Indoor Dishwashing Workstation for Chile

Week by week, and drop by drop, twelve students from the Art Center College of Design are working towards social change. In partnership with Un Techo Para Mi Pais, the students develop new tools for using, storing, and transporting water to improve the quality of life of impoverished families living in campamentos/slums in Chile. Last week we joined Stephanie and witnessed how she designed a community  laundry facility that aimed to offer convenience and fill the emotional needs of people living in campamentos.   This week, join KC and Jackie and follow step by step how they innovate on the creation of a low-cost kitchen workstation for washing dishes indoors and facilitating the re-use of water.

Convenience and Awareness

“I don’t like to do the dishes in front of the house because I don’t want people to see me.” –Maria.

Washing dishes in the campamentos is an arduous task. Maria uses two plastic buckets on top of a surface outdoors to soap and rinse dishes.  Without access to running water and drainage, the simple act of washing dishes requires numerous steps, carrying and moving water by hand to complete the task. Without a fixed workstation, women often wash dishes on the floor, in unsanitary conditions, or outdoors subject to the weather.

Families in campamentos are not aware of the value of water. Understanding the cost and consumption would allow families to manage usage once they move to their definitive house outside campamentos.  For this reason KC and Jackie are committed to innovating a low-cost kitchen workstation that would allow the re-use of water.

Next week join Ramon and Will and follow step by step how they innovate a strategy for sharing and inspiring social innovation by people in campamentos, via a monthly publication, competition and online information hub. See you then!

We also invite you to watch KC and Jackie's testimonies below, and we suggest you to start asking yourself how you can also make a change in your community. Remember... everyone can be a changemaker!

For more about the students' experience, view their blog here.