「折り紙」にヒントを得た個人用シェルター ホームレス問題を解決へ

ティナ・ホブスピアンさんは、単にクラスのプロジェクトで「A」を取りたかったのではない。彼女は人々の生活を変えることを望んだ。
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ティナ・ホブスピアンさんは、単にクラスのプロジェクトで「A」を取りたかったのではない。彼女は人々の生活を変えることを望んだ。

ホブスピアンさんは建築家で、「カードボリガミ」と呼ばれる折り畳みや持ち運びが可能な個人用シェルターの発明者だ。彼女は「折り紙」に着想を得て、2007年に南カリフォルニア大学の学生時代に発案した。大学の課題としてスタートしたものが、彼女の故郷であるロサンゼルスのホームレス問題を解決する実行可能な方法になったのだ。

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(Photo: Tina Hovsepian)

ホブスピアンさんは、3月18日の「ウィメン・イン・ザ・ワールド」のイベントでその設計を高く評価され、ホームレスを支援する活動を進めるために50,000 ドルのトヨタ・ドライビング・ソリューション助成金を受けた。現在も、ロサンゼルスの路上に自らの製品を広めるために現在、資金を集めている

ホブスピアンさんはカンボジアに留学したことがあり、そこで荒廃した学校を再建する経験を通して、困っている人を助けることに関心を抱いたという。

「(カンボジア留学は)第三世界の貧困を直接目にした初めての経験であり、アメリカのロサンゼルスに住み、教育を受けることができ、周りに支えとなる人々がいるということがどれだけ恵まれていることかを痛感させられました」 。彼女は「ウィメン・イン・ザ・ワールド」が制作したビデオでこのように述べた。スキッド・ロウ地区などに代表されるロサンゼルス市内のホームレスは、ある意味では「第三世界よりもひどい」と話した。なぜなら、アメリカにはホームレス問題を解決する可能性が残されているからだ。

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Hovsepian at a Women in the World event on March 18. (Photo: Tina Hovsepian)

ホブスピアンさんは、「カードボリガミ」プロジェクトの創設者であると同時に、執行役員も務める。団体は非営利組織で、製品を必要とする人々に対して永久的な長期的住居を確保することが目的だ。

ホブスピアンさんによると、この組織は、ホームレスから抜け出すための4つのステップを策定した。何よりもまず、カードボリガミは緊急シェルターを、必要とする人々に提供することを優先させる。次に、この非営利組織は、依頼者に社会サービスを提供することが可能な提携組織と協力を行っていく。

永久的な住居を確保し、それから職業あっせんを通してその住居を維持することは、このグループのモデルの第三、第四のステップだ。

ホブスピアンさんは、故郷であるロサンゼルス郡でホームレスの危機的状況の改善に取り組んでいる。ロサンゼルス・ホームレス・サービス当局によると、同郡には、2,013年時点で58,423人のホームレスがおり、これは2011年からおよそ16パーセントの増加だ。

カードボリガミは、良い方向への小さなステップになるかもしれない。ホブスピアンさんは、少ない資金で多くの人々を助けることができるように、この製品の製作費を30ドルから20ドルに削減することを目指していると述べた。

「私がしてきたように、路上の人たちと話をすれば、誰もがそれぞれのストーリーを持っていることがわかるでしょう」とホブスピアンさんは述べた。「私は、それを共有する代弁者になりたいのです。おそらく私たちは皆、ホームレスに対する新たな視点を得られるでしょう。そして、原因に対するより多くの資源を集めるために、この設計を利用したいのです」。

「カードボリガミ」の公式サイトにはこちらからアクセスできる。国家規模でホームレス問題への取組みを支援する「PATH(People Assisting The Homeless)」のクラウドライズ・ウィジェトはこちらだ:

この記事はハフポストUS版に掲載されたものを翻訳しました。

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