How 6 Startups Are Tackling Problems In The Developing World
The Tech Awards, hosted by The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, Calif., shines a spotlight on startups that use technology to make lives better in poor countries.
Here’s a look at the winners and the problems they address.
1. Problem: People aren’t paying enough attention to women’s rights and HIV/AIDS.
Solution: Harness the power of media. A San Francisco-based organization called Equal Access International works with local groups to design, produce and distribute quality educational programming for satellite TV and radio in nine countries across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Even in remote villages, people can tune in with low-cost receivers.
What made this nonprofit stand out to the judges, says Zane, is that it began out with just one radio show in 2003 and has significantly expanded. The radio show “Chatting With My Best Friend” in Nepal, which tackles topics like sex and love, started off with a goal to reach 10,000 listeners in 2003. Today, it has 7.2 million listeners. And it’s inspired “listening clubs” — groups of young people sitting around the radio listening to the show, then talking about the issues afterward — and copycat programs in other countries.
Another example of their work is the radio drama “One Village, A Thousand Voices” in Afghanistan, which creates skits with storylines that touch on everything from human trafficking to solving problems without violence.
Equal Access International says its programs now reach 67 million people around the world.
2. Problem: Confronting oil and mining companies that pollute the environment.
Solution: Give data to the people who want to protest. Source International works with small towns in countries like Guatemala, Mexico and Peru affected by pollution and health problems caused by big oil and mining companies.
A team of scientists and researchers from Italy, Peru and California travel to the areas and gather evidence — like soil, air and water samples. They analyze for signs of pollution and give the information, free of charge, to citizens, who then use it to prove to lawmakers that these big companies have caused serious harm.
Since 2009, Source International has provided support for 21 citizen projects in 11 countries on five continents. In 2013, Source International helped the residents of Guerrero, Mexico win $10 million in compensation for environmental damages caused by a nearby mining company. Stephens says it’s those “real wins” that impressed the judges this year.
3. Problem: If it’s not raining, there’s no way to water the crops.
Solution: Make a cheap water pump that’s easy to use. Many poor farmers in India rely on rains from the monsoon season to water their crops. After that, they look for fields near a river or other water source — even though in many parts of India, there’s water in the ground right beneath their feet. The issue is that poor farmers don’t know how to use irrigation systems or can’t afford them.IDE-India invents affordable irrigation systems, including a foot-powered pump that looks kind of like an elliptical machine from the gym — with bamboo handles. Pedal it and it suctions water from the ground.
To convince farmers to give it a try, the New Delhi-based company travels to villages showing Bollywood-style songs and movies of farmers dancing happily in lush fields. Sure it sounds goofy, but it’s paired with real-life demos on how to use the pump. “Their technology is not complicated,” says Stephens. “It’s their marketing and communications strategy that took the company to another level.” IDE-India’s irrigation products are currently used by 1.3 million households.
Read the full story here.
baratheonpilled
dededos
blakekathryn
2087
vaporwave
kaledo-art
andulkaphoto
