The UN's children's agency is using new construction strategies to tackle some of the world's "most complex humanitarian and development issues," per a press release.
Among the projects in the works: an "e-container digital hub" at a school in Cameroon; a replacement for a harsh coal-fired stove in Mongolia; and a roof made out of recycled pallets.
In Cameroon, for instance, three 20-foot containers are being used to house 20,000 students and their teachers at 20 schools.
The hub uses on-site renewable energy through solar panels, energy-efficient air circulation, recycled tires as concrete forms, and rehabilitated wooden pallets and cable reels as furniture.
In Mongolia, UNICEF is replacing a harsh coal-fired stove with an electric heater, waterproof insulation, and an air filtration system.
Air pollution poses a risk to the health of children in Mongolia, which has one of the highest rates of pneumonia in the world.
"We no longer need to buy coal, which means no more dust in the ger," says one resident of a village in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where UNICEF's Cooking, Heating, and Insulation Product (CHIP) package is being used.
"I'm grateful that my younger son is now growing up in Abidjan a better environment
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The Charities Aid Foundation has set up a scheme, called the Social Enterprise Assist, that will render interest-free loans of up to £10,000 each to help social enterprise start-ups.