Nyakatoke is a rural village in the northwestern corner of Tanzania, near Bukoba, with nearly 600 inhabitants. Due to the fact that there is no nursery school within walking distance of the village, the average level of education in Nyakatoke is far below the rural Tanzanian standards. It is widely acknowledged that especially primary education is one of the most powerful tools in fighting extreme poverty: achieving a full course of primary schooling for all boys and girls is one of the UN Millennium Development Goals. The building of a nursery school in Nyakatoke will be a small step towards achieving those goals.

The design of the building was driven by local circumstances such as the orientation of the plot, the people’s living conditions, etc. Special attention has also been given to ecological measures such as the recycling of rainwater. Since only locally available materials and techniques will be applied, no external workers need to be involved in the construction of the building. All these measures should ensure the sustainability of the project.

The San Francisco Javier Hospital, recognized by the National Sanitary System as the public hospital of Assin district, is the reference hospital structure for 41 surgeries, scattered in this area with about 250.000 beneficiaries. Considering the importance of the hospital, a great planning analysis was imperative. A methodological and procedural process of transformation and reorganization of Assin was initiated in order to improve the existing structures and their reciprocal relations, thus guaranteeing a correct and sustainable increase of the new sanitary structure.

ASF ONLUS designed the technical urban project which includes the interventions for the planning and development of the entire hospital center. The master-plan contains measures for the enlargement of the pre-existing hospital buildings, for the reorganization of the connections between the different parts as well as for the realization of new buildings, more functional for the users.

This project is an extension of a school in Addis Ababa, in the form of an Educational Centre. The school’s target is the poorest families and street children and its pedagogy is based on humanism and everyone’s equal rights. Through the years the school has helped thousands of children to a better life.

Ethnical segregation has increased dramatically in the Ethiopia in recent years. The main purpose of the Educational Centre is to counteract this tendency and promote understanding among different cultures. The idea is that it will become a place where the students themselves can exhibit items from their own cultures and tell each other about them. Another important aim is to create pride in Ethiopia to hinder the brain-drainage and make the children stay in the country and contribute to its development once educated. Moreover, the centre will include exhibitions on the history of Ethiopia and women’s and children’s rights.

The building will be approximately 600 sqm and focus on creating spaces for exhibitions and opportunities for informal and formal meetings. It will also be a useful supplement in the school’s everyday education - for outdoor lectures, drama and music classes - and it will form the main meeting point for students and teachers. Building materials are chosen with sustainability and local availability in mind.