For the past couple of weeks I’ve been reading the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. It traces the travels, travails, and triumphs of Dr. Paul Farmer, the founder of Partners in Health (PIH). PIH has been at the forefront of the Haitian earthquake coverage. For decades, Farmer has been plugging away in Haiti, Peru, Roxbury, MA, and Moscow, advocating for the use of innovative methods and technologies to fight infectious disease. His tireless work is awe-inspiring. The man never quits.
I’ve still got another 100 pages to go so I’ll hold off on the book review. Reading it every morning and every evening on my commute, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to put technology in the hands of people around the world who are living in poverty. Technology transforms communities; we’ve seen examples of this phenomenon all over the world. The trouble is that they’re priced out of the market. It’s been bothering me because this conundrum represents a real injustice in the world. People should be able to get what they need to survive and thrive, and too often our world just doesn’t work that way.
And then I found a little bright spot a few days ago through Kopernik. In 4 steps, we can contribute toward the goal of putting technologies into the hands of the people who need them most around the globe. From solar-powered hearing aids to rollable water containers to self-adjustable lenses, the innovative products featured on Kopernik are providing help and hope that’s been a long time coming.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: You browse the proposals submitted by technology seekers and choose one to donate towards.
Step 2: Once sufficient funds have been raised, Kopernik transfers the cost of product and shipping to the technology provider.
Step 3: The technology provider ships the products to the technology seekers.
Step 4: The technology seeker reports on how the technology is being used. Reports and updates are posted on Kopernik.
No money to contribute? You can still play a part by volunteering. Interested in exploring a career social tech? Kopernik is currently looking for interns. Want to read about their success in beta? Click here and get inspired. Together, we can transform communities around the world thanks to Kopernik.
Christa Avampato 