Grassroots innovations as salutogenic practices in a slum of Medellín
Abstract Background WHO pointed out urbanization as one of the main troubles and defiances for public health in the 21st century because of the increasing urban health inequalities. The United Nations SDGs 11 promotes local strategies to create environments that expand the resources of a healthier, sustainable, livable for life. Basically, grassroots innovation practices (GIP) are shown as boosters and leading figures of urban social transformation in Slums. On average, 20% in Medellin live in Slums with poverty conditions extremely high. Methods In 2018, a qualitative case study focused on urban health and salutogenesis was carried out using an interpretative scope by communitarian narrative explanation building analysis. 32 participants, inhabitants and founders of the Slum, mainly adults, were involved in semi-structured Interviews, Photovoice and Mapping of Community Assets. All ethical aspects were conceived to respect the voices on the struggles for being renowned as part of the city. Results El Faro built on a settlement space by its residents through a process which they have called 'dignity and resistance' has transform as a consequence of a set of drivers of four GIP developed around the community. Among them, water management, creation of public space and artistic training. GIP have mobilized community health assets, allowing the development of an important sense of community coherence (SoC-C), with which the community faces their situation of poverty, modifying the conditions that reproduce it and setting up coherent experiences. Conclusions GIP are configured as an alternative response to local needs and structural limitations and confrontations. SOC-C has contributed to generate health and well-being, through a process of empowerment that promotes a critical, reflective and proactive citizenship in front of its environment. New research based on salutogenesis is needed as a spotlight institutional governance strategy to bottom up housing public policies. Key messages SOC-C generates mobilization of own community health assets to face the local situation of poverty in a bottom up process; alluring meaningful processes and raising social cohesion experiences. Social and urban transformation from the community are possible and attributable to a result of grassroots innovation practices.