Desiree in India: Day 3: Laurie Baker Center, SEWA, and IISE

Day three of our journey was spent at the Laurie Baker Center for Habitat Studies (LBC). The facilities were gorgeous. This site was the last thing Baker designed before he passed away and its purpose is to document the work of COSTFORD and educate others about the organization's philosophy, goals, and methods. Our presentations covered Baker's philosophy and architectural style and low-cost and eco-sensitive materials and technologies.

Laurie Baker Center

More LBC

Mango Ying Yang

Water Well at the LBC

Homegirls at the LBC

Human Mango

We ate a traditional Kerala lunch, which is served on a banana leaf and is eaten with the hands. It had various flavors of spices, pickle, coconut, banana, and rice. The food was delicious, especially desert!

Me getting ready to chow down!

Traditional Kerala meal

Next, we visited the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) just up the road from the LBC. SEWA is made up of 2,000 women who make hand-made paper from recycled materials. The women are able to contribute to the household income, feel more confident about themselves and their role within the family, and learn many valuable skills. What I keep hearing is that many men will spend their money on alcohol, come home drunk, and create hostile home environments. Women working with SEWA are able to gain more control over their lives and better support their children. After watching a short demonstration of paper-making, we had lots of fun shopping!

Women making paper at the SEWA

Hand made paper dried and pressed

The last place we visited was the International Institute for Social Entrepreneurs (IISE). Not only was the mission and story of the organization inspiring and touching, the IISE campus was breathtaking and progressive. The goal of the organization is to take the facilities off the grid and eventually become self-sustaining with no need for outside electricity.