'KUONEKANA' Resilient Community Design Research to Improve Women's Living Situation in Walungu, DR Congo
MLA Design Research Seminar: Resonance Studio Leader: Alban Mannisi
Xinyi Hu s3831861
[ Project Introduction ]
As a woman, how I use my experience to understand places and landscape design?
I am a 25 years old Chinese woman. I also observe my mother, my sister and my best friend live as female. "Women are smaller, shorter and weaker than man." I understand. "Women always feel unsafe. Women are timid. Women always cried." I understand. ... ... "Woman are always afraid to walk alone on the street." I understand. "Woman are always waiting a long line for toilet, but men do not." I understand. "Sport field are occupied by men because women do not like sport." I understand. ... ... I understand these because these are my life. But I do not understand why these happen to us, until I found out actully this is how adult man understand places. In my eyes, women are generouse, intelligent and herotic. However, this characteristic are invisible, as female's experience of places are invisible. Using landscape design to returen the opportunities that woman should have. This is how I, as a female landscape architecture student, understand places.
Why Choose DR Congo's community as woman empowerment design research topic?
DR Congo attracts me by its largest tropical rainforest at first. The marvelous plants, lovely wildlives and different kinds of minerals, this country likes a container of all the treasure from nature. Neverthelss, when I search about this country, I see the other side of this place. Wars, hungary, poverty, disease, rape, death. It is hard to put these words together with my expression about Congo Basin. Especially the women in this country, they are most visible when it is in the rape news. This is astonishing and sorrowful. However, when I watched an interview about these women, they are very committed to live. Aren't this the same with any other woman in the world, working hard and seriously to expect life can return them more? This inspire me to study more about how they living as a woman in their environment, and how might they teach us to do for the gender equity design practice in this place, how can we create more opportunity to show the world about woman's intellegence, generouseness, courage and fortitude.
[ Project Framework ] NATURAL CAPITAL STUDY
HUMANITY RELATED STUDY
+ Human Capital Study +
RESEARCH PROCESS
+
+
+
Argricultural Practice
Project Value
Women Related Issue Specific Study + Precedent Works Study
Issues
Geographic Analysis
Histroy Study
+
+ Strategy
Climate Issue Study
Resilient Community Solutions
Women Living Improvement Issues
DESIGN APPROACH
Safety
Reasons
Social Value Political Reasons Unsafe Living Environment
Capacity
Reasons
Low Access to Land Low Productivity Female Unfriendly Working Condition
Equity
Reasons
Lack of Decision Making Ability Low Resources Accessibility Low Power in Public & Private Area
Measures
Safe Public Space Mental & Physical Health Care Higher Mobility
Measures
Solving Climate Issue Agricultural Practices Other Skills
Measures
Inclusive Spaces Education Resources Accessibility
[ Table of Content ]
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Design Strategy 1. Walungu, South Kivu, DR Congo 2. Women in Walungu 3. Natural Capital in Walungu 4. Proposal
[ 1.1 DR Congo ]
DR Congo has the Largest Cobalt, Copper and Diamond Production Field in the World. 70% of Minerals Species and 30% of Diamond are Here.
1200s Rise of Kongo Empire.
Congo Rainforest is the Second Largest Rainforest in the World.
1870s Belgian King Leopold II Controlled Congo Free State. Ivory, rubber and minerals were sold in Great Demand to the World Market.
16th-17th Centuries Slave Trade Initiated by British, Dutch, French and Portugese.
1908 Belgain Colonized the Country and Named it Belgain Congo.
By 2008, the Estimated Death Rate of Civil War Reach 5.4 Million. The Death Rate of Conflicts is still High. This is Not Only Number but Human Life.
With the CONFLICT of abundance of NATURAL RESOURCES and the UNSTABLE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, the citizens of DR Congo experiencing the THIRD largest population of POOR globally, were less INVISIBLE compare to the resources and wars.
Until 2012, only 8.2% of the Parliament are Female.
FACTS of DR Congo 1960 1997 Independence, Following Laurent Kabila by Civil War and Temporary Became President. Fragmentation. 1964 Mobutu Sese Seko Seized Power. DR Congo formed.
The Frequent War Forced a Large Amount of Citizens Became Refugee Especially in the East of the Country.
2006 First Election in 4 Decades.
1997-2003 Second Several World Drawing in Several Neighbouring Countries. Eastern DR Congo was the center of Fire.
Every Year 400 Thousands of Women were Rapped in this Country, Found by One Study.
2020 A Series Attack Left 1316 People Dead and 132 Injured. 2019 Felix Tishisekedi Won the President Election.
Population: 81.5 Million Area: 2.34 Million Sq Km Major Languages: Frenches, Lingala, Kiswahill, Kikongo, Tshiluba Major Religions: Christianity, Islam Urban to Rural Ratio: 44.5% to 55.5%
Natural resources are supported Congoleses' lives. This resources also are the cause of conflicts that internal and external groups were attracted to here. Will giving all the right of using resources to the community help the local find back their pace of lives?
[ 1.2 South Kivu ]
[ 1.3 Walungu ] 2 WHY WALUNGU for THIS PROJECT?
1
South Kivu has the most serious rapped problem, and Walungu was one of the worst places, and also the first place in the province has rudimentary empowerment projects. Women‘s are more aware of their situation, and it will be a capable place for innovation to be impletated and evaluated before scaling .
WHAT PLACE IS SOUTH KIVU ? South Kivu is neighbouring Rwanda and Brundi. Due to this node location, South Kivu is one of the place has most conclicts in the country. Unfortunately, women are using in a way that armies used to show their power over a place. Therefore, companying with the high war rate, South Kivu is also know as a 'unimaginable brutal''Rape Capital of the World'.
3
FACTS OF WALUNGU Households: Around 1000 Male to Female Ratio: 49.7 : 50.3 Median Age: 17
Electrification: 0.4%(rural) - 9%(urban) Energy Sources: Biomass, eg. timber
KEY WORDS: YOUTH, LOW LIFE EXPECTANCY, LOW DEVELOPMENT
In Walungu, the conflicts are more serious. Women as the vulnearable group are most invisible and hurt the most. They are trying to make themselves more visible by seeing themsleves already. How can we help them to be more visible by the others?
[ 2.1 What are the Problems in Different Age of Women? ]
Leave School to Work Malnutrition
< 5 Yrs Old 18%
Take Care of Children Support Food for Family Travel as Transport for Trade ... ...
5 - 14 Yrs Old 27%
15 - 19 Yrs Old 11%
20 - 49 Yrs Old 18%
(Invisible in Study)
>50 Yrs Old 18%
in a decade.
Women in DR Congo are hurt by both health problem and traditional gender related practice. However, women takes a lot of resiponsibilities of families' lives. They are using as tools to reproduction, including their bodies; these resources are not belong to them, including their bodies either. How can women get what they produced? How can the right of using their bodies return to themselves?
39%
Moreover, many studies reported that due to women's daily practices and their personalities, they are more acting like preventers, which are helpful in building sustainable peace.
Over 1 milion !
Early Marriage & Early Giving Birth
women have been raped
women being reported threatened or injured,
the real number will be more than this
[ 2.2 Women's Daily Routes ]
In public space, Women's bodies are seen as belong to the public
[ 2.3 Women's Needs and Wants ]
The way to other commuities are unpaved and people are unseen here.
1 Safe Working Environment 1 Safe Working Environment !
Primary School
!
Trade in other communites The way to other commuities are unpaved and people are unseen here.
3 Enough Foods
The way to farm pass by forest will be unsafe.
WANTSNEEDS NEEDS
WANTS
WANTS
3 Own Land 3 Own Land
4 Own Time 4 Own Time
5 Recover From Trauma 5 Recover From Trauma
!
The farm filed always covered by forest, which is not safe.
3 Enough Foods NEEDS
5 Recover From Trauma
Farm Field
!
3 Enough Foods
2 Ga
2 Gathering Places
2 Safe Living Environment
4 Health Care Support 44Health Care Support Health Care Support
Home
1 2 Education Opportunites Gathering Places
1 Safe Working Environment
2 Safe Living Environment 2 Safe Living Environment Trade in other communites
Trade in the ! Community
1 Education Opportunites 1 Education
5 OwnMoney Money 5 Own 6 Right of Making Decision
6 Right of Making Decision 6 Right of Ma
Moving around is necessary for women to have their daily life. However, dangerous are happened everywhere due to they become visible, be viewed as public goods to man. The problem is still women is invisible, except their bodies, their skills, their wisdom, their esteem are invisible. How can these kinds of things be visible?
[ 2.4 What can we Learn from the Former NGO Practices? - Women Empowerment ] Case 1: Helping women buy land
Case 2: Skilled Teaching
Women have no land, no country. In the community, they say that ‘women cannot buy or own land’, but I bought it and women see me as a strong woman. – Furaha
Learning: Some have argued that this capitalistic methods are another type of Western cultural colonism. Beside buying land, maybe emphasie women's comparative advaantages to access land and gradually own the land will be more convincing to aboriginal.
Case 3: Listening House
Learning: Mental Health is very important and it is the basic for vulnerable group to be heard and try to access more ability in the future.
Learning: Some women said the learning gave pressure to them. Improving farming might be more similar to their original practice and more acceptable in their stress daily life at the beginning.
After traumatic experience, women's physical and mental health level should be consider to address a soft re-start for their lives. Also, their identity as a Walungu woman is important for them to be proud of themsleves.
[ 3.1 Geographic Analysis ]
Opportunites 1. Topography is obvious, highest in the middle road and lower at the two sides of that 2. One existing main road cut through the whole community 3. Some farmland are near communities, more farmland can be created near house Problems 1. Forest spreads over the community, they creates safety threat to women 2. Two large farmland are far away for woman to travel to work from home 3. Not many roads for travel place to place 4. Except main road, only a few danger informal paths
[ 3.2 Agricultural Practices ]
" The agricultural sector supports two-thirds of the population"
"Congo's agricultural sector employs around 60 percent of its total labor force and accounts for 43 percent of the country's GDP"
Amount of Main Food Crops
"Active woman are mainly concentrated in agriculture (70% in traditional agriculture)"
HOWEVER, THEY ARE FACING SOME PROBLEMS ...
Rainedfed cultivated land. However, drought and flooding cases increasing these years
Traditional Practice Creates Soil Degration Low Productivity; Low Yield
Deforestation and forest degration due to unadapted farming (Shifting cultivation: abandon land when fertility decline)
Cassava Lack of transportation system for more trading
Rice
Palm oil
Type of Plants
1. Stop cutting trees 2. Using existing farm lands 3. Planting foods crop more efficiently 4. Education needs for new farming practices
[ 4.1 Design Value ]
Phases of Aims
Improving Woman Living Environment
1
Safery First
Improving Resillience Life Respect Environment
1
+ 2
Care Mental Needs
+ 3
Provide Education Opportunities
2
Observe and Learning
3
Seeing Each Other Equitly
Adapting Climated Suited Agriculture
+ 3
Protect Forest
=
= Individual Being Visible
Looking After Each Other
Supply Enough Foods
+ 2
1
Contribution Being Visible
[ 4.2 Design Strategy ]
=
Existing Condition
Design Strategy
+
Farming Strategy
+
Main Road and Road Strategy for Farming Field
+
Actvities Space
Existing Forest
[ 4.3 Design Stage 1 - Visible Working Environment ] Existing Condition
Design Strategy
Existing Condition
Design Strategy
The first strategy is farming strategy - Men working in the lower land for planting palm oil tree, and woman working in the higher land for rice and cassava. Design Reason: 1 Cassava, rice and palm oil tree are the most common eaten food in the community. By planting them the community can be more self-sufficient. 2 Cassava and rice need to be cooked for dishes, palm oil is not for main dish. Women are having the responsibility on cooking now, these can reduce their walking distance from farm field to kitchen. 3 Cassava and rice plants are shorter than women, so they can be visible during work. 4 Man work in the outer also means that they have the responsibility to protect their byStrategy attacking. Farming Strategy Maincommunity Road and Road for Farming Field Actvities Space 5 Separating their working places provides safer environment for women to recover from their rape trauma.
+
Farming Strategy
Average Central African Male Height: 169 cm
+
New walking path creates based on the existing main roads. Design Reason: 1 Less walking distance from place to place 2 More people walking by farm field can suggest more eyes on each other 3 According to the landform, more opportunity of observation provided
++
+
Main Road andExisting Road Strategy Forest for Farming Field
Average Central African Male Height: 158 cm Farm Field
2M
Farm Field
Elevating Path
Main Road
1M 2M
1M
Palm Oil Tree
Rice Farm Field Cassava
Elevating Path
+
Actvities Space
= [ 4.4 Design Stage 2 - Visible Needs and Wants ] Design Strategy
Design Strategy
Existing Condition
Design Strategy
Design Strategy
+
+
+
+
++
+
+
Road Strategy for Main Farming Road and FieldRoad Strategy for Farming Actvities Field Space
Main Road and Road Strategy for Farming Field
+
Existing Condition Actvities Space Existing Farming ForestStrategy Actvities Space
+
Existing Forest
+=
+
Main Road and Road Strategy for Farming FieldDesign
StrategyActvities Space
Observstion Tower
Indoor Gathering Space
Roads lead to forests need to be romoved.
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Design Reason: 1 Forest need to be kept due to climate reasons 2 Many raped cases are reported Farming Strategy happen in the forest, which makes people invisible
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Existing Forest
Existing Forest
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+
Place to Rest and Communicate
Design Reason: 1 Female can have daily social activities nearby, more communication opportunites for female 2 More people in the working areas provides more opportunities of observation 3 Different activities can be created in daily life Existing Forest 4 They do access education opportunities easier when they have heavy responsibilities on supporting families 5 Education Center provide indoor gathering place and can be used as observation tower.
+
Education & Education Centre
Main Road and Road Strategy for Farming Field
New activities spaces are proposed in the intersection of the paths.
Actvities Space
Place for Children to Play
+
[ 4.4 Design - Perspective]
[ Reference ]
'KUONEKANA' Resilient Community Design Research to Improve Women's Living Situation in Walungu, DR Congo
MLA Design Research Seminar: Resonance Studio Leader: Alban Mannisi Xinyi (Cindy) Hu s3831861