Uramba

Uramba is a floating barge designed to deliver healthcare services to riverside communities along the Atrato River. The large-scale barge provides accessible spaces for health-related discussions, medical consultations, gardens dedicated to medicinal plants, and kitchens for the preparation of traditional remedies.

The Atrato River serves as a critical connection between Quibdó and numerous rural communities in Chocó, many of which face significant barriers to accessing healthcare services that are often provided only in a rudimentary manner at municipal centers, necessitating prolonged river travel. In response to these limitations, local communities have developed robust systems of traditional knowledge that rely on the use of natural resources and ancestral practices to address health-related needs. Within this context, the Uramba concept underscores the importance for COTECMAR of recognizing vulnerable communities as experts in their own environments. This perspective opens opportunities to explore service-oriented solutions that extend beyond transportation alone, integrating healthcare delivery with cultural knowledge and community participation.

A low-resolution prototype of the vision concept Uramba. The authors are Maday Ramirez, Oscar Quiroga, and Felipe Páez. The image was captured by Esteban Rios, and the model was created by Felipe Páez.