Due to calamities and wars, millions of people around the world have been uprooted from their homes, and they are now considered refugees who are forced to stay in temporary settlements. Some of them do not have any choice but to stay in these camps for years. They suffer from poor living conditions which can result to serious health problems and widespread of epidemics.
In an attempt to make a difference among these people, a group of designers from Belgium, DMOA, has come up with a portable or modular shelter called the 'Maggie Shelter.' This temporary settlement is affordable and eco-friendly, and is way better than most refugee camps in terms of providing decent living conditions to displaced people.
Bart Peeters, Head of the 'Maggie' team, explains why he conceptualized the project. In their website, he writes, I have worked for many years in logistics and in disaster relief across Africa, Middle East and Asia. It struck me that while there are so many efforts and resources to assist displaced people, it's still a real struggle for survival given the basic living conditions they must endure in refugee camps - often for many years. The structures used for critical activities - medical treatment, education, storage of vital supplies - are just not fit for purpose. And this directly and negatively impacts the health and future prospects of about 18 million people every year.
DMOA has built the temporary shelter from low cost materials, but with superb quality, as it can serve its purpose for up to 15 years. The standard 'Maggie' has an area of 20 by 6 meters, and can accommodate up to 60 people. Since it is modular, occupants could customize it depending on the tent's use.
Its biggest difference from the regular settlement tents is that its occupants could fill in its inner walls with materials like sand, straw or even trash to improve insulation and stability.
According to its website, it took the team 15 months of researching, testing, and building several prototypes until they have finally come up with the product. Currently, they rely on their sponsors and the funds they got from Indiegogo to bring the refugee home to production. The project is expected to be released on Jan. 15, 2016.
