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History
Request History
4 previous requests available
====
Session
Session
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====
Request
Request

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====

Sql Log

Sql Logs

default

Nr	Query	Affected	Num. rows
1	SELECT `Competition`.`id`, `Competition`.`allow_initial_proposals`, `Competition`.`allow_final_proposals`, `Competition`.`allow_voting`, `Competition`.`show_create_team_cta`, `Competition`.`comp_year`, `Competition`.`team_comp_year`, `Competition`.`allow_cert_registration`, `Competition`.`allow_cert_login`, `Competition`.`allow_grants`, `Competition`.`enable_optin`, `Competition`.`show_explore_problems`, `Competition`.`show_discover_teams`, `Competition`.`show_join_support`, `Competition`.`show_create_team`, `Competition`.`show_offer_help`, `Competition`.`show_volunteer_for`, `Competition`.`show_browse_help`, `Competition`.`show_counting_votes`, `Competition`.`show_microsite`, `Competition`.`microsite_state` FROM `competitions` AS `Competition` WHERE 1 = 1 LIMIT 1	1	1
2	SELECT `cake_sessions`.`data` FROM `cake_sessions` WHERE `cake_sessions`.`id` = 'iv15je84ch1qn4equ7lphgrok5'	0	0
3	SELECT `Category`.`id`, `Category`.`name` FROM `categories` AS `Category` WHERE 1 = 1	10	10
4	SELECT `Image`.`category_id`, `Image`.`dir`, `Image`.`filename` FROM `images` AS `Image` WHERE `Image`.`category_id` IN (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11)	20	20
5	SELECT COUNT(*) AS `count` FROM `challenges` AS `Challenge` LEFT JOIN `users` AS `User` ON (`Challenge`.`user_id` = `User`.`id`) LEFT JOIN `images` AS `Image` ON (`Image`.`challenge_id` = `Challenge`.`id`) WHERE `published` = 1	1	1
6	SELECT `Challenge`.`id`, `Challenge`.`description`, `Challenge`.`created`, `Challenge`.`modified`, `Challenge`.`user_id`, `Challenge`.`title`, `Challenge`.`published`, `Challenge`.`category_suggestion`, `User`.`id`, `User`.`username`, `User`.`password`, `User`.`group_id`, `User`.`created`, `User`.`modified`, `User`.`first_name`, `User`.`last_name`, `User`.`birthday`, `User`.`hometown`, `User`.`course`, `User`.`grad_year`, `User`.`department`, `User`.`competition_updates`, `User`.`confirmed`, `User`.`confirmation_token`, `User`.`active`, `User`.`contestyear`, `User`.`type`, `User`.`terms_and_conditions`, `User`.`vote_count`, `User`.`teams_user_count`, `User`.`ip_address`, `User`.`stuffimfollowing_updates`, `User`.`verified`, `User`.`phone`, `User`.`phone_type`, `User`.`verify_code`, `User`.`verify_count`, `User`.`ip_country`, `Image`.`id`, `Image`.`filename`, `Image`.`dir`, `Image`.`mimetype`, `Image`.`filesize`, `Image`.`created`, `Image`.`modified`, `Image`.`page_id`, `Image`.`entity_id`, `Image`.`element_id`, `Image`.`team_id`, `Image`.`problem_id`, `Image`.`category_id`, `Image`.`challenge_id` FROM `challenges` AS `Challenge` LEFT JOIN `users` AS `User` ON (`Challenge`.`user_id` = `User`.`id`) LEFT JOIN `images` AS `Image` ON (`Image`.`challenge_id` = `Challenge`.`id`) WHERE `published` = 1 ORDER BY `Challenge`.`modified` DESC LIMIT 12	12	12
7	SELECT `Team`.`id`, `Team`.`contestyear`, `Team`.`name`, `Team`.`created`, `Team`.`modified`, `Team`.`email`, `Team`.`inglobalchallenge`, `Team`.`pitch`, `Team`.`intent`, `Team`.`impact`, `Team`.`rawlocation`, `Team`.`lat`, `Team`.`lon`, `Team`.`glocation`, `Team`.`category_other`, `Team`.`whoweare`, `Team`.`url`, `Team`.`blog`, `Team`.`twitter`, `Team`.`twitter_import`, `Team`.`facebook`, `Team`.`problem_id`, `Team`.`challenge_id`, `Team`.`winner`, `Team`.`winnertype`, `Team`.`shortpitch`, `Team`.`vote_count`, `Team`.`active`, `Team`.`facebook_page_id`, `Team`.`follower_count`, `Team`.`comment_count`, `Team`.`in_the_field` FROM `teams` AS `Team` WHERE `Team`.`challenge_id` IN (40, 36, 32, 27, 24, 18, 13, 8, 3, 11, 10, 9)	66	66
8	SELECT `Category`.`id`, `Category`.`name`, `Category`.`created`, `Category`.`modified`, `ChallengesCategory`.`id`, `ChallengesCategory`.`challenge_id`, `ChallengesCategory`.`category_id` FROM `categories` AS `Category` JOIN `challenges_categories` AS `ChallengesCategory` ON (`ChallengesCategory`.`challenge_id` IN (40, 36, 32, 27, 24, 18, 13, 8, 3, 11, 10, 9) AND `ChallengesCategory`.`category_id` = `Category`.`id`)	58	58

Warning No slow queries!, or your database does not support EXPLAIN

====

Timer

Memory

Peak Memory Use 9.90 MB

Message	Memory use
Component intitailization	6.16 MB
Controller action start	6.20 MB
Controller render start	7.69 MB
View render complete	9.14 MB

Timers

Total Request Time: 443 (ms)

Message	Time in ms	Graph
Core Processing (Derived)	47.81
Component initialization and startup	3.21
Controller action	30.94
Render Controller Action	109.38
» Rendering View	108.13
» » Rendering APP/views/challenges/index.ctp	73.71
» » » Rendering APP/views/elements/challenge_grid.ctp	3.26
» » » Rendering APP/views/elements/whatischallenge.ctp	0.21
» » Rendering APP/views/layouts/default.ctp	33.64
» » » Rendering APP/views/elements/signedout.ctp	7.39

====

Log

Logs

error.log

There were no log entries made this request

debug.log

There were no log entries made this request

====
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 descriptionTo promote forward thinking in social and environmental  responsibility In alignment with Dow Chemical’s 2015 Sustainability Goals, the Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge Award (SISCA) program was launched in 2009 in order to promote forward thinking in social and environmental responsibility. Dow Chemical is sponsoring the SISCA program through the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge. Participating students are rewarded for their work in sustainability and recognized for innovations that address global sustainability challenges. Student projects will be evaluated based on: Potential for solving world challenges Interdisciplinary nature of work, for example, applied sciences, engineering, economics, public policy, social studies, business, etc. Innovative thinking and excellence in research MIT IDEAS Global Challenge teams can enter this Challenge as a way to increase the chances of winning an award. A special award pool of up to ,000 will support teams working on projects encouraging and furthering sustainability. To take up this challenge, go to your Team Profile and select "Edit Profile" and then choose the associated challenge.   Questions? Email globalchallenge@mit.edu
 created2013-04-12 14:09:27
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 Challenge
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 description2013 Muhammad Yunus Innovation Challenge Education: Solutions for Learning Education is a vital tool for low-income countries to improve quality of life for its citizens. Good education systems have been shown to foster economic growth, improve health, increase agricultural productivity and yield many other important benefits. The challenge is not simply to put students in the classroom, but to make sure that students learn the skills that they need to succeed after they finish school. The 2013 Yunus Innovation Challenge calls for innovative and scalable education initiatives that produce a specific learning outcome focused on the youth in low-income countries. The solutions should complement the constraints of the local education system and involve both students and teachers in those communities. Background Nelson Mandela said that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Indeed, 192 countries have ratified a convention guaranteeing the right of children to education and promoting “international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods.” Skilled graduates add value to the labor market; they may increase their salary by 10% for each additional year of schooling that they complete, although that is dependent on the quality of education. Health improves as educated people are better able to avoid diseases through improved hygiene and educated mothers are more likely to vaccinate their children . Farmers with just four years of schooling have been shown to produce 8.7% more each year than their counterparts who never attended school. However, the World Bank highlights the challenges of this approach (emphasis added): <blockquote> “The challenge in education is ensuring equitable access to schooling that results in not only diplomas but learning, and that ultimately helps children develop labor market-relevant skills. Yet learning levels in many countries are alarmingly low, especially among disadvantaged populations. More schooling has not resulted in more learning. Even when children complete school, they often do so without acquiring basic skills, which is particularly detrimental when unemployment is high and labor markets are demanding more skilled and agile workforces than ever before. Youth are leaving school and entering the workforce without competitive competencies, and there is a wide gulf in test scores among students from different income levels.” </blockquote> MIT's motto, Mens et manus (mind and hand), highlights the importance of both creative thinking and hands-on activities in a well-rounded education. It drives students to place equal priority on the theoretical and practical components of their subjects. There is a great opportunity to share this philosophy with low-income communities and build capacity to deliver on local educational objectives. For example, teams can look at skills that will make the students more attractive on the job market, that will improve their knowledge of health, that promote environmental stewardship or that foster cultural awareness. Target Areas The 2013 Yunus challenge strongly encourages teams to pursue an intervention that addresses one or more of the following areas: Improving the efficacy of teaching strategies There is considerable scope for teams to develop effective teaching strategies for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education in a particular context. That can involve localizing materials to make them more relevant to the community, finding ways to make better use of the teachers' time, developing resources to reach students who have different learning styles and removing other barriers that currently impede learning. Some of these barriers include scarcity of education resources, class size, language, limited experience with alternate world-views and the non-existent assessment structure. New opportunities for learning Schools are an important place for creating new opportunities for the community as a whole. After-school programs and other non-academic parts of the day can also be used to promote skills such as entrepreneurship, environmental stewardship, health awareness, technology design and other locally relevant needs. The programs should connect with the existing curriculum and supplement the teachers' efforts. Incentivizing learning Education systems in low-income communities provide poorly aligned incentives which lead to undesired outcomes such as: subsidized tertiary education reaching only the richest and widening the gap between rich and poor families; teachers continuing to advance failing pupils because they do not want a failing student to blight their record; and students dropping out of school because they need to work to provide income for their family. Well-designed incentive structures can be an incredibly cost-effective method for improving educational outcomes. The most important feature of an incentive structure is that it must have benefits for everyone, if it contains negative consequences for a particular stakeholder, the whole system may fall apart. Implementation Projects will need to have a clear and well-thought out implementation plan: Projects must demonstrate a specific learning outcome and the support of students, teachers, school administrators and relevant local stakeholders. Projects should be focused on education challenges in low- or middle-income countries (education projects that target low-income communities in high-income countries are encouraged to apply to the IDEAS Global Challenge, but will not be considered for the Yunus Challenge). Teams should think creatively about how to improve the learning experience inside or outside of the classroom, however, they should pay close attention to national guidelines so as not to interfere with what is required for standardized exams. Projects must be supported by students, teachers, school administrators and relevant local stakeholders. It will be essential to engage these groups and understand their perspectives-which may sometimes be at odds with one another. Education projects are notoriously challenging to successfully implement because they are fundamentally about behavior change and new attitudes. Collaboration with other organizations in the same geographic area or on related challenges often increases the likelihood of success. Key Considerations and Judging Criteria Solutions should be designed for implementation in communities living at or below the poverty level, where infrastructure is limited. Innovation, feasibility and impact will be important criteria in judging. Proposed solutions should be new, focus on measurable change, and aim for a price point that makes intervention accessible to the poorest populations and allows for dissemination on a large scale. Specific aspects to address include, but should not necessarily be limited to: Consider what the proposed intervention is replacing and be sure to identify any desirable aspects of the current system to make sure that those benefits are not lost. Plan for how the project can continue at program sites after the team has left and how it can reach additional communities. Teams should develop a plan for measuring their solution's impact as well as monitoring and evaluating their solution to identify places for improvement. Teams must include a significant MIT presence including at least 1 full-time MIT student who has made a significant contribution to the innovation. Teams are encouraged to recruit stakeholders from the communities where they will be working to gain greater understanding of local constraints. Understanding the local context is essential. Credit will be given for supporting rationale regarding how the solution will directly address the issues faced. The needs of the poor are wide and varied and teams are not expected to address all issues surrounding quality of education; proposed solutions should address a particular need and fill it well. Participants are encouraged to work on solutions with a specific community or region in mind, as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. For more information on the 2013 Yunus Innovation Challenge, please contact <a href="mailto:idi@mit.edu">Daniel Mokrauer-Madden</a>.
 created2012-11-16 15:25:20
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 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchCareer counseling is a critical component of preparing high school students for university studies. Schools in developing countries do not have the resources to employ career counselors. Pakistan is an example of a resource-constrained developing country that has limited career counseling resources available to high school students. To investigate how students in Pakistan make career decisions, we surveyed 450 university students across Pakistan. **Only 14% of university students at the four leading universities reported having adequate information when deciding their career paths.** Furthermore, we surveyed 614 high school students from three schools serving very different socioeconomic segments of the society. **More than 80% of high school students surveyed were interested in pursuing a very narrow set of career paths limited to engineering, business, or medicine**. This again is a consequence of under-informed decisions and a “herd” mentality, rather than a creative and exploratory approach. The goal of _Mashvarah_ (means advice in Urdu) is to **democratize career advice**: every student that needs advice will have access to a career advisor. The web-based platform envisions bringing together a comprehensive set of advisors, including university students, university faculty, working professionals, and professional career advisors. We believe this will lead to more informed career choices, ultimately creating a more vibrant and intellectually diverse workforce.
 intent
 impactProof of concept by providing career counseling to 500 high school students in Lahore, Pakistan
 rawlocationLahore, Pakistan
 lat31.5585
 lon74.3239
 glocationQueen's Road, Lahore, Pakistan
 category_other
 whoweare**Sohail Feroz Ali, Co-Founder**, is from Pakistan and brings extensive first-hand knowledge of the education system in Pakistan. Since November 2012, Sohail has been surveying schools and universities in Pakistan to assess and analyze the unmet career counseling needs of high school students. Sohail will work full-time for _Mashvarah_ in Pakistan and will serve as _Mashavrah’s_ primary liaison with university collaborators, target schools and advisors. Sohail holds MS and MS-CEP degrees in Chemical Engineering from MIT and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech. **Amrit Jalan, Co-Founder**, takes an active interest in education policy and practice especially in enabling access to quality education for underprivileged children. In his spare time, Amrit volunteers with EGE Global Education developing services for Indian students aspiring to study abroad. As part of _Mashvarah_, he brings an understanding of the challenges faced by students in educational institutions and strategies to maximize their potential. Amrit is pursuing a doctorate degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT. **Deepak Dugar, Platform Development**, brings an operational background in imparting technical education in India, and will work on the platform growth aspects of _Mashvarah_. He currently sits on the board of an educational society that runs diverse programs and graduates more than 5000 students annually. Deepak is pursuing his MBA from MIT Sloan and PhD-CEP from MIT, and holds MS-CEP in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and M.Tech and B.Tech in Biochemical Engineering from IIT Delhi. **Sreeja Nag, Portal Development**, brings experience in online education technology development and will work on the web portal development for _Mashvarah_. She has worked as the student lead of the SPHERES Zero Robotics program, which allows high school and middle school students to program satellites onboard the International Space Station. She has interned at Selco India Ltd. to apply IDEO's Human Centric Design to design solar powered battery chargers in rural Indian schools with the dual intent of encouraging students to attend school to charge their electric lamps and preventing health problems associated with the commonly used kerosene lamps. The internship, funded by MIT's PSC, gave her the opportunity to conduct several weeks of fieldwork in rural schools and understand the educational culture. Sreeja is pursuing a doctorate degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT after completing an SM in the same. She also has an SM in Technology and Policy from MIT.
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 shortpitchDemocratizing access to career advice by developing a web platform that connects students in developing countries with mentors
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 id362
 contestyear2013-01-01
 namePlexx: Training the world
 created2012-10-23 22:47:08
 modified2013-04-17 11:38:44
 emailyscaira@gmail.com
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchPlexx will train the world's youth. Young people are suffering from chronic global unemployment. 20%, 6.8M, of 15-24 year olds in Brazil are un- or underemployed yet 57% of Brazil’s employers reported recruitment difficulties. Plexx will deliver skill building content to young people around the world via their mobile phones so they can secure a job and launch a career.
 intent
 impactTrain 5000 Brazilian youth with 30,000 pieces of training content
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 lat-22.9035
 lon-43.2096
 glocationAvenida Francisco Bicalho, 250 - São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, 20220-310, Brazil
 category_other
 whoweareYscaira Jimenez is a 2014 MIT MBA candidate who grew up attending public schools in the Bronx, taught English to students in a shantytown in Rio de Janeiro, and has spent most of her professional career working for high impact tutoring. She also founded and ran La Pregunta Arts Cafe, an arts cafe in Harlem, NY education startups (Rocket Learning, Learn-It Systems, Platform Learning) in business development and operation roles serving more than 10,000 low-income students across the U.S. through that operated for 5 years. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a BA in English & Latin American Studies. Sergio is a 2014 MPP, MBA Candidate in the dual degree program at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. First in his family to graduate from a four-year college, he believes making learning more accessible and affordable can alter the lives of lower-income communities. He graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Industrial Engineering in 2007, worked in management consulting in Deloitte’s Strategy & Operations practice, PepsiCo as a Supply Chain Associate, Teach For America as an Education Pioneers Summer Fellow, founded USAdelante.org, and was an Echoing Green semi-finalist. Victor Popov will graduate from Howest University in Kortrijk, Belgium in June 2013 with a Bachelors in Multimedia & Communication Technology in Digital Design & Development. His skillset includes Oldskool P&P, PS, ILLU, FL, AE, C4D, MOCHA. He programs in HTML5/CSS3/JS, PHP5, AS3, jQUERY, jSON. His portfolio can be found at www.phrofyz.com. He developed our wireframes, website, and minimum viable product.
 urlwww.plexx.co
 blogwww.plexx.co/wp/jobskills
 twitter@plexxco
 twitter_import0
 facebookwww.facebook.com/plexxco
 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchPlexx is the mobile training center for young people to learn the skills they need to get a job and launch their career.
 vote_count9
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count8
 comment_count2
 in_the_field0
 2
 id373
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameThe Global Efficient Cookstove Education Project
 created2012-11-08 19:59:39
 modified2013-04-22 08:23:34
 emailabmchugh@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchThere are currently no educational resources to teach middle and high school students about efficient biomass stoves…our project is changing that! The Global Cookstove Education Project (GCEP) uses project-based learning to connect students from around the world through the issues of personal energy use, biomass resources, and efficient cookstoves. Pioneered in 2012 by a group of educators from 4 countries, the GCEP allows students to participate in a global educational collaboration as they investigate biomass use, build small cookstoves, test stove efficiency, and search for solutions to the health and environmental problems that arise from the fact that half the earth’s population burns wood or charcoal to meet their daily energy needs. Although still in its infancy, the GCEP has recently begun to gain traction in terms of not only educating students about biomass use issues and efficient cookstoves, but also by serving as model for the use of STEM design projects to encourage collaborations between students around the world.
 intent
 impactThe participation of over one hundred students in a global collaborative stove building process.
 rawlocationGisozi, Rwanda
 lat-1.92056
 lon30.0607
 glocationAvenue ULK, Kigali, Rwanda
 category_other
 whoweare**Anthony McHugh** is a 1st year MIT undergrad studying Civil Engineering. He is a resident of iHouse, a living-learning community designed to prepare its occupants for careers in international development. As a resident of iHouse, he participated in a seminar entitled Topics in International Development in the fall of 2012, and has had the opportunity to speak with leaders of many development projects both on campus and in the surrounding community. He participated in the founding and organization of a summer mathematics camp for middle school students while he was in high school. He will serve as the team leader, and will take charge of marketing and publicity for the project. **Ishwar Kohale** is a 1st year MIT undergrad interested in studying Biological Engineering. He is also a resident of iHouse, and participated in the seminar. Ishwar Kohale grew up in a rural area in Maharashtra, India and is familiar with the educational system in India. He will work on strengthening connections with the Srishti School and other cookstove projects in India. He will take the lead in conducting research and developing a prototype. **Rich Lehrer** has taught science at the middle school level in Canada, Venezuela, Brazil, and the United States. Interested in issues of global education, he has taught for six years in Massachusetts, and has recently implemented a cookstove education project at Brookwood School in Manchester, MA. Along with Anthony and Ishwar, Rich has also been working closely with four former students who have played a key role in developing, revising, and refining the project.
 urlhttp://cookstoves.wikispaces.com/home
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchCreating a stovebuilding curriculum that connects middle and high schools around the world.
 vote_count352
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count111
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 id377
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameLab-X
 created2013-01-04 06:07:42
 modified2013-05-06 23:11:03
 emailsampriti@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch**Problem** In India, there is a huge waste of talent pool due to the lack of resources and opportunities. For eg., less than .1% of ~1 million engineering students get world class education, hands on learning or cutting edge research exposure. There is a tremendous lack of entrepreneurial effort and R&D to build a robust high-tech environment. A structured program to create leaders, entrepreneurs and researcher to push the community forward is totally absent. **Context** Conventional path of directly going to the villages and doing charity to alleviate poverty have failed again and again. We believe in involving everyday people in giving back to the community and helping in building a sustainable economy. One of the problems we notice in countries like India, is the huge disparity in the living of the urban and the rural people. As engineers we wanted to use new strategies to alleviate poverty. We thought of programs that will not only help the students be leaders and innovators, but also connect them to the large majority of the population who they can help. **Solution** •Locate a rural area in India, and identify a problem with a viable technical solution •Design a competition to address the problem •Allow students from the smaller colleges to participate with a faculty mentor •Incentives in every stage for developing idea, prototype, and implementation •Students are supposed to work in the villages actively so as to make a product customized to their needs
 intent
 impactPromote hands on learning, creative thinking in smaller engineering schools. Atleast have 4 teams come up with low cost technology prototypes that can turn into successful start ups. Improve people's life in at least one rural community
 rawlocationIndia
 lat20.5937
 lon78.9629
 glocationMaharashtra State Highway 264, Maharashtra 442301, India
 category_other
 whoweareA group of individuals from MIT and outside MIT who believe poverty is not an isolated problem. We promote socio-economic growth by what we call "strategic resource distribution" . We promote incentive based innovations among urban youths who go to small engineering schools and are eager for opportunities. We give them global exposure, entrepreneurship opportunities- with a condition: you need to give back to the community. Two of the founders having attended very small engineering schools recognize the huge talent waste and brain drain in developing countries. Lab-X Foundation came up with an intelligent strategy to promote socio-economic growth through different structured educational programs. Sampriti Bhattacharyya Sampriti is a PhD student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the department of Mechanical Engineering. Coming from a small school in Kolkata, India, Sampriti realized that the opportunities for engineering research and creativity were too limited, and that most engineering schools merely grant a degree. This led her to start the Lab-X Foundation to give opportunities to those with limited resources. Her internship at Fermilab Chicago as an undergrad had given her immense exposure to cutting-edge technology and research. Sampriti also interned at NASA Ames Research Center and has collaborated with various other national laboratories in US and India. Sampriti got a Masters in Aerospace Engineering and worked on an innovative nuclear reactor for radioactive waste transmutation. She plans to work for developing countries by using technology to solve pressing issues like poverty, healthcare and education. Ketan Dande Ketan completed his M.S. from The Ohio State University in Electrical Engineering and is presently a Controls Engineer at Robert Bosch Corporation, in Michigan. Ketan hails from a small town, Latur, India, and completed his bachelors in Engineering at University of Pune. His urge to give back to the community has brought him in touch with social organizations. He is the co-founder of a non-governmental organization promoting improvement of educational awareness in India. He is currently a member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) and is a member of the organization committee of TiECON, which is TiE’s premier annual event and is one of the largest convention in the world dedicated to entrepreneurs. Chris Garry Chris is a an undergraduate senior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studying Computer Engineering. He was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, and was the first in his family to attend college. Coming from a minority background, he understands the difficulties underrepresented students face, which is why he’s part of Lab-X. He is passionate about helping others and has volunteered in several organizations on and off campus. Chris is actively involved in several areas of research. For the past year, he has worked as a Research Assistant in the Phonetics Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In the past, he was an Undergraduate Research Intern at NASA Ames Research Center and Research Intern at MIT Lincoln Labs. Chris aspires to pursue a PhD in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Stephanie Scott Stephanie is graduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her current research is focused on clean energy in the MIT Photovoltaic lab. At MIT, Stephanie has organized a panel for the MIT Energy Conference and currently serves as Vice President of the Graduate Association of Mechanical Engineers. Stephanie graduated from UC Berkeley with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. At Berkeley, she did research within the Community Assessment of Renewable Energy and Sustainability (CARES) Lab working with a multidisciplinary team of engineers, architects and environmental specialists. Her projects included solar energy modeling and projecting demand and implementation strategies for electric vehicle charging stations. Both projects included a challenging mix of technical and practical issues. At Berkeley, Stephanie completed the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology certification. She served as an officer of multiple engineering student groups including the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Engineering Student Council, and Mechanical Engineering Honor Society.
 urllabxfoundation.org
 blog
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 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
 winner1
 winnertypeCommunity Choice Winner
 shortpitchPromoting socio-economic growth in developing countries through incentive based educational programs
 vote_count1215
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count165
 comment_count38
 in_the_field0
 4
 id384
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameEducateSyria
 created2013-01-29 08:16:22
 modified2013-05-06 23:07:07
 emailnoor@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchSince March 2011, hundreds of thousands of Syrians have left their homes to escape the recent crisis in their country. Many are left without school, yet it is important to remember they have gone through unconventional circumstances. Therefore, it makes no sense to educate them in conventional ways. At MIT’s Lifelong Kindergarten group, Abdulrahman Idlbi challenges the modern notion of schooling and looks to models of nontraditional education as more conducive to learning. Specifically, we believe that children learn best when they are empowered to design and create, encouraged to ask questions, allowed to explore their own interests, and provided a learning environment with safety and respect. The current model of school rarely offers this, so we're working on something new. The emphasis of education should be on the development of leadership, problem-solving, and community-building skills. In this spirit, we are developing generative, hands-on workshops accompanied by material (video/written) explaining the ideas behind the workshops and how to run them. Abdulrahman will go to a refugee camp for about a month in the summer to start 3-4 workshops, alongside local teachers/mentors, as a form of training for them. The teachers/mentors will then continue the workshops with their students for the remainder of the year. A follow-up trip may be planned for the winter.
 intent
 impactTrain 5-10 teachers in one refugee/IDP camp and impact 100-200 children
 rawlocationSyria and neighboring countries
 lat34.8021
 lon38.9968
 glocationM20, Syria
 category_other
 whoweareNoor Doukmak is an MIT undergraduate student pursuing teaching certification in high school math. She has interned at NuVu Studio School, which introduces high school students to the architecture studio model to engage them in project-based learning. She is currently a teaching assistant for the “Producing Educational Videos” seminar at MIT. Abdulrahman Y. idlbi is a Syrian graduate student and research assistant in MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten group. Before joining the Media Lab he worked in teacher training and designing and implementing learning activities in and outside the school context, in Syria and Saudi Arabia. He spent time in January 2013 working with teachers and students in various refugee communities on the Syria-Turkey border. Anas Al Bastami is a Ph.D. student in the Laboratory for Electromagnetic and Electronic Systems at the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. He took part in teaching fundamental courses at Texas A&M University at Qatar, worked at The Princeton Review, where he taught high school students, and is interested in research and educational projects for the improvement of the region.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/events/125888880937895/
 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
 winner1
 winnertypeCommunity Choice Winner
 shortpitchSyrian children have been through unconventional circumstances, so why educate them conventionally?
 vote_count1416
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count321
 comment_count90
 in_the_field0
 5
 id393
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameProject Tulip
 created2013-01-29 15:12:11
 modified2013-04-08 15:25:42
 emaila_midha@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitch
 intent
 impact
 rawlocationkyrgyztan
 lat41.2448
 lon74.2593
 glocationToguz Toro, Kyrgyzstan
 category_other
 whoweare1. Akanksha Midha (MIT) is a joint degree MBA candidate at the MIT Sloan School of Management and an MPA candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She has Bachelors degrees in Arts and Law from the National Law School of India University. Previously, she was an M&A transactional lawyer at Phoenix Legal in Mumbai and upon graduation will join McKinsey and Company. Akanksha is interested in innovation in the public and social sectors in developing countries. 2. Amogh Basavaraj (The Fletcher School) is a student at the Fletcher School in the Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy program focusing on social entrepreneurship and international conflict resolution. Prior to Fletcher, he practiced corporate and finance law at Clifford Chance LLP and helped establish a business process outsourcing center which aims to bridge the digital divide in rural India. 3. Natalya Berenshteyn (The Fletcher School) is a second year student at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She is focusing her studies on development economics and international business. Prior to undertaking graduate studies, she worked in the Financial and Private Sector Development Network of the World Bank in Washington, D.C. 4. Samantha Lakin (The Fletcher School) is a graduate student at The Fletcher School in the Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy program, focusing on transitional justice and rebuilding post-conflict societies. Prior to Fletcher, Samantha was an elementary special education teacher in New Orleans with Teach For America and a Fulbright scholar in Cultural and Intellectual History at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
 url
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 6
 id399
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameHaïti Apprend, Haïti Progresse (HAHP) - Haiti Learns, Haiti Progresses
 created2013-01-29 23:20:18
 modified2013-04-08 15:26:16
 emailassociationhahp@gmail.com
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitch
 intent
 impactAllow Haitian students to discover and commit to a field that their regular curriculum wouldn't give them the chance to discover.
 rawlocationPort-au-Prince, Haiti
 lat18.5393
 lon-72.3364
 glocationRue Legitime, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
 category_other
 whoweare
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
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 winnertype
 shortpitchPromote Global Education in Haiti, Provide students with opportunities to discover educational or recreational fields that they wouldn't otherwise be able to discover, learn, and practice in Haiti.
 vote_count0
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count1
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 in_the_field0
 7
 id401
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameAasadeep Projects
 created2013-02-03 07:25:29
 modified2013-05-06 23:07:58
 emailbolla@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchaasadeep projects is established to solve the huge unemployment problem among the 50 million people with disabilities. currently India consists of more than 50 million disabled population who does not have employment due to lack of: formal education, work skills, expertise and support systems in corporate/ governmental companies, accessible transportation and infrastructure, awareness about the assistive technologies, and main stream opportunities. in addition to above problems, societal barriers and discrimination plays a key role in stopping the growth and potential of disabled people. most severely disabled people cannot working the main stream companies hence the employment is limited for them. these are just a few among many barriers that are hindering the growth of challenged people. so we a team of successful challenged people, visionary social entrepreneurs, experienced special educators and dedicated leaders wishing to make an impact are here to unleash the hidden potential among people with disabilities by providing employment opportunities for uneducated, educated and those people who cannot get employment in the main stream companies due to their physical and mental disability irrespective of their education through our eco product manufacturing industry and employability skill training program. Aasadeep evolved as the manufacturer of eco-friendly paper products to not only provide employment but also contribute for greener India.
 intent
 impactprovided employment opportunities to 15 people in the manufacturing industry and placed 6 people in other companies through employability skill training program, reduced 15 tons of plastic usage and substituted with paper and natural leaf products
 rawlocationhyderabad, India
 lat0
 lon0
 glocation
 category_other
 whoweare
 urlhttp://aasadeep.com/
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
 winner1
 winnertypeCommunity Choice Winner
 shortpitchProviding employment opportunities for both uneducated and educated challenged people through eco friendly paper product manufacturing Industry and employability skill training program.
 vote_count976
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count458
 comment_count21
 in_the_field0
 8
 id403
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameSynglobal
 created2013-02-13 01:22:57
 modified2013-04-08 15:26:32
 emailsynglobal@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitch
 intent
 impact
 rawlocation
 lat0
 lon0
 glocation
 category_other
 whoweare
 urlsynglobal.wordpress.com
 blog
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 9
 id410
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameGhana's Next Top Engineer (GNTE)
 created2013-02-24 00:01:52
 modified2013-04-08 15:27:09
 emailppaul@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitch Currently in Brong-Ahafo, the second-largest state in Ghana, 11.2% students attend Senior Secondary School, and unfortunately only 1.3% students move on to pursue further education through tertiary institutions or universities . Given that further education at the post-SS level is often necessary to attain government, industrial, and academic jobs, there is clearly a large population of young people who are not able to find employment opportunities in these areas after graduation. To empower Senior Students’ academic and professional abilities, so that they are able to find better employment opportunities and empower the community of New Longoro, we wish to implement a project that will strengthen their understanding of syllabus material, and provide them with in-school internships that will train them for employment after graduation. Our project is focused on the New Longoro community of Brong-Ahafo in Ghana. This is a community that has developed strong ties with D-Lab at MIT, recognizes the need for stronger education at all school levels and beyond, and has a strong vision for its students.
 intent
 impactWe will build a Community Innovation Center, and provide employment for high school seniors after graduation in technology/ business at a top company.
 rawlocationNew Longoro
 lat8.14384
 lon-2.02854
 glocationWenchi - Bole Road, Jogboi, Ghana
 category_other
 whoweare
 url
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 challenge_id36
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 10
 id413
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameStepping Stones
 created2013-02-25 13:34:31
 modified2013-04-08 15:27:47
 emailishabir@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitchEveryday, we hear about economic uncertainty and problems of insurgency and instability in Pakistan. Yes, these problems exist, but we firmly believe these problems shouldn't hinder the youth of Pakistan from obtaining skills they need for tackling everyday life. People in rural areas comprise the highest percentage of the overall population and also happen to be less civilized than the rest. Hence, we're taking our program to a village near Faislabad, Pakistan. The program is an education platform to teach 'civics', which is never a focus in schools. We'll have hired interns from established high schools in cities, that will teach middle school going kids about how to effectively tackle problems in everyday life. For instance, kids will be taught to keep their neighborhood clean by getting rid of litter. The medium used, however, will be technologically-centered. We're not aiming for enactments or video recordings, but rather 'interactive' video games and simulations that these middle school kids will be taught to play, and hence learn from. This way, not only will we achieve better civility in this youth, but also an empowerment to use gadgets like computers and mobile devices. The idea is that, through this education, these kids will grow up to be more aware and empowered than those without such training. We hope that in the successful piloting of this program, an NGO or Govt. will likely take over and spread the program to other villages!
 intent
 impact100 middle school students, more ready to tackle problems in everyday life
 rawlocationFaislabad, Pakistan
 lat0
 lon0
 glocation
 category_other
 whoweareAbdullah Bin Khurram is a current junior year Economics and International Relations student in George Mason University in Washington, D.C. Abdullah's focus is on youth empowerment for the people of Pakistan. He hails from Faisalabad and will deploy the program in a village close to his city. Sehrish Khan is a current senior in Political Science in DePauw University, Indiana. Sehrish's focus lies in providing skill-based learning. Her research about problems with the Pakistani youth, especially those in rural areas, will be used to design the program. Isra Shabir is a current junior majoring in Computer Science at MIT. Her focus is innovating the use of technology in empowering youth. She will also focus on designing the games/ video simulations needed as part of content of the program.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchProviding a civil route in approaching everyday life to the less privileged youth of Pakistan
 vote_count0
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count1
 comment_count1
 in_the_field0
 11
 id424
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameSamperk
 created2013-02-27 02:26:53
 modified2013-04-24 13:54:18
 emailsamperk@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch**Problem:** Rural areas in Madhya Pradesh, India reported 92% increase in easily preventable water borne diseases. Unfortunately these areas have no provision for clean drinking water. **Context** SAMPERK has identified two needs that are complimentary and will fulfill each other: Students who have to do school projects for credits and local community in need of drinking water. Thus, SAMPERK not only satisfies both the needs but also integrates classroom education with solving societal problems. This will bring in behavioral changes in the mindset of students and also in turn the society. **Solution:** _From Children comes the change_ SAMPERK is a self-sustained customized rural development plan included in school curriculum as projects and implemented by students. In this particular case students will develop a domestic filtration unit in classroom and install them in rural areas of Madhya Pradesh.
 intent
 impactLocal impact: Provide safe drinking water to 1200 people in Madhya Pradesh,India by installation of cost-effective domestic water filtration units. Nation wide impact: Implement the plan in 1100 schools thereby helping in development of 220,000 villages.
 rawlocationMadhya Pradesh, India
 lat22.9734
 lon78.6569
 glocationMadya Pradesh State Highway 44, Madhya Pradesh 487661, India
 category_other
 whoweareWe are two enthusiastic and self-motivated individuals who want to bring a sustainable change in the society. We believe that the solutions of socio-economic challenges faced by developing countries like India cannot follow the traditional approach where the boundaries are defined by ease or popularity. Instead, the problem has to be addressed in a way to bring change in the mindset of individuals. 1. **Neha Mehta**– Neha is a native of India and belongs to Rajasthan state. She has familiarity with the Indian social and political conditions which are valuable assets for the progress of our project. It also provides us an edge to connect more effectively to local organizations and community by talking fluently in their native language. She completed her undergraduate degree from premier institute of India- IIT Roorkee in Paper Chemistry. After completing her undergraduate, she joined University of California Berkeley to pursue masters in Chemical Engineering. Before joining MIT, for a second masters in Technology and Policy she worked in the field of water purification at Porifera nano Inc, CA. Given the nature of our project, her expertise in water purification and treatment technologies and ability to understand and deal with policy frameworks will be a great value addition to our team. 2. **Swarna Pandian, Ph.D** – Swarna was born and brought up in India. After earning her masters in Genomics from Madurai Kamaraj University she pursued her Ph.D in Neuroscience in a joint program offered by MIT and Portugal. Currently she is a postdoctoral Associate in McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. She brings a unique skill set to the project since she spent her early childhood near Shivpuri district (Where Samperk is introducing its pilot project) she is well aware of the local social system there. She is also fluent in many Indian local languages, which will be a big asset when dealing with local population. She did her schooling in different Kendriya Vidyalayas (Target school for Samperk) across India and have good understanding of how the school system and curriculum works. Apart from that her summer internship at University of Oxford has created within her a profound interest in Autism Behavior Analysis, which is one of the venues Samperk will pursue in parallel in its upcoming years
 url
 blog
 twitterMITsamperk
 twitter_import1
 facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/mitsamperk
 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchEngaging school students to develop self-sustainable solutions addressing local needs of the community.
 vote_count172
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count38
 comment_count10
 in_the_field0
 12
 id430
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameAppropriate Technology and Tutoring Workshops in Tanzania
 created2013-02-27 21:14:03
 modified2013-04-08 15:29:45
 emailtzeducate@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitchOver the past decade, the Tanzanian government has made tremendous strides in providing greater access to education for all of its residents. However, while primary school completion rises to over 80%, quality of education continues to plummet and only 37% of female students and 45% of male students complete secondary school. In this system, so much human capital goes unrealized—a study completed by the World Bank found that a worker in Tanzania who graduated secondary school earned 163% more in wages then someone who did not. Our team aims to bridge that gap by working with a startup organization in the city of Arusha called Accelerating Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (AISE). AISE was founded by a Tanzanian inventor who was inspired to teach people how to create and build inexpensive appropriate technologies to solve problems ailing Tanzanian communities. This hands-on, project-based learning is an ideal platform to teach critical thinking and problem solving skills. Our team’s vision is to create a curriculum based on the design of appropriate technologies that seamlessly integrates science and engineering principles learned in the classroom. Additionally, this form of education provides individuals with real-world skills that will improve their competitiveness in the job market. Our target individuals are students on the verge of transitioning from primary to secondary school, hoping that with extra help, they will make it to secondary school and beat the odds.
 intent
 impactPrevent school drop out for students transitioning into secondary school, while also providing them with technical skills valued in the job market.
 rawlocationNjiro, Arusha, Tanzania
 lat-3.39255
 lon36.7048
 glocationNjiro Road, Arusha, Tanzania
 category_other
 whoweareWe are a group of students dedicated to improving education in developing countries. While we all hail from MIT, we each bring to the table with different backgrounds and experiences. _Corinne Carland_: Corinne is a senior at MIT studying Chemical-Biological engineering. She has been involved in education-related initiatives for many years, from STEM tutoring in both high school and college, and through Amphibious Achievement, where she was part of the founding team that conceptualized and developed the program. Corinne has further worked with a professor at the Universidad Catolica to study the application educational technology in low-income schools in Chile. _Esther (Han Beol) Jang_: Esther is a current Junior in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT. Last year, she developed a method to extend wireless Internet access to the Orkeeswa Secondary School in rural Tanzania, and successfully implemented it in Summer 2012. She was also involved in setting up the science lab at Orkeeswa, making it possible for students to perform practical labs using locally available materials. She taught several science classes while she was at Orkeeswa, and has also enjoyed coming up with creative ways to teach high school students at MIT events and as a biology TA in high school. _John Tebes_: John is a junior at MIT majoring in economics and minoring in mathematics and international development. This past January he travelled to Tanzania with a group of students from D-Lab Development, where he was inspired to develop this project through the support of Bernard Kiwia at AISE. At MIT, he serves as a tutor and director of research for Amphibious Achievement, in which he has gained experience tutoring youth from inner-city Boston high schools. Through Amphibious Achievement, undergraduate research, and an internship at the World Bank, John has had the opportunity to design evaluation measures and practice collecting data in the field. He hopes to apply his economics background to this project by developing sophisticated socio-behavioral and academic achievement measures to rigorously evaluate program impact.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
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 problem_id0
 challenge_id36
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchThrough technology and tutoring workshops, we aim to empower Tanzanian students to take an active role in the alleviation of poverty and teach skills that prepares them for life inside and outside the classroom.
 vote_count0
 active1
 facebook_page_id
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 in_the_field0
 13
 id436
 contestyear2013-01-01
 namePractical Education Network
 created2013-02-28 10:00:27
 modified2013-04-29 08:16:09
 emailpen-execs@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchPEN designs hands-on STEM activities that infuse national standards with hands-on activities and train teachers in how to execute these activities within the structure of traditional education programs. Key to our success is the coupling of these resources with sustained support after our workshops end. To this end, we are developing OurLabs, a mobile community-building and information-sharing tool for educators. Through this, they will regularly receive tips on their upcoming practicals, and they will share progress and questions with each other.
 intent
 impact
 rawlocationGhana
 lat7.94653
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 glocationSalaga - Atebubu Road, Ghana
 category_other
 whoweareTeam leader Heather Beem (MIT PhD ‘14, Mechanical Engineering) has a passion for science education. She taught Ghanaian high school students to build a wind turbine, and taught workshops on solar energy through SPLASH and HSSP. She led the founding of PEN’s D-Lab class, and co-teaches it with Aron- teaching educational practices and mentoring the students in their international projects. She serves as MIT liaison, initiating and maintaining PEN’s communication with the MIT entities that PEN pursues collaboration with (D-Lab, MISTI, etc). Edward Burnell (MIT ‘13, Mechanical Engineering) leads PEN's web development. He has taught many engineering lessons in Ghana with Anna and Grace, won the recent ‘Education Designathon’ with a book whose pages that both were circuits and explained them, and taught two MIT classes on wind turbines. He worked last summer on a flying wind turbine, and is currently researching model-free learning for a plane designed to fly through dense forests. Edward is also a partner of Rough Draft Ventures, a venture capital fund by and for Boston-area students. Brianna Conrad (MIT ‘11, Physics and Electrical Engineering) researches solar energy at the University of New South Wales, and has led make-your-own solar panel workshops. Deborah Hanus (MIT ‘13, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Brain & Cognitive Sciences) works on PEN’s web/mobile development team. This summer she will teach mobile application development in South Africa as AITI’s Technical Lead. As a 2013 Fulbright Fellow in Cambodia, where she has worked on educational projects in the past, Deborah hopes to expand PEN’s reach to Asia. Madeline Hickman (MIT ‘11, Mechanical Engineering) coordinates MIT community relations and runs PEN’s SPLASH classes. She is a high school physics teaching assistant and D-Lab researcher, and has collaborated with D-Lab in Ghana, Kenya, and India on bicycle rickshaws, motorized mobility aids, and engineering education. Grace Kane (MIT ‘11, Mechanical/Ocean Engineering) is a marine engineer in Scotland. She brings organizational experience as Chief Engineer at the Indian start-up Saathi, and has taught dozens of engineering classes for high school students in Ghana and the US. Fareeha Safir (MIT ‘13, Mechanical Engineering) researches biomedical technologies and bioengineering. She taught lessons with D-lab in Tanzania, spent several terms working on a bicycle-powered grain mill with Global Cycle Solutions, and designed a lighter rickshaw truss with Gwyn Jones and the Indian Rickshaw Bank. She spent one year working with Engineers Without Borders on solar powered lighting in collaboration with a community in Degeya, Uganda. Anna Waldman-Brown (MIT ‘11, Physics and Writing) is PEN’s coordinator of community relations in Ghana, where she was a 2012 Fulbright Fellow researching appropriate technology and piloting several PEN initiatives. She has taught science classes in Ghana, Peru, and the US. Aron Walker (MIT ‘07, Chemical Engineering and Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science) co-teaches PEN’s D-Lab class with Heather. He is a high school science teacher and brings experience in both teacher-training and collaborative curriculum development. During his four years in the Peace Corps in Tanzania, he founded Shika na Mikono (an initiative for hands-on science education), published a manual for volunteers, and worked with the Ministry of Education on 3 educational books.
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 descriptionTo promote forward thinking in social and environmental  responsibility In alignment with Dow Chemical’s 2015 Sustainability Goals, the <a href="http://www.dow.com/sustainability/studentchallenge/">Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge Award</a> (SISCA) program was launched in 2009 in order to promote forward thinking in social and environmental responsibility. Dow Chemical is sponsoring the SISCA program through the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge. Participating students are rewarded for their work in sustainability and recognized for innovations that address global sustainability challenges.  Student projects will be evaluated based on: <ul> <li>Potential for solving world challenges</li> <li>Interdisciplinary nature of work, for example, applied sciences, engineering, economics, public policy, social studies, business, etc.</li> </ul> Innovative thinking and excellence in research MIT IDEAS Global Challenge teams can enter this Challenge as a way to increase the chances of winning an award. A special award pool of up to ,000 will support teams working on projects encouraging and furthering sustainability. To take up this challenge, go to your Team Profile and select "Edit Profile" and then choose the associated challenge.   Questions? Email globalchallenge@mit.edu
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 nameEssmart
 created2011-10-28 12:18:55
 modified2012-05-08 13:32:29
 emailhello@essmart-global.com
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch**PROBLEM** Many organizations design solar lanterns, water filters, and other life-improving essential technologies for homes in developing countries. However, these products rarely benefit end users at scale because the rural last mile lacks effective distribution, marketing, and service. Meanwhile, 90% of the 0B annual retail spending in India takes place in 14M small, low-margin, family-run retail shops. Retail shops don’t sell essential technologies because they don’t know about them, where to find them, or how to service them. _Essmart offers a solution. Essmart delivers the goods._ **SOLUTION** Essmart is an essential technology distributor with an embedded retail presence. We address three problems that local retail shops face: 1. Knowledge Gap: We amplify demand for “essential technologies” via a paper and mobile catalogue and appealing marketing campaigns. 2. Distribution Gap: We supply essential technologies to Essmart sections in retail stores. 3. After-Sales Service Gap: We provide training, warranties, and maintenance service on essential technologies to ensure long-term benefits. **TRACTION** After founding in October 2011, Essmart surveyed over 200 retailers in southern India during January 2012. In our pilot, two retail shops sold 17 Essmart products in one week in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu. In Summer 2012, Essmart will begin year one of operations, with the goal of establishing distribution channels to 65 rural shops by year end.
 intent
 impactGet 2,000+ technologies into rural areas in the first year; 4.5 million by five years.
 rawlocationPollachi, India
 lat10.6573
 lon77.0107
 glocationPalakkad- Koduvayur - Thathamangalam - Meenakshipuram Hwy, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India
 category_other
 whoweare**Diana Jue** (co-founder) is a second year Master’s student studying international development in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. She is studying technology dissemination for her thesis and has traveled extensively in southern India. Having obtained bachelor’s degrees in economics and urban studies and planning from MIT in 2009, Diana will be working on overall idea and business model development in addition to supply chain logistics and operations management. **Jackie Stenson** (co-founder) studied engineering at Harvard, graduating in 2008, and completed her Master’s degree in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge, graduating in 2012. Jackie has extensive experience both designing essential technologies and studying dissemination models for low-income communities in Africa, having traveled and worked there for over two years in 11 countries. Jackie will be working on overall idea and business model development in addition to technology sourcing. **Prashanth Venkataramana** has a background in mechanical engineering and studied Engineering for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge. He is from Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India, lives in Chennai, and works in sales and marketing in the glass industry. Prashanth has numerous contacts in Chennai and in Bangalore and speaks Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and English. Prashanth works on technology evaluation, securing local connections, creating customer value propositions, and relaying local conditions to the rest of the team. **Taylor Matthews** is a first-year MBA student at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He focuses his studies on the intersection of technology and finance with a particular interest in how both can be applied in the developing world. With a background in investment banking, management consulting, and venture finance, Taylor will focus on the financial aspects of the business and provide input into the overall idea and business model development. **Robert Weiss** is a Masters candidate at Harvard Kennedy School. His academic background is in clean tech policy and economics. He focused on deployment of renewable energy in China, where he lived for one year and is fluent in Mandarin. Rob has also worked in Cameroon and Timor-Leste, the latter spent assessing the impact of a solar lantern distribution project in off-grid rural villages. Rob focuses on supplier relations and business strategy. **Jaya Movva** studies International Business at the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She has worked as a design engineer at Motorola in the past and then worked for a major financial services firm in Dubai. She has done development work in Tanzania and Haiti and plans to work in initiatives that promote private sector development in emerging markets. She will help out with business plan development and market analysis. **Ben Younkman** studies International Business at the Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, focusing on community development and social enterprises in emerging markets. He is experienced with community development, documentary work, and logistics from nearly seven years working in Latin America, the Caribbean and China. Ben focuses on Essmart’s distribution logistics and produces media content and marketing materials. **Jen Zhu** is a joint degree candidate in Government and Sociology at Harvard University. She has prior experience with two other social enterprises, and worked with Dalberg Global Development Advisors to analyze 80+ social enterprises’ challenges and success factors. She also researches the dissemination of public health interventions through social networks in developing countries. Jen works on market analysis, social media, and U.S. marketing. **Aubrey Colter** is a third year undergraduate in MIT’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. When she took the Media Lab's Building Mobile Applications class, she began prototyping mobile technologies for Essmart's future use. Aubrey will be developing back-end applications for Essmart's field agents so that they can more conveniently collect survey information about the product after it is purchased and put to use.
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 id267
 contestyear2012-01-01
 nameKnow Electricity
 created2011-11-22 20:55:38
 modified2012-04-21 12:31:59
 emailwardah@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchPakistan is facing a major energy crisis. It has an available capacity of 18GW with a demand of 22GW. This gap causes massive power cuts throughout the country (of more than 16 hours in some areas). The excessive power cuts have not only crippled the local industry but have also left people frustrated which leads to riots and violent protests. It is expected that even with increase in generation capacity this gap will remain in the coming years.So there is a need to tackle this issue from the consumer end. KnowElectricity is a social enterprise focused on consumer engagement for energy conservation through energy education and promotion of energy efficient products & practices in Pakistan. We are currently operating two programs: 1. Schools and Students Engagement Program (SSEP) 2. Products for Sustainability (PFS) SSEP is an engagement/educational program for high school students to impart a greater sense of responsibility for consumption. It consists of a series of talks, seminars, electricity audit training and audits. This helps to decrease their electricity consumption and the consumption of neighboring households. PFS focuses on products with sustainable advantages and financial benefits with the aim to create understanding of technologies to drive consumer purchase of suitable products.
 intent
 impact Decrease the electricity consumption of 500 households in one year
 rawlocationPakistan
 lat30.3753
 lon69.3451
 glocationN-70, Pakistan
 category_other
 whoweare**Wardah Inam:** Wardah is the Co- Founder at KE. She is a PhD Candidate at MIT where she is researching in Power Electronics (Energy efficient power converter design). She has also been involved in numerous projects related to alternative energy applications such as MIT SoftRockers. She graduated from GIKI with a BS in Electronics Engineering where she worked on a Grid-tie inverter for solar applications for her Final Year Project. **Faizan Rasool:** Faizan is the Co- Founder at KE and is also working with Tintash as Manager Mobile Application He spent an year as the head of the Electronics and Electrical department in Philip Morris Pakistan at their flagship factory. He has a BSc in Electronics Engineering from GIKI.
 urlhttp://knowelectricity.org/
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 contestyear2012-01-01
 nameSMART Coops
 created2011-12-09 22:50:34
 modified2012-05-08 13:32:57
 emaildcast@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch**Context** The Philippines is a forgotten gem of SE Asia. With 100M ppl, the country has vast economic potential and, due to the attention Indonesia is getting from foreign investors, has been overlooked and underestimated. In a few years, it may be the 'next big thing' in South East Asia. Its young population of highly educated, English speaking entrepreneurs have already [overtaken India][1] in call center business and its farm yield will have to keep up. **Opportunity** Farmers need loans, crop inputs, best practice knowledge, and distribution channels. We have interviewed 12 farmers (all use SMS everyday, 5 had Internet) in Jan 2012 and found many areas of improvement: - Farmers pay 20+% interest rate on their loans - Lack money to buy enough inputs for their resource - Overpay for their inputs - Are not updated on modern farming techniques - Keep planting the same crops without diversification - Sell to middlemen who take markup by more than 200% - Keep money in cash **Solution** SMART (Sustainable Management of Agricultural Resources and Trade) Coops is a mobile banking and a marketplace that connects farmers to their agricultural cooperatives, and in turn to banks, input suppliers, government agencies, and crop buyers who all benefit from increased information. The service will be free to the farmers, while charging a fee to crop buyers, input suppliers and lending institutions for access to the network of farmers. [1]: http://goo.gl/cYKSJ
 intent
 impactImprove sustainable management of 5 Coops (1000+ farms) and increase their trade by 100% by 2014
 rawlocationVictoria, Laguna
 lat14.2003
 lon121.306
 glocationBrgy San Benito Rd, Victoria, Philippines
 category_other
 whoweareWe are a cross-disciplinary team of MIT graduate students and affiliates with a passion for technology, emerging markets, and agriculture. We have experience in software development, public policy, and agricultural systems. SMART Coops is a for-profit company that will disrupt the agricultural supply chain in emerging markets, starting in the Philippines. **Leah Grace Capitan** has an undergrad in Fisheries from the University of the Philippines-Visayas. She is currently an MBA 2013 candidate at HULT IBS and a Women in Leadership scholar. She co-founded AntPortal, a software startup in Montreal, Canada. Her father is a retired agricultural banker and her mother’s family owns a large poultry farm in Bicol, Philippines. **Danny Castonguay** has an undergrad and Masters in Computer Engineering from McGill University. He spent 3 years as a management consultant at McKinsey and 1.5 years working with World Fuel Services in Miami, before returning to Montreal to co-found AntPortal. He is currently an MBA 2013 student at MIT Sloan and a Legatum Fellow. **Andressa Gutierrez** has 10 years experience in economic development policy in the Philippines. She holds a Masters in International Development, Brandeis University and Bachelors in Marine Fisheries, University of the Philippines-Visayas **Charlotte Wang** has a Masters in Computer Science and is currently at MIT SDM 2012 program. She has 10 years of experience in system implementation, business development, strategy and public policy. She was a co-founder of an energy startup. **Ariel Smoliar** served in the Israel Defense Forces as a research team leader in the electro-optical field for 5 years and later worked at a medical device company as a product development manager, leading the development of the smallest video camera in the world. Ariel has an MSc (Electro-Optical Engineering) from Ben-Gurion University and currently an MBA candidate at Sloan School of Management. **Martim Vaz Pinto** has an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Economics from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, in Portugal. He spent 3 years in management consulting at McKinsey in Europe and Africa and is currently an MBA 2013 student at MIT Sloan. He is the co-founder of the non-profit enterprise MySocialProject.org. **Carlos Yeung** worked as a software engineer at Microsoft for over six years. His experiences include product development and project management in both Windows and Internet Explorer divisions. He is currently a 2012 MBA candidate at MIT Sloan. **Masatoshi Sugihara** worked in the financial industry in Japan for four years both as a commercial banker and an investment banker. His experiences include client coverage, credit risk analysis, and business process reengineering at a financial institution. He is an MBA student in the class of 2012 at MIT Sloan. **Wittaya Job Reanchaipitak** worked as an IT analyst for 4 years. His experiences were to develop and implement IT tools to improve the supply chain of construction material market in Thailand. He is currently an MBA 2013 student at MIT Sloan.
 urlhttp://smartcoops.com
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 twitter_import0
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 problem_id15
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 shortpitchSustainable management of agricultural resources and trade for farmers in the Philippines
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 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameUrban Renewal: Pop Up Commerce
 created2012-10-22 17:06:40
 modified2013-04-08 15:21:01
 emailkalexa@gmail.com
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitch**Problem** Connecting new entrepreneurs to thier target customer requires capital, time, strong marketing and sales teams that most entrepreneurs don't have. **Solution** Pop-up Store provides entrepreneurs with resources via a short term physical market place. In this marketplace entrepreneurs can: gather market research; demonstrate innovative products and solutions; build their brand image and message; create a following; and sell their product via an internet interface. **Context** Pop-Up Store benefits go beyond the entrepreneur. Stores will reside in less retail rich areas, which helps bring foot traffic and high quality goods into underserved communities and connect consumers to under utilized local shops and restaurants. Currently, this project is being prototyped in Kendall Square, a business and residential area. The area currently has no stores serving family needs. The first Pop-Up Store will feature fledgeling MIT and Kendall square entrepreneurs with products for families, children, learners, and business consumers. Customers buying products at the store could continue to order directly from the company in the future. The prototype also works in developing and changing economies where local solutions to social problems can be shared across communities. For example, an SMS payment program developed in Kenya could be featured and sold at a store catering to Tanzanian farmers. **Resources:** A related project http://www.popuphood.com
 intent
 impactGrow local economies that support local entrepreneurs and workers. In one year, I plan to connect 100 entrepreneurs with stable loyal consumers in the US.
 rawlocationBoston, Detroit, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Tanzania
 lat0
 lon0
 glocation
 category_other
 whoweareKari Hodges MBA Candidate, 2014-- Connecting with local entrepreneurs and business associations to create supports, and execute the store locations. Jessica Liu-- Product sourcing. Identifies and researches product and manages entrepreneur product component of the project.
 url
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 twitter
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 facebook
 problem_id15
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 shortpitchA temporary store selling local entrepreneur merchandise in retail depressed areas.
 vote_count0
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 id348
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameSolar Boats
 created2012-10-23 07:30:11
 modified2012-10-23 08:17:11
 emailsolar_boats_2012@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchThe Achuar are an indigenous nationality of about 8,000 people living in 70 communities spread throughout the Ecuadorean Amazon. For decades, the Achuar have resisted environmentally damaging industries like oil extraction, mining, and commercial logging, and have instead embraced a development model based on ecotourism and the conservation of the Rainforest. But, to continue developing sustainably, the Achuar must overcome serious energy and environmental challenges, foremost of which is the lack of affordable transportation. Traditional options, like roads and gasoline-powered boats, do not meet the needs of Achuar, as they are prohibitively expensive and contaminate the delicate Amazonian ecosystem, endangering the health and survival of the Achuar. However, the Ecuadorean Amazon has plentiful sun and a vast network of slow-moving, interconnected river ways. Because of this, we are designing and constructing a system of solar-powered boats and recharge stations on the rivers of Achuar Territory that will provide sustainable transportation aligned with the cultural values of the Achuar. Our project will not only sustain the welfare of a nation and protect a biodiverse ecosystem, but will also provide an innovative model that can be replicated around the globe. To make this possible, we are working with the Pachamama Foundation, a local NGO, and are being supported by a grant from the Foreign Ministry of Finland. More information: http://bit.ly/Hw70IA
 intent
 impactCreate a solar-powered boat, public transportation system across a 150-kilometer stretch in the Amazon, sustainably serving several thousand Achuar.
 rawlocationPastaza River, Ecuador
 lat-2.0164
 lon-77.6338
 glocationPastaza, Ecuador
 category_other
 whoweareBuilding a complete solar boat infrastructure requires not only naval and electrical engineers, but also experts in business and community development. Currently, our team consists of ocean engineers James Slonaker and Mateo Doll, who are evaluating designs for boat constructions; photovoltaic/electrical engineers Abubakar Abid and Carlos Greaves, who are building data loggers and designing solar arrays; and Sloan students Howard Hong, Saurabh Sanghvi, Javier Nieto, and Arvind Nagarajan, who are working on a feasibility study for solar-powered boats. Outside MIT, our contact with a local, Ecuadorean organization, the Pachamama Foundation, is Oliver Utne, who is promoting the idea among the Achuar.
 url
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 shortpitchOur solar boats and recharge stations will solve the energy, transportation, and environmental crisis faced by indigenous Amazon groups.
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 description<h3>2012 Muhammad Yunus innovation challenge:</h3> <h2>WASTE: Put it to Use</h2> <h3> Problem</h3> Waste is annually produced in scales of tons on earth. In 2009, the US alone produced 161 million tons of waste (the weight of approximately 71,500 space shuttles). Reducing and reusing this waste would save resources that are otherwise lost. In developing countries, waste and waste systems most profoundly affect the poorest populations. Solid waste is dumped near slums, which has lead to an informal work sector of trash-pickers who live and work there. Even as wastepickers play a significant role in managing a community's waste, they are marginalized, exposed to toxic materials, and labeled as being “dirty.” In countries where waste management infrastructures do exist, only a fraction of the population gains the benefits, and incinerators pollute the air in areas where the impoverished reside. The poorer populations also utilize water sources that have been poisoned by trash. Half of the world's population (2.6 billion people) does not have clean sanitation facilities for human waste. Fortunately, there is potential for waste to be recycled, reused, or better managed. With the right level of organization and flow, waste can even be processed to generate income for underprivileged communities. <h3>The Challenge</h3> The 2012 Yunus Challenge calls for innovative solutions to gaining value from waste, including both systems and technologies for improvements in (but not limited to): solid waste management, biowaste, electronic waste, medical equipment waste, wastewater, and industrial scrap, as well as the well-being of wastepickers and their livelihoods. Solutions should be designed for implementation in communities living at or below the poverty level. <h3>Background</h3> Wastepickers and Solid Waste “Waste pickers can range from poor people rummaging through garbage in search of necessities such as food to informal private collectors of recyclables who sell to middlemen or businesses, as well as organized pickers/sorters linked to unions, cooperatives or associations… The term 'waste picking' is commonly used to refer to the task of extracting reusable and recyclable materials from mixed wastes. Many waste pickers also sort or segregate waste and sell it to persons or units further up the recycling chain” (WEIGO 2011). In developing countries, it is common for municipalities to spend 20-50 percent of their available recurrent budget on solid waste management. Yet, it is also common that 30-60 percent of all the urban solid waste in developing countries is uncollected and less than 50 percent of the population is served. In some cases, as much as 80 percent of the collection and transport equipment is out of service, in need of repair or maintenance. In most developing countries, open dumping with open burning is the norm. (World Bank). In Delhi, India wastepickers recycle 15-20% of the garbage… saving municipal authorities 24% of their expenses by removing waste from the waste stream. Waste management presents a huge challenge for city governments and is a major source of GHG emissions. But it is also a key opportunity for generating “green” jobs and community enterprise. In Brazil, an estimated 500,000 people are employed in the recycling sector, with over 2400 co-operatives bringing decent work and social protection to some of the world's poorest people. But this represents only a fraction of the potential as only 10% of urban waste is currently recycled. In many countries, the informal sector of wastepickers recycle 50-100% of the garbage, achieving higher recycling rates than the formal systems in place. Wastepickers thereby remove toxins from trash in urban areas, and they salvage materials that could be reused. Yet they are in the lowest class, their contributions are disregarded, and they are often harrassed. Wastepicking is often a family business, and it is an organized process. Many live at the solid waste dumps (20,000 people in Kolkata, India; 12,000 in Manila, Philippines; 15,000 in Mexico City, Mexico), where they're exposed to health hazards, such as: cuts and pricks, toxins and dangerous materials from leaking trash and from the air when the trash is heated in the summer, and back pain. Wastepicker earnings vary widely from region to region. Some make /day, whereas some make over minimum wage. Men usually earn more than women. Wastepicking has traditionally been seen as an individualized way of living, which it makes it harder for wastepickers to gain more rights. Exact numbers of wastepickers in the world are difficult to estimate. Organizing helps wastepickers/recyclers see positive impacts of their work. Ie. They begin to think of better ways to manage waste, care about the community more, start bringing technology in (motorized carts with regular routes as opposed to pushcarts), add value to the materials to be able to sell straight to industry, can influence labor system/law in the country. Often, the larger management companies will destroy wastepickers' livelihoods. Small scale technologies/practices tend to work better (recycling, composing, biogas, door-to-door collection, collecting & sorting recyclable materials) Wastepicking provides the only livelihood for many of the poor. Therefore, completely getting rid of this activity will have negative impacts on poverty allieviation. Preliminary readings include the following: <a href="http://wiego.org/sites/wiego.org/files/publications/files/Dias_UP_BriefingNote6.pdf">Integrating Informal Workers into Selective Waste Collection: The Case of Belo Horizonte, Brazil</a> <a href="http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/giz2011-en-bibliography.pdf">List of literature related to the Informal Sector in Solid Waste Management</a> <a href="http://wiego.org/informal-economy/occupational-groups/waste-pickers">WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing): Waste Pickers</a>   Medical Equipment Waste “Waste generated by health care activities includes a broad range of materials, from used needles and syringes to soiled dressings, body parts, diagnostic samples, blood, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and radioactive materials” (World Health Organization) In 2002, the results of a WHO assessment conducted in 22 developing countries showed that the proportion of health-care facilities that do not use proper waste disposal methods ranges from 18% to 64%. Unsafe disposal of medical equipment waste can lead to pricks for wastepickers. WHO estimated that, in 2000, contaminated injections with contaminated syringes caused: <ul> <li>21 million hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections (32% of all new infections)</li> <li>two million hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections (40% of all new infections)</li> <li>at least 260 000 HIV infections (5% of all new infections)</li> </ul> To get rid of medical waste, incinerators seem like the best solution. However, under some circumstances, including when wastes are incinerated at low temperatures or when plastics that contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are incinerated, dioxins and furans and other toxic air pollutants may be produced as emissions and/or in bottom or fly ash (ash that is carried by air and exhaust gases up the incinerator stack). Exposure to dioxins, furans and co-planar PCBs may lead to adverse health effects. “Effective programmes for the management of immunization waste require both the assignment of legal and financial responsibility for safe management to the waste producer, and the responsibility of duty of care. Where possible, management of immunization waste should be integrated into existing health-care waste management systems” (WHO) Donating medical equipment to areas of need can be helpful, for many clinics in developing countries lack supplies. Reprocessed equipment can cost 40-60% of new equipment. However, not all medical equipment is useful; supply should meet demand. Additionally, certain medical equipment must be donated with a manual/clear instructions, as well as supplies to stock the equipment. Preliminary readings include the following: World Health Organization (WHO) <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs253/en/">Wastes from health-care activities</a> <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs281/en/index.html"> Health-care waste management</a> <a href="http://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/pht/1_equipment%20donationbuletin82WHO.pdf">Guidelines for Health Care Equipment Donations</a>   Electronic Waste (E-Waste) / Manufacturing Waste E-waste includes laptops and mobile phones that contain hazardous chemicals and materials The UN estimates that 20-50 million tons of e-waste is produced globally every year (= 10,000-20,000 space shuttles). E-waste from the world is often dumped without regulations at hotspots in Ghana, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and China. Though electronics are donated to supposedly bridge the technological gap, 25-75% of “second hand goods” imported to Africa cannot be reused. Preliminary readings include the following: <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/international/press/reports/poisoning-the-poor-electonic.pdf">Poisoning the poor: Electronic waste in Ghana</a> <a href="http://www.newint.org/features/1997/10/05/keynote/">New Internationalist Magazine On Trash</a>   Biowaste (Human waste, Biodigesting, Post-agricultural processing, Food processing) Organic waste can be used for further use such as animal feed or charcoal, farmers can save money by reducing post-harvest loss. Produce waste in developing countries leads to food wasted. Up to 50% of fruits rot from poor logistics and market infrastructure. 1600 calories/person/day is lost to wasted food (Waste, Uncovering the Global Food Scandal, 2009). With 75% of the world's poor living in rural areas, increasing food produced within those regions can be more beneficial than importing food “Food production in Africa alone with decrease by 40-50% in the future due to climate change. Don't let the remaining food go to waste!” - Quote from Andrew Steer, Special Envoy for Climate Change, World Bank (November 16, 2010)   Wastewater Solid waste that is dumped into water sources, as well as wastewater, contaminates water supplies for poorer populations. Through rigid guidelines and strict monitoring, it is possible to use wastewater, excreta, and greywater (with or without treatment) Preliminary readings include the following: <a href="http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/wastewater/gsuww/en/index.html">WHO: Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater</a> <a href="http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/09/waste-water-bacteria-clean-energ.html?ref=hp">Waste Water + Bacteria = Clean Energy</a>   Websites of interest <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/11/09/science/11102009_Garbage_12.html">NYTimes Slideshow: Rubbish in the Pacific</a> <a href="http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/rtn2/#maya">Chris Jordan - Running the Numbers II: Portraits of global mass culture</a>   <h3>Key Considerations and Judging Criteria</h3> Solutions should be designed for implementation in communities living at or below the poverty level, where infrastructure is limited. Innovation, feasibility and impact will be important criteria in judging. Proposed solutions should be new, focus on measurable change, and aim for a price point that makes intervention accessible to the poorest populations and allows for dissemination on a large scale. Specific aspects to address include, but should not necessarily be limited to: <ul> <li>Livelihood impact (e.g., increased incomes from value-adding activities, time and labor saved)</li> <li>Acceptability within the community</li> <li>Health impact (e.g., reduced hunger from higher yields, improved nutrition)</li> <li>Environmental impact (e.g., waste reduction or reuse, decreased land and water degradation)</li> <li>Scalabity</li> </ul>   Credit will be given for supporting rationale regarding how the solution will directly address the issues faced. The needs of the poor are wide and varied and teams are not expected to address all issues surrounding deriving value from waste, however, proposed solutions should address a particular need and fill it well. Participants are encouraged to work on solutions with a specific community or region in mind, as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. <h3>Supporting Initiatives</h3> What systems, technologies, and designs will change waste and help alleviate poverty? Create it! Enter the 2011 Yunus Challenge in one of these ways: Interested participants may enter proposals into the IDEAS Global Challenge, where special awards have been created to provide winning teams with funding to pursue their ideas. For more information, please contact <a href="mailto:ideas-admin@mit.edu">Kate Mytty</a> or check the <a href="http://globalchallenge.mit.edu/"> IDEAS Global Challenge website</a>. Students are encouraged to apply for Public Service Fellowships (PSC), Internships and Grants that provide them with the opportunity to work on a potential program and with communities to develop a feasible solution which takes local context into account. For more information, please contact <a href="mailto:hynd@mit.edu">Alison Hynd</a> or visit the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/mitpsc/whatwedo/internshipsandfellowships/index.html">PSC Website</a>. In the fall of 2011, <a href="d-lab.mit.edu">D-lab</a> will hold its first class focused exclusively on Waste. D-Lab Waste provides a multi-disciplinary approach to managing waste in low-and–middle-income countries with strategies that diminish greenhouse gas emissions and provide enterprise opportunities for marginalized populations. The course, comprised of lectures, fieldtrips, and guest speakers, studies waste management strategies in cities in Africa, India, and Latin America; examines case studies of collection, recycling, and waste-to-energy businesses developed in low-income settings; and researches public policy that supports sustainable, integrated, solid waste management systems. Student teams develop waste management strategies that culminate in a two-week IAP trip to Nicaragua where students will work with a local NGO and the municipality, to assist in the implementation of waste management initiatives. For more information contact <a href="mailto:libmac@mit.edu">Libby McDonald</a>.   <ul> </ul> For more information on the 2012 Yunus Innovation Challenge, please contact <a href="mailto:idi@mit.edu">Laura Sampath or Bina Choi</a>. <div id="footer"> </div>   
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 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchImagine the life of a cocktail dress. You wear it once to a party, have your photo taken in it, it gets posted on facebook, and then you can never wear that cocktail dress again. How environmentally unfriendly. Well this doesn't just happen with cocktail dresses, it happens with saris in India as well. The difference is, many of these used saris endup on the side of roads, or in rivers, hurting the environment. Lallitara utilizes a network of underprivledged women to collected these saris. We then fashion them into new, hip, western wear, which is sold around the world. Along the way, we ensure that we pay fair wages. In addition, for every product sold we kickback a portion of the proceeds to a non-profit in India that provides employable skills training for underserved communities. Its a win-win for all!
 intent
 impactGenerate enough revenue to train 300 men & women in poor communities
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 whoweareBijal Shah, the visionary behind Lallitara, has 7 years of business strategy experience. In addition to her solid business foundation, she is a skilled designer and sewer. She is obsessed with saris and women’s empowerment, and hopes to utilize these two passions to turn Lallitara into a leading luxury apparel line. She has garment production experience, having taken several products through the entire concept, production, sell lifecycle, and is excited about the possibilities with Lallitara Joanna Zhou is our creative web strategist. Her business savvy combined with expert digital marketing skills, makes her a great fit for developing and selling the Lallitara brand. Her innate sense of “cool” will help keep Lallitara’s brand on the leading edge of fashion and digital marketing. When she is not busy generating web traffic to lallitara.com, she can be found updating for the blog.lallitara.com.
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 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch**PROBLEM** Charcoal is a common cooking fuel in the developing world. In Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi, Kenya, about 300 tons of charcoal is consumed daily, and the wood to make charcoal is illegally trafficked from rural forests. This not only causes severe deforestation, but the increasing charcoal price (due to scarcity) also puts a severe economic burden on the households (spending up to 50% of its income on cooking fuel alone). At the same time, urban waste management is at best poorly done, and in particular, no one really knows what to do with organic waste. **INNOVATIONS** We propose to produce alternative charcoal from urban household organic waste. Our innovations are: 1. Managing organic waste more cheaply than existing solutions (biogas, fertilizers), 2. Reframing unrelated technologies to serve urban charcoal-making, and 3. Shortening the inefficient rural-to-urban charcoal supply chain. **IMPLEMENTATION** We are working with the Nairobi Fab Lab and waste-sorting youth groups to implement, by summer 2012, a pilot charcoal project that can increase the income of the youth groups by 46%. At the same time, we will collaborate with the University of Nairobi and the Rumuruti Forest Association to engage in user experience surveys to market and distribute our _eco-makaa_ briquettes locally. You can follow our team's progress here: takachar.blogspot.com And here is our Facebook page --- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Takachar/220716124668211
 intent
 impactIncreasing the income of the youth groups by 46%, while managing 20 tons/week of organic waste, mitigating 8 tons/day of equivalent greenhouse CO2 emissions, providing 200 households with reliable charcoal supply, and saving 700 trees/year.
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 whoweare**Design & briquetting (@MIT)** Jacob Young is currently a junior in chemical engineering. He has experience with technical design and is interested in pyrolysis processes. Over IAP 2012, he spent four weeks in Kenya as a Technology Dissemination Fellow in the MIT International Development Initiative to demonstrate agricultural charcoal near the Rumuruti Forest, as well as to prototype charcoal-making technologies in an urban setting in the Kibera slum. He is excited to be working more on the design aspect in the spring semester. Ala'a Siam is a freshman at MIT hoping to major in courses 20 (biological engineering) and 6 (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) and minor in materials engineering and public policy. He is interested in international development and supply chains, and has gained experience through his membership in MEET (Middle East Education through Technology), UAEM (Universities Allied for Essential Medicine), SANA, and ESD (Engineering Systems Division). He hopes to implement his leadership skills to alleviate poverty through market-based techniques. Marie Burkland is currently a junior in chemical engineering. She has a strong interest in energy working in technical design to improve the lives of others. She looks forward to working on the technical team this spring to continue to design and prototype charcoal-making technologies. Carolyn Joseph is an MIT freshman planning to study either Materials Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. She is excited to work on the technical aspects of this project and help the team create a stable source of cooking fuel in Kenya. Eta Atolia is currently a freshman at MIT majoring in course 7, Biology, and minoring Biomedical Engineering. She is very interested in research on energy and fuels. She has gained experience and interest through conducting research at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) on algae fuels. **Design (@Nairobi)** Allen Ojema is a third-year student studying for a bachelor's degree in Civil and Construction Engineering. He has also done accountancy (Certified Public Accountancy) at the Strathmore University and he is intending to start on Project Management as a Diploma course. He is interested in environmental preservation, research, innovation and general community outreach, and all this are all what Takachar as a team and a project stands for. He has gained experience through Fab Lab Nairobi, Engineering Students Association, and the Kuweni Serious outreach program for disadvantaged girls. He hopes to implement his leadership and innovative skills and to alleviate poverty through market-based techniques, sustainable solutions and available resources to ensure environmental preservation. Juliette Wanyiri is a fourth-year Electrical and Information Engineering student at the University of Nairobi. She has taken the lead in the Robotics Outreach Programme at FabLab Nairobi since 2009. Juliette is passionate about design, with a special focus on using design in development to help achieve the Millenium Development Goals, with her area of focus being in developing innovative education tools for Kenyan children using robotics. She has also a research intern at iHub Research where she is currently developing a platform for innovators in tech to harness their skills and ideas in developing innovations that meet the needs of the Kenyan market. Lisa Kara is a third-year undergraduate Civil and Construction Engineering student. She has a strong interest in environmental conservation and sustainability, social service and outreach and technical innovation. She has worked with Engineering Students Association, Fab Lab, and the Kuweni Serious outreach program for disadvantaged girls. She looks forward to exchanging ideas and sharing skills related to engineering hardware and software. Karl, hailing from Cameroon, is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing mechanical and manufacturing engineering at the University of Nairobi. He is an active member of the FabLab, in which projects on community development in collaboration with KWENI SERIOUS Kenya and NIKE are being done under the Outreach and Robotics group. He is also a member of the Engineering Student Association. He is interested in aspects of research and analysis especially relating to improvement and community development, leadership and mentoring interactions in global engineering and industrial circles. He joined the Takachar team with the dream of being able to develop solutions to global problems which will improve the human facilities and usage as a whole. Roy Ombatti is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Nairobi. He is an active member of Fablab and the school's Engineering Student Association. He has a keen interest in community development as he led the Fablab Outreach Team in the collaborative social project with Kuweni Serious under the Nike Foundation's Girl Effect Program focussing on the under-priviledged girl child. He is passionate about developing alternative sources of energy, and is also working on a low-cost housing project dealing with interlocking bricks. Flora Kaai is currently a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Nairobi studying Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. She is interested in community development mainly by providing sustainable housing for displaced persons in Kenya, community outreach and engineering design. She has gained experience through the Nairobi FabLab, the Kuweni Serious Outreach Program and the Design for Development workshop organized by MIT at the University of Nairobi. **Relations, surveys, and numbers** Kevin Kung (Biological Engineering/HST, G) has had seven years of experience working in various international development projects, such as education in urban Vietnam, water and sanitation in rural Uganda, stabilized soil blocks in rural Ghana (with D-Lab), and global health delivery and management in Nairobi, Kenya (with GHD Lab). He has been involved with Engineers Without Borders-Princeton (2005-08 as a technical team member, since 2011 as a mentor), and Engineers Without Borders-MIT (since 2009). Together with the community partners in Kibera, he seeded a modest idea in March 2011 that eventually turned into the basis of Takachar, which has ever since grown organically beyond his original expectations. Sisi Ni (Material Science & Engineering, G) has a strong interest in improving well-beings through innovation and technology. Being the current Treasurer of the Graduate Student Council and the Director of Finance of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students, she has had extensive experience with various fundraising efforts, such as for helping deprived rural students receive education, and for assisting Sichuan earthquake victims. She has worked on several energy efficient projects and is eager to see the deployment of technology that could benefit the development countries. Vincent Liu is a doctoral student at MIT studying Electrical engineering and medical devices. He is experienced in both technology and business development for the developing world; he was previously involved with a medical device startup focusing on affordable skin grafting technology and team Salud del Sol, a team developing solar-powered autoclaves for use in the developing world. Ya Lin is a graduate student at Harvard pursuing PhD in Biophysics and Master in Statistics. She has extensive experience with survey design and data analysis using various statistical packages. She has a strong interest in financial market research and modeling. In 2011, she did a 10-week summer internship with ExxonMobil, evaluating quantitative and qualitative data on commodity products. Ya served as the Vice President of the Singapore Student Association in college, directed fundraising efforts that generated ,000+ and assisted in orchestrating cross-cultural events. Being the Co -Founder and the current Treasurer of the Harvard Graduate Business Club, she has extensive experience with fundraising and event organization. Titiaan Palazzi is currently a graduate student in the EST program at MIT who is also concluding a masters (cum laude) in Physics of Renewable Energy at Delft University, having spent time as a researcher at MIT (where he is now) and a student at ETH Zürich. He is currently working on biomass gasification in developing countries, but his interests reach into distributed solar, bio-fuels and software & energy. During his masters, he founded the Dutch chapter of the Kairos Society, inspired by the vision to build a global network of young entrepreneurs who aim to start scalable, meaningful ventures. Built upon another passion – cooking – Titiaan co-founded Bodega Ksi catering company during his bachelors after successfully launching and running a summer restaurant. Nicholas Roose is a first-year student at The Fletcher School pursuing a Master in International Business with a focus on strategic management and development economics. His past experiences include working with ACCION International, a pioneer in the provision of “micro” financial services to the world’s un-banked populations, and with Kiva.org – an online microlending platform – in Indonesia. He is excited to bring his experiences with market-based solutions to poverty reduction to this project and contributing to the development of market entry strategies, as well as exploring methodologies for low-cost distribution and supply chain management. **Mentors** Amy Banzaert is a doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. She studies the combustion emissions associated with cooking fuel in developing countries, focusing on D-Lab's agricultural waste charcoal in Nicaragua. Amy has also traveled to Haiti, El Salvador, and Kenya for charcoal-related work. She created the class D-Lab: Energy and taught it for two years. She also helped run the IDEAS Competition in its earliest years. Libby McDonald, as an MIT Community Innovators Lab Global Program Associate, develops and implements waste sector technology and integrated waste management enterprises in middle and low-income communities to promote social and economic change. Currently, in partnership with municipalities, the United Nations Development Program, universities, and NGOs in Latin America, the Caribbean, India, and in the United States she applies innovative waste technologies and business models in urban centers and remote municipalities that simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create jobs for impoverished populations. In her MIT course, D-Lab Waste, Libby offers students the opportunity to explore and create real-world solutions for assisting cities in their efforts to manage waste. A writer and a documentary filmmaker, Libby's films and written work explore issues of race, equality, and the environment. In 2007 she published the book _The Toxic Sandbox: The Truth About Environmental Toxins and Our Children's Health_ and was featured on more than 60 radio shows. Dr. Kamau Gachigi heads the University of Nairobi Science and Technology Park, at which over 15 technology-based businesses are currently being incubated. He is also a member of the National Steering Committee for the Mzalendo Science and Technology Park. He has been a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Nairobi (UoN) since 1999. His current areas of research include activated carbon from agricultural wastes for affordable potable-water filtration, and investigation into value addition of titanium and iron bearing ores and digital fabrication. He also heads the Fab Lab at University of Nairobi, which is part of the international Fab Lab network started at MIT, and Fab Lab serves as a rapid prototyping center within the S&TP. He has published 10 scientific papers, 17 papers on technology and innovation, and holds a U.S. patent. He spent 2.5 years in Japan as a researcher for the electronic, and component manufacturer TDK before joining academia. He is also the Vice President Operations for Genziko Inc., a Kenya-US start-up in the avante garde area of road power generation. He holds a doctorate in Solid State Science form Penn State University, USA. **Community Partners** Hillary Omala is the interim Executive Director and previously worked as the Head of Health services at CFK and in the Tabitha Clinic as the Clinic manager for 4 years. He has a B.A. in Sociology and Communication from the University of Nairobi, a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management and he is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Health (Health Economics & Policy development) from the University of Nairobi. In his free time, Hillary enjoys reading, watching football and socializing. Norbert Aluku, raised in Kibera and conversant with the life of the Kibera community, joined CFK as the Partnerships & Sustainability Manager from the Association of Microfinance Institutions (AMFI) Kenya where he was until recently the Programs & Research Officer. Norbert holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Nairobi, a Diploma in Sports from Makerere University in Uganda and a Higher Diploma in Computer Science of which Norbert is an Associate Member of the Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS). In his free time, he enjoys swimming and a game of chess. Will Ruddick holds a masters degree in High Energy Physics from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and completed three years as a doctoral candidate conducting research at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). After working in interferometric microscope design, Mr. Ruddick began teaching science and consulting non-profit business. This work lead him to Kenya in 2008 as a US Peace Corps volunteer science teacher. Following this, Will became the Kenya Country Director of Green World Campaign managing small business development and environmental programs in rural and urban Coast Province, Nairobi informal settlements and Laikipia District. Will is enthusiastic about working with Takachar to create sustainable charcoal businesses that are synergistic with participatory forest management and environmental education programs in Kenya. **Permanent advisor** Christina Riechers studies international trade and development at the MIT Sloan School and the Harvard Kennedy School. She has worked on market-based solutions in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, India, and South Africa, with an emphasis on mobile technology. We are actively looking for interested people with complementary skills to strengthen our team.
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 shortpitchUrban waste management and the security of cooking fuel supply are two seemingly intractable problems amongst the Kenyan poor. We aim to address both (and generate local income) by turning household organic waste into charcoal. trashiscash at mit dot edu
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 created2011-11-02 18:49:47
 modified2012-04-09 12:32:07
 emailgrubcycle@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchOrganic waste is a major hazard to public health in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Unlike other wastes such as metal and glass, there is no market for recycling organic waste. Esperanza en Vuelo aims to create a market for recycling organic waste by turning it into a value-added product, Black Soldier Fly (BSF) prepupae. We are currently designing and prototyping the system, which will be a self-housed and low-tech technology that facilitates BSF breeding, feeding and harvesting. Our social business model allows individuals to invest in the system as a small business venture to generate personal income. This therefore improves the standard of living for the residents in Bluefields by reducing the volume of organic waste, developing local entrepreneurship skills and providing a mechanism for income generation. Because of its yield-optimizing design and sustainable business model, Esperanza en Vuelo will apply a naturally robust biological processing system to address the massive problem of organic waste management in Nicaragua and across the world.
 intent
 impactWe hope to establish our relationship with the cooperative in Bluefields, Nicaragua and to build a prototype on ground in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses regarding our current model in the contexts of our target community.
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 whoweareWe are currently a group of undergraduates at MIT who are passionate about addressing the issue of sustainable organic waste management. Four members. Four different backgrounds. Four different life experiences. One Goal. Reduce organic waste and use it as a tool for grass-roots economic growth. Carolina Kaelin is a second-year undergraduate from Switzerland in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She is interested in environmental and poverty issues. She has taken D-Lab Development at MIT and travelled to Cambodia during IAP 2012 with her team, where she worked on a composting project. Summer 2012 she travelled to Mexico with a team from MIT’s International House for Global Leadership (iHouse) to work on a corn-sheller project for agricultural purposes. She is the point person for prototype construction and assessment of the local situation in Bluefields, Nicaragua. Coyin Oh is a second year undergraduate from Malaysia in the Deparment of Biological Engineering. She got involved in Esperanza en Vuelo in Spring 2011 through MIT’s D-Lab Dissemination class and was responsible for the recruitment of the new Esperanza en Vuelo team after other team members graduated. Also a member of iHouse, she is interested in tackling sanitation issues among underprivileged communities. Coyin is handling the financial matters for the team, and designing testing experiments as a “(mad) fly scientist” with Tuang. Suan Tuang is a second-year undergraduate originally from Myanmar in the Department of Chemistry. As a member of iHouse, he is interested in international development, and mainly in health improvements. He has extensive experience in laboratory works through his UROP projects in the Chemistry Department and hence provides valuable insights into setting up laboratory experiments for Esperanza en Vuelo. As an immigrant to the USA from Myanmar, he has seen poverty and understands its severe impact on people’s lives, and thus would give a unique perspective on . Yiping Xing is a first year undergraduate from Columbus, Ohio in the Department of Biology. As a member of iHouse, Yiping has always been interested in sustainable international development. After living in seven different places and being exposed to a wide range of qualities of waste management systems in different locations, she understands the importance of reducing organic waste in impoverished areas. Although this is her first exposure to a hands-on international development project, she has had extensive experience with micro-financing and fundraising. She is the point person for publicity and marketing purposes.
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 shortpitchAddressing the widespread issue of organic waste management in Nicaragua and beyond by harvesting the benefits of the natural biological processing system of Black Soldier Flies.
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 contestyear2012-01-01
 namewecyclers
 created2011-11-02 19:20:56
 modified2012-05-08 13:32:45
 emailwecyclers@gmail.com
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchIn the developing world, urban waste management is broken. Heaps of trash line streets, clog waterways, and lead to unsanitary living conditions for millions of people. In addition to disease, the blight of unmanaged urban trash undermine the pride that people have in their communities. Lagos, with an estimated population of 17 million people, is the largest city in Sub-Saharan Africa. In slum communities there is meager access to services such as waste collection and clean water provision. wecyclers will crowdsource recycling by providing social goods, such as clean water and cell phone minutes, in exchange for clean sorted recyclable material. By setting up exchange kiosks in slum areas, we will empower the community to capture the value in recyclable materials. We will accomplish this by seamlessly transferring redeemable recycling points through our SMS platform.
 intent
 impactWe will generate value from trash and return those benefits back to the community
 rawlocationLagos, Nigeria
 lat6.47821
 lon3.36765
 glocationApapa Rd, Surulere, Nigeria
 category_other
 whoweare**Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola** hails from Lagos. A 2nd year MBA student, Legatum Fellow and Carroll Wilson Fellow, Bilikiss is committed to returning to Lagos. Bilikiss has worked with the IBM Corporation on a social media platform for the Enterprise and holds a BS in Computer Science from Fisk University and an MS in computer Science from Vanderbilt University. She has an extensive network in Lagos and has being able to forge relationships with the Nigerian waste picker association, LAWMA and local recyclers. **Alex Fallon** brings developing world and waste value chain experience to the team. She has worked with Harvest Power conducting a market analysis of gasification technology for energy; with Save That Stuff, a local recycling hauler on municipal composting; and with waste pickers cooperatives in Brazil to develop new revenue streams. She has an A.B. in Development Studies from Brown University and is a 2nd year MBA student at MIT Sloan. **Lindsay Majno** has worked with Frontline Capital Advisors in Ghana where she designed and implemented a strategic marketing plan for acquiring new clients. She has a B.A in Economics and Business and Art from Lafayette College where she wrote her Seniors Honors Thesis on The Marginalization of the Informal Sector in Formalization Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa. **Emily Marie Boggs** is an undergraduate majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring philosophy at Harvard University. She is also pursuing coursework in mechanical engineering and is studying entrepreneurship in developing countries in MIT's D-lab program. **Venkataraman Ramachandran** is a Masters Student in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. He has extensive experience in product design. He was a business consultant at MIT Volunteer Consulting Group and Summer Research Fellow at Indian Institute of Technology. **Madeline Hickman** has spent several months working with D-Lab community partners in Ghana, Kenya, and India, including work on bicycle rickshaws and motorized mobility aids. She has worked on projects related to both education and alternative energy in the developing world, and has mentored several design classes at MIT. She raced across Australia with the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team, and once taught workshops with several teammates at a school in Hong Kong. She has a B.S in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.
 urlwecyclers.com
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 shortpitchWe will harness the power of urban communities to reclaim their environment from unmanaged waste
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 created2012-01-18 13:59:47
 modified2012-04-09 12:32:44
 emailtrmiller@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchThough the “e-waste” problem in developing countries is growing, the growth in training of informal e-waste recyclers and participatory policy making has not kept pace. Low-wage informal recyclers use simple practices such as open burning and acid leaching to recover metals from e-waste, exposing workers, community members and the local environment to toxic contamination; improved practices exist. International meetings are held often too address the issue, but the interests, concerns and innovative ideas of this large group of workers are not well represented. In Ghana, a fraction of used electronics imports from developed countries arrive as non-functioning e-waste, destined for informal recycling or disposal. Roughly 5,000 people make a living by informally collecting and recycling e-waste in the capital Accra. The city’s Agbogbloshie scrap yard has gained international notoriety for practices resulting in the “deposition of exorbitantly high concentrations of toxic metals”[1]. Over 80% of Ghanaians use cell phones. Using just a laptop with opensource software connected to a local cell phone, an inexpensive mass text message system will be established to facilitate communication amongst informal recyclers in the local association, researchers and policy makers. Up to date public health and recycling information will be delivered, and responses to a variety of surveys will be collected. This model is easily scalable worldwide. [1]http://bit.ly/xFrTM3
 intent
 impactParticipatory approach to sustainable e-waste management
 rawlocationAbgbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana
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 lon-0.196306
 glocationEgypt Rd, Accra, Ghana
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 whoweare**T. Reed Miler** Reed is an advocate for social and environmental justice at home and abroad, with a passion for direct democracy. His current research at the MIT Materials Systems Laboratory focuses on estimating flows of used electronics (aka e-waste or e-scrap) from developed to developing countries. MIT SM Technology and Policy '12 MIT M.Eng of Environmental and Water Quality'10
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 shortpitchEmpower informal e-waste recyclers using mass text messaging to get information and join in debates.
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 contestyear2012-01-01
 nameSchoolhouse Potential
 created2012-02-27 21:20:26
 modified2012-04-09 12:21:25
 emailschoolhousepotential@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchOur team envisions a school in Lenana, Kenya, where 300 students not only learn the science behind alternative energy and waste management, but participate in the actual implementation of the engineering solution. From this vision emerged the idea of “Schoolhouse Potential,” where students gain the knowledge and experience to lead future projects in their community. For our first project, Schoolhouse Potential will implement a **biodigester** and a complementary **education curriculum** at the primary and secondary schools of [Lenana][1], an urban slum community in Kenya. Through an anaerobic digestion process, the biodigester will convert organic waste into methane gas for cooking, and fertilizer for local agriculture. All revenue generated will provide additional funding for the school. Unique to our project is the corresponding curriculum. In the classroom, students will learn the science and engineering concepts surrounding the technology and its implementation. This curriculum coupled with first hand experience of the school's biodigester will give students the knowledge and skills to maintain and further expand the project. We’ve teamed up with [The Supply Education Group][2], a non-profit organization that is currently building Lenana’s secondary school. Working together with the community members, The Supply is helping to improve education and promote service learning. [1]: http://thesupply.org/images/lenana.jpg [2]: http://thesupply.org/
 intent
 impactProvide 300 students a cleaner learning environment and knowledge to make change in their own community
 rawlocationLenana, Nairobi, Kenya
 lat-1.28876
 lon36.7942
 glocationLenana Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
 category_other
 whoweare**Janet Lin**- Janet is a undergraduate student studying Chemical Engineering. She is involved with MIT International Development Club on campus and is currently taking a class offered by the D-Lab. **Steph Cooke**- As a Mechanical Engineer with a focus in Biomedical Engineering, Steph has taken a mixture of classes ranging from biology, chemistry, and MechE courses. **Yuchen Feng**- Yuchen is an undergraduate majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. She has teaching experience as a Lab Assistant for an introductory computer science class. **Brian Oldfield**- Brian is a hands on Mechanical Engineering student with a minor in energy and a deep interest in building a better world for tomorrow. His current research is in liquid metal battery with the Sadoway Group. **Tymor Hamamsy**- Tymor is studying Math and Economics at MIT with a focus in economic development. He is currently working in the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). **Angela Ha**- Angela will be studying Mechanical Engineering and Management. Her experiences with service has made her realize that helping others with a long term effect in mind is a top priority, and she will continue to be involved with the MIT Public Service Center throughout her years.
 urlhttp://web.mit.edu/idc/
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 shortpitchImplementing biodigestion technology at urban slum schools and providing a corresponding education curriculum to pass the knowledge on to students and community memembers
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 contestyear2012-01-01
 nameSolar Bottle Lights
 created2012-03-02 23:38:59
 modified2012-04-09 12:21:02
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 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchWe're working to expand on the Liter of Light Project [http://isanglitrongliwanag.org/] to create a modular "upgrade" for the bottles which would fit them with an LED and solar cell to provide lighting at night.
 intent
 impactProvide a billion bottle lights across the globe.
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 shortpitchExpanding on Solar Bottle Lights to Integrate an LED and Night-Time Lighting
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 id411
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameGreenPrint Solutions
 created2013-02-24 02:06:54
 modified2013-04-19 22:30:49
 emailsidhantp@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchProblem: The waste picker community consists of a group of individuals who handle the ever increasing solid waste in urban India. Currently, they sell waste plastic to local scrap dealers and get very little for their back breaking effort, which is very important work. Context: With a rapidly emerging consumer economy, 3D printing technology will soon be ubiquitous in India. We foresee a potential to encourage entrepreneurs from marginalized sections of society and create an environmentally friendly business by producing recycled 3D printing filament from urban plastic litter. This 'green filament' will be used in our 3D printing kiosks which will provide affordable services to students and professionals. An estimated 12.5 million tons of plastic is consumed every year in India. We look at this problem from a social, economic and environmental angle to achieve a sustainable solution. Solution: Creating Micro-entrepreneurs from waste picker communities by empowering them with small scale technology to manufacture low cost 3D printer filament from recycled waste plastic. They will use our ‘Flakerbot’ to create plastic flakes and our ‘Refilbot’ to extrude plastic filament. This ‘green’ filament will be sold to 3D printing kiosks that will be set up at popular locations around the city. These kiosks will provide low cost 3D printing services to students, designers and professionals.
 intent
 impactProduce quality 3D printer filament from plastic waste. Empower Waste Pickers.
 rawlocationMagarpatta City Pune, India
 lat18.5158
 lon73.9272
 glocationMagarpatta City, Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra 411028, India
 category_other
 whoweareOur team originated in a MIT dorm room and continues to be a small but close knit group. We are committed to our idea and know we can make a difference in a practical, sustainable way. **Sidhant Pai (Founder & CEO) - MIT'14** Sidhant was born and raised in Pune and is currently a third year student studying Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has worked on developmental projects in Nicaragua and Tanzania prior to this with a focus on grass roots engineering and design. **Katherine Spies (Founder & CTO) - MIT'14** Katherine is currently a thrid year student studying Mechanical Engineering at MIT. She is an expert at computer aided design (CAD) and focuses on engineering and technology. She is particularly interested in 3D printing applications in emerging markets. **Jayant Pai (Operations and Manufacturing)** Jayant is a software professional with a degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He is in charge of the manufacturing and design of our locally sourced technology. **Suchismita Pai (Finances and Community Liason)** Suchismita is a published journalist with degrees in Economics and Management. She focuses on the company's finances and on interacting with the waste picker cooperatives.
 urlwww.greenprint.in
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 shortpitchTo empower the waste picker community in India by creating 3D printer filament from recycled plastic waste. www.greenprint.in
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 descriptionProblem: Due to topographical constraints, an irrigation system is unavailable in the hills of Nepal, and most of the farmers depend on rain water for agriculture, which impedes agricultural productivity and economic growth of the agriculture-dependent country. Context: Nepal is a landlocked South Asian country located between China and India. Agriculture is the backbone of Nepalese economy. It provides employment opportunities to 66% of the total population and contributes about 39% in the GDP (Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Nepal). Therefore, development of the agriculture sector is the key for development of national economy. In the recent years, there has been a growing trend of commercial farming in Nepal and organic farming is also growing at a rapid rate. However, very little has been done in the sector of advancement of technology being used in agriculture, which has made the productivity to remain at a constant low. Irrigation is one such field, research shows that proper irrigation can increase the productivity of land by 2 times or higher. Only 27.7% of the total agricultural land is actually irrigated and the figure has remained constant since 2003. Most of the irrigation is done by small canals diverting small streams, most of which have water only during the rainy season and hence the irrigation systems only act as a supplement to the rain water. The topography constrains conventional irrigation systems as canals to reach most of the agricultural land which is why there has been no growth in the percentage of irrigated land since 2003. A disruptive technology is necessary to make irrigation possible at many lands. Due to the unavailability of irrigation facilities, most of the farmers have to depend on rain water which decreases the productivity. Some of the farmers rent fossil fuel pumps to pump water as electricity has not reached these areas yet. Such pumps are rented at a high cost and many farmers cannot afford to rent them, which ultimately means some farmers cannot cultivate their primary means of food in time. According to one estimate, a farmer owning 1 acre of land needs to spend 0 to irrigate the land 10 times in a year at current rate of approximately .70 an hour, where in the average per-capita income of Nepal is 0. Environment concerns of using low efficiency diesel pumps can be significant if the trend of using diesel pumps increases with time. Solutions: Hydro-Powered Irrigation System: Hydro-powered pumps utilizes kinetic energy of the flowing river to pump water uphill without using any other external sources of energy such as fuel or electricity. The technology is currently in development stage. The proposed design consists of turbine and piston pump (water wheel can also be used to reduce cost but will be less efficient), where the kinetic energy of water is used to rotate the turbine, which in turn drives the piston to push the water uphill through outlet containing a one-way valve to prevent back flow of water. Such hydro-powered pumps can either be installed as an infrastructure as well as can be sold to individuals as a portable pumping device. Such environment-friendly irrigation systems can also be built by modifying currently present water mills and micro-hydro stations in the country. How can MIT help? 1. Provide technical support in designing the most effective solution of various alternatives. 2.Assist in developing working prototypes of water-powered pumps 3. Provide financial assistance for research and development and manufacturing low-cost pumps. 4. Help in internationalizing the technology in countries with similar topography like Laos.
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 description<h2>Use Engineering to Improve Life in Developing Regions in Sustainable Ways</h2> <h3>Problem</h3> Engineering issues in developing regions are complicated to resolve.  The complexity may result from multiple factors, including: <ul> <li>Differences in culture and understanding</li> <li>Lack of infrastructure, materials, and local expertise</li> <li>Issues associated with political, economic, social, educational, and other related aspects</li> </ul> At the same time, humanitarian engineering projects themselves may contribute to, or exacerbate, the problems they attempt to solve if they are too narrowly defined or too short-term to address the issues in a complex, collaborative manner that focuses on community buy-in of lasting solutions.  Developing regions are full of clever engineering “solutions” that don’t work, representing wasted resources and postponement of real progress.  Worse still, lives may be endangered by changes that represent partial solutions – for example wells drilled to supply drinking water that contains naturally occurring arsenic. <h3>Context</h3> The opportunity for engineers to collaborate with communities to develop solutions in developing regions is pressing – and may be rising.  Almost half the world’s population — over three billion people — live on less than .50 a day.  According to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty.  More than 80 percent of the world’s population live in countries where income differentials are widening. Technologies that stimulate local economic activity can contribute to income generation at the bottom of the economic pyramid and help to close the gap.  Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.  Educational technologies, simple lighting systems, communication technologies and other engineering products can expand literacy, a basic tool of economic progress.  Some 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation. For the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, there are 640 million without adequate shelter (1 in 3), 400 million with no access to safe water (1 in 5), and 270 million with no access to health services (1 in 7). Engineers can make a difference in one community across any of these dimensions, and set the stage for greater change as their efforts scale. <h3>Solution</h3> Propose a plan that involves MIT engineering students and their teammates in providing a sustainable solution to an engineering problem in a developing region.  Teams will be awarded up to ,000 to support the pilot phase of their work. The MIT School of Engineering “Global Villages” model involves building MIT students’ engineering and leadership skills through their collaborative work with local communities to produce sustainable solutions in the developing world, working within a 3-5 year time frame.  The solution does not have to involve a 3-5-year commitment by the same students, but it should outline a plan for involving MIT engineering students in the various solution stages over that time period. The solution should work on two levels: <ul> <li>Propose how the team will address a specific issue in a specific community</li> <li>Based on the first level, identify an approach that can be used in the School of Engineering’s Global Villages program by other teams for other communities</li> </ul> <h3>Judging Criteria</h3> <ul> <li>Projects respond to authentic community needs, identified by engaged community partner(s) who represent local capacity for project success</li> <li>Winning teams and projects will have a core of engineering students representing different engineering disciplines, which may then build into a broader interdisciplinary team</li> <li>Engineering students on the team contribute substantially to the innovative aspects of the work</li> </ul> <h3>Project Sustainability and Follow-Up</h3> The MIT Public Service Center and the School of Engineering will seek to support and maintain relationships with teams’ community partners The PSC and SoE will maintain up to date information about winning teams and community impact on their websites as a means to engage new support, document project progress, connect program participants, and facilitate knowledge transfer. The PSC and SoE will encourage knowledge transfer through presentations and student-to-student exchange during workshops pre and post trip <h3>About the Global Villages Project</h3> The SOE Global Villages program seeks to advance the following goals: <ul> <li>Foster relationships between departments in the School of Engineering that support the development of creative, cross-disciplinary solutions</li> <li>Enable MIT students to learn to design innovative solutions that respond to real-world issues and circumstances Advance student development of inter-cultural understanding, communication skills, and leadership</li> <li>Help students experience ﬁrst-hand the ways in which engineering impacts society and the world.</li> </ul> The Global Villages program emphasizes sustainable solutions through knowledge transfer, including student-to-student mentoring, so that projects can grow from year to year. When appropriate, the program serves as a platform on which MIT community members can transfer novel technologies into new contexts. The Global Villages program encourages – but is not limited to – pilot projects in collaboration with the MIT School of Engineering, the MIT Public Service Center (PSC), D-Lab, MISTI, and other MIT programs, that can then be scaled up to work with communities around the globe.
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 created2011-01-04 17:36:46
 modified2011-11-28 02:36:36
 emailenergyidea@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchMany communities in developing countries—particularly in rural areas—lack adequate energy generation to improve quality of life. Installing new technology is difficult without specialized knowledge and foreign equipment, and locals often rely on outside aid organizations to supply and install new systems. Although many development engineers have invented more 'appropriate' technologies for rural electrification and alternative fuels, they lack the means for distribution among those who would benefit most. In collaboration with Hormenoo Crossman and the Suame Magazine Intermediate Technology Transfer Unit in Kumasi, Ghana, we will develop a Practical Energy Education Network for the developing world. We hope to disseminate existing technical ideas, and inspire locals to devise their own energy solutions. Our network will help teachers, students, community members, and international volunteers to understand the practical science and engineering principles behind energy generation. We will develop an international online wiki community to share different technologies and ideas, and compile this knowledge into a resource book that will be available for free on our website. After we publish our resource text, the Practical Energy Network wiki can become a forum for technology sharing and collaboration. We will disseminate our ideas through informal Practical Energy workshops, in collaboration with both local and international organizations.
 intent
 impactProvide creative energy engineering education for over 180 students in the first year.
 rawlocationTakoradi, Ghana
 lat4.93295
 lon-1.71391
 glocationSekondi Rd, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana
 category_other
 whoweareAnna Waldman-Brown (MIT SB'11 Courses 8, 21W) worked with Ned and Aron to develop an alternative energy curriculum in Ghana last summer. She also taught classes on oil mining in Ecuador, and worked on photovoltaics and solar thermal technology in Nicaragua with D-Lab. Despite her comprehensive theoretical understanding of energy generation, she can successfully explain its concepts. Aron Walker (MIT SB'07 Courses 10,12) is a fourth year U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania. He spent the first three years teaching high school chemistry, physics, mathematics, and geography, and is now training future science teachers. As the founder and coordinator of the Shika na Mikono Project (an effort by Peace Corps Volunteers to develop and disseminate methods for hands on science education with low cost and locally available materials), he has facilitated four Peace Corps trainings and a dozen official trainings for Tanzanian teachers. He has published a manual on hands-on science education for Peace Corps Volunteers and is currently authoring four other books, three of them in collaboration with the Tanzanian Ministry of Education. Brianna Conrad (MIT SB'11 Courses 6-1, 8) has considerable hands-on electrical engineering experience, and has worked with wind power, photovoltaics, and solar thermal technology. Fareeha Safir (MIT SB'13 Course 2) has worked for Global Cycle Solutions on a bicycle-powered grain mill, and with MIT's D-Lab to design a lighter rickshaw truss. As a member of Engineers Without Borders she has designed a solar powered lighting solution in collaboration with the community of Degeya, Uganda. Edward Burnell (MIT SB'13 Course 2) worked with Anna last summer to develop a hands-on energy curriculum in the Ghana Fab Lab. Before making solar panels with Ghanaian high school students, he worked with Grace teaching grade school energy generation lessons in Ghana and at MIT's Edgerton Outreach Center. He designed and constructed the blades for a 600 Watt stall-control wind turbine, and is currently teaching a class in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering class on the design and construction of small turbines. Jessica Huang (MIT D-Lab Staff) has background in civil/environmental engineering and has worked with communities in Ecuador, Uganda, Honduras, Cambodia, India, Ghana, China and Nicaragua. She also taught middle school and high school students about water issues and treatment technologies in Thailand and Egypt. When she was a student at Berkeley, she facilitated the “Energy 101” course for the minor program in the Energy and Resources Department for 5 semesters. Before coming to D-Lab, she did a fellowship at Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection, where she researched innovations in renewable energy and energy efficiency and developed strategies to communicate them to policymakers, business leaders, and people from all walks of life. She is now working at D-Lab on education initiatives and helping to coordinate projects in Southeast Asia. Madeline Hickman (MIT SB'11 Course 2) has spent several months working with D-Lab community partners in Ghana, Kenya, and India, including work on bicycle rickshaws and motorized mobility aids. She has worked on projects related to both education and alternative energy in the developing world, and has mentored several design classes at MIT. She raced across Australia with the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team, and once taught workshops with several teammates at a school in Hong Kong. Grace Kane (MIT SB'11 Course 2) worked with D-Lab health for a week in Nicaragua, and traveled throughout Ghana with D-Lab over IAP. She has taught engineering classes for high schoolers at both the Boston Fab Lab and the Edgerton Center for several years, as has worked as a teaching assistant in ESG. She has conducted research in ocean engineering and fluid dynamics, and has previously researched alternative energy generation. Michael Semone (Harvard SB'11, Course 2) worked closely with eighth grade students in Massachusetts to study “how students learn engineering” and practice inquiry-based and guided-teaching methods. In addition to his weekly presence in the classroom, Michael worked with small teams of undergraduates to produce demonstrations and activities for the eighth graders. Michael has professional experience in custom product design and prototyping, including knowledge of industry and various manufacturing methods. Heather Beem (MIT PhD '13 Course 2) has engineering experience that spans various sectors of academia and industry. Her current research is a cross of design and fluid mechanics, and it is uncovering new insight that could be applied to ocean/wind energy extraction. She looks forward to this project bringing together two things she enjoys: building things and working with students.
 urlhttp://practicalenergynetwork.com
 bloghttp://penpics.wordpress.com/
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/practicalenergy
 problem_id0
 challenge_id18
 winner1
 winnertypeGlobal Challenge Juried Award
 shortpitchTo bridge the technical divide between those who design appropriate energy technologies and those who utilize them
 vote_count186
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count59
 comment_count26
 in_the_field1
 1
 id148
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameIndian Mobile Initiative (IMI)
 created2011-01-31 07:37:16
 modified2011-05-02 21:54:50
 emailimi@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchWe were inspired to create IMI after studying two very distinct problems India faces. One, the country produces half a million engineers annually and yet 64% of the employers are, as surveyed by the World Bank, “somewhat” or “not at all” satisfied with their work. This gap between being “educated” and “employable” can be attributed to an overly theoretical curriculum in colleges with little application. And two, Mobile technology is scaling in terms of its social potential in communities. A cell phone is most often the only computing and communication device Indian’s have. However, the use of mobile technology as a tool to mitigate social challenges is limited, partly because engineers equipped with relevant expertise are not well versed with the problems and engineers (Indian students) who are aware of the problems lack skills to apply their knowledge. IMI solves these two challenges. We have partnered with Indian universities to conduct several workshops this summer. A team of student instructors from MIT will interact with college students to direct their technical skills towards applications in mobile technology. The students will address challenges in their societies and provide solutions that use mobile phones as a medium. This approach will instill social entrepreneurship in the students, a quality much required in a country like India. Moreover, viable solutions will be awarded seed money by Google and other investors
 intent
 impactEmpower our students to feel competent at applying technical knowledge and providing innovative solutions, confident while approaching industry leaders and experts, and inspired to make a difference!
 rawlocationIndia
 lat15.5172
 lon73.8721
 glocationNational Highway 4A, Ilhas, Panaji, Goa, India
 category_other
 whoweare1. Aakriti Shroff I am a sophomore double majoring in Computer Science (6-3) as well as Management Science (15). My take on IMI and the degree of its impact is derived from this very equation. IMI will introduce a new form of instructor-student interaction with a heavy emphasis on a hands-on approach to learning. From my encounter with the Indian educational system, I feel that this fills a void in the otherwise theory-based curriculum. Moreover, the Indian Mobile Initiative is relevant to its times. India has not only joined the mobile technology era but is on its way to becoming a pioneer in the field. Introducing mobile application development to collegiate level students is thus another important step towards augmenting India’s developments. The amalgamation of innovation and relevance will gear IMI towards having an impact – an impact on the students we interact with and an impact on the societies the students will create technologies for. It is the creation of this trickledown effect that fuels my passion and inspiration for the project. As for my role on the team, I am confident that I bring organizationand leadership to the team. Also, being the only team member to have spent a significant amount of time in India, I have taken up most of the responsibility of coordinating the program with universities in India. During the course of the summer, I will be the entrepreneurial lead for the program while also assisting Kyle and Thiago with the technical component of IMI. As a founding member of the Indian Mobile Initiative, I will also share the responsibility of increasing the presence of the program both at MIT and in India. This being our launching year, all the members have to make an earnest effort to build a sustainable framework for the project to facilitate easy implementation in the coming years and I am not hesitant to partake in this. I have confidence in the IMI team and am passionate about my role in the project. 2. Kyle Fisher I am a sophomore double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (6-2) as well as Management Science (15), with a planned minor in Economics (14). The classes I have taken thus far complement my ability to teach both programming and entrepreneurship over this summer. Specifically, the most helpful classes I feel are a few of what I am taking this semester: Algorithms, Software Design and Construction, Founder’s Journey, and Marketing Management. Algorithms and Software Design and Construction will primarily build upon my previous exposure to programming and will help ensure a fresh and well-versed knowledge in software engineering; all of this will be very useful when assisting the students in building application prototypes. Founder’s Journey and Marketing Management will be useful when I am teaching specific segments of entrepreneurship with Aakriti. In India, I will be the technical lead of the project. My primary responsibility is to assist the students in creating prototype applications over the 5 weeks. At the very least, Thiago and I will: teach an intensive one-week introduction to Android programming, ensure all students’ computers are prepared to program and test the applications they will build, and conduct labs so students can work with assistance on their applications. I will also be coordinating closely with Aakriti on the entrepreneurship part of the program during idea generation and product launching course segments. 3. Thiago Vieira I am a sophomore double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (6-2) and Physics (8), and hopefully a minor in Economics (14). I bring a good quantitative skill set with my background in Physics as well as taking extra math classes here at MIT. In the more applicable side of programming for IMI, I have taken Algorithms last semester and am currently taking Software Design this semester along with other Computer Science class requirements. While I have previous experience coding Java applications from high school, these classes will help me formalize more advanced concepts in assisting students. Overall, my specialty with the team will be to help solve more algorithm and control flow problems in the programming part. In India, I will mostly be helping with teaching the technical aspects of Android with Kyle. We will start with an intensive one week course in the basic of Android programming, which we plan to have students’ complete pre-designed labs to test and apply their programming language knowledge. During the five week program, I will also be around to help students design their applications, write them, and debug the entire thing. For the business aspect I will also be helping teach some basic business fundamentals and accounting, where my experience as treasurer for my fraternity and working in high school will be very helpful. 4. Pranav Ramkrishnan- Pranav is also a sophomore majoring in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at MIT. Pranav's brings to the team his experience in entrepreneurship and will serve as a mentor for our students this summer.
 url
 blog
 twitterIMI_powerON
 twitter_import1
 facebook FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init("
 problem_id4
 challenge_id18
 winner1
 winnertypePeople's Choice, IDEAS, and Global Challenge
 shortpitchPower On! With an innovative approach to technical education and a twist to entrepreneurship, IMI promotes social fervor in college students.
 vote_count2085
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count855
 comment_count45
 in_the_field0
 2
 id149
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameAQUA
 created2011-01-31 17:01:58
 modified2011-05-02 21:47:29
 emailpkkang@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchAccording to the World Health Organization, approximately 20% of the world’s population does not have access to safe drinking water and 40% lack basic sanitation facilities. Although the technology, resources, and capacity to solve these problems exist in developed countries, we have not yet found ways to implement sustainable solutions in these communities. The key to supporting the improvement of water and sanitation problems in developing communities is to find methods that lead to sustainable funding and support communities becoming self-sustainable. We are proposing Project AQUA to achieve both goals simultaneously. Through Project AQUA, our team will (i) develop an innovative (reality-based) game to be played by mobile and online (e.g., Facebook) users allowing for sustainable funding (e.g., via donations) as well as on-going monitoring of the target communities, and (ii) provide consultation services to developing communities to assist them in achieving community-integrated sustainable solutions to their water and sanitation problems. Our first test site will be the Kiwilani community in Tanzania. The majority of their 40,000 people are suffering daily from the lack of adequate water and sanitation facilities. We have already made connections with this community, and AQUA efforts are underway in this community to implement community-integrated solutions to their water and sanitation problems. We need your help to support the sustainability of AQUA’s efforts!
 intent
 impactFind sustainable solutions to water and sanitation problems in developing communities, increase public awareness and raise long-term funds to support the implementation of these solutions of water and sanitation problems in our target communities.
 rawlocationKiwalani, Dar es salaam, tanzania
 lat-6.82292
 lon39.2697
 glocationMuheza, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
 category_other
 whoweare**Peter K. Kang** (pkkang@mit.edu) is a PhD candidate in Civil & Environmental Engineering at MIT. He earned Masters degree from MIT in 2010, and Bachelor of Civil, Urban & Geosystem Engineering degree from Seoul National University in 2008. He is a Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Fellow, and his doctoral research includes developing a stochastic model for particle transport in network systems. He has a passion to solve water related problems in developing countries using his expertise in hydrology and environmental issues. He is also actively teaching courses on energy and environment issues every semester through the Spark and Splash program at MIT. **Juhyun Song** (mitboy@mit.edu) is a PhD and MBA candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Sloan School of Management at MIT. He earned his Masters degree from MIT in 2010, and Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Seoul National University in 2008. His research is related to understanding electrochemical energy systems and molecular transport phenomena. He has participated in various projects at BMW Group, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Samsung Electronics, Saudi Aramco, and most recently at Morgan Stanley, NewYork. He is attentive to the problems in developing countries and wishes to contribute to solving these problems, making use of his expertise in energy technologies and project development. **Yunna Sinskey** (ysinskey@mit.edu) is a Master's candidate in Biomedical Engineering at MIT. Her current research involves identifying new biological targets for drug development in osteoarthritis. She was also currently elected as the activities committee chair for the Graduate Student Council of MIT. Yunna’s passion for helping developing countries led her to volunteer in several countries worldwide such as Kenya, Nepal, South Korea, Cambodia, and Costa Rica. She hopes to continue to make changes in the world through the knowledge and experiences she has gained through her medical internships at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Samsung Guide Dog for the Blind Center, UCSD Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. **Claire Ji Kim** (clairejikim@gmail.com) is a recent graduate from Rhode Island School of Design with Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree received in 2010. The majority of her projects have focused on sustainable design from architectural scale to urban design and land planning, especially in developing countries where proper water management and energy+cost effective design solutions are needed. She is currently working as a landscape architect designer at AGER Group. **Chad Ebesutani** (ebesutani@ucla.edu) earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brown University in 2003 and is currently a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology at UCLA. His research focuses on developing and evaluating methods for disseminating effective and sustainable assessment and treatment practices in child mental health systems. His interest in this area as well as background in behavioral and psychological principles has led to his involvement in this project to assist in developing and disseminating sustainable and effective solutions to developing countries’ water and sanitation problems. **Dong-Hoon Kim** (fly33499@gmail.com) earned his bachelor's degree in computer science from Ajou University in 2008. He has been actively involved in the game development industry for the past decade, specializing in DirectX since 2000 and XNA technology since 2007. He won third prize in the 2008 Imagine Cup world finals, a competitive international competition among game developers. He was also awarded the DirectX/XNA Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), which is an award presented by Microsoft to game developers making important contributions to the game development industry outside of Microsoft. He is also an active lecturer at several universities and game development conferences in Korea. He has a passion to help people through games, and he is excited to contribute his game development expertise to the AQUA project.
 url
 blog
 twitterpkkang1
 twitter_import1
 facebook
 problem_id17
 challenge_id18
 winner1
 winnertypePeople's Choice
 shortpitchDevelop an innovative reality-based mobile and online game that will raise public awareness, gather necessary funds and support the implementation of community-integrated solutions to solve water and sanitation problems in developing countries.
 vote_count1198
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count407
 comment_count181
 in_the_field0
 3
 id154
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameProject Yele
 created2011-02-02 23:10:02
 modified2011-10-28 15:06:19
 emailyele@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchHow would you start a shop in Yele, a village in rural Sierra Leone? There is no access to electricity and economic development is virtually non-existent. The local economy is very small and is threatened by the continued migration of its young workforce to the cities. Food from the harvest season can’t be stored, which causes malnutrition among the population and a lot of food that is left to waste during the hot season. Business owners cannot invest in new shops due to their low income. Project Yele promotes social and economic development through the construction of a Community Bazaar. As a central marketplace it will act as the medium through which electricity provided by the hydroelectric power plant will be converted into economic activity. As a shop owner, the Community Bazaar would offer you key facilities such as financial services, electricity, infrastructure to help you start a business in an affordable way. Training will be available to teach shop owners the skills necessary to run a shop. For a citizen of Yele, the businesses in the bazaar contribute to your health and general well-being: a supermarket with refrigeration space (perishable foods), a pharmacy (cool-store medicine), a store with cooking stoves (replaces smoke causing fires), distribution of free drinking water and public toilets. In Community Bazaar business owners and entrepreneurs can create and grow enterprises that make innovative use of the renewable electricity.
 intent
 impactSixteen shop owners will have access to training, electricity, refrigeration, clean drinking water and create new products and services for the community of 21,000 people in and around Yele.
 rawlocationYele, Sierra Leone
 lat8.41668
 lon-11.835
 glocationYele, Sierra Leone
 category_other
 whoweare**Paul van der Boor** is a 2nd year PhD student in the Engineering and Public Policy department of Carnegie Mellon University and holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Delft University of Technology. He has worked on the design of a high-altitude kite-powered energy system, and worked as a turbine design engineer for Voith Siemens Hydro Power in New Delhi. Together with Antal, he set up Project Yele and organized a 4-member expedition to Sierra Leone. Since the expedition, Project Yele has worked on refurbishing a hydroelectric power plant and on realizing the Community Bazaar. Paul has also volunteered with The Dhaka Project in Bangladesh, and participated in finding jobs for parents of children who lived in the slums. In his PhD research he focuses on user innovation in mobile banking and how this could serve as a model for development of other technologies in developing countries. **Anna Delgado** is a first-year graduate student in the Technology and Policy Program at MIT and a researcher assistant at the MIT Energy Initiative. Anna has a degree in Industrial Engineering and has participated in different international academic exchange programs. One of them is the UNITECH International Program Scholarship that aims to expose engineers to the areas of business and management in a cross-cultural environment. Before joining MIT she was working for the Agbar Group, a leading company in the water cycle business. She has also worked in India for 6 months as a business analyst and there is where she realized that she wanted to apply her technical knowledge to improve people’s life in developing countries. This summer she volunteered for the Dhaka Project in Bangladesh that aims to break the cycle of poverty in the slums of Dhaka. She set up a Wiki to improve the communication between the volunteers and taught English to the children. In the beginning of 2010 she joined Project Yele and set up a Wiki for the project. She is now helping the team to get innovative ideas for the bazaar, especially regarding involvement of the community. Two of her passions are traveling and discovering new cultures. In the last 5 years she have lived in 5 different countries. **Mauricio Gomez** is originally from Colombia but has been moving between Asia, Europe, and the Americas since childhood. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science, Japanese Language and Culture, and a minor in Political Science from Macalester College. He joined MIT’s Technology and Policy Program in 2010 after working for two years in Hong Kong as a financial software engineer. At MIT he is currently carrying research for the National Institutes of Health, developing mathematical models to understand the behavior of the scientific workforce and simulate responses to policy. As a scholar from the United World Colleges movement, he has led and participated in numerous volunteering projects across several developing countries in Southeast Asia. Mauricio’s interests lie in the implementation of technology for social and economic development, a field he recently worked on during a fellowship in rural India. Through these experiences, Mauricio hopes to bring a new and innovative perspective to Project Yele, focused around strategies aimed at maximizing social welfare through the advent of electricity. **Antal van Kolck** recently graduated with a double Masters in Applied Physics and Management of Technology and is currently working for Price Waterhouse Coopers. The business development of the project and communication are her main responsibilities. She went to Yele, Sierra Leone with Paul in 2007 and has been working for Project Yele since then. During her study at Delft University of Technology she received the UNITECH International scholarship for doing an exchange at ETH Zurich. She likes to move around in multidisciplinary environments with both managerial and technical issues, which motivated her to do a second master’s thesis for Management of Technology at Kyoto University, Japan. During her studies she was also a board member at Young KIVI NIRIA. She chose to keep working for Project Yele all these years, to build the hydro electric power plant and the community bazaar in Sierra Leone in order to break the cycle of poverty with the help of technology. Technical, financial, environmental and social aspects of this complex problem have to be addressed in order to increase the community’s opportunities for a better future. To go beyond great research and to use technology for social and environmental purposes is her ultimate goal.
 urlwww.yele.nl
 blog
 twitterProjectYele
 twitter_import0
 facebook FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init(" FB.init("http://www.facebook.com/ProjectYele"); "); "); "); ");
 problem_id0
 challenge_id18
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchUsing renewable energy to create sustainable economic development for people in Yele, Sierra Leone
 vote_count154
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count61
 comment_count34
 in_the_field0
 4
 id163
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameKosim Water Keg
 created2011-02-17 09:37:23
 modified2011-05-02 21:38:38
 emailjkc@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchOver 800 million people worldwide, and 48% of rural Ghanaians, lack access to clean water. In Northern Ghana, a common water source is dug outs, exposed muddy holes that collect rainwater during the wet season. This water is filled with tiny clay particles and bacteria, and only gets worse during the dry season. Where community taps are available, the water only flows a few times a week. The water has too many particles for chlorination alone to disinfect. The standard NGO response for filtering is clay flowerpot-shaped filters. Water is poured through the filter and stored in a clean plastic bucket. In Ghana, most people store their water outside where these plastic buckets heat the water and break. The filters need to be refilled every few hours, and filtering rates are slow (1-3 Liter/hour) and so families often don't use the filter they have. The Kosim Water Keg seeks to filter faster with less effort. It is made by combining two of the traditional clay filters to form a sealed keg. This keg is placed in the normal clay storage vessel owned by most Ghanaians. The user continues to fill their water storage vessel the same way they normally do, and the water constantly filters into the keg's clean interior. A siphon passively extracts the clean water. Because the water is stored in clay containers, it stays cool, and with twice the filter area, it filters faster (11 L / hr). Since the water is stored inside the keg, it is also protected from recontamination.
 intent
 impactSupply an affordable in-home water purification system to 100 households in Northern Ghana.
 rawlocationTamale, Ghana
 lat9.4075
 lon-0.853333
 glocationTamale - Tolon Rd, Tamale, Ghana
 category_other
 whoweare**Joanna Cummings** is currently earning her Masters degree at MIT in Environmental and Water Quality Engineering. She has traveled to over 25 countries and so is familiar with working and living abroad. She actively participated in Engineers Without Borders (EWB) while at Rice University, culminating in team leader. In EWB she worked on small scale community water systems in two communities in Nicaragua. She also participated in Beyond Traditional Borders, where she traveled to Lesotho to perform a baselines survey assessment to determine community needs. She then worked on developing smokeless stove designs adapted to the region and returned to Lesotho to perform research on cooking practices. Ms. Cummings first starting working on the KWK project for her Master’s thesis this year. She performed the Keg testing in Ghana during January 2011. She plans on traveling back to Ghana to continue field testing the KWK after graduating this June. **Chris Schulz** is currently a senior vice president at CDM in Denver, Colorado. He is an expert in international water supply and treatment, with 25 years experience in the planning and design of drinking water treatment facilities in the United States and overseas. He previously worked for the World Bank on water and sanitation in developing countries and co-authored the book Surface Water Treatment for Communities in Developing Countries, published in 1984. Additionally, Mr. Schulz holds 11 U.S. patents with three additional patents pending on water treatment technologies. He has published six articles in peer-reviewed journals and published more than 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of professional engineering conferences. He has served as technical director, project manager, project engineer or process design advisor on dozens of water treatment plant designs in the United States and overseas. Mr. Schulz has been developing the KWK design since he first thought of the idea in early 2010. He won an internet-based challenge competition by Innocentive that year for the original Keg concept against some 90 other entries to provide safe water in Africa. He partnered with Susan Murcott at MIT to involve students in the design testing process. He has traveled to Ghana twice to work first with Claudia Espinoza, another MIT student, and then with Ms. Cummings on further design development, prototype construction and testing of the Keg design.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id18
 winner1
 winnertypeGlobal Challenge Award
 shortpitchProvide in-home water purification with minimal user effort.
 vote_count23
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count15
 comment_count3
 in_the_field0
 5
 id167
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameAmazi
 created2011-02-24 17:58:43
 modified2011-04-06 01:19:27
 emailewb-water@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitchIn Ddegeya, Uganda a village of around 1000 people gets all of their water from 1 borehole and several ponds. People spend hours every day making multiple trips to water sources and children are taken out of school to collect water. Engineers Without Borders MIT has worked with Ddegeya since 2008 on water and energy problems and this summer our focus is to expand water access. To make water more accessible, we plan to make household level rainwater harvesting systems. Instead of expensive plastic tanks our system involves making a tank out of an oil drum. In addition, gutters and a first flush system will make the tank safer and more efficient than the pots and pans the villagers currently collect water with. While rainwater catchment is usually done on a larger scale, we believe household level catchment will be the most successful. Municipal institutions are uncommon in rural Uganda and based on our past experience we have determined that the community prefers household level systems.
 intent
 impactMaking water more accessible for 100 villagers.
 rawlocationDdegeya, Uganda
 lat-0.384519
 lon31.6406
 glocationMasaka - Kakuto Rd, Uganda
 category_other
 whoweareAmazi is a project of Engineers Without Borders MIT chapter. The project is being worked on by the EWB water, or in Luganda, amazi, team. EWB-MIT was founded in Fall 2006 as a group of both undergraduate and graduate students interested in working on problems in international development. EWB not only works on technically problems but also focuses on community relations and the social context for our projects. We began our partnership with Ddegeya in 2008 and will continue working there for at least 4 more years. Our past water projects have included sand filters, SODIS, hydrology assessment, and large scale rainwater harvesting. We have also worked on energy issues with our community partner, Engeye Health Clinic. In 2010 we provided them with solar panels and re-wired there buildings so that they can now support a refrigerator, microscope, and additional lighting.
 urlhttp://ewb.mit.edu/
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id18
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchBringing drinking water to rural Uganda with household rainwater catchment
 vote_count1
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count13
 comment_count1
 in_the_field0
 6
 id168
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameGrubCycle
 created2011-02-24 20:39:39
 modified2011-04-19 19:51:53
 emailgrubcycle@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchMore of a visual person? Take a look at our short slideshow: [http://www.slideshare.net/mitideas/grubcycle][1] **Need**: Inadequately managed organic waste in the largest African slum, Kibera, located in Nairobi, poses a major public health hazard by contaminating water supplies, attracting disease vectors and contributing to air pollution. Our community partner runs a program called Taka ni Pato (Trash is Cash), through which 35 local youth collect and sort household waste, and sell recyclables. Organics, which make up over 70% of the collected waste, are viewed as valueless and discarded. **Innovation**: GrubCycle enables local entrepreneurs to farm Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae from organic waste. To produce optimal yield in tight urban spaces, we are designing a commercial BSF-farming system with temperature control, passive harvest and vertical modular design. Local entrepreneurs will operate GrubCycle franchises using the systems and sell BSF larvae as animal feed. Each GrubCycle franchise earns about a day (compared to the average wage in Kibera, a day), covering the cost of the system within one month of operation. **Long-Run Impact** GrubCycle creates an enormous incentive for Kibera residents to take waste management into their own hands by enabling them to simultaneously generate income and improve public health. [1]: http://www.slideshare.net/mitideas/grubcycle [2]: http://www.slideshare.net/mitideas/grubcycle
 intent
 impactThis summer, we will pilot 2 systems, serving 300 people and processing 50kg of waste per day each day.
 rawlocationKibera Slum, Kenya
 lat-1.31222
 lon36.7914
 glocationKaranja Rd, Nairobi, Kenya
 category_other
 whoweare**Caroline Hunting** (chunting@mit.edu) is a senior in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Caroline also contributes strong design, prototyping and project management skills to the project. At a young age, Caroline became interested in international development after living in various locations throughout the world and witnessing impoverished conditions firsthand. Specifically, her interest in waste management arose while she was volunteering in Cape Town, South Africa, where she taught English to underprivileged children at a local school and helped to update the human waste disposal system. She also has valuable experience with environmental chemistry and biology lab, including experimental design. **Scott Landers** (scottl@mit.edu) - Scott Landers is a sophomore in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His main passions are water and sanitation solutions and alternative energy studies. Having lived on a family farm in Texas for 20 years, Scott is well experienced in Agricultural practices. The Black Soldier Fly is a native species in Texas and grows readily on his farm, so he's been around this species before. His role in the GrubCycle team is Lead Designer/Builder. Having amassed years of building experience (everything from a 7,000lb, 30ft trailer to a 50ft by 80ft barn), he will be in charge of optimizing the design and bringing it to life. He is committed to finding simple, low-tech solutions for the major problems that plague the world. After graduation, he will serve a term in the Peace Corps to further his commitment, as he says, “to get my hands dirty and change the world.” **Connie Lu** (connielu@mit.edu) - Connie Lu is a senior in Environmental Engineering and Urban Planning. She has studied municipal waste management in the US, Latin America (and now Kenya), and recently helped to write a proposal for waste management in the South Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. Blessed with a strong stomach, Connie has participated in and led waste sorts in the US and Nicaragua. She has also researched and visited a wide range of municipal waste collection, separation and processing facilities. Through an internship with Quetsol, a for-profit start-up that sells solar lighting and cell phone charging kits in Guatemala, Connie gained a first-hand understanding of how an emerging market start-up functions. Having taken D-Lab: Design, she has a strong grasp on the process and unique requirements of design for developing countries. Connie has been heavily involved with D-Lab since her freshman year. She intends to continue studying at MIT for her M.Eng degree during the 2011-2012 academic year, and to contribute to GrubCycle through her M.Eng project, and hopefully, the Legatum Center. **Benji Moncivaiz** (benmonci@mit.edu) is a senior in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, focusing in structural engineering. His experience in design has materialize in a pedal-powered, horizontal-axis washing machine while working in MIT's D-Lab and a wheelchair-attachable, folding basket while in the senior design course, 2.009. Other projects in his cross-departmental curriculum, including yo-yos, small street-sweeping and hopping robots have taught him how to move from 16 conceptual design to reality by considering ease of manufacture, ergonomics, efficiency of production, and ease of assembly. Living in Mexico as a child has shaped his aspirations towards serving the impoverished in his career, so he currently works with Sanergy where he focuses on the design, construction, and maintenance of the ferrocement latrine unit to be built in Kenyan slums. Putting his experience in manufacturing together with his on-the-ground exposure to Kenyan capabilities will be critical to appropriately designing the GrubCycle system so it can go from prototype to product. **Coyin Oh** (coyin@mit.edu) - Coyin Oh is a freshman from Malaysia majoring in Biology. Her parents grew up in squatter settlements in Malaysia's largest city, and this has given her a good understanding of slum dwellers and resource-poor urban settings in the country. She became interested in sanitation-based projects after spending a month at a remote village in northern Mexico this January to introduce local schoolchildren to engineering-related activities that focus on water and personal hygiene. After returning from Mexico, she began taking a class called D-Lab: Disseminating Water/Sanitation/Hygiene Innovations to gain a better understanding of water-related issues and solutions. Coyin hopes that her knowledge in Biology and her experiences of coming from a multicultural developing country could add diversity to the team and contribute to actual ground testing work in Nairobi this summer.
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 shortpitchEnabling community members of the Kibera slum in Nairobi to profit by converting organic waste to animal feed. This will both reduce neighborhood waste and increase personal income.
 vote_count236
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 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameJeevikah
 created2011-02-27 19:30:19
 modified2011-04-06 01:55:43
 emailjeevikah2011@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch**Problem:** The proposal to implement a rain water harvesting system has a dual purpose: it will lessen the stress on groundwater aquifers, and provide inexpensive drinking water in water scarce villages. In India, 15% of aquifers are already in critical condition and may reach 60% by 2030. (World Bank) Moreover, 128 million people (about half the U.S population) has no reliable clean water. Jeevikah in partnership with Sustainable Innovations can change this. **Context**This project will help the Raila Village community in Rajasthan, India. Here it is extremely arid and rains only during 45-60 days of the monsoon season. Annual rainfall is around 50 cm. By increasing available drinking water by at least 2L daily per person, this project would have great impact on the lives of the residents: improving the quality of life, increasing child nourishment and bolstering the agricultural sector. **Solution:** A low cast polyethylene tarp spread across ropes fixed to tripods will create a low friction catchment surface to cover the 100,000 square feet area . By using local materials, modular easy to build parts and with close collaboration with SI, this project can feasibly be implemented in the pilot site of Raila. The potential impacts to the community, as described above, are unquestionable. **More Info:** http://si-usa.org/projects/rainwater-harvesting/ http://www.grailresearch.com/pdf/contenPodsPdf/Water-The_India_Story.pdf http://www.sustainableinnovations.us/akashgang
 intent
 impactCreate better living standards by increasing the available drinking water by at least 2 liters per person per day in Raila Village
 rawlocationRaila, Rajasthan, India
 lat25.6333
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 glocationNational Highway 79, Raila, Rajasthan, India
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 whoweareJeevikah is a team composed of a diverse group of international students. All members share a passion for development issues, and water availability, quality and sanitation. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60157126@N08/5554643607/ **Genevieve Ho** has a Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and is a graduate candidate for the Master of Engineering in Environmental and Water Quality Engineering at MIT. Genevieve’s research and work experience in water, wastewater and hazardous waste management projects has proved valuable during the project. She is currently taking a Water and Sanitation Infrastructure for Developing Countries course at MIT, and is interested in helping water scarce communities by designing sustainable systems. Previous WASH projects she has worked on include implementing bio-sand filters in Hagley Gap, Jamaica. **Anjuli Jain Figueroa** is currently pursuing graduate studies in the Technology and Policy Program. She has strong interest in issues of water and sanitation in both developing and developed nations. Her research and work experience in water and waste-water management and modeling has helped the team in designing the rain catchment system. With a B.S degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan, Anjuli can contribute to the structural and environmental concepts of the design. **Yangyue Zhang** is a current Master of Engineering student in MIT, majoring in Environmental and Water Quality Engineering. She graduated from Tsinghua University, China. She is dedicated to the career of environmental protection and sustainable development. She wants to help more people by improving the aspects of health, living standards and equal rights to all resources in the world. Her current coursework in water and sanitation infrastructures in developing countries is a great asset to the team. Yangyue is quite interested in implementing a real water and sanitation project which can benefit people in rural areas. **Julian Houbrechts** is a student in the Master's of Engineering program in structural engineering. He obtained his bachelor's from the Catholic University of Leuven. His extensive experience and understanding of structural systems and mechanics has been very valuable in the design of a large scale structure to catch rain and subsequently provide water to underserved communities. **Matthew Bono** is in the Master of Engineering program at MIT pursuing the High Performance Structures track. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University at St. Louis.
 url
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 problem_id10
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 shortpitchImplement a large scale, affordable, modular, removable and multi-functional rain catchment system.
 vote_count129
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 id193
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameBiodiesel@MIT
 created2011-03-05 12:24:56
 modified2011-05-02 21:43:15
 emailbiodiesel-active@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchBiodiesel@MIT has developed a new filtration system to make oil collection, transport and processing easier for the cooperative. With an improved filtration system, the cooperative can avoid selling the waste vegetable oil they collect to middlemen who filter the oil and collect most of the profits. We expect this project to also have indirect effects on the community as its success would inspire increased participation and awareness of bio-diesel from waste oil, unlocking its potential further use in communities that can reap the most benefits from it.
 intent
 impactImplement a filtering system that will increase revenue by 00 per year.
 rawlocation411 Blue Hill Ave Dorchester, MA 02121
 lat42.305
 lon-71.0848
 glocation411 Blue Hill Ave, Boston, MA 02121, USA
 category_other
 whoweare**Angela Hojnacki** (hojnacki@mit.edu) is a junior at MIT, studying Mechanical Engineering and Urban Studies and Planning, with focuses in energy and environmental issues. She is currently the president of Biodiesel@MIT and is a member of the Green Grease Project. She works as a contact between the group and Roxbury Green Power. **Scott Landers** (scottl@mit.edu) - Scott Landers is a sophomore in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His main passion is energy studies. Having lived on a family farm in Texas for 20 years, Scott is well experienced in Agricultural practices, specifically the harvesting of oil based crops like soybeans. He is committed to developing alternative energy practices and eventually installing a canola-based biodiesel reactor on his family farm. After graduation, he will serve a term in the Peace Corps to further his commitment, as he says, “to get my hands dirty and change the world.” **Anvisha Pai** (anvishap@mit.edu) is a freshman at MIT, studying either Chemical or Electrical Engineering, with a minor in Energy Studies. She is especially enthusiastic about energy and development issues. On campus, she is a member of the Undergraduate Association Committee on Sustainability, Engineers without Borders and the Energy Club. **Kyle Gilpin** (kwgilpin@mit.edu) is a PhD student in Distributed Robotics Laboratory at MIT. He holds BS and MEng degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. Kyle works to improve communication and control in large distributed robotic systems. He serves as Vice President and Production Manager of Biodiesel@MIT.
 urlhttp://web.mit.edu/biodiesel/
 blog
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 shortpitchWe will be partnering with Roxbury Green Power to develop a comprehensive and efficient system to “close the loop” of the energy cycle for these local food vendors, making a positive impact on the community, the environment, and sustainability.
 vote_count70
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 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameJoinAfrica Community Internet Solutions
 created2011-03-30 11:42:16
 modified2011-04-06 12:24:29
 emailberkoben@gmail.com
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitchIn much of Africa, the Internet service landscape is dominated by a small number of commercial service providers that profit from significant service gaps and pricing asymmetries. Two individuals a kilometer apart can pay data charges that differ by a factor of 10 or more. Those using mobile data are subject to metered rates. This is not a problem that is not being resolved by market pressures alone. In Kenya, the government attempts to address service gaps with a top-down approach, but they are missing the mark on encouraging the right behavior in the last mile. Advances in commodity RF hardware, open source software and digital fabrication have made it feasible for individuals to address these gaps themselves, from the bottom-up. JoinAfrica (JA) works with communities in Kenya to help local operators take advantage of these resources. Beginning with three network pilots in Central Kenya (currently running), JA aims to create an ecosystem that supports viral growth of sustainable small-scale networks. The ecosystem consists of a software patform that operates on readily available wireless devices; a non-profit organization that helps individuals obtain the skills and equipment to build small-scale broadband infrastructure; and a central management service that operators can use, at a small premium, to automate billing and access preferred bandwidth pricing. We aim to make JoinAfrica a sustainable respected, widely-distributed, locally-owned broadband service.
 intent
 impactIn one year we expect to stand up sustainable internet services with local operators in ten communities
 rawlocationKenya
 lat-0.023559
 lon37.9062
 glocationMeru District, Kenya
 category_other
 whoweare- Keith Berkoben (MIT Student, Platform Developer) - Amy Sun (MIT Student, Electrical Design, project planning support) - Nipun Virmani (MIT Sloan, Business Development) - Kenny Cheung (MIT Student, Mechanical Design) - Thomas Gone (University of Nairobi Student, Software developer) - Nick Nyakindi (UoN graduate, Business and Logistics) - John Ochoti (UoN graduate, Techinical Support and Marketing)
 urlhttp://www.joinafrica.org/kenya/
 bloghttp://fabfiblog.fabfolk.com/
 twitter
 twitter_import0
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 shortpitchJoinAfrica enables local communities to build, operate and monetize their own wireless internet infrastructure
 vote_count1
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 id238
 contestyear2012-01-01
 nameIndian Raga
 created2011-10-26 01:25:34
 modified2012-05-08 13:31:08
 emailesriram@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchThere is a key problem plaguing India today: Absence of a system to enable young, upcoming Indian art musicians to become professional artists In India's growth story, there has been very little focus on developing the creative industries. As a result, as leading musicians are passing away, there are no musicians to replace them. We at IndianRaga believe that every musician is an entrepreneur, and IndianRaga is the incubator for these artistic entrepreneurs – pioneering the concept of Art-preneurship. These art-preneurs need to identify ‘markets’ where their ‘products’ have demand, and target them appropriately. The Solution we propose IndianRaga – A technology solution to create a ‘demand-driven’ approach to Indian art music: • Help upcoming musicians identify pockets of demand for their music in India and abroad, and an analytics-based approach to ticket-pricing, audience size, choice of music, and other performance-related factors • Be a ‘finishing school’ for these musicians to identify gaps in their skill sets based on audience feedback analytics and connect with global mentors to bridge this gap and build sustainable careers IndianRaga shall identify the most promising musical talent, and provide them access to mentorship, audience-building tools, and professional performance and teaching opportunities.
 intent
 impactEnable 200 upcoming Indian musicians to build sustainable careers
 rawlocationMumbai, India
 lat19.076
 lon72.8777
 glocationCST Rd, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
 category_other
 whoweare**Sriram Emani** Born and brought up in Mumbai, Sriram Emani has been training in South-Indian (Carnatic) classical vocal music for over a decade now. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, where he was the co-president of India’s largest student festival, Mood Indigo. He has also been a core member of the Mumbai chapter of SPICMACAY, India’s largest non-profit arts organization that promotes Indian classical music amongst youth, for over 6 years. After graduating from IIT Bombay, Sriram worked in strategy management consulting in India and USA, and then worked for over 2 years with India’s premier performing arts centre, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai, as Manager – Marketing and Business Development. Sriram has been the lead vocalist for original compositions released under the Sonore Unison online record label. Sriram is currently a first year MBA student at MIT Sloan School of Management, and the Co-President of the MIT Sloan Entertainment, Media and Sports Club. He shall be interning with Lincoln Center for the first half of summer, working with President Reynold Levy's office as a Summer Strategy Fellow. He is then launching the MIT AITI initiative in India to enable unique mobile technology-based solutions for Indian markets. **Salim Dewani** Salim majored in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) in 2006. At IITB, Salim was the co-president of Mood Indigo, the annual four day student festival which hosted live performances from India’s leading musicians and performing artists and attracted over 20,000 college student from all over India. He has been passionate about connecting the youth with performing arts ever since. After college, Salim spent two years as a consultant with McKinsey & Company in India working on projects in retail and supply chain. Post McKinsey, he spent another two years at The Blackstone Group, looking at growth equity investments in India in sectors such as media, consumer goods and logistics. Salim is currently a second year MBA student at Harvard Business School. **ROHIT SINGH** Rohit Singh is pursuing his graduate studies in the field of automatic program synthesis at CSAIL, MIT. His efforts are directed towards using innovation to make it easier for everyone to build computer software. Prior to MIT, Rohit was an undergraduate student at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India. He was also one of the founding members and CTO of Avanti Fellows, a non-profit organization working towards upliftment of bright underprivileged kids by providing them mentor-ship and resources for better college education. Avanti Fellows (http://www.avantifellows.org) won the Stanford BASES E-challenge in 2010 with a prize money of K and has successfully expanded to 6 major cities in India. As an undergraduate, Rohit participated in various coding, designing and hacking competitions like the International Collegiate Programming Contest and Yahoo HackU. He is very much interesting in building innovative web based systems aiming towards solving existing problems in the society. **ANASUYA MANDAL** A Bengali, Anasuya grew up in Chandigarh (India) amidst a rich mix of cultural influences. Music is, and has always been a hugely important part of her life, be it her training in Hindustani music, participation in the school choir, or just her love for the melody and rhythm of everyday life. While an undergraduate at IIT Bombay, she was part of the Institute's first a capella group and was closely involved with Insight, the IIT-B media body. Besides her passion for music and journalism, Anasuya was a core member of the team that designed and operated India's first ever student-run renewable energy biodiesel plant. Currently, she is pursuing graduate studies in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Through IndianRaga she aims to explore and combine both her passions, for music and writing. She hopes to be a part of this journey that seeks to help upcoming artists spread their music, being an element in bringing the creative flavors of their muses and inspirations to light.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
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 problem_id0
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 winnertype
 shortpitchDemocratizing Indian music through technology
 vote_count1047
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 11
 id412
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameFlood Early Warning: Uganda as pilot project for East Africa
 created2013-02-24 15:03:26
 modified2013-04-08 15:27:32
 emailcecinati@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitchEquatorial Africa has always been prone to heavy rainfall and floods. In the recent years a combination of climate change and land use change made the flood problem worse, requiring frequent humanitarian intervention. The ability of science to forecast extreme natural events can help humanitarian organizations to train volunteers and local communities to reduce the impact of an imminent disaster. It also helps in forecast the needs for the post-disaster phase, improving efficiency in aids delivery and reducing costs. Often, the humanitarian organizations do not have the basis to interpret the scientific information. In Eastern Africa, the Uganda Red Cross has been the first establishing a fund to implement early actions for an imminent crisis. Our team, collaborating with the Uganda RC and the RC/RC Climate Center, is developing an early warning system in the Manafwa River basin, in Eastern Uganda. The system will be based on a model to forecast flooded areas with a forecasted precipitation, giving the Red Cross an easier tool to interpret. Our objectives are: 1) complete the early warning system for the Manafwa basin, 2) develop standard procedures for the Red Cross to react to a given risk prediction, 3) scale up the Manafwa River pilot project to other areas in Uganda and East Africa. Our team is made of 3 MEng students in Environmental and Water Quality. We plan to involve the students of the same course in the next years, but help in other fields is welcomed too.
 intent
 impactProvide technical expertise to the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Center to improve the Early Warning/Early Action strategy for flood management in Eastern Africa.
 rawlocationUganda
 lat1.37333
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 category_other
 whoweareFrancesca Cecinati, Fidele Bingwa and Yan Ma, three graduate students in the Master of Environmental and Water Qaulity Engineering, Course 1. Our supervisors are Eric Adams and Richard Schuhmann.
 url
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 shortpitchDevelop a flood early warning system in Uganda as pilot project toward an early warning/early action approach in East Africa
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 description<h3>Problem</h3> Throughout the world, migrant and temporary workers face tremendous challenges, including fraud and abuse from temporary labor recruitment agencies; a lack of access to healthcare, insurance, educational and training opportunities and other resources due to the nature of their employment status; and a lack of enabling technologies for finding jobs. <h3>Context</h3> Over 86 million people are migrant or temporary laborers. They are a population so large that in 2009 alone they generated 0 billion USD in remittances, of which 7 billion went into developing nations. [1] These workers are at risk of entrapment, abuse, and exploitation due to underrepresentation.  And they are more vulnerable to economic crises. When employers begin to reduce costs, its these front-line producers who are often the first impacted, and left without the protections, services, and networks that they need to adapt and survive. In light of the unique challenges that migrant workers face, it is simply a fact that conventional search technologies and employment services fall far short of meeting their basic needs of security, representation and support. Our hope is to implement new technologies or solutions to create a more ubiquitous support framework, improving life for the worldwide population of migrant workers. <h3>Solution</h3> Successful innovations will advance search technology in ways that empower migrant workers to seek out and access work opportunities as well as resources to better manage their lives. Key areas of impact include (address two or more): <ul> <li>Assist in identifying and planning work opportunities, schedules</li> <li>Helping to find resources, for example: health care, temporary and long-term housing, and understanding of the culture or the local environment.</li> <li>Help in navigating language barriers Identify and clarify risk associated with certain jobs, locations, or even employers</li> <li>Facilitate the flow of remittances</li> </ul> <h3>Key Judging Criteria</h3> While any project that addresses job search, employment, or career services is eligible for the Monster Challenge this year, this specific project will be judged on a few key criteria: Solutions should leverage mobile phones as a platform and communications channel for establishing a pervasive, horizontal social network that provides a support framework for any one particular migrant workforce population throughout the world. The network need not be restricted to the workforce population alone, you may consider the implications of extending the network into other populations and the levels of awareness this may create in order to support your solution. We ask that you demonstrate the ability of your proposed technology to: <ul> <li>Mitigate fraud and abuse</li> <li>Provide open information on wage, working hours, employment rights, and worker and company reputation</li> <li>Identify education and training opportunities for work skills, provide recognition and attribution of skills possessed</li> <li>Create a more transparent representation both locally and globally to migrant communities</li> <li>Enable workers to share knowledge, support</li> </ul> Extra Credit: Consider ways to increase the spread and ownership of already pervasive mobile devices among your target population. <h3>Resources</h3> <ol> <li>The World Bank 2009 Report on Remittances in Developing Nations http://newsletters.worldbank.org/newsletters/listarticle.htm?aid=191490</li> <li>Migration Information Source - http://www.migrationinformation.org</li> <li>The International Labor Organization – http://ilo.orga.</li> <li>(Report, “Temporary workers among the worst hit by the economic crisis” - http://bit.ly/cS8H4C)</li> <li>How mobiles help women - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11492427</li> <li>Migrant workers suffer global downturn - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11295139</li> </ol> For further information, please contact: Giles Phillips Director, Innovation Programs Monster Worldwide | monster.com 617-252-9881 giles.phillips at monster dot com
 created2010-10-27 10:44:01
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 nameLaborVoices
 created2011-01-03 22:05:44
 modified2011-10-03 10:06:59
 emailnishantshah@laborvoices.com
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchWe propose to fight human trafficking by empowering the most vulnerable workers throughout the labor supply chain. We increase workers’ ability to fact-check prospective employment conditions, enabling them to make more informed choices, including labor migration choices. Workers will be able to easily request, create and share information on working conditions through the creative use of existing mobile phone services, and thereby contribute to accessible reputations of their employers and factories. Secondary uses of this opinion and reputation information will benefit labor activists, employers, supply-chain managers, governments, and consumers. The entire information collection and distribution enterprise will be self-sustaining after an initial investment period, and we have an ongoing pilot in Bangalore, India.
 intent
 impactWorkers collaborate to create robust and accurate reputations for employers and others, injecting an unprecedented level of accountability into the labor market.
 rawlocationBangalore, India
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 lon77.5946
 glocationVittal Mallya Rd, Sampangirama Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
 category_other
 whoweareKohl Gill - Founder and CEO Dr. Kohl S. Gill is the President and founder of LaborVoices, Inc. Dr. Gill served as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow for the U.S. Departments of Energy and State, most recently as the South Asia and Middle East Labor Affairs Officer for the Office of International Labor and Corporate Social Responsibility in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Prior to federal service, Dr. Gill was an Indicorps Fellow in the slum areas of Delhi, India, serving as a volunteer paralegal with local residents, using transparency legislation to fight both petty and grand corruption at the local level. Dr. Gill is a graduate of the California Institute of Technology and received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, for his work in quantum computing and semiconductor physics. He enjoys Judo, reading and blogging. Nishant Shah - Business Development / Strategy Nishant Shah’s work with LaborVoices leverages a background in policy, social enterprise, and international development. Previously, he’s worked with the Acumen Fund in Pakistan, as an Indicorps fellow serving migrant diamond workers in India, and with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria as a Corporate Strategy Officer. Nishant holds a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University (2010) and received his BA from Boston University (2005). Tushar Kansal - Special Projects Tushar Kansal is currently a master's student in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT. Previously, he worked as a researcher at the Environmental Planning Collaborative, a nonprofit urban planning consultancy in Ahmedabad, India; as an Indicorps Fellow, working to provide safe drinking water in rural Rajasthan; as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs in New York City; and as a Development Associate at the Center for Court Innovation in New York City. Tushar is a 2005 graduate of Wesleyan University.
 urlhttp://laborvoices.com/
 bloghttp://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/laborvoices/
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 id288
 contestyear2012-01-01
 nameThe Transition Center
 created2012-02-28 10:24:24
 modified2012-04-09 12:20:13
 emailadubose@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitchTYPE = For-Profit Social Venture WHAT = An affordable means of allowing individuals seeking education and training to transition from financial dependence or poverty to employment or financial independence by way of computer programming (i.e. web, mobile, and database development, management, and security). WHY = There is a growing disparity between educated, skilled, and financially sufficient populations versus uneducated, socioeconomically challenged, and/or impoverished populations with little formal training or means of obtaining traditional education. The global proliferation of mobile phones has brought the network & indirectly the world to populations lacking sufficient water, food, and sanitation. The mobile phone pipeline is currently being used to increase efficiency, time management, and push financial services to places that were once considered unreachable. HOW = The Transition Center will push education, training, and certification services to these populations through the same mobile infrastructure ICW web and physical classrooms. We will incorporate an innovative analyses & tracking mechanism that will allow students and parents to archive, monitor, aggregate, transfer, publish, and secure all aspects of personal data in real time. OPEN = Uncertainties: extending services from Mobile to SMS based subscribers. Need: Classroom & testing space, desktop computers, local instructors, buses & drivers, and grant funding to bridge the first year of operation
 intent
 impactTrain, Certify, and Employ 2,140 low-income/high risk individuals
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 created2012-03-22 23:16:17
 modified2012-04-09 12:21:40
 emailseanleow@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchMigrant workers are an important source of labor in the global economy. Usually hailing from developing countries, migrant workers often spend years away from their homes and loved ones in pursuit of better economic opportunities. The money they earn overseas is regularly sent home in the form of cash remittances – money sent by international migrants to their families, friends, and lenders. However, many of these workers and their families lack the knowledge and tools necessary to help them gain control of their financial futures. RemitWise addresses the remittance gaps in the financial services industry in three ways. 1) RemitWise provides customers with financial literacy education, to help both senders and receivers become more financially savvy in an easy and social way with their family. 2) RemitWise provides both the senders and recipients of remittances a suite of tools that increases transparency in the remittance and financial planning experiences, encouraging remittances to be used for their intended purposes. Simply having a record of remittances sent and how that money is being used is a big step towards encouraging transparent expenditures among families. 3) RemitWise vets and provides access to financial products sold by trusted financial institutions specially created for migrant workers and their families. Many experts agree that simply being un-banked is the biggest risk for many migrant workers.
 intent
 impactImprove financial education for 500 families in Philippines
 rawlocation
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 whoweareJoyce Fong – Joyce brings expertise and connections in finance and emerging markets to the team. A 2012 MBA at MIT Sloan, she worked in finance for Credit Suisse and Unilever in Asia before coming to MIT Sloan. Sean Leow – Sean is an experienced entrepreneur who founded Neocha - China’s largest social networking site for artists and musicians, attracting 30k+ users and earning 0k+ annually. He is expected to receive his MBA from MIT Sloan in 2012. Gordon Wintrob – Gordon brings an extensive background in the development of financial software to the team, including summer work at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. He is scheduled to graduate from Course 6 in 2012.
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 description<h3>Problem</h3> Without access to agricultural innovations, smallholder farmers must manually grow, harvest and process important food staples like maize (corn) and grains, which is labor intensive and time consuming. Conducting agricultural activities by hand also contributes to avoidable injuries and pulls children out of school, since producing food for survival takes priority over education in subsistence farming households. Manual work is typically less precise and much slower than technology, which can lead to unnecessary waste of crops as well as farming inputs like water and fertilizer. Furthermore, options to sell agricultural products at fair prices may be limited if farmers lack transportation, storage facilities and information about market prices. As a result of these and other factors, smallholder farmers may put in long hours of hard labor, but still struggle to capture enough value from their crops to support their households and remain vulnerable to seasonal and market variations. <h3>Context</h3> Agricultural innovations are potentially transformative, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where the sector accounts for the biggest share of the economy and employs over two-thirds of the population, either directly as farmers and laborers or indirectly as sellers and entrepreneurs. Research shows that agricultural innovations can help break the cycle of poverty by improving incomes while reducing hunger and malnutrition, which affect over 1 billion people and are contributing factors to the majority of the deaths of children under 5. The World Bank estimates that growth in the agricultural sector is twice as effective as other sectors in reducing poverty. Over the past few decades, billions of dollars have been invested in developing agricultural innovations. Some examples include: <ul> <li>Improved seeds for higher yield, resistance to pests and disease, and better nutrition</li> <li>Environmentally sustainable farming techniques and fertilizers</li> <li>Affordable water pumps and drip irrigation systems</li> <li>Methods to convert agricultural waste into resources like charcoal and fuel</li> <li>Technologies for information transfer about market opportunities</li> <li>More efficient devices for post-harvest processing, transport and storage</li> </ul> Yet adoption of these promising agricultural innovations has been far from ubiquitous, and remains especially low among the poor. Around the world, 550 million smallholder farmers still lack access to beneficial agricultural innovations. Poor farmers, who are mostly women and often less educated, may be left out of training services and have difficulty accessing credit, insurance, land, and markets. The Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI) has identified a spectrum of challenges to adoption of agricultural innovations, ranging from lack of information about available technologies and their benefits, to distribution issues stemming from weak supply chains and infrastructure (a summary is available online at http://atai-research.org/Our-Approach.html). <h3>Solution</h3> ATAI suggests that to maximize the impact of investments in agricultural innovations, we need to know why technologies that could dramatically improve people’s lives are not being used and then determine how best to deliver them. This means understanding the political, economic and socio-cultural landscape as well as how smallholder farmers behave and make choices about the investments, utilities and risks associated with new innovations. It is also important to explore how barriers to adoption relate to one another and whether some consistently matter more than others. Targeting a single barrier without addressing others may be unsuccessful, but at the same time, attempting to overcome all barriers simultaneously may not be cost effective or necessary. This year's Yunus Challenge calls for locally and environmentally sustainable innovations to promote adoption of agricultural technologies among smallholder farmers for better livelihoods. <h3>Key Considerations and Judging Criteria</h3> The Yunus Challenge Award for 2010 will be given to participants who create an innovative solution that has the most potential to increase adoption of beneficial agricultural technologies among smallholder farmers to improve their livelihoods. Teams are encouraged to put energies toward creating solutions that overcome the behavioral and situational hurdles of agricultural technology adoption, rather than looking at the challenge only in technological terms. While not required, the proposed solution may involve a physical device. Solutions should be designed for implementation in communities living at or below the poverty level, where infrastructure is limited. Innovation, feasibility and impact will be important criteria in judging. Proposed solutions should be new, focus on measurable change, and aim for a price point that makes intervention accessible to the poorest populations and allows for dissemination on a large scale. Specific aspects to address include, but should not necessarily be limited to: •    Affordability •    Acceptability within the community (e.g., likelihood of adoption) •    Livelihood impact (e.g., increased incomes from value-adding activities, time and labor saved) •    Health impact (e.g., reduced hunger from higher yields, improved nutrition) •    Environmental impact (e.g., waste reduction or reuse, decreased land and water degradation) •    Scalabity Credit will be given for supporting rationale regarding how the solution will directly address the issues faced. For example, this rationale could include why the team decided to focus particular attention on solving one aspect of the challenge. However, if a team decides that another factor is equally significant, supporting evidence for this factor also should be provided. The needs of the poor are wide and varied and teams are not expected to address all issues surrounding adoption of agricultural technologies, however, proposed solutions should address a particular need and fill it well. Participants are encouraged to work on designs with a specific community or region in mind, as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. For more information or resources about the 2011 Yunus Innovation Challenge to Alleviate Poverty, please visit <a href="http://web.mit.edu/idi/yunus.shtml">http://web.mit.edu/idi/yunus.shtml</a> or contact Laura Sampath at lsampath [at] mit [dot] edu. <h3>Supporting Initiatives</h3> Opportunities are available for students who want to learn more about the challenge and the context in which a solution should operate. Students are encouraged to apply for Public Service fellowships, internships and grants that provide them with the opportunity to work on a potential program and with communities to develop a feasible solution which takes local context into account. For more information, please contact Alison Hynd at hynd@mit.edu. For additional support in gathering information about the local context, customs and conditions of a specific community or country, participants may leverage the expertise of D-Lab teams who have local partners in more than 20 countries and who will be doing field work over the 2011 January IAP session in eight countries across three continents. For more information, please contact d-lab@mit.edu. Participants also may enter proposals into the IDEAS Competition and MIT Global Challenge, where special awards have been created to provide winning teams with funding to pursue their ideas. For more information, please contact the globalchallenge [at] mit [dot] edu. <h3>Sample Resources</h3> <ul> <li>Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative: <a href="http://atai-research.org">http://atai-research.org</a></li> <li>Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research: <a href="http://www.cgiar.org">http://www.cgiar.org</a></li> <li>Feed the Future: <a href="http://www.feedthefuture.gov">http://www.feedthefuture.gov</a></li> <li>Food and Agriculture Organization: <a href="http://www.fao.org">http://www.fao.org</a></li> <li>International Development Enterprises: <a href="http://www.ideorg.org">http://www.ideorg.org</a></li> <li>International Food Policy Research Institute: <a href="http://www.ifpri.org">http://www.ifpri.org</a></li> <li>International Fund for Agricultural Development: <a href="http://www.ifad.org">http://www.ifad.org</a></li> <li>Jameel Poverty Action Lab: <a href="http://www.povertyactionlab.org">http://www.povertyactionlab.org</a></li> <li>KickStart: <a href="http://www.kickstart.org">http://www.kickstart.org</a></li> <li>One Acre Fund: <a href="http://www.oneacrefund.org">http://www.oneacrefund.org</a></li> <li>World Food Programme: <a href="http://www.wfp.org">http://www.wfp.org</a></li> </ul>   <img src="http://beta-globalchallenge.mit.edu/uploads/image/filename/yunus_footer_091710.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="45" />
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 emailgenevieve.mbama@sloan.mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch**Problem**: About 300 million unbanked/underbanked populations in Africa lack access to basic formal banking services due to low bank penetration, high cost of deploying branch and ATM infrastructure in these communities and lack of financial education. **Context**: The communties are typically rural/semi-urban where there is no banking service infrastructure so they either travel long distance to bank or save cash informally in their homes or through expensive informal local savings schemes, which are risky due to burglary and borrow at exorbitant rates from money lenders. The project will engender economic freedom by catalyzing savings through personal accounts in banks to provide access to micro lending and investments, electronic payment process and government social benefits. **Solution**:Branchless banking system facilitated by Biometric Point-of-Sale terminals deployed through remote retail Agents located ubiquitiously and enables performance of basic financial services such as cash deposits, withdrawals, micro-lending, transaction payments, account activation/balance checking and printing of statement with the use of Bank Cards. Across Africa, it has capacity to mobilize over B in savings annually catalyzing lending and investments up to B, generate about 1M in employment and improve development planning. Resource:http://www.efina.org.ng/Financial_services_landscape_summary_15_September.pdf http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201010302251468
 intent
 impactMobilise million in savings from 500,000 people, enable transfers of 0m, lending of m and employ 2,000 pple
 rawlocationNigeria, Ghana and other African countries
 lat0
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 category_other
 whoweare**Genevieve Mbama** : Sloan Fellow 2010/MBA, MIT Sloan, BSc Economics and Statistics, Associate Certified Accountant. 13+ years experience in Financial services, corporate finance, financial consulting and advisory, strategy and business process reingeneering. Role: Team lead, Idea originator and developer, strategy, finance and operations **Fred McBagonluri**: PhD, MS Engineering, SF11/MBA MIT Sloan. Over 15 years experince in Engineering and Technology and Director of Research & Development in Global Health care industry. Role in Team : Leading in Technology development, Design and Network/communications planning. **Peter Damian Mbama:** SF11/MBA MIT Sloan, BSc, Accounting. Over 10 years experiences in Banking, Relationship Management and Business Development. Role in The team: Business and Franchise development, Strategy and Finance.
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 shortpitchA Financial inclusion solution enabled by a network of multifunction Biometric Point-of-Sale terminals that are deployed at Agent locations typically remote retail outlets to connect over 300m un/under-banked in Africa to basic financial services
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 nameSupply Change
 created2010-12-05 12:31:24
 modified2011-04-08 18:57:38
 emailssharris@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchAround the world, small-scale farmers sell their crop at low margin to regional processors who then add value by selling juice and other products to an international market. Transactions between farmers and processors are one-way, with critical market information gated at the processors and never reaching hundreds or thousands of small-scale farmers. As a result, farmers face significant uncertainty and underutilize their arable land. Much of the crop that is harvested (10-40% in our estimates) is damaged in transport or rots at the market. Consequently, rural farmers face deepening poverty despite record food prices around the world. Supply Change provides three resources to engage farmers in the value chain, increasing income and market efficiency. 1) The Mobile Information Aggregator uses text-messages to transmit production information between farmers and local co-ops. Farmers gain market information to assist their planning, and coops gain system level views that help them coordinate their members. 2) Local Processing Centers at farming coops then allow preservation and packaging of aggregated harvests for sale to local and international markets. 3) Finally, Supply Change brokers transactions with US companies willing to pay a premium for traceable, fair-trade fruit ingredients. Together, our holistic approach closes the gap between rising global food demand (especially fair trade and traceable food), and increases income for the farmers that supply that food.
 intent
 impactIn year 1 we will work with 150 Paraguayan orange and passion fruit farmers to provide an additional .5 million dollars in revenue to the sector, with a ,000 fair trade premium directly into rural development.
 rawlocationSan Juan Nepomuceno, Caazapa, Paraguay
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 whoweare**_Supply Change Team_** We are comprised of eight team members with a wide range of skills and work experience, each of them bringing a unique value add to the team in management, engineering, IT and design. Over half of our team speaks Spanish. _Management_ - Business Development: Shayna Harris (MIT Sloan 2011, MBA candidate) An international development professional (Oxfam) with 6 years experience building fair trade coffee business strategy (Latin America, East Africa) and over a decade of experience with numerous US corporations and start-ups. - Operations: Adah Chan (MIT Sloan 2011, MBA candidate) An entrepreneur specialized in product management and building new supply chains in developing countries (India, China, Pakistan). - Finance and Strategy: Barbara Kong (MIT Sloan 2011, MBA candidate) A social impact investment professional specializing on agribusiness projects in Africa with over 5 years consulting management experience. _Engineering for Processor Development_ - Brian Hendrickson (MIT Leaders for Global Operations Fellow 2012) A cross-disciplinary engineer with experience in technology development, complex systems, and supply chain planning. - Jennifer Milne (MIT Mechanical Engineering, 2012 SM Candidate) A user-centered mechanical design engineer and proactive member of Engineers Without Borders UK with a background in appropriate technology. - Maria Telleria (MIT Mechanical Engineering, PhD Candidate) A machine design engineer looking to enable users through machines designed around their needs, environment, and culture. _IT Lead for Mobile Information Aggregator_ - Michael Olague (MIT Mechanical Engineering, 2012 BS Candidate) An aspiring engineer and designer specializing in programming and user interface design. _Industrial and Graphic Design_ - Matt Kihm (2010 RISD Alumni, Industrial Design) A professional graphic designer and writer with experience in the shipping industry. Pushes the limits of possibility as our Blue Sky Guy. **_Partners and Advisors_** Our partners and advisor provide agricultural and technical assistance on the ground in Paraguay as well as insights into the US food CPG industry. _Partnerships in Paraguay_ - ● Miguel Arias, Director of Action Against Hunger Paraguay (http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/where-we-work/paraguay) - ● Jose Gomez, Director Fair Trade Labeling Organization Paraguay (www.fairtrade.net) - ● Roque Gonzalez, Head Agronomist, Cooperative Capiibary _Technology Advisors_ - ● Edgar Blanco, MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, Latin American Center for Logistics Innovation (http://portal.logyca.org/web/cli/) - ● Geoff Grosebeck, MIT Legatum Center and Executive Director Proyecto Zaca Mexico - ● Leo Bonanni, Founder and CEO Sourcemap _Industry Advisors_ - ● Nigel Willerton, CEO Wholesome Sweetners - ● Saida Benhayoune, Fruit and Sweeteners Ingredients Buyer, Stonyfield Farm - ● Cate Baril, Ingredients Manager, Transfair USA - ● William Walker, retired executive with over 30 years experience in industrial management and business development at Pepsi Co and Colgate Palmolive
 urlwww.supplychangenow.com
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 shortpitchSupply Change works with rural farming cooperatives to provide SMS-based tools, local fruit processing capability, and access to fair trade markets.
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 nameMaa-Bara: Catalyzing Change
 created2011-02-05 13:22:12
 modified2011-10-13 22:25:48
 emailrokiomah@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchIn the agrarian society of the Niger Delta, spillage from oil extraction causes pollution of soil and water stifles both fishing and farming activities, crippling the local economy where there is 85% adult unemployment. Our solution is "Maa-Bara," a scalable, locally sourced, locally crafted structure for the propagation of fish and vegetables atop this oil-polluted landscape. Translated "Water-Farm" in Ogoni language, Maa-Bara is a zero-waste sustainable agricultural model. Each Maa-Bara structure is designed to utilize kitchen scraps to feed tilapia fish. The tilapia produce waste, which becomes nutrient solution for hydroponics (growing vegetables without soil). In the summer of 2010, the team traveled to the Niger Delta and secured partnerships with Enterprise for Development International (formerly TechnoServe, Nigeria) and River State University of Science and Technology. In October of 2010, one of our team members constructed a 50-gallon proof-of-concept pilot. Shell Oil is on board to fund the roll out and scaling up of the project following a successful pilot in the Niger Delta. Innovations: Vertical design uses gravity for aeration of water in lieu of aerator. Vertical design creates shade for workers, fish, and plants. Peer-to-peer agricultural training program in the fishing villages of the Niger Delta, partnering with University. The problem: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/niger-delta-bears-brunt-after-50-years-of-oil-spills-421634.html
 intent
 impactProviding sanitary food and creating employment opportunities for the 200 people living near Bodo, Niger Delta.
 rawlocationBodo, Nigeria
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 whoweareOGHENERUNO OKIOMAH (rokiomah@alum.mit.edu) - Ogheneruno will head the execution of the pilot project of Maa-Bara in the Niger Delta in collaboration with the non-profit Enterprise for Development International (formerly TechnoServe Nigeria). Ogheneruno was raised in Nigeria and designed the Maa-Bara as her Master in Architecture thesis at MIT. Ogheneruno traveled to Nigeria (Summer 2011), secured commitment from RSUST (University in Nigeria), Enterprise for Development International (largest NGO in Nigeria) and the Bodo community to execute the project pilot in Niger Delta. ELISHA GOODMAN (elishag@mit.edu) - Elisha will facilitate the R&D (construction and operation) of a full-sized pilot in Lynn, MA in the summer of 2011, develop the peer-to-peer training program, and facilitate the roll out plan for regions beyond the Niger Delta. Elisha oversaw the implementation of a 50-gallon proof-of-concept aquaponics project in Lynn, Massachusetts (October 2011), demonstrating technical feasibility of the Maa-Bara system. Elisha is experienced with hands-on tropical agriculture and non-profit start-up and management. Elisha will graduate in June 2011 with a Master Degree from MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning . SANDY HUANG (swhuang@mit.edu) - Sandy will manage business development and finance of Maa-Bara. Sandy spent the last 4 years working at Amazon.com’s Corporate Development team, where she worked with several start-up ventures to optimize revenue performance, develop advertising strategies, and implement short-term and long-term growth initiatives. Sandy is an MBA student from MIT’s Sloan School of Management with a focus on social entrepreneurship and sustainability. DR. CALESTOUS JUMA (calestous_juma@harvard.edu) - Dr. Juma will fundraise for Maa-Bara via high level contacts in leadership at federal ministries, state governments and financial institutions including the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Dr. Juma is ready to conduct a parallel pilot in Kenya on his secured land because he was raised on tilapia! Calestous is Professor of Practice of International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, founding Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies in Nairobi, author of, “The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa,” which details how agricultural innovation will be the key driver for economic development in Africa.
 urlwww.maabara.org
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 shortpitchClosed-loop system producing healthy fish and vegetables in areas with limited arable land, increasing food security and providing jobs starting in the Niger Delta.
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 created2011-02-09 20:06:37
 modified2011-08-17 03:47:33
 emailendoagra@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchDeep in the mountains of Japan, far from the bustle of Tokyo, there is a cluster of 13 villages that have existed for two thousand years. These self-sufficient villages, perfected over thousands of years, are now eroding under the pressure of low birth rates, migration to urban areas, and the otherwise typical pressures of contemporary macroeconomics. The loss of these villages is akin to species extinction, an irretrievable loss of knowledge and cultural diversity as it applies to sustainable living. We will bring stability to the dwindling population of these villages by encouraging immigration, not of just anyone, but of people seeking a cooperative lifestyle of low consumption. We’ve identified a key demographic of Japanese -- up to 10,000 urban dwellers per year -- who will make the move from a metropolitan area to a rural location beginning in the spring of 2012. We’ve also catalogued abandoned, traditional-style folk houses ready for new residents. We are ready to market each home, not as mere real estate, but as the component of a greater sustainable lifestyle. A single, innovative web tool is needed to engage the target audience, help them choose a home, find local employment, and know the collective aspirations of the community. As this is a national problem, our proposal in Tane is scalable to tens of thousands of abandoned homes. **UPDATE: Countless families displaced by the March 11 earthquake may now need the services of our proposal.**
 intent
 impactStabilize the population of 13 endangered sustainable rural villages while creating the prototype digital media tool to facilitate lifestyles of sustainable consumption in the world's third-largest economy
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 whoweareOur team represents the combined knowledge produced by 4 years of workshops conducted at the 13 villages by MIT Architecture’s Shun Kanda and Keio University’s Hiroto Kobayashi. Our team consists of current MIT students and alumni who have moved to Japan for the specific purpose of saving the rural area in our proposal. **Ira Winder**, _MIT Urban Studies and Planning, MCP '13_ Ira grew up in rural Appalachia and has been studying, interning, or working in Japan for 3 years. He is tackling the organizational, networking, housing, and phase planning needed to compel current urban dwellers to make the move to a sustainable community. **Adele Phillips**, _Fulbright Graduate Research Fellow, MIT MArch. ‘09_, Adele grew up in rural Nebraska and has spent 4 years of her life in Japan. She is spearheading the effort to foster pride and educate younger generations on the importance of their rural homeland, and is our expert on all things agrarian. Her work involves direct collaboration with community elders as she currently lives in Tane. **Miho Kitagawa**, _MIT, Class of 2014_, Miho grew up in Kyoto, Japan not very far from the village in question. Not only a budding engineer, she is an essential cultural and lingual link between contemporary Japanese lifestyles and sustainable agrarian communities. She is helping make the necessary connections to local organizations and businesses and hopes to build a career based on bringing sustainability to Japan. **Jenny Liu**, _MIT MEng in Computer Science, 2011_, Jenny is our tech expert, and will spearhead the logistics and design for the digital media that will entice people to our community. This interface must be simple in accessibility, yet robust in the data it will manage, as it will be the prototype for any sustainable community that faces decline in the face of urbanizing forces. **Yutaro Muraji (Community Partner)**, _Keio U., Master of Architecture, 2012_, Yutaro is handling the logistics and legal matters concerning the cooperative ownership of abandoned houses. **Hiroto Kobayashi (Community Partner)**, Mr. Kobayashi has dedicated the last 4 years with MIT toward researching the diversity of conditions and problems afflicting the 13 villages in the Tane valley. **Kawanishi-san (Community Parter)**, Mr. Kawanishi is a life-long resident of Tane, and is the unofficial ‘leader’ of the Tane community. He is the first person who reached out to MIT and Keio University for help, since he felt that the community organization in its current form was unable to address the complex forces threatening the sustainability of Tane. We owe our progress to his unending help, insight, and energy. **Shun Kanda (Advisor)** Kanda-sensei is a Senior Lecturer in the MIT Faculty of Architecture. His dedication made sure that the workshops in Tane have transformed into a legitimate attempt to address real problems. **Villages of Tane** [Google Map]: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=210143924459618789844.00049be47bd0d0112faff&t=h&z=15
 urlhttp://web.mit.edu/tane
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id15
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchFacilitating a new generation of sustainability in rural Japan through innovative media
 vote_count82
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count29
 comment_count4
 in_the_field0
 4
 id162
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameEnvironMENTAL: Improving education through sustainable nutrition
 created2011-02-16 23:10:43
 modified2011-03-14 01:07:23
 emaillavaquita@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitchZacatecas, a state with population 1,400,000, has the 2nd highest poverty and migration rates in Mexico. Its high incidence of malnutrition and poverty traps its inhabitants in subsistence farming of beans, wheat and corn. More healthy produce is expensive and difficult to obtain logistically; as a result, the main diet consists of starch-heavy and “junk” foods that contribute to the prevalence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, which is the leading cause of death in Mexico. Our team of 4 MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and 2 ITESM (Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey) students aims to use low-cost, innovative technologies to provide children in rural Mexican communities with access to healthier foods. Our project is based on construction of Greenhouse-Biodigesters (6m x 10m) in middle schools to cultivate adequate fresh produce for consumption by students. We will be using low-cost technologies and recycled materials - namely used tires and the plastic bags used to transport mattresses- to provide both the structure and insulation for the greenhouse, and heating of the greenhouse will be maintained by a biodigester which requires only organic waste to function. Our project requires that the produce be solely for student consumption, in order to help students become more attentive in school and to directly alleviate malnutrition without placing financial burdens on parents.
 intent
 impact
 rawlocationPinos, Zacatecas, Mexico
 lat22.2973
 lon-101.575
 glocationZacatecas, Mexico
 category_other
 whoweare
 urlhttp://www.dellsocialinnovationcompetition.com/ideaView?id=08780000000DfKqAAK
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebookhttp://www.dellsocialinnovationcompetition.com/ideaView?id=08780000000DfKqAAK
 problem_id0
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchEnvironMENTAL: Improving education through sustainable nutrition
 vote_count0
 active0
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count2
 comment_count1
 in_the_field0
 5
 id174
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameMongoLink
 created2011-03-01 23:01:50
 modified2011-03-05 23:18:08
 emailInnerMongolia.link@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch
 intent
 impacthelp farmers to identify the farming grassland structure
 rawlocationManzhouli, Inner Mongolia
 lat49.5877
 lon117.48
 glocationManzhouli, Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia, China, 021400
 category_other
 whoweareCharlotte Wang: 10 years working experience in system implementation, project management and technology management in public and private sectors international experience in consulting cross energy field in China, Russia and U.S. A system thinker with strong analytical and communication skills, current research Enterprise System Architecture in MIT Lean Advancement Initiative, a graduate student in System Design and Management program at MIT. Zhiyong Wang: as a certified architect with 7 years working experience in urban planning and architecture design, running multiple enterprise urban planning project as VP of Business Development. Current research microgrid in MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics (LEES), a graduate student in System Design and Management program at MIT. Zhiying Chen: focus in agriculture development in rural area. M.S in Agricultural & Resource Economics from University of California, B.S in Agricultural & Resource Economics in Nanjing University, China. Strong field survey experience and data analytical skills, experience in multiple agriculture projects in rural China, such as analysis in agricultural investment, consuming construction and modeling. All the team members have been lived in Inner Mongolia, with full understanding of current agricultural system issues and needs to help local farmers. Charlotte leads the team on system sustainability development, communicating with local government and working with stakeholders to adapt the new device. Zhiyong works on product design and development, testing and implementation in various prairie farming locations. Zhiying focus on field testing device and analyze prairie agriculture economic growth.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchIdentify inner Mongolia system sustainability issue on maintaining grassland for conventional farming behaviors.
 vote_count17
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count5
 comment_count1
 in_the_field0
 6
 id182
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameFlour Power
 created2011-03-04 16:02:28
 modified2011-04-06 21:55:40
 emailgrainmill@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchAccording to the International Labor Organization, "processed grain is one of the most important elements in the diet of low-income groups" in developing countries, and appropriate technologies for grain milling keep earnings and employment local. Many organizations have launched initiatives to improve maize production, particularly sustainable and resilient farming systems, in order to improve the livelihood for the over 600 million who depend on corn, and give developing countries access to a competitive and profitable export market. However, these advances are futile, without also considering how these millions consume their maize. In Eastern and Southern Africa, the staple food is called ugali, a thick maize porridge that is prepared using a fine maize flour and other simple ingredients. Currently the cost of milling 1kg of maize is per day, which equals the average daily wage in many Eastern and Southern African countries. The alternatives are to hand grind the corn using a mortar and pestle, which is time and labor intensive, or to simply go without. We are designing an low-cost human-powered grain mill that is capable of in-home production of flour fine enough for use in ugali, a staple food in East Africa. This innovative concept will increase access to nutrition by making maize more affordable for millions throughout Eastern and South Africa.
 intent
 impactProvide a low-cost human-powered grain mill for in home production of fine maize flour, increasing access to nutrition by making maize more affordable and usable
 rawlocationArusha, Tanzania
 lat-3.36579
 lon36.6744
 glocationNairobi Rd, Arusha, Tanzania
 category_other
 whoweareArfa Aijazi - Arfa is an MIT sophomore majoring in Materials Science and Engineering. She took D-Lab Cycle Ventures in Fall 2010 and travelled to Tanzania in January 2011, working on the grain mill project. Arfa is also the designated team leader David Anderson - David is an MIT senior majoring in Mechanical and Ocean Engineering. He took D-Lab Development in Fall 2010 and travelled to Tanzania in January 2011, working on the corn sander project. Ingrid Chaires - Ingrid is an MIT senior majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She took D-Lab Development in Fall 2010 and travelled to Cambodia in January 2011. Melody Kuna - Melody is an MIT senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Product Design. She will focus on ergonomics and human factors for the project as well as mechanical design. Mitchell Westwood - Mitch is an MIT senior majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He became interested in development work after traveling to Ghana in January 2011. He is excited to contribute through his mechanical engineering background and love of getting his hands dirty.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchDesign and construct a inexpensive grain mill from local materials
 vote_count125
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count32
 comment_count7
 in_the_field0
 7
 id189
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameStraw Chopper
 created2011-03-05 01:21:54
 modified2011-04-05 21:38:49
 emailstrawchopper@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch“One man’s trash can be his own treasure.“ For many rice farmers, income from the harvesting season is barely enough to sustain the entire family into the next harvest season, hence creative income generation solutions are needed during the off-harvest season periods. To this end, mushroom-farming during off-season periods has become increasingly popular in developing countries, like India, Rwanda and Nicaragua. An essential step in this process is cutting the paddy straw to create a growing environment for the mushrooms. Currently only one kind of straw cutter exists in the market, and this heavy and bulky machine is not only very expensive, but breaks easily and requires frequent and costly maintenance. In addition, since a large majority of rice farmers are women, working the machine is also a very energy consuming activity. By designing and building a simpler, cheaper and more durable machine to cut straw, we hope to lower the cost of production in terms of absolute cost, but also opportunity cost in the amount of time saved. By focusing on using locally available materials and fabrication methods, we will ensure that the entire production, maintenance and dissemination process can be carried out by the local community, creating yet another source of income for a different group of people.
 intent
 impactProvide a simpler, cheaper and more durable machine to cut straw for rice farmers in the Assam region in India
 rawlocationAssam, India
 lat0
 lon0
 glocation
 category_other
 whoweareLusann Yang is a fourth-year graduate student in Materials Science with a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. She loves working with her hands, learning about fabrication techniques, and working with teams of bright, highly motivated people. Majda AlMarzouqi is an undergraduate majoring in architecture. She has a background and experience in design, materials science and the building environment. She is interested in pursuing new and innovative technologies tackling efficiency, durability and sustainability in different fields, in relation to how they influence and nurture the public realm. Franco Rodolfo Montalvo grew up along the border, crossing between Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, California for his entire life. He is deeply interested in working to improve the lives of people by incorporating technologies into local context as opposed to the "one size fits all" approach he so often saw fail in attempts at development projects. His role on the team specializes with mechanical design and troubleshooting. Lana Awad is a senior in biological engineering in MIT, minoring in applied international studies, and is very interested in international development and global health. She participated in IDEAS competition in 2009 with a project focusing on malnourishment. She also lead the College Arab Admissions Mentorship Program, an initiative to help students in the Middle East get better higher education. Vanessa Zhang is a senior at Wellesley College majoring in Economics and Mathematics. Her interest in appropriate technologies for developing countries grew through the D-Lab Development and Design classes, and her passion is in the intersection between Development Economics and Development Technologies. She oversees liaison between the team and the community partner to ensure that designs fit local needs and fabrication methods.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id4
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchA locally manufactured, durable, low-cost agricultural tool which will help small farmers supplement their income via the production of mushrooms.
 vote_count93
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count16
 comment_count929
 in_the_field0
 8
 id206
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameAGROBALANCE
 created2011-03-05 19:55:53
 modified2011-04-06 14:48:21
 emailmeetukapur@alum.mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchToday 1.5 billion farming households live at less a day with limited access to markets, capital and investment in capability building. The AGROBALANCE team has partnered with a grassroots organization in India to develop and scale a farmer centric IT enabled solution and business model that addresses the issues of agricultural productivity and financial inclusion faced by these small and marginal farming households. Our solution leverages technology to reduce information asymmetry and introduce aggregation and market efficiencies for procurement of agri-inputs and sale of produce, while providing capability building advisory services. Initial results demonstrate that the business model is economically viable for all players in the agricultural value chain. Farmer income levels have improved 40-400% and village entrepreneurs have turned profitable within 5-6 months of operations. AGROBALANCE team plans to further develop and grow the current solution as follows: 1) development of a Franchise Model that enables scalability and transferability across different geographies 2) development a Risk Analytics Engine that leverages the farmer´s data, together with commodity prices and other risk management tools such as crop and weather based insurance to create affordable access to credit
 intent
 impactTransforming the lives of 500,000 small farming households in India by 2016, by empowering them to access markets and affordable capital (~0 MM)
 rawlocationIndia
 lat20.5937
 lon78.9629
 glocationState Highway 264, Maharashtra, India
 category_other
 whoweareLucino, a Sloan Fellow from the class of 2011, has over 18 years experience working in the fields of public finance and international economics. His experience as a State Economist in the Spanish Tresury and his role in launching Club of Madrid, an international NGO, will bring enormous perspective and thought leadership to the design of a product offering that meets the requirements and development objectives of a complex and disparate ecosystem. In addition to this, Lucinio will play a key role in building strategic and government partnerships that are needed to take this solution across different markets. Meetu, a Sloan Fellow from the class of 2010, has over twelve years of experience working with General Electric, and is a certified Six Sigma professional. She has worked across the Risk Management, Operations, Quality, and Business Intelligence functions in financial services, managing large programs and operations with teams across India, Europe, and the United States. Her risk management and operations experience will be a key asset in incorporating the design principles of a scalable solution and building the financial inclusion product offering. Susana, a Sloan Fellow from the Class of 2010, has over ten years experience in the telecom industry, working with France Telecom and Orange. She has a track record of bringing business and technical innovation to market through the commercialization of new products and cutting edge technologies. Her expertise lies in building strategic roadmaps for disruptive products, strategic partnerships, and managing product innovation, all of which will be extremely valuable in building and commercializing the AGROBALANCE solution.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchHelp us transform the lives of 500,000 small farming households in India by 2016, by empowering them to access markets and affordable capital (~0 MM)
 vote_count115
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count41
 comment_count20
 in_the_field0
 9
 id214
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameZacaTech
 created2011-03-05 23:53:23
 modified2011-04-25 21:53:48
 emaillavaquita2011@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchSince 2000, over 210 rural communities in the Mexican state of Zacatecas have been abandoned by farmers. The state is located in the "breadbasket" of Mexico; yet it remains mired in poverty in part because of inefficient agricultural practices, deficit of low-cost technology and lack of Internet and reliable cellular service. Small-scale farmers are unable to efficiently maximize and diversify their agricultural output because of the lack of technological dissemination. Our solution is to share this information by helping farmers construct innovative, hands-on technologies in middle schools. Through community creation and ownership, this unique implementation model exposes farmers to the knowledge and benefits of low-cost technology. It also facilitates easy grassroots proliferation of technology between Zacatecas’ thousands of marginalized rural communities. Our first technology consists of a biodigester situated inside a 6m x 8m greenhouse - the biodigester heats the greenhouse through methane gas production and at the same time maintains the optimal temperature for bacterial fermentation. Students will use the greenhouse to grow vegetables as the biodigester generates low-cost, high-impact organic fertilizer. Our story begins with the introduction of low-cost greenhouses and fertilizer, but we hope to expand our model to include education about other resources – from hydroponics to alternative greenhouse materials - that can improve their crop yields and livelihoods.
 intent
 impactIn one year: Expansion of biodigester-greenhouses to 5 rural communities (empowering and educating 600 subsistence farmers along with 150 students) and development of a grassroots proliferation structure.
 rawlocationPinos, Zacatecas, Mexico
 lat22.2973
 lon-101.575
 glocationZacatecas, Mexico
 category_other
 whoweare**Sivakami Sambasivam | MIT Biological Engineering, 2011 | sivakami@mit.edu** Sivakami is a senior in the MIT Biological Engineering Department and a Management Science Minor. She is the current Associate Director of GPI and was the La Vaquita Project Action Head last year. She traveled to La Vaquita in January 2010 as GPI-PSC fellow on an investigatory trip and led the trip to La Vaquita in 2011. Over January 2011, she led the microenterprise project to help 25 women start a small business to commercialize exquisite handicrafts – bags, mirrors, embroidery and generate income to pay high school tuition fees for their children. She was also recently selected as Laura W. Bush Traveling Fellow to return back to Mexico this upcoming summer. **Stephanie Lin | MIT Biology, 2012 | SLin@mit.edu** Stephanie is a junior in the MIT Biology Department and a Spanish minor. Interested in the causes of healthcare disparities, she led the La Vaquita team’s collaborations with the Zacatecan Health Services in January 2011. Results from this collaboration included the construction of 30 ecological stoves, the fixing of their chlorination system and a community-wide health fair providing medical consults to 120 people. She is a student in DLab-Health this term, and will be traveling to Nicaragua and designing prototypes for low-cost health technologies. **Paula Trepman | MIT Biological Engineering, 2013 | ptrepman@mit.edu** Paula Trepman is a sophomore at MIT majoring in Biological Engineering and minoring in Applied International Studies. She is the Action Project Coordinator and Millennium Campus Network Representative of MIT’s Global Poverty Initiative. This past January, she traveled to La Vaquita, where she led the educational greenhouse project. Paula will also spend the month of July in Guatemala as a leader for Robert Malkin’s Global Public Service Academy for Health for high school students. **Samantha Hartzell | MIT Biological Engineering, 2014 | samhartz@mit.edu** Samantha Hartzell is a freshman at MIT planning to major in either biological or environmental engineering. As the freshman representative of the GPI Education team, Samantha took her first trip to La Vaquita over IAP 2011. While there, she led the construction of the pilot biodigester. This fall, Samantha was also involved in Mission 2014, Feeding the World, and will be traveling to India over spring break to gain a deeper understanding of the agricultural problems faced in this area. **Mary Masterman | MIT Chemistry, 2010 | mmasterm@mit.edu** Mary graduated from MIT in 2010 with an SB in chemistry. She has done international service projects in Cameroon (a project designing and building treadle pumps at a nonprofit and installing MIT's OpenCourseWare), Peru (helping build a bicilavadora and a bicigranadora), and Mexico. She traveled to La Vaquita in the fall of 2010, where she taught English and computer literacy to both students and adults and researched project opportunities for MIT students. After the La Vaquita trip she did a MISTI internship working to improve safety of beekeeping practices in other parts of rural Mexico. **Francisco Valenzuela | ITESM Zacatecas, Nebraska Wesleyan University | fvalenzu@nebrwesleyan.edu** Francisco Valenzuela is a senior in Business Administration at ITESM campus Zacatecas, and a current interchange student at NWU. Since 2009 he has been vice-president of AZAPE A.C., organizing reforestations, ecological awareness in elementary schools and providing farmers with tools to elaborate organic fertilizers. He has been participating in the "La Vaquita Initiative" since 2010, mainly through providing courses on organic farming.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchA unique approach to educating rural subsistence farmers in Zacatecas, Mexico about agricultural technologies.
 vote_count843
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count73
 comment_count12
 in_the_field0
 10
 id215
 contestyear2011-01-01
 nameZacaTech2
 created2011-03-05 23:55:47
 modified2011-04-06 01:21:16
 emaillavaquita2011@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge0
 pitch
 intent
 impact
 rawlocationzacatecas, mexico
 lat23.2048
 lon-103.174
 glocationZacatecas, Mexico
 category_other
 whoweare
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitch
 vote_count0
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count1
 comment_count0
 in_the_field0
 11
 id237
 contestyear2012-01-01
 nameTiga Foods
 created2011-10-25 16:06:22
 modified2012-04-09 12:19:20
 emaildsewell@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchLet’s follow the life of a peanut for a minute: Peanuts grow all over West Africa, and West Africans love peanut butter in their sauces. Yet almost no one there is turning peanuts into peanut butter, so farmers sell their whole crop right away at very low prices. Worse yet, some farmers can’t find enough buyers for their peanuts. Later in the year, peanut butter is scarce and expensive for locals. The truth is, this story is NOT just about peanuts: many foods aren’t processed in the region, so Africans sell low-value crops and buy expensive imported goods. At the same time there is an enormous and growing demand for processed goods in West Africa's major urban markets. Tiga Foods is a processing and packaging company that will close the gap between West Africa’s food production potential and its high-demand regional markets. Tiga will do this by 1) using low-tech processes to turn cash crops into high-value, high-demand products, and 2) packaging products to reduce waste and improve food safety. TIGA’s goal is to stimulate an entire food industry, creating jobs and income for West Africans in agriculture, manufacturing, packaging and distribution. We need your support and enthusiasm to get this started! To learn more about Africa's potential in consumer goods production: https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Africa/Picking_products_for_Africas_growing_consumer_markets_2600
 intent
 impactTrain and support 5 women to create and sell a new food product in Ghanaian markets by end of summer 2012.
 rawlocationAccra, Ghana
 lat5.55572
 lon-0.196306
 glocationEgypt Rd, Accra, Ghana
 category_other
 whoweareDanielle Sewell - MBA 2013, MIT Sloan - Leveraging the resources and knowledge of the MIT community to connect with experts, brainstorm about the project, and engage potential partners and funders. Issa Djibrilla - Agriculture Technology Engineer, Abt Associates - Deepening key relationships/contacts in the region and conducting on-the-ground research to determine the best location to pilot Tiga Foods in 2012. Raphael Awuku - Master of Finance 2012, MIT Sloan - using his in-depth knowledge of the Ghanaian food industry to help refine the business model and identify potential suppliers and distributors.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id0
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchTiga Foods is a social enterprise that will empower West Africans to transform their cash crops into high-value, high-demand food products.
 vote_count0
 active0
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count4
 comment_count3
 in_the_field0
 12
 id275
 contestyear2012-01-01
 namebloomN
 created2012-01-25 23:46:41
 modified2012-04-08 16:42:35
 emailspring08@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchNepalese students with interest in Mathematics rarely have the opportunity to learn materials outside the syllabus. Indifference towards Math contests and tendency of the public to attach low importance to Mathematics have been formidable discouragements from pursuing challenging and engaging Mathematics. This is partly reflected from the fact that Nepal has neither participated in International Math Olympiads nor organized any nationwide Math contests. Consequently, hundreds or perhaps thousands of talents get weathered in oblivion. bloomN will adopt hugely successful model and syllabus of Serbian Mathematics School at Belgrade to teach Mathematics to young students aged between 11 and 17, up through high school. Additionally, bloomN will organize nationwide math challenges, prepare students for IMOs and facilitate transition to universities in the US. The innovative aspect of the project lies in taking a successful model and reproducing it to where the need is. Successful implementation will ensure wider acceptance of the subject area and production of leaders in Mathematics from Nepal. The target location will be Kathmandu. The city has approximately one million population and roughly 300000 target population. In the process of expansion to include areas such as the Computer Science, bloomN will work with investors and donors for additional funding, community partners in Kathmandu for school space and partners in Serbia and MIT for designing of syllabus.
 intent
 impactTrain 80 students and select a team from the trainees, to participate in International Mathematicians Olympiad 2013.
 rawlocationkathmandu, Nepal
 lat27.7029
 lon85.3182
 glocationPurano Bus Park Rd, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
 category_other
 whoweareRam K Rijal (spring08@mit.edu) Ram K Rijal is a native to Nepal and a 2012 MIT graduate from the department of Economics and Mathematics. He will play central role in managing operations, ushering relations and driving the growth and expansion of bloomN. Ram has spent two months teaching mathematics to students in Nepal and Nepali to second generation Nepalese in Boston. He has also implemented training programs for farmers and lead teams to compete in MIT 100K where his team placed in best ten for Development track. Alan Ho (alanho@mit.edu) Alan is a 4th year MIT students pursing computer science. He will be the web master and web marketer for bloomN. Dusan Milijancevic (dusanmil@mit.edu) Dusan is a graduate of Serbian School of Mathematics at Belgrade and MIT class of 2014 in Mathematics. He will play significant role in designing of the syllabus. Niraj Thapaliya (niraj.thapaliya@gmail.com) Niraj Thapaliya is a member of Amherst graduating class for the year 2012. He is pursuing his Bachelors in Physics. His role as community partner will be to secure space for school either in rent or in lease. He already has ample contacts to work with on this front. Thaneshor Pokharel (thaneshor.pokharel@gmail.com) Thaneshor Pokharel has substantial experience working with children under our target age group. Thaneshor's role as a community partner will be to recruit first batch of students.
 url
 blog
 twitter
 twitter_import0
 facebook
 problem_id4
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchbloomN is dedicated to the purpose of producing scholars and innovators by training selected youths in the field of their interest.
 vote_count0
 active0
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count2
 comment_count1
 in_the_field0
 13
 id354
 contestyear2013-01-01
 nameMoringaConnect
 created2012-10-23 12:55:57
 modified2013-04-22 14:16:41
 emailmoringaconnect@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchMoringaConnect is an agrisystems venture bringing access to processing technologies and market links to the millions of smallholder moringa farmers worldwide. Currently, in Ghana alone, our pilot country, there are some 20,000 farmers who, due to limited resources, are unable to turn the 9 million kg of moringa seeds their trees produce each year into moringa oil. That is 2 million liters of oil, a revenue of million, unrealized by farming families affected by hunger and poverty. MoringaConnect changes this story. We purchase seeds farmers produce for centralized oil processing and empower farmers with the human-powered processing technologies we have developed over the past year. This allows farmers we work with to generate 00/acre of moringa they cultivate and reduce the occurrence of malnutrition in their homes from their consumption of the highly nutritious leaves of the moringa tree. We are launching this summer to help the 7,500 farmers we are currently connected to realize this impact. So join our MIT-Harvard team in connecting the dots- smallholder farmers, the miracle of moringa, our value-added processing!
 intent
 impactSustainably raise the income of 5,000 smallholder farmers over the next year by 00/acre of moringa cultivated and to decrease the occurrence of malnutrition in their families.
 rawlocationGhana
 lat7.94653
 lon-1.02319
 glocationSalaga - Atebubu Road, Ghana
 category_other
 whoweareEmily Cunningham (Harvard University- Economics, BA ‘13)- Emily is a social entrepreneur with a background in economics and appropriate technology design and co-founder of a rural development venture in Gujarat, India. She maintains MC’s community partner relationships and international buyer interactions. Flavio Di Berardino (Wentworth Institute of Technology- BA ‘14)- Flavio has experience in Computer software, SolidWorks, and mechanical design. He focuses on the product development of MC's human powered moringa processing technologies, readying them for our pilot this summer. Chandler Douglas (MIT- Mechanical Engineering, BS '14)- Chandler has his background and training in product design and manufacturing. He has led diverse teams in international and domestic service projects. He manages the manufacturing of MC’s technologies in-country, and facilitates maintenance and repair services. Kwami Williams (MIT- Aerospace Engineering BS ‘12, Concentration: Global Development)- Kwami is a native of Ghana with experience on various projects in Ghana over the past 2 years. He is currently an MIT D-Lab Scale-Ups Phase 2 Fellow and coordinates MC’s field operations in Ghana, facilitating delivery and procurement of supplemental agricultural inputs and educational agricultural and nutritional training for the farmers we serve. Micaela Wiseman (MIT- Electrical Engineering, BS '13)- Micaela has her background in designing electrical power systems and in designing appropriate technologies for emerging markets over the past 2 years. She leads the development of MC’s motorized processing technologies.
 urlmoringaconnect.com
 blog
 twitterMoringaConnect
 twitter_import0
 facebook FB.init(" FB.init("https://www.facebook.com/MoringaConnect"); ");
 problem_id0
 challenge_id8
 winner0
 winnertype
 shortpitchProviding affordable technologies that enable subsistence farmers growing the moringa tree generate income by converting their seeds into high-value oil.
 vote_count313
 active1
 facebook_page_id
 follower_count56
 comment_count8
 in_the_field0
 Category
 0
 id3
 nameEnergy and Environment
 created2010-03-08 10:40:17
 modified2010-03-08 11:05:31
 ChallengesCategory
 id118
 challenge_id8
 category_id3
 1
 id5
 nameFinance and Entrepreneurship
 created2010-03-08 10:40:17
 modified2010-03-08 11:06:23
 ChallengesCategory
 id119
 challenge_id8
 category_id5
 2
 id6
 nameAgriculture and Processing
 created2010-03-08 10:40:17
 modified2010-03-09 17:40:51
 ChallengesCategory
 id120
 challenge_id8
 category_id6
 8
 Challenge
 id3
 descriptionProblem Millions of children die every year of diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections, which remain leading causes of preventable death, especially among the young in developing countries. Hands are a common vector for disease transmission, and the number of deaths could be cut dramatically if a simple method of cleaning hands were widely promoted and practiced. In addition to the obvious health benefits, associated economic benefits, such as reducing the amount of school and work days missed, would accrue as well. The 2010 Yunus Innovation Challenge calls for innovative hygiene solutions to encourage clean hands among those living in poverty. Solutions should be designed for implementation in communities living at or below the poverty level. Context Infectious diseases affect everyone. Yet a strong relationship exists between poverty, an unhygienic environment, and the number of episodes and severity of illness. The health cost of infectious diseases is tremendous and falls disproportionately on young children. Diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections are the leading causes of preventable death among children under five in developing countries, claiming the lives of more than 3.5 million children a year. Hands are a common vector for disease transmission. Studies suggest that transforming good hand hygiene from an abstract idea into an automatic behavior performed in homes, schools and communities worldwide has the potential to save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, interrupting the transmission path of disease and helping to prevent more than 1 million child deaths per year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cleaning hands is "the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection," yet recent studies and reports indicate that lack of hand hygiene contributes significantly to disease transmission. Despite interventions that make cleaning hands less costly, many barriers remain in place to widespread adoption of such practices. Challenges to overcome include: <ul> <li>inertia in adopting hygiene practices</li> <li>cost and availability of resources</li> <li>cultural barriers such as social norms and preferences</li> </ul> Solution The Yunus Challenge IDEAS Award for 2010 will be given to participants who create an innovative solution that solves as many of the problems as possible surrounding disease transmission from unhygienic hands for those living in poverty. As the challenge focuses on encouraging clean hands and improving hygiene among the world's poorest populations, solutions should aim for a price point that makes intervention accessible to target communities (who are located for the most part in low-income nations with poor infrastructure) and allows for dissemination on a large-scale. There is a need to identify cost-effective ways to facilitate long-term behavioral change and technology adoption to encourage clean hands and improve hygiene. It is equally important to understand how households assess risk and how actionable health messages can be presented in different cultures and settings. Key Considerations Improving hygiene may have the greatest impact where there is high population density, such as in urban areas, and where the entire community adopts the intervention, rather than single households. There is some evidence that inducing health or hygiene behavioral change may be especially difficult among the poorest groups. The hygiene needs of the poor are wide and varied, and it is not expected that proposed solutions will address all issues surrounding disease transmission from unhygienic hands. However, Yunus Challenge solutions should address a particular need and fill it well. Participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. As with all IDEAS awards, innovation, feasibility and impact will be important criteria in judging. Specific issues to address include, but should not necessarily be limited to: <ul> <li>Affordability</li> <li>Acceptability within the community (i.e., likelihood of adoption)</li> <li>Health impact</li> <li>Environmental impact</li> <li>Scalabity</li> </ul> Credit will be given for supporting rationale regarding how the solution will directly address the issues faced. For example, this rationale could include why the team decided to focus particular attention on solving one aspect of the challenge. However, if a team decides that another factor is equally significant, supporting evidence for this factor also should be provided. While not required, the solution may involve a physical device. The system should be designed to operate in conditions prevalent in poor households and communities where basic hygiene is limited. Again, participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. Resources There are several additional sources of information (see bottom of page), but in particular participants are encouraged to read the following papers, which underscore that the real challenge is to overcome the behavioral hurdle of not cleaning hands regularly and designing a solution to this behavioral issue, rather than look at it only in technological terms of designing a low-cost, novel way to clean hands. The latter may be useful, but if it does not lead to greater hand cleaning by overcoming the behavioral barriers, it does not address the core issue of the 2010 Yunus Innovation Challenge. <ul> <li>"Planned, motivated and habitual hygiene behaviour: an eleven country review" (Valerie A. Curtis, Lisa O. Danquah and Robert V. Aunger)</li> <li>"The Use of Soap and Water in Two Bangladeshi Communities: Implications for the Transmission of Diarrhea" (Sushila Zeitlyn and Farzana Islam)</li> <li>"Household Characteristics Associated with Handwashing with Soap in Rural Bangladesh" (Stephen P. Luby, Amal K. Halder, Carole Tronchet, Shamima Akhter, Abbas Bhuiya, and Richard Johnston)</li> <li>"Behavioral Economics and Marketing in Aid of Decision-Making among the Poor" (Marianne Bertrand, Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir)</li> </ul> A10:25-minute Edge Video, "The Irony of Poverty", a talk given by Sendhil Mullainathan, makes for excellent watching on the same theme. A professor of economics at Harvard and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant", Mullainathan conducts research on development economics, behavioral economics, and corporate finance. His work concerns creating a psychology of people to improve poverty alleviation programs in developing countries. He is currently the Executive Director of Ideas 42, Institute of Quantitative Social Science, at Harvard University. Additional resource persons on health and hygiene follows include: <ul> <li>Jeffrey Blander, National Institutes of Health (USA and Tanzania)</li> <li>Shobhini Mukerji, Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (India)</li> <li>Roy Ndoma-Egba (Nigeria)</li> <li>Lotika Shaunik Paintal, Water Centric (USA and India)</li> <li>Rochelle Rainey, USAID (Pakistan) </li> </ul> Organizations <ul> <li>Global Hand Washing Day (October 15, 2009)</li> <li>World Health Organization</li> <li>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</li> <li>The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation </li> </ul> For assistance in finding additional resources specific to your project, please contact an MIT librarian. For more information on the 2010 Yunus Innovation Challenge, please contact Laura Sampath at <a href="mailto:lsampath@mit.edu">lsampath@mit.edu</a>.
 created2010-03-11 12:16:17
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 created2010-03-16 23:54:58
 modified2010-04-27 13:37:36
 emailtburnett@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchThe proper use of hand sanitizing materials is known to reduce rates of diarrhea, respiratory infections, and mortality rates. Despite these benefits, Tibetans who live in low-income, rural areas of Qinghai, China do not regularly clean their hands. The barriers that prevent them from doing so are a lack of understanding about the disease-causing germs that hands transfer, and a lack of access to and habit-forming use of hand-cleansing tools. Health Festivals' innovation is a framework that motivates and empowers Tibetans to create their own solutions for hand sanitation. This framework rests on four pillars: 1) Place: a festive environment that unites people of different specialties 2) Education: lab-based scientific education, explained in a local context 3) Tools: access to equipment and an inexpensive method for testing hand cleanliness; and 4) Social Support: impetus from community expectations, village elders, and doctors for people to behave in a way that reduces the risk of transferring, by hand, a disease from one person to another. Whereas many projects for hand sanitation encourage it from one angle, and propose a single solution, Health Festivals developed a framework that appeals to local communities and empowers them to problem-solve for various scenarios. To this purpose, Health Festivals unites Tibetan leaders, doctors, college graduates, and villagers in a safe, creative environment that promotes informed solutions to the problem of dirty hands.
 intent
 impactWithin one year, we will motivate and empower one township to control this problem of perpetually dirty hands.
 rawlocationXining
 lat35.4965
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 glocationGolmud, Haixi, Qinghai, China
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 whoweare**We are two MIT undergraduates, one MIT graduate, one MIT alumnus, and one native of the Tibetan Plateau. Together, we share a desire to empower the local nomads that we have met on the plateau in Qinghai, China.** **We approach this problem from a variety of experiences, trainings, and motivations that have helped us synthesize our ideas into a framework that unites local culture, new technologies, scientific advances, and the joint powers of collaboration and dissemination.** **Tracy** is the team manager. She traveled to Qinghai with Scot in January 2010. Tracy is responsible for coordinating the team's efforts and for working with Tibetans to ensure that Health Festivals' framework remains culturally sensitive. Tracy will also set the team agenda and lead the efforts to monitor and evaluate team projects. **Scot** is the most familiar with non-profit operations in this area. He has worked in China and India on a variety of projects, and founded One Earth Designs, an NGO working toward community-based solutions for problems faced by rural peoples in high altitude areas of the world. Scot is responsible for coordinating travel and fieldwork logistics, building community partners and government connections, and helping ensure follow-through via his long-term engagement in the region. **Diana** is a Master's student in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. She is responsible for designing posters, skits, and educational activities for Health Festivals and its projects. She traveled to Qinghai in January 2009, and is also conducting thesis work on appropriate dissemination. **Arathi** is studying Materials Science at MIT. She is familiar with the protocol for testing locally manufactured soaps and creams and will be the technical lead for evaluating hand sanitizers created on the Tibetan Plateau. Arathi has a background in Indian culture and is the main visionary for Health Festivals' culminating festival, which will bring together doctors, students, and families into a creative, educational environment. **Drolgar** was born in Gansu Province, China. She graduated from Qinghai Normal University with advanced proficiency in English, Tibetan, and Chinese. She specializes in training students to conduct water quality tests in the developing world. Drolgar is leading preliminary field research, as well as facilitating collaboration between doctors, students, innovators, and the remaining MIT-based team.
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 shortpitchHealth Festivals plans festivals that unite local people with professionals in Qinghai, China. Provided with tools, knowledge, social support, and creative space, participants co-create physical and economic solutions to combat hand-transmitted disease.
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 created2010-03-17 00:12:03
 modified2010-04-16 11:14:18
 emailwash-your-hands@googlegroups.com
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitch**Problem** Dirty hands in Indian Urban Slums due to lack of access/education/convenience of cleansing hands with soap or disinfectants. Popular measures often concern technology and top-bottom approaches. **Context** Tourists swarming the Taj Majal rarely glimpse into the surrounding area's urban slum landscape. We will pair with long-time NGO SNBS to reach into the current social architecture of Women's Self-Help Groups (WSHG) to enact our program. **Solution** Introducing community-driven solutions through a participatory design process called co-creation. The curriculum consists of “ideation” demos and a co-creation curriculum to inspire WSHGs to imagine, design, and implement solutions of their own making. IDEATION demos include, but are not limited to - Use ash with water. Its more effective than just-water-washing. How can we transfer ash from its creation-point to use-point simpler? A set of two trays that are shaped to the footprint of stoves to capture ash. One is kept full of ash near the open defecation pits while the other is kept in the stove. When the bathroom supply runs out, switch! - Sage Water Sachets - Affordable Hand Sanitizers and Dispensers - Soap-making entrepreneurship Then the community uses these good (or ridiculous!) examples to create solutions.
 intent
 impactTrain and co-create with 70 community volunteers from Agra's urban slums
 rawlocationAgra, India
 lat27.1777
 lon78.0093
 glocationRakabganj, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
 category_other
 whoweareOur team was brought together by a common interest in water and sanitation in developing countries. While we share a background in international development, each member has contributed unique skills and insight to the project: **Primary Contact: Brooke Jarrett, MIT Senior, barretta@mit.edu** _Environmental Engineering with a focus on International Development_ - Experience with MIT's D-Lab courses for the past year have helped the team understand appropriate technologies and possible entrance points (ie water sachets) into markets. - Her contact and conversations with Amy Smith and Jose Gomez-Marquez have bolstered our knowledge of the challenges and benefits of creative capacity building and toolkits for innovation. - January 2010: Field visit to Kolkata and Agra, India. Made contact with SNBS and visited Ravidas Nagar, the slum that inspired this proposal. **Pritika Hingorani, MIT G, pritika@mit.edu** _Masters of City Planning_ - Background in economics and policy helped us develop a robust business plan to fund our project and provide financial incentives for community participation. - Fluency in Hindi has facilitated discussions with our India-based community partner, and added insight into Indian culture from hygiene habits and perceptions of cleanliness to prior art that is specific to our target demographics. - Currently a Master's Candidate in City Planning at at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Pritika has a Bachelor's degree in Development Economics and Political Science from Bryn Mawr College. Her particular interest is social enterprise and methods for developing country municipal and local governments to raise funds in an increasingly decentralized state structure. She has also worked in India for 3 years on Corporate Social Responsibility Programs with HSBC. **Aditya Pant, MIT G, apant@mit.edu** _Masters of City Planning_ - Prior work with a Mumbai-based NGO contributed knowledge of our target group. His contacts with Boston University's School of Public Health gave us a public health perspective on the project, and a conceptual framework for project development. - Fluency in Hindi has facilitated discussions with our India-based community partner, and added insight into Indian culture from hygiene habits and perceptions of cleanliness to prior art that is specific to our target demographics. - Aditya is researching low income housing in Mumbai. Relevant coursework at MIT includes - Water and Sanitation Infrastructure (11.479J), Analysing Policy and Organisation (11.235). Before coming to MIT, he was working with Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and Reseach, Mumbai. He led the PUKAR Youth Fellowship program - a platform for young adults from low income neighborhoods to research their life in the city using innovative research methodology. **Molly Patrick, MIT G, patrickj@mit.edu** _Water Quality and Environmental Engineering_ - Technical knowledge of water quality and environmental engineering, as well as experience in biological testing enabled us to perform and evaluate microbiological tests of various hand washing substances. - Technical experience through significant coursework relating to water and sanitation technologies. - 9-months of developing country work experience through field work in the Philippines and The Gambia, West Africa. **Adam Talsma, MIT Senior, atalsma@mit.edu** _Civil Engineering & Urban Studies and Planning_ - Adam visited Agra in January and met our community partner. His multiple MIT faculty contacts have allowed us access to resources such as Professor Thompson's microbiology lab, Amy Smith's co-creation examples, and Suprio Das' endless amounts of wisdom. - Significant insights into using participatory feedback with communities based on his Summer 2009 filmmaking workshop in post-earthquake Peru. - Mechanical skills and experience to design and build the necessary prototypes for our toolkit **Stephanie Tam, Harvard G, stephtam@mit.edu** _Master of Architecture I_ - Background in architectural design and English literature has informed the process of designing the toolkit and putting together material for explaining and promoting our project. - Relevant coursework: Water and Sanitation Infrastructure in Developing Countries (MIT 11.479J); Field Study Seminar: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Shaped by Crises project on the African wastewater treatment market (Harvard Business School); Green Infrastructures in the Non-Formal City (GSD Landscape Architecture course); Design Without Boundaries project on incentivizing sustainable behaviour via a cell phone application (MIT MAS.551J); Structuring Low-Income Housing Projects in Developing Countries (MIT 11.463J)
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 shortpitchCo-creation toolkit consisting of "ideation" demos for NGOs to inspire community-driven solutions
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 created2010-03-21 20:02:52
 modified2010-04-22 08:29:49
 emailihouse-yunus@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchRegular handwashing can prevent an estimated 1 million deaths a year due to diarrheal diseases and intestinal infections (Curtis and Cairncross, 2003), yet this simple solution has been a behavioral challenge for many communities around the world. Hand sanitizers are immediate disinfectants that are as effective as handwashing without requiring the same rigorous behavioral standards. Nonetheless, hand sanitizers are not always available in communities where handwashing with soap is infrequent. Such is the case in La Vaquita, Mexico, a small ranchita in the state of Zacatecas, where handwashing with soap is not a habit for most people. We propose a two-stage project working with and empowering the people of La Vaquita to produce and distribute a local, natural hand sanitizer, **SAN-O**H, using the community’s knowledge of local alcohol production and the wide availability of aloe vera and fragrances. First, school students will carry out a long-term science experiment on the effect of using locally made hand sanitizer on diarrhea and illness rates, which will have a trickle-up effect on hand sanitizer use at the household level. In stage two, a few individuals will then develop this product into a local business that would serve as the primary distributor of this cheap and effective hand sanitizer to La Vaquita and surrounding communities, thus enabling this community to take direct action for improved hygiene practices and long-term public health benefits.
 intent
 impact
 rawlocationLa Vaquita, Zacatecas, Mexico
 lat22.7863
 lon-102.601
 glocationZacatecas, Mexico
 category_other
 whoweare**Claudia Espinoza** - Team Lead Massachusetts Institute of Technology BS Environmental Engineering Science, 2010 cme88@mit.edu **Role**: Claudia will serve as the main community liaison to La Vaquita and oversee the implementation of the different segments of the project. **Relevant Experience**: Claudia focus on the project is administrative. She has organized the meetings, delegated tasks, and has served as the main liaison between team members and also between the community partner. She is fluent in both Spanish and English, which is essential to ensure great communication between the team and the community in Mexico. Her experience with previous projects in Peru, including her participation in the Paul and Priscilla Gray Internship 2010 program, has allowed her to gain many skills in the organization and administrative side of a development project. In addition, her background in environmental engineering allows her to understand and be able to communicate the technical aspects of the product and its benefits to the community. **Kathleen Li** Massachusetts Institute of Technology BS Biology, 2010 kli1208@mit.edu **Role**: Kathleen will design the model for community participation, and will serve as a community liaison and project overseer and advisor. **Relevant Experience**: Kathleen was the initial link between the San-OH team and La Vaquita. In addition, she has had experience with community organization around health issues in rural India, where she worked for a semester to strengthen village health and sanitation committees. She also has had hands-on development experience through a D-Lab trip to Qinghai, China, in January 2008, a portable solar cooker project, and summer projects involving the development of training curricula for community health workers in South Africa. **Mary Masterman** Massachusetts Institute of Technology BS Chemistry, 2010 mmasterm@mit.edu **Role**: Mary will help with the alcohol fermentation and distillation, as well as the formulation of the hand sanitizer. She will also be helping with PR-related aspects of the project. **Relevant Experience**: Mary is a senior at MIT majoring in chemistry. She has experience in developing appropriate technologies through her trip to Peru with D-Lab in January of 2009, where she helped construct and implement pedalpowered technology for use in slums and rural communities. She traveled to Cameroon in the summer of 2009 to work with a rural nonprofit in developing a low-cost treadle pump, install MIT's OpenCourseWare, and test the quality of local water sources. She has had a radio show related to human rights and international development at MIT for three years, and so will also be helping with public relations and marketing. **Chris Su** Massachusetts Institute of Technology BS Biology and History, 2011 chrissu@mit.edu **Role**: Chris will assess the health impacts of the project, tracking behavioral changes in local health habits through the organization of the behavioral study in the community through the duration of the project. **Relevant Experiences**: Chris has spent one month in Central America working closely with local Ministry of Health officials in identifying and working on community and public health issues. Chris was responsible and has had experience in developing and conducting public health presentations in HIV/AIDS, nutrition, and handwashing sanitation to local audiences during the duration of the Central American project. **Steve White** Massachusetts Institute of Technology BS Economics and Mathematics, 2011 stevewh@mit.edu **Role**: Steve will design the education curriculum and conduct data analysis throughout the duration of the project. **Relevant Experience**: Steve has worked as a research assistant for Esther Duflo since June 2009, cleaning and analyzing health survey data from rural India. He has experience working on curriculum design from teaching an SAT Math class and interning with Teach for America. _**Additional Collaborators**:_ **Sandra Chen**, MIT 2012, Course 2, sandbox@mit.edu **Sudha Guttikonda**, MIT 2013, Course 7, sguttiko@mit.edu **Chris Thorsvik**, MIT 2013, Course 15, thorsvik@mit.edu **Aditi Verma**, MIT 2012, Course 22, aditive@mit.edu **Yiliu Zhang**, MIT 2013, Course 17, yiliuz@mit.edu
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 shortpitchPromoting health and clean hands through education and local alcohol.
 vote_count16
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 created2010-03-23 11:01:02
 modified2010-04-16 11:16:48
 emailwash-your-hands@googlegroups.com
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchHandwashing is considered a “key infection-control practice”. The primary challenge with handwashing promotion is deciding how to address the cultural factors and beliefs that contribute to people’s hygiene behaviors. The campaign will focused in the slums of Mumbai and will be directed towards women. We believe the intervention will have greatest impact on household and community health if it is directed at women, as they are the primary caregivers. Our community partner PUKAR has extensive experience of working with women in Mumbai slums. Our aim is for diarrheal disease to decrease as a result of increased hand-washing. We also hope that the campaign will serve to increase women’s feelings of self-worth in celebrating their role as champion of their family’s health. We believe that the single most important motivator for our target group is the desire to be a good mother. We can create a positive association between being a good mother and keeping clean hands. Our commercials are aimed at developing a story of hands. They will be run as a series of two successive stories and will use still /moving images showing how a woman uses her hands to protect and promote her family’s well-being. Only one story will show hand-washing and health differences will be clear. An innovation will be through photo interviews. Cameras will be provided to tell the story of her hands and to celebrate the role of the woman as nurturer. Prizes could include soap or sanitizer.
 intent
 impactImproved handwashing practices in 50 households
 rawlocationMumbai, India
 lat19.0177
 lon72.8562
 glocationRoad No 19, Matunga East, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
 category_other
 whoweareTeam Leader/Contact: Aditya Pant, MIT G, apant@mit.edu -A Master’s candidate in City Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aditya is researching low income housing in Mumbai. -Relevant coursework at MIT includes - Water and Sanitation Infrastructure (11.479J), Analyzing Policy and Organization (11.235). -Before coming to MIT, he was working with Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and Reseach, Mumbai. He led the PUKAR Youth Fellowship program - a platform for young adults from low income neighborhoods to research their life in the city using innovative research methodology. Pritika Hingorani, MIT G, pritika@mit.edu -MIT Master’s candidate in City Planning -Relevant Coursework: Water and Sanitation Infrastructure in Developing Countries. Structuring Low-Income Housing Projects in Developing Countries. New Enterprises (Mobile Banking Solutions in Kenya). Planning Economics -2 years of developing country work experience through field work in Mumbai, India Brooke Jarrett, MIT Senior, barretta@mit.edu -Environmental Engineering with a focus on International Development - Relevant Coursework: Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries (1.851J); D-Lab Development (11.472); D-Lab Design (2.722); Participatory Media for Community Building (11.954); Environmental Transport Processes in the Environment (1.061); Fluid Mechanics (1.060); -Work with video production (planning, shooting, and editing) work in Advanced Video (4.532); The Social Documentary (CMS.336) -Summer 2009: Month long project in Southern Peru executing self-developed curriculum for participatory-video workshop in order to provide feedback to local NGOs working on post-earthquake reconstruction. Molly Patrick, MIT G, patrickj@mit.edu -A Master’s candidate in Water Quality and Environmental Engineering, Molly is working with the Provincial Health Office in Capiz Province Philippines providing recommendations for improving at-risk water supplies in this rural area. -Technical experience through significant coursework relating to water and sanitation technologies. -9-months of developing country work experience through field work in the Philippines and The Gambia, West Africa. Adam Talsma, MIT Senior, atalsma@mit.edu -Civil Engineering, Urban Studies and Planning -Relevant coursework: Water and Sanitation Infrastructure in Developing Countries (MIT 11.479J); DLab Development; DLab Design; Participatory Media for Community Building; CityScope -DLab field visit to India for IAP 2010 - Met with NGOs in Guwahati, Kolkatta, and Agra to research project opportunities and design technologies for energy harvestation, charcoal, water quality, and education. -January 2010 field visit to investigate future partnerships between MIT and out team's community partner NGO, SNBS, in Agra India -Designed and taught a filmmaking workshop in post-earthquake Peru to investigate video as a means of facilitating community feedback. Stephanie Tam, Harvard Graduate School of Design, stephtam@mit.edu -Master of Architecture I, 6th semester -Relevant coursework: Water and Sanitation Infrastructure in Developing Countries (MIT 11.479J); Field Study Seminar: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Shaped by Crises project on the African wastewater treatment market (Harvard Business School); Green Infrastructures in the Non-Formal City (GSD Landscape Architecture course); Design Without Boundaries project on incentivizing sustainable behavior via a cell phone application (MIT MAS.551J); Structuring Low-Income Housing Projects in Developing Countries (MIT 11.463J)
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 shortpitchA mass media campaign including motivational commercials aimed at promoting the connection between hand-washing and good parenting in Mumbai slums. Our innovation is to use positive motivators and engage people through the use of a photo interview contest
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 4
 id41
 contestyear2010-01-01
 nameSanergy
 created2010-03-29 15:42:43
 modified2010-10-31 14:10:05
 emailaniv@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchMore than 2.6 billion people lack access to sanitation in the developing world. This leads to over 1.7 million deaths each year through water-borne diarrheal diseases, and the loss of over billion in worker productivity. The problems are particularly acute in our initial market, Kenya, where 10 million people live in slums and only 80% do not have adequate sanitation. Sanergy produces electricity and fertilizer by converting the waste from our sanitation facilities throughout the slums of Kenya by creating a sustainable sanitation cycle. Sanergy's model involves three actions: (i) creating a network of franchised sanitation centers in slums, (ii) collecting the waste produced, and (iii) processing it into biomethane and fertilizer. Through each action, Sanergy creates jobs, opportunity, and profit, while simultaneously addressing serious social needs.
 intent
 impactProvide sanitation for 1000 households
 rawlocationKibera, Kenya
 lat-1.31667
 lon36.7833
 glocationKibera slum, Nairobi, Kenya
 category_other
 whoweareWe are a multi-disciplinary team from across MIT. Ella Peinovich is a masters student in Architecture. Joel Veenstra is a senior in Civil Enginerring. Nathan Cooke is a designer at D-Lab. Nathan Sharpe is an alumni of Mechanical Engineering. Benji Moncivaiz is a senior in Mechanical Engineering. David Auerbach and Ani Vallabhaneni are second-year MBA students.
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 vote_count14
 active1
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 5
 id266
 contestyear2012-01-01
 nameLifeTap
 created2011-11-19 21:58:54
 modified2012-04-09 01:39:38
 emailshidanxu@mit.edu
 inglobalchallenge1
 pitchProblem Diarrheal diseases are the second leading cause of child mortality worldwide. Children who suffer from diarrhea can be trapped in a cycle of chronic illness that impairs their long-term physical and cognitive development. Context We will initially target the Iganga District in Uganda, where children under 15 years of age comprise 54% of the total population. In 2003/2004, the child mortality rate in the Iganga District was 147/1000; diarrheal disease was a leading cause of death. Solution LifeTap is composed of three components: 1) student-led construction and maintenance of inexpensive and locally-produced handwashing devices called tippy-taps, 2) delivery of age-appropriate education, and 3) soap provision through a sustainable supply chain. A previous proof-of-concept study we conducted has shown that these measures significantly improve handwashing behaviors and promote better health outcomes in children. LifeTap also empowers elementary school students to disseminate their hand hygiene practices to their peers, families, and communities, extending the impact potential of our program. Overall, LifeTap can serve as a model for other health organizations working to improve handwashing practices in developing countries. Resources www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/ldc/diarrheal_diseases.html www.cdc.gov/safewater/publications_pages/tippy-tap.pdf www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12726975
 intent
 impactProvide comprehensive handwashing programs for 16 schools
 rawlocationIganga, Uganda
 lat0.616111
 lon33.4822
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 whoweareTo accomplish our objectives we have assembled an interdisciplinary team that can contribute expertise from a variety of fields such as medicine, business planning, mathematics, computer science, sociology, demography, geography, public health, and rural development, for the ultimate goal of decreasing child mortality. _Students_ Shidan Xu: Shidan is a freshman at MIT, majoring in mathematics. He is a co-founder of the LifeTap venture. Shidan is currently working on a path finding algorithm in the Design Lab of Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT. Shidan will evaluate the effect of various species of Lactobacilli to cleanse water for reuse and help out with the design of the rainwater collection system of tippy-tap. Shidan is the primary contact person for this project and can be reached by email at shidanxu@mit.edu. Shidan is a co-director of the LifeTap program. Zaid Zayyad: Zaid is sophomore at MIT studying Biomedical Engineering. He currently works as a cancer research assistant at Brigham and Women's Hospital through its Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology division. Zaid is also involved in conducting epidemiological research in public health for Massachusetts General Hospital. He has been involved in designing rainwater catchment systems for global health projects in Harar, Ethiopia and has completed a course in water dissemination with Susan Murcott. He will contribute to research and lead in designing and improving LifeTap so that it's both more functional and cost effective. Zaid can be reached by email at zzayyad@mit.edu. Zaid is a co-director of the LifeTap program. Adam Mosa: Adam graduated from Penn State University in 2011with a BSc in Biology and a minor in Philosophy. As an undergraduate, Adam conducted Neuroscience research at Penn State and co-founded the Penn State student organization, Tippy-Taps for Africa. In 2010, he conducted public health research on child handwashing practices in rural Uganda. He is currently a Research Associate at the NYU School of Medicine and Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, where he studies the neurobiology of seizure disorders. Adam is also a Science tutor in New York City, and works with students age 8-23. Adam may be contacted at adam.mosa@gmail.com. Anny Su: Anny completed a BA in Art History at the University of California, Berkeley and a dual Master's degree at the University of Pennsylvania in Art History and Historic Preservation. Upon graduation, she worked at an architecture firm in San Francisco specializing in the rehabilitation and restoration of historic sites and buildings. Her interest in global health began in 2006, when she worked with an NGO in rural Uganda to build and develop an outpatient health clinic. She is currently a BSN/MSN nursing student at the University of Pennsylvania and is interested in the educational programming of LifeTap's venture. Anny may be contacted at annysu@nursing.upenn.edu. Tim Xu: Tim is a senior at Vanderbilt University, majoring in Neuroscience and European Studies. A Goldwater Scholar and Rhodes Scholarship Finalist, Tim has held research fellowships at the National Institute of Mental Health, Washington University School of Medicine, and MIT as an Amgen Scholar. As a junior, Tim studied abroad at Institut d’Études Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris, where he interned at the headquarters of the public hospital system, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris. Tim also serves as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Young Investigators, managing over 50 undergraduate staff members from six countries, and Editor in Chief of the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Research Journal. Tim may be contacted at tim.xu@vanderbilt.edu. Ce Zhang: Ce is a senior in the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University, majoring in biology. He was a public health intern in Uganda with the Uganda Village Project, where he is a member of their board of trustees and program evaluation and monitoring task force. He has also conducted public health research on child handwashing practices in rural Uganda, which is the focus of his honors thesis, and neuroscience projects at Penn State and as an Amgen Scholar at MIT. He will be pursuing an MPhil in Public Health at the University of Cambridge next fall. Ce will be contributing to program evaluation and monitoring of the LifeTap program. Ce may be contacted at cxz5013@psu.edu. _Mentors_ Valerie Curtis: Dr. Curtis is Director of the Hygiene Centre at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, a multidisciplinary group dedicated to improving hygiene, sanitation and water in households and schools through enhancing knowledge. She is trained in engineering, epidemiology and anthropology and has a particular interest in human behavior, especially from an evolutionary perspective. She is currently researching the health impacts of handwashing, the effectiveness of different approaches, including consumer marketing, in changing hygiene behavior, sanitation marketing, and Darwinian approaches to Health Promotion. She also helped found and is one of the leaders of the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap. Dr. Curtis may be reached by email at val.curtis@lshtm.ac.uk. Stephen Matthews: Dr. Matthews is Associate Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Demography at Penn State University Park. Stephen’s research interests focus on the connections between people and places focusing on vulnerable populations, in particular low-income families in diverse urban and rural contexts across the United States. Dr. Matthews may be reached by email at matthews@pop.psu.edu. Alison Hayward: Dr. Hayward is an emergency medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and director of the Uganda Village Project. She has been involved in Uganda Village Project as co-founder since its inception in 2003 and has served as director and assistant director since 2005. Dr. Hayward may be reached by email at ahs.hayward@gmail.com.
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 descriptionAffordable Small-scale Energy Storage Solutions One in four people in the world lack access to electricity. Low-cost renewable energy systems are increasingly accessible to the world's poor, but batteries remain a costly, unsustainable way to store this energy. The 2009 Yunus Innovation Challenge calls for innovative small-scale energy storage solutions to help alleviate poverty. Solutions must address the needs of people living on less than per day. Solutions are not limited to electrical storage; applicants are encouraged to consider other types of storage, such as storing thermal or mechanical energy. However, solutions should focus on storage and not on insulation or other energy-related issues. Background Access to reliable energy has far-reaching effects for the world's poor. In low-income communities around the world, from sustenance farmers in rural Zimbabwe to workers in the slums of Mumbai, basic access to reliable and affordable energy services is a powerful tool for improving income generation, education and health services. For example, a fruit vendor can sell more if he or she has a light that allows hom or her to sell later into the night. A dehydrator can help a tomato farmer make sun-dried tomatoes, a high value product that can be sold any time of the year, instead of being stuck with piles of tomatoes that rot and must be sold during tomato season when prices are at their lowest. Lighting is needed for night-time adult literacy classes and to provide school children time for studying. Clinics require refrigeration for vaccines and incubation for diagnostics. "Energy deeply influences poor peoples' lives. It is central to practically all aspects of human welfare, including access to water, agricultural productivity, health care, education, job creation, and environmental sustainability. Yet, millions of households in the developing world still lack access to safe and reliable energy and pay high prices for poor-quality substitutes." - United Nations Development Program Energy storage remains a problematic part of providing energy services for poor households. A currently prevalent solution for rural electrical storage is the 12-volt lead acid car battery, which is expensive, toxic, and unsustainable for people living on less than per day. In Uganda, car batteries cost US-40 and store a month's worth of electricity for a home that uses a few lights, a radio, and a television. The battery lasts for 1-2.5 years and must be periodically recharged by transporting it to a charging service in the nearest town with electricity, which is often miles away. Low-income urban households also use car batteries for energy storage, which can be particularly useful in areas with frequent power outages, such as India or Bangladesh. In these cases, the battery is charged during times when electricity is available, to be stored for when the outages occur. Households with solar panels will typically store the energy from the day in a car battery to provide electricity at night. Car batteries are not intended for deep cycling (being fully charged and discharged), which substantially reduces the lifetime of the battery. Deep cycle batteries designed for solar installations have an upfront cost of about 0, so it is more common for families to purchase a cheaper car battery. For the poorest households, where -40 is an insurmountable starting cost, initial basic lighting needs can be met with significantly less power than a car battery. Kerosene is very commonly used for lighting, and is purchased daily in small amounts. However, it provides poor lighting, is expensive, and the smoke damages the lungs of the people who use it often. Dry cell batteries are another solution, but they are more expensive, toxic, and disposable. Harish Hande, founder of SELCO, reports that batteries are the weakest link of the solar systems SELCO uses to provide energy to under-served households and businesses. Due to the rising cost of lead, the price of batteries has doubled since 1990. These batteries only last 3-5 years and must be replaced multiple times over the 20-year lifetime of a solar panel. The bulkiness of batteries also poses a problem for entrepreneurs who charge batteries and transport them on a daily basis to rent them to customers. Key Considerations Solutions are not limited to electrical storage, but may include other types of energy. For example, in Asia, biogas digesters are a well-established energy technology that collects methane gas produced by fermenting biomass, usually animal waste. The gas is held in a storage tank, and then burned for lighting or cooking in the home. However, storage is currently confined to individual systems and must be in close proximity to both the digester and the household, and solutions for storing biogas for transport have not been fully developed. Transporting biogas would enable families to increase their income by selling extra methane to other households. The energy storage needs of the poor are wide and varied, and it is not expected that proposed solutions will address all needs. However, Yunus Challenge solutions should focus on a particular need and fill it well. Participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. Challenge Criteria The Yunus Innovation Challenge IDEAS Award for 2009 will be given to participants who create an innovative system that solves as many of the problems as possible surrounding energy storage experienced by those living in poverty, for the smallest cost possible. Because the challenge is to improve access to energy storage for the world's poorest populations, systems should aim for a price point that makes intervention accessible to the target community and dissemination or study possible at a large-scale. Affordability will be an important criterion in judging. Other issues to address include, but should not necessarily be limited to: Toxicity Environmental impact Durability Scalabity The system may involve a physical device, but is not required. In judging between proposals, credit will be given for feasibility, acceptability within the community (i.e. likelihood of adoption) and supporting rationale for how it will address the issues faced. For example, the rationale could include reasoning on why the team decided to focus particular attention on solving one of the issues given. If a team decides that another factor is equally significant, supporting evidence should be given. The system should be designed to operate in conditions prevalent in households and communities in poor countries where access to basic energy services is limited. Again, participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. Resources A sampling of resources for participants about energy and energy storage in the developing world follows. There are many more available, so please do not hesitate to ask! Organizations United Nations Development Programme: Environment and Energy SELCO (Solar Electric Lighting Company), India - "A social enterprise that provides sustainable energy services to under-served households and businesses in India." Grameen-Shakti - "Our mission is to empower the rural people with access to Green Energy and income." Lumina Project "Cultivating technologies and markets for affordable low-carbon off-grid lighting in the developing world." Household Energy Network (HEDON) Practical Action - "Practical Action aims to demonstrate and advocate the sustainable use of technology to reduce poverty in developing countries." Yunus Centre Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Other resources: For assistance in finding additional resources specific to your project, please contact an MIT librarian. For more information on the 2009 Yunus Innovation Challenge, please contact Laura Sampath at lsampath@mit.edu.
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 pitchThe rural population of the Himalayan region relies heavily on dung and wood for fuel. Collecting these fuels leads to gender inequality, the transmission of pathogens, and income depression. Combusting these fuels generates high levels of indoor air pollution (IAP), emits greenhouse gases, and contributes to climate change and environmental degradation. HeatSource is a system of modular thermal energy storing textile units composed of local textiles and paraffin, a locally available phase change material. HeatSource textiles are incorporated into existing clothing, or assembled into additional clothing items or bedrolls to deliver heat directly to the user, contrary to space heating. These textiles are fully reusable and rely on solar energy to charge. HeatSource aims to replace the current practice of burning dung and wood for heat. With the implementation of HeatSource textiles, the use of biomass fuels for heating and their associated environmental and health impacts would be eliminated. This decrease in fuel need will allow women to spend significantly less time on fuel collection each day. With more available time, women are free to pursue education. In addition, dung that is collected can instead be used as fertilizer, which can account for up to 1/3 of a family's income. HeatSource textiles also provide a means of income generation for local craftspeople.
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 whoweare**Catlin Powers,** Harvard Student Catlin has worked on development projects in Peru, Argentina, India, and China. Her background in chemistry research and environmental consulting has involved assessment and remediation of water and soil contamination as well as air quality and climate change co-abatement in the US and abroad. She is the Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of One Earth Designs and was a member of the Ideas 2008 SolSource Team, a Muhammad Yunus Innovation award winner. She plans to help field-test and implement the HeatSource project in the Himalayan region. In addition, Catlin has worked as a Clean Development Mechanism consultant and plans to pursue sustainable funding for the HeatSource Project through Clean Development Mechanism certified emissions reductions. **Scot Frank,** MIT Alum Since teaching a design class in Qinghai, China in 2005, Scot has returned to the Himalayan region eight times to teach courses, lead project teams, and build partnerships. During these periods, he has made extensive efforts to involve under-represented voices (e.g., villagers and students) in decision-making processes that affect them. This has won him the respect and admiration of many, which has resulted in several community-led technology initiatives still active today. Scot is also a co-founder of One Earth Designs and was a member of the Ideas 2008 SolSource Team, a Muhammad Yunus Innovation award winner. Based on his experience, Scot is helping evaluate prototypes and techniques that could be suitable for the lifestyle and needs of community partners in HeatSource implementation areas. He has served as a liaison throughout the design process, ensuring the incorporation of local suggestions. This summer he plans to help field test prototypes in western China and northern India. **Sloan Kulper,** MIT alum Sloan is a full-time industrial designer at the Boston-based multidisciplinary architecture and design firm KVA MATx, where much of his time is spent growing a non-profit initiative that designs renewable energy products for nomadic peoples in Central America and Africa. He contributes expertise in the areas of industrial design, the incorporation of local crafts and materials, and the creation of economically sustainable entrepreneurial ventures in developing countries. **Celeste Chudyk,** NGO worker As a community planning major, Celeste has completed coursework in economic development, international environmental policy, and community impact assessment. She also accompanied the first D-Lab trip to Brazil in the IAP of 2004, which experience she leverages to help evaluate appropriate technologies and community-based development. Celeste is contributing to research on prior art and helping with prototype design and construction. **Bao Truong,** MIT student Bao is currently a PhD candidate in the department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT. His research focuses on the heat transfer enhancement capability of advance fluids (nanofluids). He also has extensive experience in setting and running various heat transfer experiments. He will be involved in the heat transfer design and modeling, as well as testing the project's prototypes.
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 descriptionNote: This challenge is closed. However, funds may still be available to tackle indoor air pollution related needs. For more information, please contact lsampatch@mit.edu. Improving Indoor Air Quality to Break the Cycle of Poverty Indoor air quality is a concern around the world and affects predominantly the poor in their homes and workplaces. Exposure is strongly tied with burning solid fuels, a practice common to three billion people worldwide, half of whom are in India and China. In many African countries, more than 90% of the population uses solid fuel. Worldwide deaths attributed to air pollution are on a level with those caused by malaria and tuberculosis. Indoor air pollution is not indiscriminate; the devastating effects are most strongly felt by women and children. For children under five, for example, acute lower respiratory infections are the leading cause of death worldwide. More than half of those infections are related to indoor air pollution. This year's Yunus Innovation Challenge focuses on improving indoor air quality to break the cycle of poverty. Indoor air pollution kills 1.6 million people per year, yet efforts to prevent, monitor, improve the situation remain seriously understudied relative to other global health issues on a comparable level. There is ample opportunity for innovation in public awareness, technical interventions, monitoring programs, and more, to reach the estimated three billion poor worldwide who are affected by pollutant levels often 100 times greater than the recommended thresholds. The 2008 Yunus Innovation Challenge calls for improving indoor air quality to break the cycle of poverty. Solutions should be designed for implementation in communities living at or below the poverty level. Background Infectious diseases affect everyone. Yet a strong relationship exists between poverty, an unhygienic environment, and the number of episodes and severity of illness. The health cost of infectious diseases is tremendous and falls disproportionately on young children. Diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections are the leading causes of preventable death among children under five in developing countries, claiming the lives of more than 3.5 million children a year. Hands are a common vector for disease transmission. Studies suggest that transforming good hand hygiene from an abstract idea into an automatic behavior performed in homes, schools and communities worldwide has the potential to save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, interrupting the transmission path of disease and helping to prevent more than 1 million child deaths per year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cleaning hands is "the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection," yet recent studies and reports indicate that lack of hand hygiene contributes significantly to disease transmission. Despite interventions that make cleaning hands less costly, many barriers remain in place to widespread adoption of such practices. Challenges to overcome include: inertia in adopting hygiene practices cost and availability of resources cultural barriers such as social norms and preferences One way to address the issue is through innovations in technology. For solid fuel use in the kitchen, product development and case studies have focused on smokeless stoves and solar cooking. Although recognized as potential contributors to the global fight of respiratory illness, there is a lack of consensus on their effectiveness. Other factors limiting uptake may include difficulty in maintenance and low cultural acceptability, which may signify a need for more appropriate designs. It may come as no surprise that afflictions tied to the solid fuels used for cooking affect women in poverty, who spend between three and seven hours per day at a household fire. The impact on children is, if anything, even greater, and exacerbated by several factors. Young children spend most of their time with their mothers, often strapped to their bodies. As they are not fully developed, they have smaller airways susceptible to inflammation, breathe faster, and have weaker immune systems relative to healthy adults. Children therefore absorb pollutants more readily than adults and also retain them in their system for longer. Conventional particulate sensors cost anywhere between and 0 in the US. For a large-scale or long-term monitoring solution, particularly in the developing world, this cost is unacceptable. Innovations leading to low-cost monitoring and evaluation systems would make significant contributions towards understanding the details of where the greatest impacts are, the scale of the problem, and how effective technical or behavioral intervention programs are. Due to limitations in financial or organizational capacity, there is a worldwide paucity of large-scale data in indoor air pollution, particularly in the home. Roles to continue monitoring and disseminating data for better understanding are going unfulfilled or inadequately fulfilled. Even in areas where funds are available and programs are ongoing to monitor air pollution in public places (e.g. schools) or in large-scale studies including homes, getting the data into the hands of those who would use it for research or public intervention is still a challenge. This is an issue that exists in a variety of fields and in countries all over the world, but the lack of information is most keenly felt when health is at risk and budgets are limited. Key Considerations The issues surrounding indoor air quality are fairly complex, and present a variety of opportunities for innovation, including: the strong cultural and social foundations for fuel practices the lack of availability and higher cost of cleaner fuels understanding of the connection between health issues and personal practices low quantity and availability of data to analyze or publicize the problem, or measure the effectiveness of intervention It is not expected that proposed solutions will address all issues surrounding indoor air quality. However, Yunus Challenge solutions should address a particular need and fill it well. Participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. Subject Reading There are several additional sources of information (see bottom of page), but in particular participants are encouraged to read the following materials. The Global Burden of Indoor Air Pollution Indoor air pollution is the one of the greatest health threats in the developing world, claiming 1.6 million lives each year in addition to contributing to 2.7% of the world's global disease burden. Like tuberculosis and malaria, indoor air pollution is considered an affliction of the poor: 80% of world exposure to particulate pollution occurs inside in developing countries. The majority of the afflicted are women and young children, and they are disproportionately poor. The burden includes approximately 1 million deaths by acute lower respiratory infection in children, and a high incidence of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in women. These deaths and illnesses are preventable. Preliminary readings include the following: Warwick, H. and Doig, A. (2004). "Smoke -The Killer in the Kitchen: Addressing Indoor Air Pollution in Developing Countries". von Schirnding, Y., et al., ed. (2002). "Addressing the Impact of Household Energy and Indoor Air Pollution on the Health of the Poor: Implications for Policy Action and Intervention Measures". Based in part on the proceedings of a WHO/USAID Global Consultation on the Health Impact of Indoor Air Pollution and Household Energy in Developing Countries, Washington DC, 3-4 May 2000. World Health Organization. (2006). "Fuel for Life: Household Energy and Health". WHO Air Quality Guidelines Smith, K.R. (2002). "Indoor air pollution in developing countries: recommendations for research," in Indoor Air 12 (3), 198-207. Bhogle, S. "Rural women as agents of improved woodstove dissemination: a case-study in Huluvangala village, Karnataka, India," in Energy for Sustainable Development, Volume VII, No. 3, September 2003. Shastri C.M., Sangeetha, G., and Ravindranath, N.H. "Dissemination of efficient ASTRA stove: case study of a successful entrepreneur in Sirsi, India," in Energy for Sustainable Development, Volume VI No. 2, June 2002. Ezzati, M., Mbinda, B.M., and Kammen, D.M. "Comparison of Emissions and Residential Exposure from Traditional and Improved Cookstoves in Kenya," in Environmental Science Technologies, 2000 (34), pp. 578-83. Biermann, E., Grupp, M., and Palmer, R. (1999) "Solar Cooker Acceptance in South Africa: Results of a Comparative Field-Test." in Solar Energy, 66 (6) pp. 331-42. Smith, K.R., Samet, J.M., Romieu, I., and Bruce, N. (2000). "Indoor air pollution in developing countries and acute lower respiratory infections in children," in Thorax (55), pp. 518-32. Samet, J.M. and Tielsch, J. "Could biomass fuel smoke cause anaemia and stunting in early childhood?" in International Journal of Epidemiology, January 11, 2007. Barnes, B.R., Mathee, A., Shafritz, L.B. , Krieger, L., and Zimicki, S. (2004). "A Behavioral Intervention to Reduce Child Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution: Identifying Possible Target Behaviors" in Health Education Behavior, June 1, 2004 31(3), 306-17. Pitt, M.M., Rosenzweig, M. R., and Hassan, N. (2006). "Sharing the Burden of Disease: Gender, the Household Division of Labor and the Health Effects of Indoor Air Pollution in Bangladesh and India". Jayachandran, S. (2006). "Air Quality and Early-Life Mortality: Evidence from Indonesia’s Wildfires". Naumoff, K. "Indoor Air Pollution Measurement Options", at the Center for Entrepreneurship in International Health & Development UC Berkeley (CEIHD), May 3, 2005. Edwards, R.D., Naumoff, K., Masera, O., Chengappa, C., Dutta, K., Grinnell, R., Serrano, P., Rastogi, S., Armendáriz, C., O'Neal, D., and Smith, K.R. (2004). "Standard Methods for Monitoring Indoor Air Pollution to Evaluate Improved Stove Programs: Plans, Protocols, & Progress" presented to Clean Air Net Better Air Quality Workshop, BAQ 2004, Agra India. Edwards, R., et al. (2006). "An Inexpensive Dual-Chamber Particle Monitor: Laboratory Characterization", in Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, June 2006. Lanata, C.F., Rudan, I., Boschi-Pinto, C., Tomaskovic, L., Cherian, T., Weber, M., and Campbell, H. (2004). "Methodological and quality issues in epidemiological studies of acute lower respiratory infections in children in developing countries," in International Journal of Epidemiology, 33 (6), pp. 1362-72. Sinton, J.E., et al. (2004). "An Assessment of Programs to Promote Improved Household Stoves in China", in Energy, 8 (3) pp. 33-52. Ezzati, E. and Kammen, D.M. "The Health Impacts of Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution from Solid Fuels in Developing Countries: Knowledge, Gaps, and Data Needs" in Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 110, 2002. Videos Journalist Adam Hart-Davis reports on smoke hoods in Kenya Breathing Space: a short video from the Shell Foundation "Alleviating Indoor Air Pollution in Poor Rural Areas of China": panel discussion   Challenge Criteria The Yunus Innovation Challenge IDEAS Award for 2008 will be given to participants who create an innovative solution that solves as many of the problems as possible surrounding unhealthy indoor air quality for those living in poverty. As the challenge focuses on air quality issues among the world's poorest populations, solutions should aim for a price point that makes intervention accessible to target communities (who are located for the most part in low-income nations with poor infrastructure) and allows for dissemination on a large-scale. As with all IDEAS awards, innovation, feasibility and impact will be important criteria in judging. Specific issues to address include, but should not necessarily be limited to: Affordability Acceptability within the community (i.e., likelihood of adoption) Health impact Environmental impact Scalabity Credit will be given for supporting rationale regarding how the solution will directly address the issues faced. For example, this rationale could include why the team decided to focus particular attention on solving one aspect of the challenge. However, if a team decides that another factor is equally significant, supporting evidence for this factor also should be provided. While not required, the solution may involve a physical device. The system should be designed to operate in conditions prevalent in poor households and communities where basic hygiene is limited. Again, participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. Resources A sampling of resources for participants about indoor air pollution follows. There are many more available, so please do not hesitate to ask! Organizations World Health Organization Indoor Air Pollution World Health Organization collection of links related to indoor air pollution Boiling Point (household energy journal) Indoor Air, aka International Journal of Indoor Environment and Health The Household Energy and Health Project at the University of California at Berkeley (and Professor Kirk R. Smith, who researches indoor air pollution) Practical Action Other resources: Yunus Centre Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab For assistance in finding additional resources specific to your project, please contact an MIT librarian. For more information on the 2008 Yunus Innovation Challenge, please contact Laura Sampath at lsampath@mit.edu.
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 pitchThe rural population of western China relies heavily on dung and wood for fuel. These fuels are attractive to rural peoples because they are free of cost. The collection of wood, however, results in deforestation while the time required for women and children to collect both fuels perpetuates under-education, gender inequality, and poverty. In addition, the indoor air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the combustion of these fuels are a detriment both to the health of rural people and to the health of the global environment. SolSource Tibet has developed an innovative solar design which addresses the most pertinent needs of the rural population while reducing the quantity of biomass fuel collected and combusted. The SolSource solar cooker replaces the concrete solar cooker frame currently used in the area with a tent-like bamboo frame that can be dismantled by farmers and nomads during travel between the home and field. The choice of bamboo - an earthquake safe material - and the broad base formed by the re-bar legs which can be anchored during high winds, help our solar design weather the harsh conditions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The dish and reflector are formed by mylar sewn into a 25-panel yak wool canvas. The SolSource Tibet project will give women more free time for economic activities, improve health, increase education, and strengthen family units.
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 whoweare**Scot Frank,** MIT alum Scot is an avid China-enthusiast whose trips for work in educational technology and communication, fellowship on cultural preservation, and alternative energy surveying in rural areas of western China have increased his attachment to and motivation to help the region and its people. Initially interested in applied technology for development, he now wishes to focus his attention on problems of more immediate need such as water access and alternative sources of energy. Scot previously directed the MIT-China Educational Technology Initiative, received the Award for Excellence for the top student in the Department of Foreign Language and Literature, and also co-led the D-Lab China team in January 2008. From his contacts and connections formed by extensive work and travel of years past, along with his Chinese language proficiency, Scot will be responsible for trip logistics. He will also help develop solar cooker designs based on his knowledge, experience, and previous development work there as well as build and implement the online fuel emissions database. **Catlin Powers,** Harvard PhD student Catlin is a double major in Chemistry and Environmental Policy & Economics at Wellesley College. In January 2008, she traveled to Amdo, Tibet with the MIT D-Lab 2008 Tibet team. There, her interest in the health, comfort, and social status of women motivated curiosity about solar cooker design. With the team, she participated in emissions testing, visited a solar cooker factory, and interviewed villagers about the improvements they would like to see made in solar cooker design. Prior to January 2008, Catlin had visited the Tibetan Autonomous Region and noted inefficiencies in the unique design of solar cookers employed there. Within environmental issues, Catlin has a special interest in energy and climate change. She has previously interned in atmospheric chemistry at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories and produced a collaborative paper on global energy trends with the Alliance for Global Sustainability later presented at the Academia Engelberg Dialogue on Science. Currently, she is interning at a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) company called Amoda Environmental Solutions located in Bangalore, India and working on a scalable rural biogas project. Catlin will contribute to the development of the team's designs through her knowledge of chemical thermodynamics and previous experiences with solar cookers in Tibet. Should the testing phases of the project prove successful, Catlin will help the team pursue CDM funding for further implementation.
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 descriptionNote: This challenge is closed. However there may be funds available to tackle TB-related needs. Contact lsampath@mit.edu for more information. Increasing Adherence to Tuberculosis Drugs in Rural Developing Country Contexts Adherence to medication regimens, or the extent to which patients take the drugs they are prescribed, is estimated at only 50% worldwide. This surprisingly common problem is the cause of both individual treatment failure and public health problems across a wide range of diseases and countries. The focus of this year's Yunus Innovation Challenge is on tuberculosis (TB). TB kills an estimated 1.7 million people every year, yet the vast majority of cases are curable. Adherence to TB drugs is low and is a major driver of the epidemic. The most successful program geared to increase TB drug adherence, Directly Observed Therapy, Short-Course (DOTS) is relatively expensive and, in 2002, was available only to approximately 37% of people with TB. Background The Yunus innovation Challenge IDEAS Award for 2007 will be given to the team that creates a system that solves as many of the problems as possible that cause non-adherence to TB drugs in rural, developing country contexts, for the smallest cost possible. The issues considered may include, but should not necessarily be limited to, those listed below. The system may involve a physical device, but this is not required. In judging between proposals, credit will be given for feasibility, acceptability within the community (i.e., likelihood of adoption), and supporting rationale for how it will address the problem of adherence. For example, the rationale could include reasoning on why the team decided to focus particular attention on solving one of the four issues. If a team decides that non-adherence is actually due to some other factor, supporting evidence should be given. Because the challenge is to improve adherence where DOTS is not being implemented due to cost, systems should aim to come in at a significantly lower cost than DOTS in their entirety, including all costs of system administration and any manufacturing costs. Even below this threshold, cost will continue to be an important criteria in judging - i.e., the cheaper the better. The system should be designed to operate in conditions prevalent in rural communities in poor countries as these present a major challenge for DOTS. Participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. One contextual issue that contestants should keep in mind is that medical personnel have very high rates of absence in rural (and often urban) settings across the developing world. This is not just a problem for medical service providers. Systems that require regular attendance of individuals that are not accompanied by good monitoring processes often fail in this context. Key Considerations Factors causing low adherence to TB drugs include: Forgetfulness Procrastination Side-effects of TB drugs Alleviation of symptoms before the end of prescribed course of treatment The drug adherence needs of the poor are wide and varied, and it is not expected that proposed solutions will address all issues surrounding adherence to TB drugs. However, Yunus Innovation Challenge solutions should address a particular need and fill it well. Participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. Subject Reading There are additional sources of information (see bottom of page), but in particular participants are encouraged to read the following works. The Global Burden of Tuberculosis Tuberculosisis the second-leading cause of death by infectious disease in the world, behind only HIV/AIDS. Each year, an estimated 1.7 million people die of TB. Like HIV/AIDS and malaria, TB is also a "disease of the poor": 95% of people afflicted with TB and 98% of the people who die from TB are found in developing countries, and patients with TB in developed countries are disproportionately poor. The majority of TB sufferers are between the ages of 15 and 45 years of age, resulting in large economic costs in lost productivity from TB mortality and morbidity. Preliminary readings include: World Health Organization TB publications Broekmans, J., Caines, K., and Paluzzi, J.E. (2005). Investing in strategies to reverse the global incidence of TB. London: Earthscan. Gandy, M. and Zumla, A. (eds.) (2003). The return of the white plague: Global poverty and the 'new' tuberculosis. London: Verso. Drug Adherence Poor drug adherence has been documented across widely varying drug regimens, diseases and cultural contexts. Experts have suggested that adherence rates across all contexts are approximately 50%, and that high adherence to drug regimens in any context is relatively rare. Although recognized as a significant barrier to public health, there is a lack of consensus on effective approaches to solving the adherence problem. Preliminary readings include: Vermeire, E., Hearnshaw, Van Royen, P., and Denekens, J. (2001) "Patient adherence to treatment: Three decades of research. A comprehensive review". Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 26: 331-42. Haynes R.B., McDonald, H., Garg, A.X., and Montague, P. "Interventions for helping patients to follow prescriptions for medications". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002, Issue 2, article number: CD000011. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000011. McDonald, H.P., Garg, A.X., and Haynes, R.B. (2002). "Interventions to enhance patient compliance to medication prescriptions", Journal of the American Medical Association, 288: 2868-79. TB and Drug Resistance Poor adherence to TB drugs is a significant cause of the development of resistant strains of TB. Multi-drug resistant strains of TB (MDR-TB) are resistant to first-line TB drugs and strains of extreme drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) are resistant to both first- and second-line drugs. Approximately 425,000 new cases of MDR-TB are identified each year, and alarming rates of XDR-TB have recently been reported. Treatment of MDR-TB is much more expensive than treatment of non-MDR-TB, and XDR-TB is particularly alarming because of the lack of treatment options for patients infected. Preliminary readings include: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, special issue: "Drug resistant tuberculosis: From molecules to macro-economics", December 2001: Vol. 953b, pp. 87-246. Paramasivan, C.N. and Venkataraman, P. (2004). "Drug resistance in tuberculosis in India", Indian Journal of Medical Research, 120: 377-86. The DOTS strategy As a response to TB adherence problems, the World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends the Directly Observed Therapy, Short-Course (DOTS) strategy. Part of this strategy is the direct observation of patients taking their medication by a health worker. DOTS has proven to be very successful in some contexts, such as China's rapid DOTS rollout in the 1990s. However, partly because of the relatively high cost of the program, in 2002 DOTS only covered an estimated 37% of reported TB cases. Scaling up of DOTS has a central role in the WHO's plan to combat TB to meet targets set by Millenium Development Goals by 2015, but many people infected with TB will not have access to a DOTS program for years to come. Preliminary readings include: World Health Organization publications on DOTS strategy Volmink, J., Matchaba, P., and Garner, P. (2000). "DOTS and treatment adherence". Lancet, 355: 1345–50. Khatri, G.R. and Frieden, T.R. (2002). "Rapid DOTS expansion in India", Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 80: 457-63. Procrastination and Adherence Research in economics has suggested that people may procrastinate because of a tendency to devalue the future relative to the present. Such procrastination may be an explanation for a patient's not taking his or her pills each day, or not going to the clinic to refill a prescription. There may be ways to reduce procrastination; for example, small financial incentives have been shown to increase the percentage of people who pick up their results from HIV tests in Malawi, and a simple planning intervention has been shown to cause a large increase the number of college students who show up for tetanus shots. Preliminary readings include: Laibson, D. (1997). "Golden eggs and hyperbolic discounting." Quarterly Journal of Economics, 62, 443-77. Thornton, R., "The demand and impact of learning HIV status: Evidence from a field experiment". Leventhal, H.R., Singer, R., and S. Jones (1965). "Effects of Fear and Specificity of Recommendation upon attitudes and behaviour." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2 (1), 20-9. Low Attendance of Health Care Professionals Low attendance of health care professionals at clinics in developing countries has been widely documented. This low attendance may affect patient adherence directly: for example, a patient may be unable to get a refill of TB medication if a health care provider is unavailable. Moreover, low attendance of health care providers is an important factor to consider in any intervention that deals with medication adherence. Preliminary readings include: Banerjee, A. and Duflo, E., "Addressing Absence". Duflo, E. and Hanna, R. "Monitoring works: Getting teachers to come to school". Chaudhury, N., Hammer, J., Kremer, M., Muralidharan, K., and Rogers, F.H., "Missing in action: Teacher and health worker absence in developing countries". Challenge Criteria The Yunus Innovation Challenge IDEAS Award for 2007 will be given to participants who create an innovative solution that solves as many of the problems as possible surrounding non-adherence to TB drugs for those living in poverty. As the challenge focuses on non-adherence to TB drugs among the world's poorest populations, solutions should aim for a price point that makes intervention accessible to target communities (who are located for the most part in low-income nations with poor infrastructure) and allows for dissemination on a large scale. As with all IDEAS awards, innovation, feasibility and impact will be important criteria in judging. Specific issues to address include, but should not necessarily be limited to: Affordability Acceptability within the community (i.e., likelihood of adoption) Health impact Environmental impact Scalabity Credit will be given for supporting rationale regarding how the solution will directly address the issues faced. For example, this rationale could include why the team decided to focus particular attention on solving one aspect of the challenge. However, if a team decides that another factor is equally significant, supporting evidence for this factor also should be provided. While not required, the solution may involve a physical device. The system should be designed to operate in conditions prevalent in poor households and communities where basic hygiene is limited. Again, participants are encouraged to work on a design with a specific community or region in mind as this can be helpful in identifying constraints and providing context. Resources A sampling of resources for participants about adherence to tuberculosis drugs follows. There are many more available, so please do not hesitate to ask! Other resources: Yunus Centre Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab For assistance in finding additional resources specific to your project, please contact an MIT librarian. For more information on the 2007 Yunus Innovation Challenge, please contact Laura Sampath at lsampath@mit.edu.
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