By Daniela Grijalva

Currently, many of the traditional homes in rural southern Ecuador are constructed of adobe block, which crumbles easily without proper cementation and insulation. The resulting cracks and faults create roofs and rooflines with many gaps that allow kissing bugs to enter the home easily and hide until their victims are soundly asleep inside. The lack of windows and lighting that accompany these older adobe structures lead to long periods of darkness, which makes catching kissing bugs even harder.  

Healthy Homes, on the other hand, provide an innovative structure composed of the same adobe brick that has been traditionally used in housing, but adds the necessary solidification of the walls. The walls are structured in such a way that permit large windows with screens, allowing plenty of natural light and fresh air to enter the home, while simultaneously keeping bugs out.

These walls are topped by well-shingled roofs with complete wall to roofline construction, smokestacks, and a sealed membrane, preventing bugs from entering the home and helping the roofs last longer. Updated kitchen, garden, livestock, and toilet facilities ensure that families can maintain healthy lifestyles both in and around their new home while cultivating those emotional connections that are so essential to a true home.