forecast trips and new projects. If you would like to join our team by supporting us financially, please consider supporting us on a monthly basis. Setup is easy at www.journeymaninternational.org/donate. Thanks to your support, Journeyman was able to double our funding from 2012 to 2013. This allowed us to pay salaries, travel stipends for students, hire professional consultants (civil and structural engineers) and pay business administration expenses (office supplies, printing, website, etc.). With your help this year JI funded the design and development of 10 projects in 7 countries! In 2014 we plan to launch our “World Citizen” curriculum and expand it to more universities. We also plan to start 10 new projects. These ambitious goals will require at least an additional $100,000.
Steph’s Corner Thank You!
Murakoze cyanae. Weebale. Asante Sana. All ways to say thank you! No matter what language I use it will never express the depth of my gratitude for this last year. Because of your support I was able to travel all over the country and talk to professionals and professors from San Francisco to New York City. During this time I collected the advice of those much smarter than I, making sure that no detail was overlooked in the JI mission. Throughout the year I found myself becoming overwhelmed by what needed to be accomplished...and then I spent 5 weeks in Africa. I saw first hand not just what we are going to do, but what we ARE doing. The impact that JI has made on the world thus far is indisputable. Ask the students burrowing their noses into books in the Sunzu Library or the women at Gahaya Links. Or a little closer to home, our designers whose hearts (and even career paths!) have changed by serving our partner communities. We have been able to accomplish so much so far. It blows my mind to think about the impact we are going to make in the future. And that is why we say, we are just getting started…
Looking Forward: 2014 We truly feel honored that our donors, designers, and partners have put so much faith in us. We treat this trust very seriously, and are adamant about learning lessons and perfecting our mission. The architecture field has lacked an organization to tap into academia and harness young talent for global needs. From the hundreds of conversations we’ve had over the past year, we are positive that JI is the model that will successfully introduce social impact design to university campuses across the country. We aim to accomplish this by publishing our humanitarian design curriculum and presenting it to university programs around the world. The first place that the curriculum will be implemented is our very own RED Studio. We are actively pursuing approval from Cal Poly for our humanitarian studio to be a fully accredited studio course. This course will be offered to 4th year students all over the world who want to spend a quarter working with real clients on humanitarian projects. We have been discussing a launch date of September 2015 with the Cal Poly Architecture department. Last but not least, Daniel will be joining Steph in the office full time. It is our hope to be ambassadors of what our students are capable of accomplishing, guided by appropriate need based designs for communities around the world. 2013 was an amazing adventure; 2014 will be even better.
Daniel Wiens President Journeyman International, Inc.
Stephanie Fellows Project Coordinator Journeyman International, Inc.
A 501(c)3 NON-PROFIT ENDEAVOR EIN: 27-0478912