Top 10 Solutions That Are Changing the World

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 75% of the goods donated to developing nations remain unused. Why is this the case?

Typically, the donated items are either broken, too expensive to repair, incompatible with the local environment, or the recipients simply don't know how to use them. As one aid worker, frustrated by stacks of hearing aids unsuited for the specific hearing issues in Africa, puts it: “There’s been a lot of good will and bad judgment in the West. It’s like needing a spare tire for your Volkswagen and receiving a Mercedes radiator instead.”

As you may recall from earlier 10 Examples of Suitable Technology, the purpose of Appropriate Technology (AT) is “to improve the living standards of developing countries without condescension, complexity, or environmental harm. Typical AT solutions are more labor-intensive, demand fewer resources, and make use of low-cost or readily available materials whenever possible. Special attention is given to the social, cultural, and ethical considerations of the communities the technology is intended for.”

Presenting for your consideration “10 Additional Examples of Appropriate Technology” – and you'll find these just as innovative as the newest iPad. You'll also discover links to organizations that distribute these products at little or no cost, in case you wish to contribute to their efforts.

10. Medical Kits Delivered with Coca-Cola Colalife.org

While volunteering in Zambia, Simon Berry observed that, no matter where he went, someone would always offer him a Coca-Cola. Even though the village might be lacking vaccines and basic medications, the one thing you could always count on was getting The Real Thing. This made him wonder: Could Coca-Cola’s remarkable distribution system be used to deliver lifesaving medicines across rural Africa?

Upon further investigation, Berry realized that Coca-Cola transported its product to large cities and even smaller towns via trucks. After that, the crates were distributed throughout the country by a network of motorbikes, pack animals, and handcarts. Since people made money by distributing Coca-Cola, it was transported far and wide. Berry thought that by swapping out a few bottles in the crates, he could distribute medicines all over Zambia. But then his wife pointed out that Coca-Cola wouldn’t be thrilled with this idea, as it would affect their profits. So why not use the unused space between the bottles? Wherever the crates went, so did that empty space.

The result was the ColaLife AidPod: a waterproof plastic wedge that fits snugly between the bottles in Coca-Cola crates. Each crate can hold five pods, which contain oral rehydration salts, zinc supplements, soap, baby lotion, and other essentials. Made from PET plastic, the pods can be filled with water, and the sun’s UV rays will kill harmful bacteria (a process known as Solar Water Disinfection). This is crucial, as the medicine would be ineffective if people continued to drink contaminated water.

Berry is currently working on developing sustainable business models and launching a pilot program focused on selling AidPods to new mothers, who can choose to use or sell the products as needed. He’s evaluating their financial capabilities, understanding it won’t be a large amount. However, government subsidies could be incorporated at a national level, and similar models have succeeded with other aid programs. Coca-Cola remains involved in the project, and the next steps include launching the pilot and publishing the results.

You can visit the website at www.colalife.org, or watch this inspiring video on TED.

9. Provide a Cow for a Man Heifer International

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. Give him an International Harvester combine and he won’t catch or eat any fish.

Heifer International builds upon the ‘fish for a day’ concept by extending it to livestock and sustainable farming practices. Since 1944, they have provided food animals to 12 million families in 125 countries. Livestock is a far superior option compared to farm machinery, as animals can supply power for plowing, enrich the soil with manure, offer eggs and milk for consumption or sale, and produce wool for clothing and warmth. In contrast, a tractor is a single-use tool requiring expensive fuel and frequent upkeep.

Recipients of the donated animals don’t have to pay, but they must learn animal husbandry and agree to ‘pass on the gift’. This means that one female offspring of the donated animal must be given to a neighbor, who must also learn animal husbandry. That neighbor continues the cycle with another neighbor, leading to a charitable movement that grows exponentially with each new generation of livestock. Thus, the gift multiplies as it spreads.

Heifer also has innovative fundraising approaches: they now offer a ‘wedding registry’, where couples can choose to receive gifts to Heifer International instead of traditional wedding gifts. So, bachelors who might say “buying the cow when you’re getting the milk for free” now buy a cow for someone who truly needs it.

For more details, visit here and here, or watch this inspiring video here. You can also make a donation here.

8. A Website That Exposes Corrupt Officials Ipaidabribe.com

Need to claim a tax refund in Hyderabad? That’ll set you back 10,000 rupees. Passed the driver’s test in Pakistan? You’ll need to slide 3,000 rupees under the table to get your license. Your child passed the entrance exams, but the school’s delaying his admission? That’ll cost you 20,000 shillings in Nairobi to get the bureaucrat to do their job.

In developing nations, corruption is often regarded as an unfortunate reality that ordinary citizens feel powerless to change. Corruption drains a country’s productivity, discourages personal initiative, and diminishes the overall standard of living. Worse, as Swati Ramanathan, co-founder of ipaidabribe.com, explains, “(petty corruption) triggers a dangerous value system in society, as it undermines ethical behavior on an individual level, until citizens see breaking the rules as something to be proud of.”

Luckily, social media platforms are proving effective in combating corruption: ipaidabribe.com collects and publishes anonymous reports of bribes paid, bribes requested, and payments that are expected as unofficial costs of doing business in India. In just two years, the site has gathered 400,000 reports, with 80% involving government officials demanding illegal payments for routine services. To avoid lawsuits, ipaidabribe.com ensures that no personal names or confidential details are disclosed. However, government departments are fair game, and the comprehensive reports are damaging, to say the least, creating a public relations crisis for corrupt bureaucracies. The site has gained so much traction that 17 other countries have expressed interest in licensing the code to establish their own ipaidabribe sites.

While it may just be a website, the online reporting is catalyzing real-world change. For instance, the Karnataka transport commissioner used data from ipaidabribe.com to secure support for reforms in the motor vehicle department. As a result, 20 senior officers were ‘cautioned’, and others underwent ethics training. Now, license applications are done online, and all driving tests are automated and videotaped, eliminating the personal bias driving inspectors once exploited to line their pockets. ipaidabribe.com sites have a deterrent effect, especially as more information becomes public and awareness of the platform spreads.

Sources for this included this fascinating Youtube video, this article and this one from the NYTimes, and of course, the I Paid A Bribe website itself.

7. The Bamboo Tumbleweed That Clears Landmines Mine Kafon

Massoud Hassani, a Dutch Afghan, spent his childhood on the northern outskirts of Kabul. As a boy, he and his friends would chase wind-driven toys across the desert, competing to see who could capture their toy the fastest. However, their games halted whenever the toys blew too close to the airport, where landmines and unexploded ordnance from the Soviet war still scarred the land.

Following the murder of his father in 1993, Hassani and his family relocated to the Netherlands, where he pursued a design degree. Despite this new chapter, he never forgot those days of playing with his friends, and for his graduation project, he transformed the shape of the toy into the Mine Kafon, a cost-effective, wind-powered device designed to deactivate landmines.

Think of the Mine Kafon as a giant, battle-weathered dandelion. It’s a six-foot-tall sphere with numerous bamboo poles extending outward from its center. Each pole ends in a disc, mimicking the impact of a human foot. The Mine Kafon is as heavy as a person, so when the wind pushes it over a landmine, the mine detonates. It sheds discs with every explosion, but it can endure up to four direct hits before requiring repairs. It even incorporates GPS, allowing workers to track which areas of a field have been tested.

At $60, the Mine Kafon doesn't quite match the efficiency of traditional mine-clearing equipment, which detects mines systematically, clears vegetation, and inspects each area twice. However, the economics are undeniable: the Mine Kafon costs a mere 0.00012% of NATO's Aardvark mine-flailing vehicles. While Hassani acknowledges the limitations of his design, he still believes it provides an affordable solution for villagers to check potentially dangerous areas before calling in NATO’s mine-clearing teams.

Sources for this included Hassani’s blog, this article from the Atlantic, and this Youtube video, which is lengthy but well worth watching.

6. Donate Rice While You Learn Freerice.com

So, you're a young one, too small to work, and your parents keep telling you to hit the books harder. How can you make a difference in the developing world?

What you need is a way to help that fits your current situation. Well, if you're reading this, you’re likely online with a functioning mouse in hand. Here’s your chance to help feed the hungry while expanding your own knowledge.

In 2007, John Breen gifted the FreeRice.com website to the United Nations World Food Program. The site’s mission is to combine free education with famine relief. Kids take part in an online English vocabulary quiz, and for each correct answer, grains of rice are donated (1 correct = 10 grains, 5 correct = 50 grains, etc.). As players progress, the questions become more difficult, while incorrect answers are revisited or replaced with easier ones. The website also offers subjects like foreign languages, literature, geography, math, and chemistry.

Why not just give the rice directly? Because FreeRice.com doesn’t have the rice on hand. Instead, players accumulate rice through sponsor ads that pop up with each correct answer. The revenue from these ads is then used to purchase rice for famine relief. Ah, advertising—what would we do without it?

As of now, all rice earned on FreeRice.com is being distributed to Haiti, but past donations have gone to places like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Uganda, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.

Sources for this included this FAQ and this fascinating video. Contributions can be made here

5. Human-Powered Washer and Spin Dryer Giradora

In rural Peru, families survive on just $4-10 per day. For women in these families, doing laundry is about maintaining family health and dignity. Without access to electricity, all laundry must be done by hand, taking around six hours each time. This is a significant strain, causing issues like tenosynovitis, chronic back and hand pain, and respiratory problems. And they repeat this process 3-5 times a week.

To address this, Giradora introduced a human-powered washing machine and spin dryer. The user places the clothes in the drum and sits on the lid, operating a foot pump. The pump powers the washer’s agitator and then spins the clothes until they are almost dry, significantly reducing the time needed for air drying. This is essential in Peru, where clothes can take up to three weeks to dry in winter and mold thrives in those conditions. The device is also more ergonomic and time-efficient as it washes clothes by the load, not individually. Giradora even suggests that the product can create 'income opportunities for women through laundry services, rentals, or direct sales.'

The washer is priced at $40, which is only a fifth of the cost of the cheapest spin dryer available on the market. But the real benefit is that these women, who’ve been struggling so long, finally get to sit down for a change.

Sources for this included this Youtube video and this article.

4. Solar Bottle Light

What inspired humans to control fire? Was it for warmth, cooking, or was it simply because ‘chicks dig guys who stand near flames’? Well, all those reasons and more—but fundamentally, it was the ability to conquer the darkness. With fire, humans were no longer bound by the night: dangerous predators could no longer creep in, and the hours available for work were greatly extended.

Fast forward to today. Homes in the densely packed slums of Manila have no electricity. Even worse, the houses are constructed so closely together that there are no windows or natural light sources. As a result, the interiors of these homes are so dark that it’s difficult to do anything, even during the day. Families end up working, cooking, and eating together in almost total darkness. There is an urgent need for affordable and environmentally sustainable lighting.

Amy Smith, alongside a group of MIT students, tackled this issue while working in Haiti, and came up with the Solar Bottle Bulb—a solution that’s as brilliant as it is simple. The bulb consists of a one-liter plastic bottle filled with water and a small amount of bleach. The bottle is fixed into the roof and serves as a sort of skylight. Unlike traditional skylights that direct light straight down, the Solar Bottle Bulb refracts and spreads sunlight in 360 degrees, illuminating the entire room below. The effect is quite powerful, comparable to a 60-watt electric bulb. Even better, the Solar Bottle Bulb is simple to install and made from readily available materials, with each bulb lasting for around five years.

After watching YouTube videos showing the Solar Bottle Bulb in action in Haiti, Iliac Diaz brought the idea to Manila through A Liter of Light, a non-profit organization collaborating with local governments. They sell the Solar Bottle Bulbs for just $1 each and have already installed 12,000 bulbs, lighting up 10,000 homes. Diaz explains, “Once the community experiences the benefits, they will embrace the technology. It will spread like ink on paper.”

Sources for this included this video, and articles here and here. Donations can be made here.

3. Fluid-filled Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses are quite affordable and widely available, but in many developing countries, the real challenge lies in the lack of expertise to customize lenses to the individual’s vision needs. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, there is roughly one optometrist for every million people, and in some regions, that ratio stretches to one optometrist for every eight million individuals. Consequently, the vision care model that works in wealthier countries doesn’t fit in the developing world. Makes you wish you could remind those hipsters with non-prescription glasses how good they have it, doesn’t it?

Enter Josh Silver, who has designed practical, self-adjustable, liquid-filled eyeglasses. By simply adding or removing fluid from the lenses, the necessary refraction for clear vision is achieved. The glasses are robust, incredibly affordable, and most importantly, allow the wearer to adjust the fluid level themselves to perfect their sight. It takes less than a minute to configure these eyeglasses to prescription standards, and so far, over 40,000 pairs have been distributed worldwide.

When Dow Corning learned about Silver’s innovation, they committed $3 million in funding and material support to the ChildVision project, which will develop, produce, and distribute child-friendly versions of Silver’s design for children in developing countries. Dow Corning believes that improving children’s vision will also enhance their access to education, since “many educational methods require good vision, and if children can’t see the board, it significantly impacts their ability to learn.”

Sources for this include Josh Silver’s Ted Talk, and pages here, here, here, and here. This Youtube demo video is highly recommended.

2. Jaipur Foot

If you don’t feel a lump in your throat watching an amputee climb a tree like a child, then you might want to reconsider what it means to be human.

The Jaipur Foot is a durable rubber prosthetic leg designed for individuals with below-knee amputations, typically due to landmine accidents. Created by Ramchander Sharma, with guidance from Dr. P.K. Sethi in 1969, the idea came to Sharma while riding his bicycle. He was struck by how resilient rubber tires were and wondered how a foot made from similar hard rubber could help amputees walk more naturally. His goal was to create a prosthetic that was simple, affordable, rugged, waterproof, and could replicate the human leg's function as closely as possible.

The choice of hard rubber addressed several challenges, particularly in enabling a more natural range of motion. This wasn’t just for walking but also for squatting, standing up, and even running. It was so effective that many users returned to their previous jobs after receiving a Jaipur Foot. The prosthetic costs only $28, lasts for five years, and has been provided to thousands of India’s impoverished citizens. Dr. Sethi’s work earned him the Padma Shri award from the Indian government, and in 2009, TIME magazine named the Jaipur Foot one of the “50 Best Inventions.”

Sources include this incredible Youtube video, the Jaipur Foot Wikipedia page, and the official Jaipur Foot website. You can make donations here.

1. eRanger Ambulance

British engineer Mike Norman points out, “Donated ambulances (from the West) won’t make it 100 yards in Africa.” Traditional 4X4 vehicles are so tightly sprung that the ride to the hospital would pose more risks than the emergency itself. This is especially true for pregnant women in rural Africa, where childbirth complications and the lack of nearby medical facilities contribute to alarmingly high maternal mortality rates.

Enter the eRanger ambulance, a solution borne from necessity. Designed by Norman, the eRanger is a nimble off-road motorcycle equipped with a sidecar stretcher for patients. The motorcycle’s agility is combined with the extra cargo space offered by the sidecar, creating an affordable ($6200), durable, and easy-to-maintain vehicle tailored to the tough conditions of rural Africa.

The eRanger’s robust suspension system ensures a smoother ride across challenging terrain. Despite its simple appearance, the eRanger safely transports patients to distant hospitals more reliably than other vehicles. For instance, one district in Malawi saw a 60% reduction in maternal mortality rates after the eRanger was introduced in 2003. eRangers are now operating in 17 African countries, with pilot programs underway in Afghanistan and Haiti.

Sources include this Youtube video, this article, and the eRanger website itself.