Essentials for Living

These are unprecedented times that we are living in. In 2020, the COVID pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt. Over 6.4 Million people lost their lives in the pandemic. And it still continues, despite our best efforts. World economies experienced a shock due to the shutdown of the markets, factories and other key institutions. Many businesses continue to reel in under the stress of such shocks, many businesses perished. These are not the only crises prevailing currently. Global warming continues unabated. Wildfires across the world continue to damage the ecosphere and affect the lives and livelihoods of people living in those areas. In 2022, war broke out between Ukraine and Russia. We live in an increasingly interconnected world, where consequences can reach faraway shores in mere months. In a cascading series of events, it has led to the weakening of supply chains and the economies of the entire world.

In a time of intense difficulty or danger, critical systems needed for human beings to function break down. Research shows that in times of crisis, human beings fall back to the lowest levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which are basic physiological and security needs such as food, water, shelter and healthcare. We asked ourselves a few questions throughout the design process. How might we improve access to the essentials of living during times of crisis?

Our solution is an open community supported bulletin board for people who can provide help and those who need help. We have named it ‘Succour’ which means ‘giving assistance and support in times of hardship’ and this is what it precisely does. It enables everyone to help their fellow citizens who do not have access to essentials and also allows those who need help to ask for it