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Sarah Andrews
sarah@edgeofseven.org

EDGE OF SEVEN AND ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANITY COLLABORATE ON THE SOLUKHUMBU DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TO ADDRESS SOCIAL NEEDS IN THE RURAL AND IMPOVERISHED EVEREST REGION OF NEPAL

Project will explore innovative low-impact building methods and sustainable water and sanitation systems, improving the quality of life of five villages in the Himalayan region

Edge of Seven, an organization committed to initiatives benefiting girls and their communities in developing countries, and Architecture for Humanity, the non-profit design firm building a sustainable future through the power of humanitarian design, are pleased to announce their collaboration on the Solukhumbu Development Project (SDP).

The Solukhumbu Development Project is expected to bring systemic community improvements to five remote villages in the Everest Region of Nepal, where residents currently lack basic access to clean water, adequate sanitation and equal education.

Although popular with high-end climbing expeditions, the remote Everest region of Nepal is plagued by poverty and lacks adequate access to education, including those villages that directly serve the famous mountaineering community. The World Bank contends that poverty is the single largest factor that causes disparities in education. Many poor families in Nepal cannot afford to send their children to school because of fees, uniform and supplies costs. Moreover, poor families cannot withstand the loss of income from labor contributed by children, particularly that of girls. By providing comprehensive solutions to these communities’ needs, Edge of Seven and Architecture for Humanity expect to create an environment that alleviates pressure on social structures and encourages expanded educational opportunities.

The Solukhumbu Development Project plans improvements in 5 villages:

● Water and sanitation improvements to the village of Purdu
● A two-room addition to a lower secondary school in the village of Phuleli
● A four-room addition and new sanitation facilities to a higher secondary school in the village of Basa
● A new primary school campus with working toilets and fresh water supply in the village of Chiwang
● Environmental and sanitation improvements using a pilot biogas toilet system harnessing gas produced by fermentation of organic matter for cooking fuel and electricity


“At Edge of Seven, we believe that universal education is a critical step towards breaking the cycle of poverty,” said Erin Guttenplan, the founder of Edge of Seven. “After digging into the cultural elements of the communities in need, we realized expanding access to education wasn’t as simple as just building classrooms. We need to work with other partners, as well as members of each community, to develop systems for better public health education, better economic development, and better access to water and sanitation.”

Architecture for Humanity will tap into its talented design coalitions—in Austin, Boston, Denver and Seattle—to explore introducing new environmentally-sensitive building and infrastructure technologies to the Everest region. Their research on stone, rammed earth, and earth bag building and biogas toilets will be taught and ideally replicated by local Nepali building specialists.

“We chose to work with Edge of Seven in Nepal because of the organization’s track record in the region,” said Travis Hughbanks, architect and Architecture for Humanity design fellow working on the project. “We are looking forward to collaborating not only with Ms. Guttenplan, but with other experts in the Architecture for Humanity global family of designers to create a world class program for a very deserving community in need.”

Edge of Seven has recently completed a short documentary on the lives of two girls living in the Everest region of Nepal called, “The Mountain Between Us”. It is expected to be released the end of the summer and will have a limited showing at Architecture for Humanity chapter events in the fall. For more details on Edge of Seven and its projects and events, please visit the website at www.edgeofseven.org.