In a recent meeting with Oxfam, one public health official summarized for me conclusions drawn from their 2005-2008 research program evaluating disaster aid operations in regions of India and Sri Lanka devastated by the 2004 Tsunami. The central finding, he said, was that communities wanted more ownership.
“From study after study, a theme emerged. It was like a drumbeat, faint and barely recognizable at first, and then louder and louder as the findings rolled in. It didn’t seem to matter what the topic of the research was. Its underlying message was nearly always the same: disaster-affected communities wanted a chance to guide their own recovery – and humanitarian programs (would) probably work better if they (did) so.” – Oxfam 2009 Report
Oxfam was speaking of a people impoverished by war and natural disaster, but the same is true of all communities. Readers may shrug this off as being an obvious and easy task, but it is not. For communities struggling to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances that they themselves have had no say in, reclaiming the self-confidence to decide how to proceed into the future can often be more daunting than simply continuing to live amidst life-threatening conditions. Our job as change-makers is not to make decisions on behalf of these communities once disasters have struck, but to maintain a steady effort to empower people with the self-confidence to make change themselves.
One Earth Designs aims to do this by democratizing science and engineering. This summer we are focusing our efforts on four programs:
The SolSource 3-in-1 (initiated in 2007) is a solar cooking, heating, and electricity-generating device developed in conjunction with Himalayan villagers who were interested in designing a more portable solar cooker that would still be wind-sturdy and capable of stir-frying. This summer we will be working with recently urbanized communities to refine the manufacture of this device for local income generation. Find out more on WorldChanging, Discovery Channel, and the SolSource website. You can also follow updates on twitter. [Funders: St. Andrews Prize for the Environment, Clinton Global Initiative, MIT IDEAS, Muhammad Yunus Innovation Challenge, Pamela Daniels]
Catlin Powers and Drogar Jyid with SolSource 3-in-1 [Photo by Scot Frank]
HeatSource Textiles (initiate in 2009) offer a renewable means of staying warm at sub-zero temperatures and were developed in conjunction with Himalayan pastoralists who found that climate change was rapidly eradicating their traditional means of staying warm during herding. The design employs the phase change properties of locally-available materials to provide a mobile form of energy storage and controlled heat delivery. The textiles are fully reusable and can also be recharged with solar energy when people aren’t wearing them. Find out more on the HeatSource website and follow it on twitter. [Funders: Lemelson-MIT International Technology Award]
HeatSource Textiles
The Global Citizen Water Initiative (Citizen Water) (initiated in 2008) works with NGOs, universities, and health clinics to teach villagers how to test their own water sources using simple, inexpensive kits. The results of these tests help match water sources with appropriate local treatment providers. In addition, the initiative’s website—although still in the development phase—will provide an online map of this data for use by researchers and health regulators. Find out more on the Citizen Water website and follow it on twitter. [Funders: Google.org, Tides Foundation, MIT TauBetaPi, MIT IDEAS, the Baruch Family, Legatum Center]
Drogar Jyid runs Citizen Water training seminar [Photo by Scot Frank]
We are also developing an illustrated Applied Science and Engineering Reader Series (ASER) for rural schools with chapters on topics such as waste management, water quality, indoor air pollution, latrines, solar cookers, greenhouses, and water treatment/supply methods. Find out more on the ASER website.
The task of enabling others to make their own change is as frustrating as it is intangible. This work cannot be accomplished by handing out food or money, nor through infrastructure development or technology transfer alone. It requires a deep respect between people. Most of all, it requires a willingness to work and learn alongside one another and from each other.
One Earth Designs (OED) was founded in 2007 by Catlin Powers (me) and Scot Frank (OED website; OED facebook page; Twitter @OneEarthDesigns). I will be posting on Mondays and Wednesdays. You can also find me on Twitter @catlinpowers.