Here's a story of how one Changemaker is turning trash into treasure:
Bangladesh has a garbage problem. Dhaka, a city of about 10 million has a particularly big garbage problem. Of the 3,500 tons of trash dumped each day, only half is picked up by the city. The rest is left to lie in the open streets of slums, marketplaces, vacant lots and riverbanks, attracting rats, clogging drains and threatening serious disease.
Read more about this solution, or discuss this topic below.
Created on 05/15/2013 by info@oursoil.org
SOIL builds ecological sanitation (EcoSan) systems in Haiti that transform human wastes into rich compost. By turning a public health problem into a sustainable solution for soil restoration, SOIL’s work sets a global example for how sanitation services can preserve nutrients and fight malnutrition.
Organization: SOIL
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United States, CA, Sebastopol, Sonoma County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
SOIL won first prize in the 2013 Land for Life Award from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in recognition of SOIL's integrated approach to resolving the issues of inadequate sanitation, declining soil fertility, and extensive erosion. SOIL is also a member of the Clinton Global Iniative.
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Closing the Loop, Transforming the Poop
Stage
Scaling (the solution has passed the previous stages, and the next step will be growing its impact on a regional or global scale)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Elevator Pitch
SOIL builds ecological sanitation (EcoSan) systems in Haiti that transform human wastes into rich compost. By turning a public health problem into a sustainable solution for soil restoration, SOIL’s work sets a global example for how sanitation services can preserve nutrients and fight malnutrition.
Problem
Over 2/3 of the world's population has no access to a toilet and, as a result, waterborne disease is one of the leading causes of death in children under 5 in developing countries. While aquatic ecosystems are becoming increasingly polluted with nutrients from human waste, the Earth’s soils exhibit rapidly declining fertility, reducing agricultural production and leading to poverty and malnutrition.
Solution
SOIL strives to counteract the downward spiral of soil degradation and poverty by developing social business models for EcoSan solutions. SOIL’s toilets safely collect toilet wastes which are then transported to decentralized composting sites. Through thermophillic composting, the wastes are safely transformed into rich compost critical for soil improvement. In order to increase market demand for this inexhaustible supply of soil nutrients, SOIL then engages in agricultural research and educational outreach. Potential income streams from throughout the EcoSan cycle (toilet and compost sales, user fees, and waste treatment fees) are used to support the project and entice entrepreneurs to replicate it around the country and globally.
Example
In Shada, a densely populated urban neighborhood with few services and a devastatingly high rate of cholera, SOIL has begun constructing EcoSan toilets small enough and scentless enough to conveniently fit into small homes. The specially designed toilet seats separate urine and feces so that the potentially pathogenic solid wastes are collected into sealable 5 gallon buckets. In exchange for a monthly household user fee of approximately $5 USD, SOIL picks up the full toilet buckets each week and leaves toilet owners with clean empty buckets and a sufficient quantity of organic matter (such as peanut husks) to “flush” their toilets after each use. The user fees cover the full cost of transportation and maintenance.
Impact
Since building Haiti’s first EcoSan toilet in 2006 and Haiti’s first urban waste treatment site in 2009, SOIL has gone on to become one of the larger sanitation providers in Haiti with effective toilets and waste treatment facilities around the country, strong partnerships with the non-profit, business, and government sectors, and an information-sharing and educational program that has helped increase the use of EcoSan globally. SOIL now transforms 5,000+ gallons of human waste into compost on a weekly basis and 30,000+ people have accessed SOIL EcoSan toilets. 700+ people from more than 25 countries have downloaded The SOIL Guide to EcoSan and 1,000+ people have participated in SOIL educational activities. Over the next 3 years, SOIL's aims to treat 150,000+ gallons of human waste per year, provide sanitation for 40,000+ people, create 200+ jobs, and sell 250+ tons of compost.
Marketplace
SOIL focuses on grassroots-level programming with an unparalleled level of cultural fluency, an inclusive process of program design, and a proven record of implementing projects in challenging circumstances. Too many innovations fail to reach beneficiaries due to lack of local connections or implementation expertise. And while there are some superb working models for how innovative designs can be implemented at the community level, they rarely have a robust information-sharing program to assist others in replicating the success. SOIL's proven outreach program spread our success globally.
Sustainability Plan
Although SOIL is a non-profit, we believe that the key to sustainability is social business development. Our work explores the creation and capture of revenue throughout the EcoSan cycle to ensure that SOIL's projects can be brought to scale by the private sector. For example, SOIL recently sold a large quantity of compost to the farmers growing sorghum for Haiti’s famous beer, Prestige, setting a national example for demand driven sanitation.
Founding Story
In a soil science course, one of my exam questions was “you are a nitrogen molecule, describe your journey through the ecosystem”. This inspired me to view the world in terms of elemental cycles and I began peeing on my compost pile in an effort to recycle nutrients through my own body. Later in my studies I became fascinated with the philosophy of liberation theology. Like ecology, liberation theology argues that every being has value and there is no such thing as “waste”. SOIL was founded on an idea of liberation ecology: every human being has the right to health and happiness. We work on providing nutrients and healthy environments through the recycling of human wastes, on a much larger scale than my backyard compost pile.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhere do you ensure the availability of nutrients?
Healthy environments., Nutrient-rich farming, Human wellness and vitality.
If you had greater capacity, which additional sectors would you like your solution to target - either through expansion, partnership, or thought exchange?
Healthy environments, Nutrient-rich farming, Full nourishment foods, Human wellness and vitality.
How specifically would this added capacity help you improve the quality, efficiency, or sustainability of your existing product or service?
With increased capacity, SOIL would expand programs to meet all Nutrients for All targets. We would increase our R&D of novel methods for recycling human wastes thereby improving nutrition, environmental restoration, and agricultural production. We would focus on developing a market for the nutrient-rich compost produced at our facilities and streamlining the provision of sanitation services in order to reduce costs to users. We would also expand our outreach and education programs to encourage social business replication of our successful programs, extending the impact of our work globally.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow is your product or service connected to vitality for the people and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
People need appropriate nutrients to grow, learn, and fight off disease. How do you measure, track, or make use of information about nutrient levels in your own work?
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Considering the flow of nutrients from ecosystems to soil to farms to food to communities, what are the barriers to achieving vitality for people and the planet?
Other barriers you have identified
In your view, what developments need to happen in order to help overcome those barriers and produce a more nutrient rich and vital public and planet?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
What do you consider the most promising trends or evidence that indicates that the developments you described are emerging? Please elaborate.
Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).
Let's make use of our waste! Human waste can create natural and easily accessible fertilizer for food production. By developping human manure composting systems we can close the loop of nutrients in the food system to produce cheap food locally and improve sanitation systems for a sustainable future
PSWS is basically established as a welfare & development organization to take efforts for providing basic facilities to the most underprivileged and marginalized communities of Sindh. PSWS has been actively involved in the social and community welfare activities within the targeted area. PSWS has conducted numerous community development projects which involve supply of electricity,water and gas;sanitation drainage;education;vocational training;family planning and basic health services;vaccination and income generation.
Delivering knowledge to the last mile.
GIobally indigenous peoples have the lowest life expectancy, highest disease loads and highest child mortality rates caused by introduced pathogens and ideas. Although exposed to interventions over decades if not 500 year since Conquest, thus far community-based health solutions are nonexistent.
Created on 04/10/2013 by davidbanu
We are the SAVE for the poor and sick! We can be the change in the health system, bringing healing and relieving to those who are sick.We will fight against misery and ignorance in a healthcare who leave thousands of people untreated.
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Type of Organization
Non‐profit/NGO
Year of launch of the organization
Years in Operation
Idea phase
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
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Strength And Vitality Everywhere (SAVE)
Explain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.?
My idea is to create caravans that provide quick and high quality medical services for those who do not get medical services in their area. Romania has one of the highest rates of hospitalization in the world. Hospitals in Romania consume over 10% more than the money allocated to other hospitals in the European Union.All of this happens because Romania don't offer in every area health care. By building this service, tens of thousands of people will have access to medical services without leaving the area where they stay. So caravans will fill the gaps that Romania and a lot of other countries have(the lack of medical centers) and will go from village to village to treat the sick and prevent disease.They'll go through those areas that do not have medical centres where patients could be treated accordingly.
The target population in Romania are the people in areas where there are no medical centers.By providing quality medical services will no longer be needed hospitalization .
Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your field?
1)SAVE interrelates with various associations to bring medical services to people in need, Also try to solve those factors that maintain health: food, housing, hygiene, education, life conditions. By working with other associatons we will be able to solve the issues that determine the health of a person.
2)Providing medical services in areas where there are no clinics.
3) Programs against various communicable diseases: tuberculosis (Romania has the higher incidence of tuberculosis in the EU), hepatitis B (hepatitis B incidence is double than EU average),pneumonia(Romania occupies the first place in the world as the rate of pneumonia deaths among children aged between 0 and 5 years.)
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
In an attempt to provide a good medical service, SAVE will work with the Ministry of Health but also with different organizations to create the best possible conditions for people.Also volunteers will work with SAVE because in the end they will have the satisfaction that Romania, or another country undeveloped,have a medical system in which everyone is treated
How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan?
SAVE will try to expand in the future in other countries, in places where the medical system is not developed.Will try to increase the medical prevention programs and offer to those in need all conditions necessary in order not to get sick.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one)
Bring accessible healthcare to communities in emerging markets
Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one]
Primary healthcare services
Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply]
Prevention, Detection, Intervention, Long-term care.
Please describe in more detail: what problem are you trying to solve in the organization's specific context?
Tens of thousands of people don't have even a clinic close to the place where they stay, and are forced to travel tens of miles to treat.SAVE will solve this problem by providing medical services anywhere in the country.
Another problem are cases of serious illnesses that occur as a result of poor information, the lack of vaccines or the conditions where they live.SAVE will offer better conditons,more informations and treatment for those who suffer...
Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one]
Idea (poised to launch)
Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply]
Patient-centered design, Redesign of the public healthcare system for more efficiency (in terms of processes, structure etc.), New approaches to distribution of health products and services.
Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two]
Consultation, Education/training.
Please describe your solution in more detail
SAVE will provide medical services for everyone who live in areas where are no medical institutions, will embark on projects for the prevention of various diseases (tuberculosis, pneumonia, hepatitis B, etc), will provide information to those in need and will help and support those who live in poor conditions.
What are your vision and overall objectives?
Our goal is to treat as many people as possible in an effective way,to decrease possible cases of preventable diseases (tuberculosis, hepatitis, pneumonia, etc.), to inform as many people about various illnesses, to provide support and medication to people in rural areas.
What is your value proposition?
The propositon have a tremandous value,SAVE will save lives through the projects they will developed, through the medical services they will offer and through the support they will give to different persons in need.
Who is your customer(s)?
The beneficiaries of the projects SAVE will be all Romanian citizens, especially people who need medical care and in future communities in emerging markets that require medical services of a good quality.
What approaches to you use to reach your customers?
We will make a national campaign and also before we will enter in a village we will announce, so anyone who come will be treated. Also we will organize various events in the places where we'll stop. People who will be restrained to the bed will receive care at home.
What are your primary activities?
The main activities of the SAVE will be the examination and treatment of persons who don't benefit from health services.Also another activity will be teaching about diseases,hygiene and prevention to all persons who are interested.
Who are your peers and competitors? What problems could these players pose to your success or growth?
We don't have competitors but if we will see a similar organization in the marketplace we will cooperate with them to cover bigger areas. The result will be treatment for more people.
What other challenges - individual, organizational, or environmental – are you currently facing or might hinder future success of your business, and how do you plan to overcome those?
The biggest challange of all is to create a stable health care system where everyone is treated.Another challange is to attract funds in order to cover the costs of building institutions that offer health care for everyone.
Briefly describe your growth strategy going forward
In the first year we want to treat 20 thousands people.Many areas in the Danube Delta and Carpathians Mountains don't have acces to medical care. So they will be the first areas to start with, and then in the next years we will try to expand in Africa or Asia, in poor areas where people have no acces to health care.
What dimensions for growth are you currently targeting for your innovation [select all that apply]
New regions(s), New market(s)/country(ies).
What makes your business "ready" for growth?
The simple structure of the plan, who can be applied by every country who don't have enough money to offer full medical service in every area.
What are your key growth objectives?
Helping every person in Romania to have medical assistance regardless of the area in which he live.Another objective will be the decrease of cases who suffer from disease which can be treated (pneumonia,tuberculosis,hepatitis B,etc).
What is your timeframe for growth, in the short and mid-term? What are the growth milestones and key activities going forward?
In the first year we hope that we will provide medical services in Romania, in area without medical care, and over the next two years we want to cover medical services all over Eastern Europe.In five years I would like to expand our work in Asia and in Africa in areas without medical care.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat has been the impact of your solution to date?
Approximately 200 words left (1000 characters).
What methods for quantification of social impact are you applying (if at all)?
We will come back from time to time in areas where we have offered medical assistance, so we'll be able to see the impact that our work has had.
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
Yes.This solution work everywhere, particularly in the developing areas where the medical assistance don't treat everyone,especially in Eastern Europe,parts of Asia and the north of Africa.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
We hope that through our activity, diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis and hepatitis will decrease dramatically in incidence in Romania. Also we want the whole population of Eastern Europe to receive good medical assistance until 2016.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideElaborate on your current financing strategy
We hope that a big part from our expenses will be covered by the government and the rest by donations.We estimate that we need over one million dolars to cover the expenses for the medical care of 20000 persons in one year, 80% will be covered by the governement and the rest from donations.
Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent)
Direct sales to patients or other beneficiaries (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Other beneficiaries.
Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent)
Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail
The government pays double the amount of money in hospitals for treating people who came from areas in which there is no medical assistance.Those people come to the hospital with more serious diseases (default treatment is more expensive).If there had been medical care in their area, treatment would have been cheaper and the patient would have recovered much more quickly.So the State will be interested to give us money because they will only have to win.We rely on donations, they also will make.
Share of philanthropy in total income of organization (in percent)
Philanthrophy strategies you are using
Diversified strategy.
Explain your philanthropic approach in more detail
We will make a national campaign where will appeal to people's goodwill. We will create total transparency in terms of costs for people to understand the need for financial support, but at the same time we will try to create a more extensive description of our activity.
Expand on your selections; explain how you will sustain funding over the next 1-3 years.
We will require support of the government to cover 80% of costs and the rest we think it will be cover by donations.
Created on 03/19/2013 by FriendsAfrica
Friends Africa is an indigenous, independent pan-African organization. It is an independent, innovative, multi-sectoral organization with credible and committed Board of Directors across Africa. The Friends Africa story is a story of commitment from Africa towards Africa, small incremental increases showing entrepreneurial rigor in the midst of challenges.
Organization: Friends Africa (Friends of the Global Fund Africa)
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Friends Africa (Friends of the Global Fund Africa)
Organization's Country of Operation
Type of Organization
Non‐profit/NGO
Year of launch of the organization
Years in Operation
Operating for more than 5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
Yes, Friends Africa has received awards. In 2012, Friends Africa was awarded the STEVIE gold and silver awards for entrepreneurship and innovation and was also a finalist for the ONE award. Friends Africa’s CEO (Dr Ikemba) won the STEVIE 2012 gold award for female entrepreneurs and is a World Economic Forum young global leader for 2012-2017. Friends Africa was also named a finalist for the 2012 ONE awards
We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
Anyanwu Ikemba founded Friends Africa as an African voice to support the fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria. Her Aha!moment occurred while working as Technical Advisor for Global Fund Projects in Nigeria,realizing the numerous untapped opportunities on the continent she envisioned an organization that galvanizes the strengths of Africa's private sector, civil society&government to save lives
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Transforming community response to malaria in Nigeria: Role of Patent Medicine Vendors
Explain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.?
This innovation targets a group within the community that has hitherto been neglected in all stakeholder response to the malaria pandemic in Nigeria. It is a concept formed based on knowledge and understanding of the target population – a group readily available within the community as the providers of different types of medication, and as such have high level of influence on what drugs community members use for the first aid, home treatment and first line response to common fevers suspected to be malaria and malaria fevers at varying stages of manifestation. This innovation will build the capacity of patent medicine vendors in four rural communities with a focus on
• Ensuring malaria drugs sold within the community is the appropriate therapy combination for treating malaria as approved by WHO
• Ensuring that this therapy is administered in the right dosage to clients purchasing malaria drugs/treatment
• Ensure clients purchasing malaria drugs also receive IEC information about malaria prevention
• Become focal persons for distribution of Long lasting Insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs)
• Be community vanguards for the fight against adulterated malaria drugs
• Advocate for malaria tests to be carried out before drug administration as often as possible, especially the WHO approved rapid malaria testing
Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your field?
This project is distinct in the adoption of existing community structures and approved treatment methodology to strengthen an identified gap in rural areas where malaria is highly endemic but there are no diagnostic test carried out before administering medication. The project also helps enforce existing regulations for malaria treatment and curbing the menace of adulterated drugs. This project targets a non-traditional focal group present in every community but usually excluded from the response to malaria by the regular stakeholders. The business model innovation adopted by this project brings a positive disruption to malaria treatment at the community level which will help develop a predictably effective solution for saving lives.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
Existing relationships with community leaders and other stakeholders in health care at the project communities. High saturation of patent medicine vendors in the target communities. Internal factors: Presence of skilled human resources within the organization, availability of expert consultants for technical assistance, existing relationships with pharmaceutical companies and other private sector stakeholders involved in the fight against malaria in the state.
How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan?
• Involving the corporate sector in the response to health challenges e.g locally based pharmaceutical companies involved in production of malaria drugs, LLINs , insecticides etc.
• Involving celebrities and respected community representatives as project ambassadors—Malaria Ambassador, TB ambassador etc
• Developing innovative projects incorporating current best practices to tackle local challenges.
Forming and joining coalitions of similar organizations to amplify advocacy towards the goals of Friends Africa
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one)
Bring accessible healthcare to communities in emerging markets
Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one]
Primary healthcare services
Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply]
Prevention, Intervention, Social integration.
Please describe in more detail: what problem are you trying to solve in the organization's specific context?
The problem this organization is aiming to eliminate is the misuse of drugs for the treatment of malaria. This project aims to ensure that patent medicine vendors treat malaria with Artemisinin Combination-based Therapy using the correct dosage. The vision is to transform community response to malaria with the overall objective of ensuring the administration of the correct dosage of anti-malaria drugs by the patent medicine vendors (PMVs) who are the readily available source of health information to the community dwellers. It will also incorporate behavioral change communication for both the PMVs and the community members, environmental sanitation and malaria prevention practices.
Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one]
Idea (poised to launch)
Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply]
Approaches to behavioral change at the individual level, New approaches to distribution of health products and services, Unconventional partnerships (between traditional healthcare players and players outside healthcare).
Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two]
New skills, Education/training.
Please describe your solution in more detail
Relevant stakeholders {Village heads, religious leaders, youth leaders, women groups, sanitation officers} and the patent drug vendors in the community will be engaged on the need for adhering to the use of ACT in treating malaria using the correct dosage. They will serve as institutional memories for guiding the community dwellers on how to prevent and treat malaria. This will further help in providing information on malaria vector control among the patent drug vector clients hence, promoting good sanitation and reducing the incidence rate of malaria infections in the community. Furthermore, this will increase access to intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women and reduce the incidence of malaria among pregnant women and children under 5 years.
What are your vision and overall objectives?
Adopting the "Value-adding process business model and the facilitated network model" for improving businesses (Models describes by Clayton Christensen and Mark Johnson http://www.hbsclubwdc.net/article.html?aid=334), the vision of this project is to reduce the rates of malaria infections occurring at the rural community level.
Objectives:
Incorporate a non traditional group in the fight against malaria at the community level-Patent Medicine Vendors into the global fight against malaria
Build capacity of these Patent medicine vendors to play a role in reducing malaria incidence and prevalence at the community level
Provide a platform for collaboration between patent medicine vendors, pharmaceutical companies, public health facilities and community members for the malaria response
What is your value proposition?
To achieve our aim of reducing the incidence of malaria at the rural community level, ensure the administration of the appropriate malaria treatment therapy and dosage and ensure positive change in the response to malaria by community members, community health workers and the patent medicine vendors, Friends Africa will be offering the following services:
1. Capacity building trainings
2. Connect local patent medicine vendors to pharmaceutical firms for purchase of approved malaria drugs at subsidized rates
3. Provide technical assistance and rapid test kits to local patent medicine vendors for proper malaria diagnosis
4. Provide long lasting insecticide treated bed nets and other information, education and communication materials, to patent medicine vendors for community members
Who is your customer(s)?
Customers for Friends Africa's technical assistance services include CCMs, CSOs, FBOs, Health and other Ministries, as well as international and national partners in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The ideal customer for the technical assistance for this malaria project are the Patent Medicine Vendors.
In addition, Friends Africa plugs into an existing large market of NGOs, consulting firms and civil society groups which require high quality technical assistance in preparation of proposals and in all phases of implementation including evaluation.
Community based patent drug vendors who have continuously operated small scale business in the target communities for at least six months are the primary customers for this project.
What approaches to you use to reach your customers?
At the grass roots level, customer mobilization is effected through community gate keepers
Organizing local events targeting these customers and providing an avenue for meeting potential business partners and sponsors
Networking through existing structures such as coalitions, groups and associations at the community level
Providing knowledge acquisition platforms for customers to build capacity for improve their businesses
Providing technical assistance for customers technical challenges
Advocating at the national, regional and international platform for policy changes, funding and support for all stakeholders in the fight against malaria
Documenting successes, best practices and challenges observed and sharing on a global level using social media, conferences, documentaries etc
What are your primary activities?
Community entry-advocacy meetings with all relevant stakeholders
Capacity building training sessions
Meetings between selected PMVs participating in the project and the pharmaceutical companies producing antimalarial drugs and long lasting insectide treated bed nets
Supportive supervision and mentoring of Patent Medicine vendors for six months after training
Provision of technical assistance for malaria diagnosis using rapid test kits
Documentation of project results and challenges (Video documentary, production of project report)
Who are your peers and competitors? What problems could these players pose to your success or growth?
Friends Africa peers are other non profit organizations and civil society groups working in the response to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria at the community, national, regional and Global levels.
Competition for this project could arise from pharmaceutical companies producing adulterated anti malaria drugs, companies producing the mono therapy anti malarial drugs, Factions within the community that sell anti malaria drugs, long lasting insecticide treated bed nets and diagnosis kits which are meant for free distribution, traditional local medicine vendors that sell anti malarial herbs, Privately owned health facilities etc
What other challenges - individual, organizational, or environmental – are you currently facing or might hinder future success of your business, and how do you plan to overcome those?
Environmental challenges faced include: Poor social Infrastructure to facilitate output in the rural communities such as bad roads and poor electricity supply. In addition to environmental and climatic factors that make the sub saharan Africa region endemic to malaria.
Organizational challenges such as inadequate human resource capacity and financial resource constraint
Briefly describe your growth strategy going forward
Finalize this concept and develop into a full project proposal to be shared for funding opportunities
Seek collaboration from peer organizations also working to end Malaria
Raise awareness for the project using various social media platforms
Liaise with pharmaceutical companies that will be engaged for this project
What dimensions for growth are you currently targeting for your innovation [select all that apply]
New customer group(s), New regions(s).
What makes your business "ready" for growth?
Friends Africa's activities in Malaria prevention for the past six years has identified this target group in need of technical assistance and capacity building. Our vision for an African continent free from Malaria can only be achieved when every stakeholder from the grass roots to the global level has the capacity and opportunity to contribute to the malaria response in malaria endemic countries
What are your key growth objectives?
Profit Maximization:The Patent Medicine Vendors engaged should not loose business profit during this project
Market Share Maximization:For the pharmaceutical companies to be engaged
Corporate Growth:Friends Africa will leverage this project to grow
Customer satisfaction:For community members
Survival for the small scale patent medicine businesses
Social objective:Malaria incidence reduced
What is your timeframe for growth, in the short and mid-term? What are the growth milestones and key activities going forward?
The entire project duration will be two years and key mile stone moments will be:
Months 3: Selection of participating Patent Medicine Vendors in both project communities
Month 6: Conclusion of training and capacity building for participants
Month 12: Six months evaluation of project output
Month 18: End of provision of technical support for PMVs implementing the project
Month 24: End of project evaluation for decision on project scale up
Monitoring and Evaluation will last all through the project
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat has been the impact of your solution to date?
Impact from the implementation of various advocacy, capacity building, technical assistance and documentation projects by Friends Africa over the last six years include:
At the International level, placing African governments, private sector companies and civil society on the scene for the global health response to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria and also increasing the contributions from Africa to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
At the local community levels, projects implemented help to Improve health literacy –health related knowledge, attitudes, motivation, confidence,
behavioural intentions and personal skills concerning healthy lifestyles, as well as
knowledge of where to go and what to do to obtain health services.
Also creates social action and influence –community participation, community
empowerment, social norms and public opinion. E.G the World AIDS day novelty football match in 2012 bringing together celebrated football stars, actors and actresses with persons living with HIV in a bid to dispel stigma.
Healthy public policies and organisational practices –implementation of
policy statements, legislation/regulations, resource allocation, supportive
organisational practices and settings experiencing enhanced engagement with
health promotion programs. e.g the work place health policy programs for small and medium scale enterprises in five African countries
‘Second level’ impacts include healthier lifestyles for individuals, more effective health services through partnerships with the government etc
What methods for quantification of social impact are you applying (if at all)?
Qualitative methods of measuring the social impact from Friends Africa's projects have been employed which include: Surveys, in-depth interviews and evaluations by external reviewers
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
Yes, this solution can be implemented in all malaria endemic countries in Sub Saharan Africa especially in rural regions with a proliferation of patent medicine vendors.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Friends Africa’s activities are targeted at reducing the over 6.9million childhood mortality and morbidity due to malaria.
25% Reduction in malaria cases in project communities by end of project year two.
Improved malaria case diagnosis and case reporting to the district notification and surveillance unit
Improve malaria treatment using the appropriate drugs and dosage
Ultimately, this project will become a health promotion action that aims to enable people to increase control over, and to improve their health, ultimately leading to improved population and individual health outcomes especially with respect to malaria.
Social impact on the Patent medicine vendors, health workers and community members in the overall response to malaria.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideElaborate on your current financing strategy
Since obtaining its start up seed fund in 2006, Friends Africa's financing strategy grant applications to foundations, privates sectors organizations, multilateral and bilateral organizations, responding to Request for Proposals, submitting project plans, working with a hub of expert consultants to provide technical assistance, applying for awards, collaborating with private sector companies towards global health events etc
Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent)
Direct sales to patients or other beneficiaries (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Foundations, NGOs, Private businesses, Regional government, National government.
Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent)
Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Foundations, NGOs, Private businesses, Regional government, National government.
Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail
Mobilizing resources from the private sector, governments and civil society organizations to support the global fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria
Share of philanthropy in total income of organization (in percent)
Philanthrophy strategies you are using
Diversified strategy.
Explain your philanthropic approach in more detail
Approaching High Net-worth individuals poised for philanthropic giving to contribute towards the global fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria
Expand on your selections; explain how you will sustain funding over the next 1-3 years.
Funding will be sustained from current partnerships for different projects being implemented, and applications for new calls for proposals
Created on 03/12/2013 by BrighterDawns
We target the current water and sanitation crisis in Bangladesh by repairing wells and latrines in the slums of Khalishpur, then working with the community to build new wells and latrines based on the needs of the people.
Created on 03/11/2013 by ahardin4
Water Ecuador is committed to providing communities with sustainable clean water sources through a broadly replicable and scalable business model. The organization's water centers are designed to be financially autonomous, paying for maintenance and repair costs through water sales. To ensure continued community uptake, Water Ecuador performs aggressive educational work in conjunction with its water center construction. Volunteer staff in the United States educate others about water health through social media and raise money for the construction of new water centers.
Organization: Water Ecuador
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Country
United States, MA, Cambridge, Middlesex County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
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Water Ecuador Digital Media Outreach
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
What problem is your organization committed to solving? In particular, share what is innovative about your approach.
Water Ecuador is committed to providing communities with sustainable clean water sources through a broadly replicable and scalable business model. The organization's water centers are designed to be financially autonomous, paying for maintenance and repair costs through water sales. To ensure continued community uptake, Water Ecuador performs aggressive educational work in conjunction with its water center construction. Volunteer staff in the United States educate others about water health through social media and raise money for the construction of new water centers. Future efforts will be directed at developing a franchise model whereby aspiring local entrepreneurs borrow to obtain a water center, which they will operate as a franchise under the auspices of Water Ecuador.
What are your organization's top three priorities in the next year?
1) Broaden donor base in Untied States through improved use of grassroots marketing and social media
2) Build Water Ecuador's brand awareness in Ecuador as a step towards the development of a franchise model for scaling operations
3) Hone business model at existing water centers through experiments in outreach and marketing
Need #1
Digital Marketing Strategy
Need #2
Consumer/Audience Acquisition
Based on your first choice of the eight technical categories you selected above, what is your specific project need? Please be specific!
Water Ecuador has begun developing a strong online presence through its website (waterecuador.org), facebook, twitter, and linkedin. However, Water Ecuador has struggled in converting hits on the website and followers on social media into donor dollars. Water Ecuador needs help in designing and implementing digital marketing strategies and partnerships that result in increased donations for the organization, thereby allowing the organizations to improve the services it provides for families in Ecuador.
Specifically, Water Ecuador would like help in analyzing the relative utility of the following strategies:
1) Google AdWords spending
2) Facebook advertising
3) Partnerships with US companies for online matching of donations
4) Inbound marketing strategies through development of manuals or informational web books
5) Creative mass donor campaigns such as those on kickstarter, charitywater.org, etc.
5) Merchandise sales on website or elsewhere
In addition to identification of areas of focus, Water Ecuador seeks advice and technical assistance in implementation of these approaches, given the limited technical skills of Water Ecuador's volunteer staff.
1.
Outcomes-based approach to problem
2.
Equitable sharing of opportunities and resources between partners
Will support from American Express be focused on your organization overall or a specific product/service? Please describe.
The support from American Express will enable Water Ecuador to increase access to clean and affordable water and education related to water, sanitation, and hygiene issues by providing overall support for all aspects of the organization's holistic approach.
Have you focused on the above area previously? If so, please explain, including whether you have worked with outside consultants before.
While Water Ecuador has a digital media presence currently, it has not focused on any of the specific tasks listed above and has not developed a digital marketing strategy directed specifically towards increasing donations for the organization. Currently, all digital media efforts have been performed by volunteers who are unable to provide advanced media services that the growing organization needs.
Are you able to commit 3-5 hours/wk over 10-12 weeks?
Yes
Are you able to meet virtually or at a convenient in-person location?
Yes
Are you able to meet in the city where your organization is based?
Yes
1.
Increased donations driven by digital media presence
2.
Increased awareness of Water Ecuador and its work
3.
Improved branding of Water Ecuador in both US and Ecuador
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Water Ecuador focuses on two tasks to fulfill its mission: providing access to clean and affordable water and providing education related to water, sanitation, and hygiene issues.
Internal studies to date have shown a statistically significant 52% lower rate of diarrheal disease among households consuming Water Ecuador's water.
Water Ecuador operates six water centers providing approximately 2,000 people with water every day.
The organization educates hundreds of children in the US and Ecuador every year and has begun implementation of a peer-to-peer exchange of information between elementary school children in the US and Ecuador related to water issues.
Additionally, Water Ecuador's water centers provide sustainable employment for six locally-based water center managers.
What is your project future impact after receiving professional support from American Express?
Increased funding will allow Water Ecuador to expand from six water centers in one isolated sector of Ecuador to a nationwide network of about one hundred water centers by using a franchise model to reduce capital expenditure and overhead burden on the organization. This transition will require a strong brand presence and development of an efficient organizational structure in Ecuador. Furthermore, it will require the water centers to be refined with a scaled up production capacity that will allow them to be more rapidly deployed in new communities in cost-effective ways.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Created on 03/6/2013 by amitjain
Healthpoint Services aims to transform rural healthcare by providing a scalable, profitable model for delivering safe drinking water and related health services to underserved communities in developing countries. We build and operate a water treatment center in each community we serve, and leverage that footprint and the daily water traffic and community trust to deliver health services.
Organization: Healthpoint Services India Pvt. Ltd
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Healthpoint Services India Pvt. Ltd
Organization's Country of Operation
Type of Organization
For‐profit
Year of launch of the organization
Years in Operation
Operating 1-5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
Sankalp Social Enterprise Award in Health, 2011; USAID Grand Challenge Award, Saving Lives at Birth, 2011; Tech Awards Laureate, 2011; NASSCOM Social Innovation Award, 2012.
We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
When Amit Jain, inventor of the community-scale water treatment model, met Al Hammond, a BOP expert pursuing a new health model, at an event at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley, the two exhanged visions and realized they fit together and agreed on the spot to co-found the company that became Healthpoint Services.
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A WaterFirst health model
Explain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.?
The innovation is to build and operate community-scale water treatment centers (Waterpoints) in low-income emerging markets that have no source of safe drinking water. These units largely eliminate water-borne diseases and thus have a major health benefit in themselves and save families an estimated $50/year (costs of treating water-borne infections), Then we leverage that water footprint and infrastructure to provide additional health services (hence WaterFirst model). The water model is proven, its health impact is not in doubt, community penetration is high, and the price ($1.60/HH/month) is affordable. The water units become cashflow positive within 6 months of operation, and we are building about 20 additional units a month. But importantly, we see water as the leading edge for health services: we are now piloting sales of health commodities (sanitary pads, condoms, nutritional supplements for pregnant women) and health services (vaccination and eye camps, chronic care management of diabetes and hypertension) that leverage the water footprint, the traffic (300 households a day will typically visit the water unit to collect their safe drinking water), and the community trust. We have funding to reach 600 units (serving a catchment area of 3 million people) within the next 2 years, which will also make the company profitable and prepare us to take the model to multiple states of India and to other countries. Thus we believe that our WaterFirst innovation is a unique, scalable, and sustainable business model for delivery of preventive and clinical health services.
Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your field?
Healthpoint Services is a health company that provides water as part of its integrated health delivery strategy and as a key initial service in each new community we serve. That sets us apart. There are several other providers of community-scale water treatment in India, but none of them have a health model like our WaterFirst strategy--they are only water companies. Moreover, none of the other water companies are close to achieving profitability nor growing at the rate we are nor reach the levels of community penetration that we do, so their sustainability is in question and their social impact is significantly diminished. At the same time, we know of no other clinic network or rural health provider globally that also provides safe drinking water as a core service.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
We already operate 140 water units and have established formal procedures for acquiring new sites, building new units, and maintaining/operating existing units--working through regional managers, project coordinators, field supervisors, and local unit operators hired and trained from the community. Associated health services are under the supervision of our Chief Medical Officer, additional project coodinators, and mobile doctor/nurse teams assisted by village healthworkers. In addition, we partner with local governments via a 15-year lease on the land for the units and access to the community's source of raw water. Finally, we have a well-developed social marketing approach to engage communities and acquire customers. We use electronic data systems to track customers and operations.
How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan?
We monitor relevant new technologies globally(mobile diagnostic tools, water telemetry systems), supplier trends and costs (for water filters, vaccines, etc.) both in India and globally, and rural water and health provider practices in India generally. We do this both through extensive personal networks, but also by attendance at key global conferences.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one)
Bring accessible healthcare to communities in emerging markets
Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one]
Primary healthcare services
Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply]
Prevention, Detection, Intervention, Follow-up, Long-term care.
Please describe in more detail: what problem are you trying to solve in the organization's specific context?
We note that prevention of waterborne disease is not in your list of health areas, which is precisely the "health silo" we are trying to break out of. We prevent waterborne disease (both enteric infections that kill many infants and those caused by pesticide residues or high flouride levels). We provide access to vaccination, eye exams for cataracts and glasses, and health commodities such as sanitary pads, condoms, and nutritional supplements for pregnant mothers (aimed at widespread anemia), in communities where such access is lacking. We screen for and then can manage diabetes and hypertension. So what we do is fill gaps well beyond primary care, and without duplicating the primary care from public facilities. In effect, our WaterFirst model does not fit conventional categories.
Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one]
Start-up and growth (pilot is successful and starting to expand)
Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply]
Approaches to behavioral change at the individual level, Patient-centered design, New/redefined roles for healthcare service provision, New approaches to distribution of health products and services, Other.
If other, specify here:
Widening the concept of healthcare to include significant prevention, as well as gap-filling
Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two]
Technology, Education/training.
Please describe your solution in more detail
We provide safe drinking water to eliminate waterborne (infectious and chronic) disease and to establish a community footprint and trust. We provide in the community access to vaccinations, eye exams (and maybe hearing exams), screening for diabetes and hypertension that are often not caught early and follow-on maintenance if desired, advanced nutritional supplements to address maternal anemia and low birth weight, and key health commodities such as condoms and sanitary napkins. We continue to test additional health services deliverable with this model. But the key is that we can deliver these services sustainably and at scale in communities that are now poorly-served.
What are your vision and overall objectives?
Our vision is to transform rural healthcare, by demonstrating a sustainable and scalable delivery model that improves patient health and wellness. We sell water via a pre-paid monthly subscription. People pick up the water daily, giving us traffic at the facility to leverage for other health services. We also sell health commodities from the water unit, and we bring in doctors or nurses to provide periodic services in a "camp" mode--vaccination, eye (maybe ear) exams, for which patient pay, We also hire and train village health workers, equip them with tablets and mobile diagnostic devices and patient education materials, to provide screening for diabetes and hypertension to catch these at an early stage, with follow-on monitoring and periodic referral to a specialist when needed.
What is your value proposition?
We bring safe drinking water to communities that have no other source of this vital health/wellness service. We also bring health services that are generally not available in these communities. All of these are priced within the ability to pay of the majority of the community. And because our facilities and our technology are urban quality, they also appeal to the aspirations and pride of the community to have modern services. So the value proposition is modern quality services at an affordable price from a trusted brand and with the convenience of local access.
Who is your customer(s)?
The emergent middle class in rural villages and small towns--not the weathly landowners (5%-10%); not the below poverty line households (although that is slowly changing as incomes and aspirations grow (20%-25%); but the remaining 65%-75% is the emerging middle class of rural India, and our core market, of which we typically get more than half of the households within a given community as customers.
What approaches to you use to reach your customers?
Sophisticated social marketing, including door-to-door informational campaigns, wall-paintings, events (including inauguration of the water unit, which is a major event attended by regional officials), and branding of products and services. We view our social marketing skills and strategies as our most valuable IP, and we do not share the specific strategies in detail.
What are your primary activities?
please see redundant descriptions above--we build and operate water treatment units and we provide health services and products.
Who are your peers and competitors? What problems could these players pose to your success or growth?
Community-scale water providers do not compete directly--a village or small town can support only one, and the unserved market in huge--20,000 communities at least. But there are 4-5 other pure water companies--one of them run by an NGO, the others investor-backed. Their growth has stalled in recent years, and most have raised pricing and thus focus only on the high end of the market in a given community, with consequent low penetration. None are close to profitability: the best known company has raised over $20 million, but had $5 million in reported losses last year. Only Healthpoint Services is close to profitability. And none of these other water providers have a health strategy. Healthpoint Services, in contrast, is a health company with a WaterFirst strategy. So no problems.
What other challenges - individual, organizational, or environmental – are you currently facing or might hinder future success of your business, and how do you plan to overcome those?
As described above, building a deeper management team is critical to our success. We are intensifying our recruitment efforts, and seeking grant funds to help provide bonuses or other incentives to retain key staff.
Briefly describe your growth strategy going forward
We have a well-established growth plan with clear targets and milestones, described in more detail below. We expect to continue our water buildout, reaching 600+ units and profitability within 2 years, and begin rolling out the follow-on health services as each new water unit reaches cashflow breakeven (typically about 6 months after operations begin).
What dimensions for growth are you currently targeting for your innovation [select all that apply]
New regions(s).
What makes your business "ready" for growth?
We already operate 140 water units and have secured funding to scale to 600+ units. So the water footprint is already growing and will make the company profitable within 2 years. We are now leveraging that footprint with the 2nd phase of the WaterFirst strategy by bringing a slowly-expanding array of health services that can be delivered in an integrated fashion with the water service.
What are your key growth objectives?
1) To reach 600+ units and profitability in 2 years, while rolling out health services approximately 6 months behind water unit operation in each community. 2) To expand in India to several thousand units. 3) To expand outside of India with the same WaterFirst model--Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of rural Latin America.
What is your timeframe for growth, in the short and mid-term? What are the growth milestones and key activities going forward?
See previous question. 600+ units or communities served within 2 years; 2000 units in India within 5 years; and operations in at least 3 other countries within 5 years. The key activities are building a management team with sufficient depth to manage rapid expansion, and continuing to raise financing for growth.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat has been the impact of your solution to date?
We provide safe drinking water every day to more than 30,000 households (220,000 people) in 140 communities.That prevents waterborne disease that causes diarrhea, stiff joints (from high dissolved solids such as flourides), and even cancer (from pesticide residues), saves families an estimated $50/year each (the cost of medicines to treat diarrhea), and saves days of work or school otherwise lost to illness. We also have provided more than 25,000 doctor consultations (mostly primary care), 20,000 diagnostic tests, and filled over 30,000 prescriptions, as well as providing vaccinations and other services. We are piloting specific health services described above that can leverage the water buildout, but cannot claim a large impact from these yet.
What methods for quantification of social impact are you applying (if at all)?
We have partnered with the Center for Evaluation of Social Action at the University of California at Berkeley (a well-recognized poverty analysis unit), which has already conducted baseline studies in Punjab for a year, and is now initiating a multi-year randomized outcome study (funded by USAID) to document the social and economic impact of our water buildout.
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
We believe on the basis of preliminary research and discussions with potential local partners that there is scope for our model in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia; in Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries; and in rural Mexico and Central America.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
In 3 years, we expect to provide service directly (and daily) to about 1,300,000 beneficiaries in 750 communities, and our facilities will provide access to another 2 million potential customers, through our water service. We expect many of these customers to also avail our associated health services for vaccinations, eye and ear exams and accessing glasses, screening for chronic disease (for those over 30), or to buy our health commodities such as sanitary pads, condoms, and nutritional supplements, but cannot accurately estimate numbers as yet. We also expect to have begun piloting our solution in at least 2 other countries--most likely Nigeria and Philippines.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideElaborate on your current financing strategy
We are closing a debt financing agreement with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for $3.5 million, to finance the water buildout, and will match that with $2 million in equity, for which discussions are already underway.
Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent)
Direct sales to patients or other beneficiaries (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Patients, Other beneficiaries.
Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent)
Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail
We sell water and health services to our rural customers, at prices they can afford. Thus, customers are everything to us, and the organization is totally focused on ensuring their satisfaction.
Share of philanthropy in total income of organization (in percent)
insignificant (less than 1%)
Philanthrophy strategies you are using
Explain your philanthropic approach in more detail
Expand on your selections; explain how you will sustain funding over the next 1-3 years.
The current fund raise described above will finance growth for two years, by which time the company expects to be profitable. We will raise additional debt and equity capital to support growth in 2015, but on better terms because we no longer be loss-making. We will gradually expand the health services, and likely add mobile money transfer services, sales of such things as solar lanterns, and perhaps health insurance to our product line to further leverage our traffic and footprint.
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: HealthBooth.
Created on 02/27/2013 by milindnaik
The HealthBooth screening, using latest technology offers cost effective and affordable solution to common man with limited financial resources, as well as the busy bodies strapped for time. The solution is an Early Warning Signal, which will seem like a wake up call to take appropriate and urgent action, as well as monitor their wellness regularly.
Organization: Pappilon Software Solutions Pvt Ltd
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Pappilon Software Solutions Pvt Ltd
Organization's Country of Operation
Type of Organization
For‐profit
Year of launch of the organization
Years in Operation
Operating for more than 5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
My wife works for a large company managing their CSR, When we speak she told me about the conditions that rural people and people below the poverty line have, The basic healthcare, sanitation and the number of avoidable deaths that happen due to non availability of basic screening. This was the moment that we decided to work building a affordable early warning health system.
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideExplain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.?
The idea of delivering affordable healthcare screening services with the help of technology is a very novel idea. Currently, there are very few options available to people at the bottom of the social pyramid to check the status of their health. HealthBooth has come up with an innovative design and delivery of such screening services. The tests in HealthBooth are engineered in such a way that a small set of devices, housed in a 6 ft x 4 ft space is all that is required to perform 10 screening tests. This space includes the seating while performing the tests, equipment's performing the tests, a tablet for displaying the results, a printer for providing reports and a battery for mobility. The schematic of the HealthBooth and the process of performing the tests have been designed after thorough research so that both the cost and time per session is brought down significantly. The impact of this efficiency and affordability can have a major impact on its utility in remote areas or in times of epidemic.
Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your field?
Currently, in India, there are 720,000 doctors, 93% of whom are only in urban cities which comprises only 30% of the demand. This implies that 70% of the Indian population is serviced by only 7% of the medical professionals, ignoring completely the BOP in the urban areas or general masses in rural areas who can’t afford basic medical consultation. Currently, there is no organized effort towards providing affordable screening services to these people.
The basic 10 tests that are performed at a HealthBooth are sufficient to gauge and detect some of the most commonly occurring diseases. The tests that have been chosen for initial rollout are capable to detect most of the commonly occurring diseases like BP, Diabetes, and hypertension among others that can be controlled if detected early.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
HealthBooth has conducted a few pilot tests which have shown tremendous promise of utility in urban and rural areas. After significant research we have developed an affordable and reasonably mobile set-up of booth that can significantly reduce the time and the cost of delivery.
As for safeguarding our technology, we have built our technology in India and the application for trademark and patent is in progress. The technology leverages the Wireless SPP protocol for data transfer between the screening devices and Android Tablet. The tablet communicates over mobile spectrum to communicate to the cloud hosted server. The data is centralized and can be accessible across all the booths based on authentication, STD as well as RSA (OTP).
How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan?
One of our central focus as a company is to constantly innovate in terms of additions to the bouquet of tests or service delivery. Our partnership with VoCare, a US based healthcare company, allows us access to the best medical research and innovations across the world.
The tests offered in any booth may be customized reasonably and new tests can be added with minimal effort and cost. This ensures a very minimal go to market time for our future innovations as well.
Some of the ideas that we propose to include in future are disease specific screenings such as malaria tests to pre-empt spread of any disease. We can also introduce remote consultation via video facilities that may be made available on the android tablet.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one)
Bring accessible healthcare to communities in emerging markets
Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one]
Primary healthcare services
Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply]
Detection.
Please describe in more detail: what problem are you trying to solve in the organization's specific context?
Health is a crucial factor in developing the Human Development Index of a country.Productivity and economic growth of a nation depends on the health of its people. Health is a major social investment and has a world wide social goal.
In recent years, India has managed to control communicable diseases like malaria, cholera and polio. However, the nation now has to deal with a new breed of developed world obesity-fuelled diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular ailments. Coupled with a sedentary urban lifestyle, increased alcohol consumption and smoking.India has 61.3 million people with diabetes and is still counting.
Our preliminary screening test will make people aware of their health conditions and reduce the above stated health problems.
Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one]
Piloting (a pilot that has just begun operating)
Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply]
Redesign of the public healthcare system for more efficiency (in terms of processes, structure etc.), New approaches to distribution of health products and services.
Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two]
Technology, Consultation.
Please describe your solution in more detail
The HealthBooth screening, using latest technology offers cost effective and affordable solution to common man with limited financial resources, as well as the busy bodies strapped for time. People at the bottom of social pyramid are in need of such a preliminary screening solution that will enable them to decide the future course of action towards their wellness: e.g. diabetes detected early through a blood-sugar test will drive them to seek an endocrinologist’s help for appropriate medication to control their blood-sugar levels; vision screening results will compel them to approach an optician or eye-specialist to correct their vision; blood-pressure screening results will motivate them to seek help from heart-specialists and so on. The solution is an Early Warning Signal.
What are your vision and overall objectives?
The vision: Facilitate affordable preliminary healthcare screening services to the bottom of the social pyramid as well as provide easily accessible screening solutions in urban and semi-urban markets.
The HealthBooth screening, using latest technology, offers an affordable health solution to general public. The rural and urban population is in dire need of a preliminary screening solution that will enable them to understand their current state of health so that they can take preventive action. The intent of the company is to develop and provide an Early Warning Signal.
What is your value proposition?
HealthBooth aims to offer an affordable and accessible health check-in booth that can perform basic screening relatively quickly (5 minutes) at affordable costs (less than US$ 1) with the help of technology. The tests that HealthBooth plans to offer initially include:
- Blood Pressure
- Blood-Sugar
- Temperature
- Oxy haemoglobin Count
- Heart Rate
- Pulmonary Function
- BMI
- Vision
- Body Fat
- Height & Weight
HealthBooth is built with technology on mobile devices that can make access to healthcare information available on the go. With a completely modular and cost-effective set-up, HealthBooth can be set up in a small space and in a very short time.
Who is your customer(s)?
The primary target customers are the people at the bottom of the pyramid either in rural or semi-urban markets that have limited financial resources and do not have access to affordable preventive health check-ups. There are lot of late-stage complications that can be avoided if such people are made aware of their state of health at an early stage
The secondary target customer is time pressed persons who choose to avoid time consuming health check-ups. They would be able to avail basic screening services at HealthBooth available at close proximity to work places/homes.
The third category of target customers is business establishments that are required, obligated or otherwise wish to maintain basic health facilities for their employees.
What approaches to you use to reach your customers?
HealthBooth will initially, over the next 6-9 months, set up company owned booths with focus on areas catering to lower strata of the society in rural Karnataka and Maharashtra. Simultaneously, through various tie ups, the company will also set up HealthBooths in areas such as health clinics, pharmacies, technology parks, railways stations, gymnasiums, malls, post offices etc to bring healthcare solutions within easy reach of urban and semi-urban consumers.
HealthBooth is also in discussions with NGO's. Government bodies are also being approached for setting up screening units in medical facilities in target areas.
HealthBooth is also evaluating feasibility of seeking franchisees for the booth as that will help tremendously to improve penetration in targeted markets.
What are your primary activities?
HealthBooth is a new company that will be set up to focus on providing affordable and accessible healthcare screening solutions to the masses.
Who are your peers and competitors? What problems could these players pose to your success or growth?
Currently, there are two companies that have tried to bring healthcare services within easy reach of the masses.
- eHealthAccess is a Hyderabad based company offering medical consulting services to individuals remotely via telephone or email. For corporates, they can set up a health kiosk containing basic screening services as well as provide health consulting services remotely.
- KTwo Technology Solutions is a Bangalore based company focusing on using existing healthcare infrastructure to provide tele-medicine solutions to rural and semi-urban population
The focus of both these companies is primarily to provide curative medical services vs. HealthBooth which is focused on preventive screening services
What other challenges - individual, organizational, or environmental – are you currently facing or might hinder future success of your business, and how do you plan to overcome those?
We feel that the following challenges may lead to restrictive growth for the company:
- Funding: to create a meaningful impact on the society as well as for sustaining the fixed costs, the company needs to create a large enough distribution network of booths. Towards this, we plan to seek an early investment from private investors.
- Trained manpower availability: a large team of trained staff is required for local service delivery.
- Procurement: Procurement of medical devices and android tablets is being done from outside India. The company intends to develop local suppliers to significantly reduce the procurement risk.
- Creating awareness: The company needs to create awareness of such an affordable solution amongst society by investing in marketing at local levels,
Briefly describe your growth strategy going forward
The Company intends to adopt a multi-pronged approach towards growth.Growth plan include.
- Tying up with NGO's, corporates as part of their CSR,
- Set up a franchisee network. This will not only bring healthcare solutions within easy reach of general public but also provide income generation / enhancement opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
- Information: For better use.
What dimensions for growth are you currently targeting for your innovation [select all that apply]
New customer group(s), New regions(s).
What makes your business "ready" for growth?
Through feedback from various pilots done so far, HealthBooth has been designed over a period of time after many levels of testing. The schematic of the booth has already been tailored to fit the most cost efficient process for conducting screening tests. The set-up of the booth is modular and not capital intensive and can be implemented in a matter of a few days.
What are your key growth objectives?
We have earmarked clear milestones based on the following long term goals:
- Bridge the gap between the social demographic and access to basic healthcare
- Ensure penetration of basic screening services to areas lacking basic infrastructure
- Provide assistance to detect and curb spread of epidemics
- Reduce ailments and improve overall health by facilitating early detection
What is your timeframe for growth, in the short and mid-term? What are the growth milestones and key activities going forward?
SHORT TERM
we propose to roll out 30 owned booths by Jun 2013 and 200 owned booths by Dec 2013. This roll out will be in catchment areas catering to targeted population. We also plan to partner with various NGO and corporates with health focused CSR initiatives and roll out HealthBooth in partnership with them.
MEDIUM TERM
We plan to set up 2,000 owned as well as franchised booth by Dec 2015. During this period, we also intend to introduce specific disease based screenings.
LONG TERM
By 2017, we intend to roll out 5,000 owned as well as franchised booths. In the long run, we also intend to provide additional services such as tele-medicine using video facility on the android tab etc.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat has been the impact of your solution to date?
We have done two successful pilots till date:
Pilot 1 | Rural | Objective – With a NGO "Prevent disabilities" which works with pregnant women at the lower strata of the society, to gauge the quality of her health and that of the yet to be born baby.
Problem: Normally performed by the paramedic, the tests used to take a long time thereby limiting the number of tests per day. They were suggested to use HealthBooth set-up.
Outcome: A paramedic who was able to usually meet 25-30 women a day was now able to test more than 50 patients with same accuracy.
Pilot 2 | Urban | Objective – Gauge acceptability and efficiency: At a bungee jumping event within the city.
A trained person would spend 15-20 mins to perform basic checks on their customers. On an average, it took about 15 mins per test considering the experience of the professional and lack of a method. With HealthBooth and its test process, the same professional was able to achieve a screening time of less than 5 mins. A third of the earlier time.
What methods for quantification of social impact are you applying (if at all)?
Over the next 8-10 years, HealthBooth will aim at reaching 20,000 booths across India with a major concentration over the rural areas and bottom of pyramid settlements. With each booth servicing even 20 persons per day at low utilisation level would mean having an impact on 120 million people a year just from screening alone. With disease specific screening, targeted preventive checks can be done to pre-empt any large scale spread of specific diseases.
In addition to preventive healthcare services, our franchised booths will also provide income generation / enhancement opportunities to several local entrepreneurs.
Apart from this, analysis of collected information will help the governments and hospitals to design more effective healthcare initiatives at the local level.
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
Yes. Our solution is fairly modular and can be introduced in any of the geographies requiring affordable healthcare screening solutions.
On a macro level, the potential of a concept as HealthBooth can have far reaching impact in not only India, but also all the other BRIC and MIST countries (where more than one in 3 has high BP). But the biggest perceivable impact would be in the African subcontinent (where more than 40% of adults are estimated to have high BP) where information is scarce and connectivity has just begun to pick up. With its easily deployable model, it can be quickly modified to local practices and body structures to ensure that the operation of a unit and expansion to different countries can be done immediately.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
With 2,000 booths over the next 3 years, we would have provided more than 20,000,000 affordable screenings to population at the bottom of pyramid, only considering our focus on the Indian subcontinent. In addition, we will implement disease specific screening to pre-empt large scale spread of various diseases. Our franchised booths will provide employment and income enhancement opportunities to local entrepreneurs.
This impact would be excluding the impact that we could have from maintaining and sorting information on behalf of the key stakeholders in public healthcare delivery.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideElaborate on your current financing strategy
The company proposes to roll out initial set of booths with its seed capital infused by the promoters. The company is also seeking grants from various development and quasi-government organizations. The company believes that once an initial network of booths is established, its model can be self-sustaining as detailed below.
The company proposes to charge a nominal fee of INR 50 per test. The booth is designed to minimize the roll out time as well as cost. As per initial estimates, 10-50% graded utilisation is expected to recover booth costs in less than 3 years. Once the company has rolled out an initial set of owned booths, the franchisee model would be given preference as it will not only help contain the rental and operating costs for the company but also provide much needed non-refundable deposits from the franchisees. The company proposes to plough these franchisee deposits back into the business.
At an opportune time, the company also proposes to raise some investment from private investors for growth.
Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent)
Direct sales to patients or other beneficiaries (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Individuals, Private businesses, Other beneficiaries.
Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Foundations, NGOs, Private businesses, Others.
Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent)
Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Foundations, NGOs, Regional government, National government.
Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail
We are looking at 3 basic sources of revenue:
- Self-owned booths
- Franchisee
- NGO/ Governments
- Corporates
Share of philanthropy in total income of organization (in percent)
Philanthrophy strategies you are using
Explain your philanthropic approach in more detail
Expand on your selections; explain how you will sustain funding over the next 1-3 years.
- Self-owned booths
Booths would be setup in a mix of urban and rural areas and users would be charged per set of tests.
Rural areas – focus will be on affordability as well as accessibility and roll out will be in locations such as post offices, bus stands, panchayat offices, local markets, health clinics etc.
Urban areas – focus will be on easy accessibility while at the same time keeping the costs affordable. Roll out will be in locations such as malls, gyms, railway stations, post offices and other areas with heavy footfalls.
- Franchisee
Franchisee pays a fixed lump sum upfront for right to receive the booth set up. The company will pay him a commission for every test conducted by him.
- NGO/ Governments
Mobile booths can be made available to NGO/Govt either at a lump sum or at a per test basis where the company expects to receive consideration linked to the number of tests that are conducted during a defined timeframe.
- Corporates
CSR initiatives: these are initiatives where corporates can sponsor setting up a booth or a number of tests every month in a particular region of its choice as a means of giving back to the community. The company expects to receive consideration linked to each test conducted.
Employee wellness: Corporates may also wish to put up booths within their campuses as an employer of choice initiative or due to industrial guidelines and remunerate the company on a retainer or on a per test basis.
APOPO is a social enterprise that researches, develops and implements detection rats technology for humanitarian purposes such as Mine Action and Tuberculosis detection. APOPO is a Belgian NGO, with headquarters in Tanzania and operations in Mozambique, Thailand, Angola and Cambodia.
Asosiasi Karya Sanitasi is empowering sanitarian as sanitation entrepreneur to accelerate increase of open defecation free village
Created on 01/15/2013 by Myriam Sidibe
Handwashing with soap is the most cost-effective way of reducing the two biggest causes of child mortality. This programme spreads this simple practice. Our aim to change the behaviour of a billion people will improve health outcomes around the world.
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about yourself/your team.
I am a public health professional working in the private sector to bring sustainable solutions to global health issues, and one of only two people in the world with a Doctorate in Public Health, specialising in handwashing and behaviour change, from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Over the last 15 years, I’ve worked with NGOs, UN, academic institutions and the private sector on hygiene promotion. I created and designed this role, and in the past 7 years, have helped take the brand from €300m to €600m, landing the goal of improving hygiene for 1 billion people by 2015.
What makes you an intrapreneur? What are the skills, capabilities, and personality traits that make you an intrapreneur?
I’ve always tried to be a social pioneer, pushing the limits of what conventional wisdom says can be achieved to reach sustainably the poorest of the poor.
I passionately believe that business can be a force for good. My personal goal is to harness my scientific expertise in order to do good with each bar of soap we sell. I am determined to make a real, long-lasting difference to millions through handwashing as a behavioural solution for disease prevention.
To achieve this, I have to be a catalyst for change inside our organisation, as well as a passionate advocate externally.
Primary country where this project is creating social impact
Additional countries or regions
We lead programmes in more than 14 countries, with the lead programmes conducted in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Industry
Consumer Products
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
The Need: What social or environmental problem are you trying to solve?
Every day 6,000 children die from diarrhoea and pneumonia. Yet 600,000 lives a year could be saved through the simple act of handwashing with soap: one of the most effective and low cost ways to combat these life-threatening illnesses.
Globally, soap penetration is over 90%; yet washing hands with water alone remains common. Only 17% of mothers wash their hands with soap after using the toilet, just 19% after cleaning their child’s faeces, and only 13% before handling food. We therefore need to bring handwashing with soap to the poorest households in Africa and Asia where the mortality is high.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
We lobbied Lifebuoy to set the goal of changing hygiene behaviour in one billion consumers across Asia and Africa by promoting the practice of handwashing with soap, thereby helping reduce respiratory infections and diarrhoea.
We defined a comprehensive handwashing programme to reach the 1 billion, focusing on three areas:
1. Behaviour change programmes are integrated into marketing - engaging poor mothers and children to ensure that our message makes a difference in keeping people safe and healthy.
2. Working with partners (both public and private sector) to promote the importance of handwashing with soap – a task too big for any single organisation to tackle alone.
3. Driving advocacy to raise the profile of handwashing with soap, creating the right environment for investment in behaviour change.
The Solution: Why is this solution innovative for your company and industry?
Behavioural change has to work at a deep level, and is therefore embedded throughout Lifebuoy marketing. We made this bold commitment as the only FMCG brand with such significant reach. Our model is founded on one of the largest independent studies ever undertaken. It showed the Lifebuoy Way of washing hands reduces diarrhoea by up to 25%, acute respiratory infections by 15%, with a resulting 40% increase in school attendance.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities.
We created our behaviour change model to reach under-fives - those most affected by diarrhoea:
1. Creating basic awareness and relevance for why the habit is important
2. Ensuring people commit to practising the Lifebuoy Way
3. Getting people to practise the behaviour for 21 days so the habit takes root
4. Rewarding behaviour to make sure the habit sticks
We created the Lifebuoy Way - a comprehensive programme of washing hands with soap at 5 key daily moments: before breakfast, lunch and dinner; when bathing; after using the toilet.
The results of a clinical trial showed it was successful in increasing handwashing with soap:
• Children showed 25% fewer episodes of diarrhoea, 15% fewer episodes of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) and 46% fewer eye infections
• Children had 26% fewer days of school absence due to illness
• Analysis carried out 5 weeks later also indicated there had been no significant increase in incidences of diarrhoea, ARI and eye infection.
In other words, the Lifebuoy Way programme results were extremely positive in showing sustained behaviour change.
Diarrhoeal rates have decreased significantly over the last five years - all trends indicate a direct correlation between commercial growth and diarrhoeal disease reduction.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
In 2008 we co-founded Global Handwashing Day with the Public Private Partnership for Handwashing, which invites private sector organizations and non-profits, including UNICEF, USAID and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, to work together with common purpose.
Rather than discouraging competitors, such as Safeguard, we understand the value of potential partnerships to help bring resources to reach even more people with a lifesaving message.
What makes us unique is that every day, we reach over 2 billion people with our products – more than any government or NGO – which gives us unique scale to help bring about real change.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Lifebuoy has always been a brand built on social purpose - its commitment to saving lives stems from its 19th century heritage, when it was created to tackle cholera outbreaks.
I was able to put my academic research into practice in defining a social mission for Lifebuoy that would drive business growth.
I always wanted to spread a hygiene message, and my doctoral thesis examined handwashing behaviours in Timor and Senegal. My research highlighted the benefits of good hygiene, and I knew that this could be applied to the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to improve the health of 1 billion people. Our unique clinical research demonstrated conclusively that lives can be saved by handwashing with soap, forming the basis of our programme.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We’ve made a brilliant start. The Lifebuoy Behaviour Change Programme was launched in 2010, and by the end of 2012, we have reached over 130 million people with our lifesaving message across 14 countries, reducing incidences of diarrhoea and ARIs, and saving thousands of lives.
But we’re not resting on our laurels – there’s a lot more to be done. We plan to scale up the rural footprint of Lifebuoy’s hygiene behavior change programmes, developing bigger, cost-effective partnerships, adapting the model for new Lifebuoy geographies, building evidence of successful deployment and elevating advocacy of handwashing with soap.
What is your projected impact over the next 1 to 3 years?
By 2015, Lifebuoy aims to change the behaviour of one billion consumers across Asia, Africa and Latin America and save hundred of thousands of lives.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The scale of the problem can seem daunting - changing deeply-entrenched habits requires a huge cross-sector effort. An African proverb says, “If you want to go quickly, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” We plan to go far, and therefore will elevate advocacy, seeking key partners in government and NGOs to go along with us.
There is potential for scepticism from these partners. Key to tackling this is being painfully transparent about our commercial interests. Organisations are reassured we’re in it for the long haul through business motivation, not because we'd spotted an opportunity for publicity.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the benefit or value you're creating for your business?
Put simply, growth. We’ve created a very clear link between tackling this critical issue and our business ambitions. The social issue is clear: the business opportunity for us is equally clear. Ideal consumption for handwashing to reduce illness is around 20 bars of soap annually, yet 1.5 billion people consume just eight bars or fewer. This opportunity is more marked because of the rapid pace of change in emerging markets.
How are you leveraging internal resources (funds, time, knowledge, etc.) to support this initiative?
The mission forms an integral part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, and being so closely allied to the overall corporate strategy means we can call on colleagues around the world in corporate, public affairs, HR and marketing teams to lend their expertise and time.
We work hand in hand with brand and advocacy teams to reach out to consumers and organisations, while our work with internal communications teams encourages employees to get involved.
Employees around the world have gone into schools to teach children about handwashing. Some have even been part of successful world record attempts!
Expand on your answer, explaining the long-term funding and support plan.
Long term, the success of the Lifebuoy Social Mission in doing good AND increasing sales means it becomes self-sustaining.
Since we launched the programme, we have seen a significant sales uplift, this is set to continue. This allows us to continue to be a positive force for good in the world, in the interests of all our stakeholders – our investors, our consumers, our employees and the communities where we operate. We are also in very advanced discussions with pioneering types of partnership that include fund-matching from private foundations to expand our programmes.
Tell us about your partnerships across your company and externally that are key to your project's success.
If Unilever achieves its sustainability targets but no one follows, we will have failed. Consequently, we’re working with other organisations, such as the Consumer Goods Forum, the World Economic Forum, the Public Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, NGOs such as UNICEF and USAID and local and national governments, to drive cross-sector change.
What internal support have you gotten for your project? What kind of push-back have you received?
As the programme ties in with the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, we haven’t faced push-back.
On the contrary, it has created positive energy and momentum inside our business. Many employees want to get involved because they have a genuine desire to give something back – 20,000 employees volunteered in 2012. This in turn builds pride in the company they work for.
Created on 01/15/2013 by Smaat Aqua
Smaat Community Water Center is a flagship program of Smaat, to quench the thirst of crores of people in India by providing healthy drinking water through community water centers.
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about yourself/your team.
We are an Environment Industry working towards bringing sustainable solutions in the field of Water, Air and Energy. We have set up with the zeal to eliminate poverty in India and to bring one of the most luxurious products to vulnerable and marginalized societies : Safe Water.
So, why water? that day is not far when the cost of 1 lt of water will be Rs 1000. The present cost of 1 lt water is Rs 20. This is not affordable by common man in villages and towns of India. Using the latest state of the art technology and chemical free process, We bring out the feasible solutions for providing safe and pure drinking water.
It is not just about water, it is about Economy, Health and Happiness.
What makes you an intrapreneur? What are the skills, capabilities, and personality traits that make you an intrapreneur?
The qualities that enables me to make me an intrapreneur are
1. Passion for sustainable solutions
2. Fire within to bring about revolutions
3. Compassion towards marginalized and vulnerable communities
4. Zeal to give back to the society what it has given to us.
Primary country where this project is creating social impact
Additional countries or regions
Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy , Kurnool
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Scaling (the next step will be growing impact on a regional or even global scale)
The Need: What social or environmental problem are you trying to solve?
We chose the activity and location because we wanted these people to be self sufficient and have a sustainable lifestyle. With the advent of providing low cost technology, the people were able to understand how the techniques work and they themselves were comfortable in replicating the technology for day to day needs.Techniques such as water conservation, water recycling, importance of clean drinking water,etc were taught and the people gladly accepted.
We are trying to solve:
1. The need for clean and safe drinking water
2. Effective Water Conservation
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Water is precious and it is considered as luxury.Our concept is "Community Water Center" where we bring safe drinking water to the people. Not all have the access to safe drinking water. We bring low cost technology to villages and fabricate the drinking water treatment plant according to the requirements of the village. We have taught the people of the village how to operate the plant and given workshops in every village on how the drinking water plants are fabricated, designed and manufactured using various equipment and water technologies. we have created entrepreneurs in every village where we have set up our drinking water treatment plants
The Solution: Why is this solution innovative for your company and industry?
1. Water is considered a luxury hence we have designed equipment that will make available water for all for a long time
2. Many Companies use harmful carcinogenic chemicals in water purification; but we donot use chemicals and we are the first ISO 9001:9008 Company using non chemical methods for purification of water
3. A popular adage says "Roti,kapda aur makan is the main trilogy for living" but something is missing and that is drinking water.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Karunakara M Reddy was born to agriculturists in a remote village in Andhra Pradesh. Even though he belonged to a farming fraternity, he often was faced with one shortage- access to safe drinking water. He saw that the people in his village suffered a lot due to lack of clean and safe drinking water. A lot of women and children would travel miles to fetch water. People fell sick and there was absenteeism seen in the local work areas and schools just for water. The general tendency of People in Rural India lies in the fact that water found anywhere with any source can be used for drinking along with other petty activities of everyday life. He saw that the only technique the people used was tying of a cotton cloth to the faucet to get water that is perceived to be 'clean'. A death in his family due to shortage of water vowed him to bring about a change in the way people look at water
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
the impact of our activity begins at the construction stage itself.
1. women and children need not travel miles to fetch clean water- hence 4 hours were saved for every women in the village
2. men fell sick less often, hence manhours were increased and sick leaves were decreased.
3. People became self sufficient after knowing the technology, in 3 months entrepreneurs were born among the men
4. Business techniques and practices were taught and the men and women learnt these techniques.
5. emphasis on culture protection were done and every person in the village aims for a 'clean and green' place to strive to live
What is your projected impact over the next 1 to 3 years?
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Some barriers
1, Lack of awareness
2. Red tapism
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the benefit or value you're creating for your business?
1. Transforming villages
2. Bringing sustainable solutions to one and all
3. Making safe and clean drinking water available at an affordable cost
How are you leveraging internal resources (funds, time, knowledge, etc.) to support this initiative?
Approximately 100 words left (100 characters).
Expand on your answer, explaining the long-term funding and support plan.
Tell us about your partnerships across your company and externally that are key to your project's success.
Approximately 60 words left (425 characters).
What internal support have you gotten for your project? What kind of push-back have you received?
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Bangalore India
12° 58' 17.7564" N, 77° 35' 40.4268" E
Builds water tanks next to village kiosks of partner entrepreneurs, treats and tests water to pronounce it safe before it is sold at 0.20p per liter. A family of 5 can thus meet their daily need of drinking water for a cost of Rs 2 to Rs 3. The entrepreneur makes a 25% margin on water sales and benefits from the increased traffic directed to his shop, and the increased status from providing a basic need to his community. Community benefits from clean and affordable drinking water and decreased instance of water born illnesses.
Bangalore India
12° 58' 17.7564" N, 77° 35' 40.4268" E
Builds water tanks next to village kiosks of partner entrepreneurs, treats and tests water to pronounce it safe before it is sold at 0.20p per liter. A family of 5 can thus meet their daily need of drinking water for a cost of Rs 2 to Rs 3. The entrepreneur makes a 25% margin on water sales and benefits from the increased traffic directed to his shop, and the increased status from providing a basic need to his community. Community benefits from clean and affordable drinking water and decreased instance of water born illnesses.
Our organic farming initiative is aggregating farmers in a cluster and delivering high quality organic liquid fertilizers at a low cost. Eco friendly holistic solutions in the form of experience. The program, service and product are scalable and designed to be end to end to substantially enhance farmer incomes.
Created on 01/9/2013 by akatun
The PackH2O water backpack is the lowest cost, ergonomically correct way to manually transport and store household water in the developing world. It holds 20L and allows women and children to avoid the in-transit contamination and water loss that often occurs when they transport water in buckets and jerry cans.
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about yourself/your team.
As the Chief Sustainability Officer for Greif, Scott Griffin is responsible for leading the sustainability strategy for the world’s leading industrial packaging company. Since joining Greif in 2006, Scott has helped Greif not only reduce its environmental impact, but also implemented a “sustainability-in-action” program that includes developing business innovations to alleviate humanitarian issues.
David Fischer joined Greif in 2004 as senior vice president and divisional president. He later assumed responsibility for operations in Asia, Australia and Africa. He was named CEO in 2011. Fischer identified the Achilles' Heel of the global clean water crisis and he knew that Greif had the expertise to devise a solution. It was under his direction that the water backpacks were created.
What makes you an intrapreneur? What are the skills, capabilities, and personality traits that make you an intrapreneur?
As a team with years of experience in managing and growing organizations, we have a strong entrepreneurial core. We seek and identify opportunities and focus on developing business innovations that alleviate humanitarian issues. While the scale of the problem we have identified is big, our technical skills and capabilities in manufacturing and distribution have put us in a unique position to solve this problem. We are aware of our strengths and weaknesses and where we see a weakness we partner with leading groups such as The Clinton Global Initiative and Habitat for Humanity International who can help us achieve our goals. We are fully committed to our goal.
Company Country
United States, OH, Delaware
Primary country where this project is creating social impact
Haiti, SD, Port-au -Prince
Additional countries or regions
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Scaling (the next step will be growing impact on a regional or even global scale)
The Need: What social or environmental problem are you trying to solve?
The poorest gather and transport water in discarded jerry cans and buckets originally used to ship fuel, pesticides and other chemicals. The plastic absorbs these toxins, which end up in the household water. On average, women and children travel 3.5 miles daily to collect water, carrying up to 20L per trip. Medical studies have shown that repetitive head carrying of heavy loads is harmful to the body. Furthermore, water is lost during transit and arrives home contaminated.
Numerous organizations invest in clean water-drilling wells, purifying water and filtering, yet human transport of water from access point to home remains the “Achilles Heel” of the global clean water challenge. The design targets the challenges of carrying water in diverse geographies, under difficult conditions.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The water backpack, PackH2O, is the lowest cost, ergonomically correct way to manually transport and store household water in the developing world. It holds 20L and allows women and children to avoid the in-transit contamination and water loss that often occurs when they transport water in buckets.
A wide mouth allows for fast filling, minimizing wait time at the source point that can expose women and children to danger in unstable regions. Lighter weight (7x lighter than the average jerry can) allows for fast, high-volume emergency relief shipments. A roll-down closure reduces water loss and contamination during transit while the protected spout keeps water clean for drinking. The backpack is leak proof, durable and easy to clean and sterilize and collapses when empty. It is designed to be sewn in developing markets with minimal capital and training to create needed jobs. Made from an industrial-grade woven polypropylene, it delivers strength while reducing weight and cost.
The Solution: Why is this solution innovative for your company and industry?
We identified an important problem and knew that Greif, a global leader in industrial packaging, had the expertise to devise a better alternative. We took an industrial grade polyethylene material that is used to manufacture flexible, industrial containers and redesigned it to solve an essential need at the base of the pyramid. The result is a lighter, stronger, more sterile water transportation vessel that also produces 57.6% less CO2 emissions than traditional containers.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities.
The average woman in the developing world is under 5’4” and weighs less than 125 lbs and walks on average 3.5 miles everyday to get water to bring home, making the challenge of carrying up to 40lb of water every day and over long distances a significant health issue. Water is lost during transit and more importantly arrives home contaminated. A test conducted by Battelle of jerry cans being used by Haitians to carry water found that more than 90% were contaminated with E.Coli; more than 70% previously held oil and other toxic chemicals.
By using the water backpack, a woman’s life changes in the following ways:
-Because the backpack is lighter, distributes the weight evenly and can be adjusted to the size and strength of the person wearing it, it is much easier and safer to transport water home
-It can stand on its own or be hung up for dispensing water making water storage easy
-Roll-down closure reduces water loss and contamination while the protected spout keeps water clean for drinking
-With no chemical coating, it is water safe, easy to clean and sterilize
-A wide mouth allows for fast filling, minimizing wait time at the source point that can expose women to danger in unstable regions
-It leaves hands free, which helps a user to navigate steep inclines and slippery terrain and defend herself against any danger
-It is available in kits that are optimally priced to be sewn and sold by women with minimal capital and training providing them jobs
-Sanitizing the backpack liner in the sun removes E.coli from the liner nearly as effectively as chlorination
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Current known alternative methods developed to carry water include: 14-liter Oxfam Bucket,
CDC Safe Water 20-liter modified jerry cans, 5-gallon (19-liter) buckets, clay pots and a barrel shaped container called the Hippo Water Roller, which carries 24 gallons of water. The Oxfam Bucket and Safe Water jerry can are moderate cost, hard-sided solutions with higher distribution and storage costs than PackH2O. The Hippo Water Roller is often filled by pouring water from dirty buckets into the drum and is not suitable for pushing over rugged terrains, such as slopes or mountains.
At scale, PackH2O costs lower than other options and is collapsible and lightweight, driving down transportation and storage costs.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Greif was among the first companies to commit long-term resources to recovery efforts there. On a trip to Haiti to help install a rain catchment system in a rural village, Greif CEO David Fischer observed women carrying water in containers on their heads, and children lugging home dirty jerry cans and buckets full of water. Recognizing that the containers being used were likely chemically contaminated, he knew there was a better way and that Greif could apply its business innovation and technical skills to create a solution so he challenged a group of employees to find it. The result is the PackH2O backpack that alleviates the physical and safety challenges of getting water home.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
• In total more than 16,000 water backpacks have been in distributed in Haiti, Guatemala, Kenya and Uganda.
• More than 4,000 water backpacks were distributed in four communities in Haiti with support from the Clinton Foundation.
• In Guatemala, women are selling the backpack to other community members, generating or supplementing income for their families and building economic stability for local communities in two successful pilot projects, one of which has been expanded through support from the Knights of Columbus.
• In Marsabit, a remote area in northeast Kenya, we have partnered with Partners for Care and Habitat for Humanity to field test 600 water backpacks with women who spend 6 hours a day obtaining water for household use.
• A study conducted by Partners in Health in Haiti found that 100% of users said the backpack is comfortable, 72% could carry more water than with buckets, 60% said it took less time to carry water home with the backpack.
What is your projected impact over the next 1 to 3 years?
We are pursuing three separate business models simultaneously: disaster relief model, livelihood model and entrepreneurship model. The first two models involve the distribution of the backpacks via NGOs and other partners. The third model involves creating micro-entrepreneurial opportunities in developing economies.
We estimate that by combining the three models, by 2016, we will distribute close to 500,000 backpacks and touch two and half million lives in 10 countries.
*Based on the assumption that each backpack touches five lives
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
1) Generating awareness about the problems surrounding the current methods of personal water transport and storage and effectively communicating the benefits of the new solution. We are working to overcome this by collaborating with partner organizations who have experience in training and educating community members.
2) Scaling something as aspirational as transforming the way water is carried. To address this we are working hard to build an investment model vs. and aid based model. We have a for profit approach as opposed to a foundation/ charity based approach.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the benefit or value you're creating for your business?
- The application of our expertise and core competencies to the creation of new products that help improve the lives of individuals in developing economies
- Gaining a better understanding of the needs of the base of the pyramid
- Entrance into new markets
- Increasing visibility on the issue with key stakeholders
- Increase visibility of the company via awards such as the Popular Science's Best of What's New and Global Green awards
- Strengthening of our relationship with our customers
How are you leveraging internal resources (funds, time, knowledge, etc.) to support this initiative?
Greif has committed its internal manufacturing division to produce and improve upon the development of the backpack. We are also leveraging the capabilities of our partner Partners in Health (PIH) for testing and validation of impact of the backpacks. Greif has provided significant funding for the program to date.
Greif has also partnered with a Columbus based venture capital firm, NCT Ventures, to lead operations and marketing efforts for PackH2O. NCT Ventures along with Greif, has built an exceptional team with the necessary funding needed to accomplish our mission.
Expand on your answer, explaining the long-term funding and support plan.
Our focus is on building a sustainable model based on commerce. Greif & NCT Ventures have made a commitment for the long term. Both companies understand that to tackle a global issue such as the crisis tied to water takes time, resources and requires funding. From a resource perspective, Greif has offered its core competencies in manufacturing and distribution and invested two million dollars in R&D and design; they are committed to continuing this investment to provide a product that is both environmentally and economically better than the alternative. NCT supports this vision and is ready to make the necessary investment towards this social venture. Our strong partnerships with PIH, the Clinton Foundation and others are helping us scale our efforts.
Tell us about your partnerships across your company and externally that are key to your project's success.
Within our company we work in full cooperation with our manufacturing, product development, marketing and communications departments.
We partnered with NCT ventures to lead operations and marketing efforts.
Our partners are:
Globally: Operation Blessing, Partners in Health
Haiti: Clinton Foundation
Kenya: Partners for Care, Habitat for Humanity
Guatemala: CXCatalysts, CEMACO, Knights of Columbus and the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala
What internal support have you gotten for your project? What kind of push-back have you received?
We have received full support from Micheal Gasser, former CEO, current chairman of board and from our current CEO David Fischer who has initiated this project. We also have full support of Greif's manufacturing, distribution and communication departments. We have not received any push-back.
This project is a large global project with many smaller projects under the umbrella. The largest components include an end to assault weapons and hand guns in the USA. The smaller projects include retooling factories and retraining workers at those factories. Each of these sub-projects include clean low emissions manufacturing of safe, energy-efficient and renewable products that benefit everyone. With the weapons gone, we will use the facilities to do good in the world.
Experiments
1. Saving precious water,
2. Improving soil fertility,
3. Reduction of labor cost,
4. Reduction of input cost
5. Avoiding loss of production during conversion,
6. Remunerative price to farmers and make agriculture sustainable
Answers
A.1 Use of Laser Leveler, SRI method, grown green manure crops to save water
A.2 Green manure crop, using Bio Amrutha Jalam resulted in earthworm and microbial population growth, helped formation of rich humus, improved soil fertility
A.3 Use of agricultural machinery reduced labor cost
Created on 10/21/2012 by SaniCreat
Sanitation Creations is developing the patent-pending Dungaroo: an odorless, waterless, hygienic and cost efficient portable toilet technology aiming to solve a worldwide sanitation crisis and bring portable toilet sanitation into the 21st century.
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about yourself/your team.
Liz Morris is the founder and CEO of Sanitation Creations. She completed her masters in Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the University of North Carolina. Daniel Green is the Chief Financial Officer at Sanitation Creations. Evan Brigham is a design engineer at Sanitation Creations. Matt Chais is the Director of Marketing at Sanitation Creations. Together they have experience in engineering, packaging science, finance, sanitation in developing countries, and start up marketing.
What makes you an intrapreneur? What are the skills, capabilities, and personality traits that make you an intrapreneur?
I am an intrapreneur because I have the vision to change and improve sanitation not just in developing countries, but also here at home in the United States. We thought outside of the flush toilet and came up with an idea that would revolutionize portable sanietation. We are then able to apply those technologies to developing countries. We have possess the drive and vision to carry the concept forward, taking feedback to ensure the Dungaroo and Sanitation Creations is the best it can be.
Company Country
United States, NC, Raleigh, Wake County
Primary country where this project is creating social impact
United States, NC, Raleigh, Wake County
Additional countries or regions
Industry
Consumer Products
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
The Need: What social or environmental problem are you trying to solve?
Two and a half billion people worldwide lack access to adequate sanitation. The problem is so extreme that the UN made halving the population without basic sanitation by 2015 one of its targets as part of the Millennium Development Goals. The lack of sanitation is especially harmful in peri-urban areas which lack government recognition and infrastructure. Without proper sanitation, excreta can contaminate drinking water and food supplies causing disease. Good sanitation, on the other hand, would not only help make drinking water safe, but use the nutrients available in excreta as a valuable secondary product.
Meanwhile, there are 1.5 million unhygienic and unpleasant portable toilets in the United States generating odors and harming the environment.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The Dungaroo is a patent-pending system to collect excreta through innovative toilet design that can be retrofitted into existing portable toilets or used as a stand-alone unit for alternative toilet for the transportation industry, campers, boats, and in developing countries.
The Dungaroo uses a hard plastic sitting unit and urea lined bags that help to treat the excreta. It seals the bag full of excreta before dropping it into the storage bin, thus limiting smell and making it easy to empty. The sealing mechanism uses two cylindrical bars to cinch the bags and push them through to the holding tank. It is activated by a foot pedal that is connected to the bottom holding tank. The bottom holding tank fits together using male and female pieces, which eliminates the need for tools to assemble the Dungaroo. The bags can then be collected and turned into bio-gas using gasification or fertilizer using composting.
The Solution: Why is this solution innovative for your company and industry?
This solution is innovative because it is a solution for developing countries that is as hygienic as the flushing toilet, but does not have the infrastructure requirements. It effectively treats the waste so it does not harm the environment. In the United States, the portable sanitation industry has been virtually unchanged since the 1940s, when the outside of a porta-potty changed from wood to plastic.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities.
Sanitation Creations has two business models: Razor and Blades Model and Charitable Giving Model. We will license the Dungaroo units to portable toilet manufacturers. The licensing fee will be 6% to encourage the manufacturer to set a lower price for the toilet to ensure implementation of the Dungaroo. The main revenue stream will come from the selling the Dungaroo bags directly to the consumer. We have also set aside a minimum of 10% of profits to getting the Dungaroo into developing countries.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There is no one technology that currently addresses the lack of sanitation in developing countries and in portable toilets. The Brown Corporation in UK produces a cardboard box that uses bags to hold waste and is meant as an alternative to port-a-potties at outdoor festivals. It is meant for short term use and does not try to collect the waste from the user. Cleanwaste in the US produces a standalone portable hard plastic toilet for camping and emergency situations. It does not try to collect the waste from the user either. Peepoople in Sweden produces a bag and distributes it in developing countries. This bag can be buried providing rich nutrients to the soil.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Sanitation Creations began as my masters research. I had come to the University of North Carolina to study sustainable packaging but needed a research project. My advisor and I were brainstorming, when he asked how did I feel about packaging poop for developing countries. It sounded perfect as it combined my dual passions for packaging and international development. As I was writing my thesis 2 years later and doodling toilet designs, I realized that I had a real business concept. Once I graduated, instead of going on for my doctorate, I put my energy into starting Sanitation Creations. I built a team and from there we have grown together as a company.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Currently we are still in the research and development stage. Our impact has been talking about Sanitation to investors, business people, and students to inspire other social change.
What is your projected impact over the next 1 to 3 years?
Over the next 3 years, we will be in the market in the United States and will begin spreading to developing countries.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The barriers in the United States will be changing the portable sanitation industry to a new technology, as it has been virtually unchanged since the 1940s. In developing countries, the barriers will be updating the design so that it is a consumer product that people want to use and own.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the benefit or value you're creating for your business?
We are using a razor and blades model, so the value we create is through the sales of the bags. We are also close-looping the system by collecting the bags back and processing them as energy.
How are you leveraging internal resources (funds, time, knowledge, etc.) to support this initiative?
Our team all works at other jobs so we are not spending money on salaries and it ensures that we are all truly passionate about what we are doing. We also are located in the middle of 3 large research universities and are leveraging support from them. We did a business writing program at the business school at UNC, and are currently sponsoring bag R&D at North Carolina State University.
Expand on your answer, explaining the long-term funding and support plan.
We have received initial funding from myself (my life savings), friends and family, and as winners of the Cherokee Challenge. After consulting with our mentors, we have decided that grants will be the best way to fund Sanitation Creations, because we are trying to change sanitation for the better. Our long term support plan is to re-invest profits into the company to ensure gold standard R&D.
Tell us about your partnerships across your company and externally that are key to your project's success.
We have partners with Cherokee and Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network. This is key to our success because they allow access to their networks and their expertise. We are also trying to develop a partnership with SHE (developing a biodegradable pad for women in developing countries)
What internal support have you gotten for your project? What kind of push-back have you received?
Internally, we have the support of our team and advisors. We receive feedback to make our design better.
Sameh Ghali is introducing a new system of community participation in the design of low-cost, community-appropriate sewage systems in Egypt's villages to improve public health, quality of life, and the environment.
Created on 09/12/2012 by cmeschino
SemiosBIO markets tools to prevent bedbug infestations. Products include applications for first responders, travelers, and the hospitality industry.
Organization: SemiosBIO
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this solution is creating social impact
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Vancouver, Coast and Mountains, Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan, Northern British Columbia, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Kootenay Rockies, Columbia Basin.
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
Over $2 billion is spent fighting bedbug infestations annually. DDT, the toxic product that successfully controlled bedbugs for decades, is no longer legally allowed for indoor use. Replacement pesticides are less effective and bedbugs have become resistant to currently available products. There is demand for safe and sustainable bedbug control products that can manage existing populations and prevent the spread of infestations. With the cost and time of pesticide discovery programs approaching $200-240 million and 10 years, no new alternatives are entering the market.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Under its GUARD banner, SemiosBIO markets tools to prevent bedbug infestations. Products include applications for first responders, travelers, and the hospitality industry.
SemiosGUARD's patented pheromones work by protecting areas that are at risk for infestation. Once a bedbug cannot feed it cannot reproduce and infest an area. SemiosGUARD can work in two ways: By pre-treating areas such as hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and low-income housing, SemiosBIO can prevent the spread of bedbugs. For recently treated infestations, SemiosBIO's pheromones can be used post-treatment to prevent the re-accurance of bedbugs to prevent serial infestations.
SemiosBIO's product for first responders protects police, paramedics, and social workers who have to put themselves at risk when entering infested areas. When sprayed on, bedbugs are repelled from the officers' clothing and will not hitch a ride out of the premises.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
To give an example: In August, Global News reported that half of BC housing housing developments are infested with Bedbugs. Treatment options including pesticides and heat treatment have been used but only reduce pest populations - they do not eradicate them. Since it only takes one female bedbug to create an infestation, new recurring infestations occur routinely. SemiosBIO product can be used post-treatment in BC housing units to prevent the reintroduction of bedbugs onto the premises. This would result in a reduction of pest control costs as well as a safer and more sanitary environment for tenants affected by both the physical and psychological implications of bedbug attacks.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
SemiosBIO’s main competitors are existing chemical pesticides, labour intensive eradication techniques, and other non-pesticide products. These products are available online, through home hardware stores, or through a local pest control operator.
Current competitors do not offer preventative or post-treatment options - allowing SemiosGUARD to be used as both a standalone and complimentary product.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Dr. Michael Gilbert, Founder and CEO of SemiosBIO, realized that there was a gap in treatment options for infested homes after hearing first hand accounts of the difficulty in removing the pests from homes. With experience at Cardiome Pharma and Merck in drug discovery and synthesis of organic compounds, Dr. Gilbert created and patented a novel pheromone technology that is 97% effective at repelling bedbugs.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
To provide an option (other than harsh chemical pesticides) for those affected by bedbug infestations to prevent future infestations by using both pre- and post-treatment options. This includes those who deal with bedbugs on a daily basis (police, paramedics, social workers) to those who want to protect their families from future infestations.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Currently in the regulatory submission phase, SemiosBIO has demonstrated the potency and effectiveness of it's solution through trials and tests at UBC which indicated 97% effectiveness for SemiosGUArd vs. 53% for current market products. SemiosBIO is currently working with the EPA and PMRA for market approval.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Systematic reduction in the levels of bedbugs in BC and throughout Canada and the United States.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Product distribution can slow penetration rates of consumer products; SemiosBIO will tackle this by partnering with market leaders in pest control to ensure proper distribution channels.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Continued Geographical Expansion
Task 3
Future Product Development
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
SemiosBIO is currently working with established pest control operators to provide bedbug samples and to product test. SemiosBIO also has expressions of interest from two large hotel chains as well as first responders to provide protection from infestation.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
SemiosBIO's product can work anywhere there are bedbugs.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
High energy and high growth oriented individuals with a desire to innovate and provide sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Oh! Natural Aromatherapy provides a totally natural and fragrant way of holistic treatments. We use 100% organic essential oils, and byproduct that are eco-friendly and biodegradible. Through consultations methods are perscribed they include inhalation (by diffusing), baths and topical applications ultimately affect mooding changes, promoting good health and well-being. At the moment there is the need at least $50,000 minimum funding and manpower to grow this idea.
Created on 09/3/2012 by fernanda@loowatt.com
Valuable system outputs generate new economies;
A unique toilet uses that biodegradable lining instead of water, and creates a clean, odour-free seal;
The anaerobic digester converts the toilet contents into natural gas and fertilizer;
Design and collaboration create a better user experience.
Organization: Loowatt Ltd
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Country
United Kingdom, WND, London
Country where this project is creating social impact
Madagascar, AN, Antananarivo
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideName Your Entry
Loowatt: Value Generating Waterless Toilet Systems in Madagascar
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
2.5 billion people worldwide lack access to sanitation, creating a crisis for human health that desperately needs financially sustainable solutions (UN Millennium Development Goals, 2011 Goals Report).
In Madagascar, 68% of people live below the poverty line of $1.25 income per person per day, with about 80% lacking access to adequate sanitation (WHO/UNICEF, 2012).
Loowatt is building a profit-generating sanitation system in Antananarivo, the capital, where there is widespread need for improved sanitation, energy and new sources of income. Electricity is expensive, hard to access and charcoal is the leading source of cooking fuel (Loowatt survey, 2012).
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Loowatt is a waterless toilet that uses a unique sealing unit to contain waste and odour in biodegradable film. Once sealed, the waste and biodegradable film are stored in a container that is emptied regularly into a nearby anaerobic digester.
The digester produces biogas, which can be used as a cooking fuel or turned into electricity, and digestate, a nutrient-rich liquid, which is further treated at a secondary location to become market-ready fertilizer.
The toilet and the small-scale digester, dubbed an ‘Energy Unit,’ are owned and operated by a local entrepreneur, and serve about 50 toilet users per day. This shared model fits the context of Antananarivo; a flood-prone urban centre where most families have shared pit latrines.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The Loowatt System benefits include (1) a toilet that is not only clean but aspirational, (2) improved local health and productivity, (3) increased access to energy, (4) increased access to locally produced fertilizer, and (5) significant job creation.
The Energy Unit revenue sources are (1) toilet visits, (2) biogas energy products (such as cooking fuel, hot water for showers, mobile phone and battery charges), and (3) sale of digestate for further treatment.
We have built a detailed financial model with inputs based on real data. Based on this, the Energy Units will earn $6-8 per day in gross profit.
Employees of the Compost Factory, a facility that purchases digestate, and post-processes it to produce high quality fertilizer, service the Energy Unit regularly. In the current model, one Compost Factory will serve a local cluster of 50 Energy Units, but the system can be adapted to suit many scales.
Conversion of digestate to fertilizer adds further value. The price of commercial fertilizer in Madagascar is about $1 per kilo, and our surveys have shown we can earn an equivalent price for Loowatt compost. A Compost Factory serving 50 Energy Units earns $160 per day in gross profit (USD).
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Some commodity-driven waterless toilet systems are being tested in parts of Africa, charging toilet users and/or owners for waste collection with a view to generating value from waste at central facilities. But unlike our system, these projects lack a truly hygienic, aspirational, and odour-free toilet. They also require raw sewage to be carried around the city—a hazardous job—while our system pre-treats the waste on site.
Our distribution model enables toilet users and owners to benefit directly from the energy produced, which increases the return on investment. In others the production is remote, suggesting that toilet users may never see the benefits.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to supply chains, Access to technology, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
In 2011, after being awarded a Grand Challenges Explorations Phase 1 Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Loowatt set out to implement a pilot system in Antananarivo, Madagascar. This process began with a thorough examination of the local landscape, market segmentation, and the development of a system model to maximize value in this context. We are now implementing a pilot system that will be operational in October 2012.
This work is being done in collaboration with Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor in Madagascar, who have helped us reach a broad range of local stakeholders, from community councils to national ministries, to build awareness about waste-to-energy systems.
Our team includes a rapidly growing number of Malagasy employees.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
With the pilot system running, we’ll require 8-12 months of information gathering and system refinement to start scaling effectively. Our focus will be (1) to gather feedback to make incremental improvements to the existing system, (2) to collect data on system commodity generation, (3) to further improve our model, and (4) to explore methods for scaling.
Each Energy Unit will create a small business, 50 toilet users, and over 100 energy customers. The Compost Factory process generates 25-50 kg of fertilizer per Energy Unit per day. In 3 years we aim to have 10,000 Energy Units on the ground, improving the lives and livelihoods of over 2 million people.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The Energy Unit needs to be proven as a profitable and sustainable enterprise to encourage rapid entrepenerial uptake. Validating our current assumptions is the first key performance indicator for this, with the pilot system operational we will assess the real return on investment for both the Energy Unit and the Compost Factory. This will enable us to understand the best financing models to implement and scale successfully.
Feedback about the system use and its associated commodities (toilet, energy and fertilizer products) will also be gathered in a commercial context. In-depth usage surveys and statistics will help us to improve the toilet system, while creating new approaches for refinement
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Successful implementation of the pilot system, incremental improvements and data collection
Task 1
Gather user feedback on energy unit (toilet and digester)
Task 2
Make incremental improvements to system components (toilet, digester, compost site)
Task 3
Develop marketing strategy for sale of energy and fertilizer
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Completion of the pilot stage, data analysis, system model improvements and initial scaling of units
Task 1
Analyze pilot system data and system model input
Task 2
Complete detailed plan to scale Loowatt system
Task 3
Begin implementation of scaling plan with the aim of providing improved sanitation to more than 300 people
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Loowatt originated from Virginia Gardiner’s Industrial Design Engineering Masters project at the Royal College of Art in 2008. Her project questioned the unethical practice of flushing the toilet with drinking water and examined ways to turn human excrement into a commodity rather than a taboo substance to be flushed and forgotten.
By testing out a series of prototypes in her London apartment, from worm toilets to aerating sawdust toilets to packaging toilets, Gardiner realized that the best incentives to use waterless toilets were (1) no smell, and (2) commodity generation.
The formation of Loowatt Ltd. in 2010 created the opportunity for cross-disciplinary input from specialists in fields of design, sanitation, biology and engineering. Out of this came the optimized Loowatt toilet and system model.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
In Madagascar, Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor’s support has enabled us to rapidly understand and access local people, systems and infrastructure providers. We intend to continue this relationship as we work toward scaling systems there.
Through the Gates Foundation’s Water and Sanitation grantee network, we are now in the process of forming further collaborations with groups that share common interests in sanitation, anaerobic digestion, and distributive system developments.
The InnovationRCA incubator offers us ongoing business support.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
The development of an alternative form of sanitation is a cross-disciplinary challenge; we value collaboration and understand that research, both scientific and market-based is important to create a successful result.
Mentoring from experts in business with experience in refining strategies for scaling would be welcome.
Created on 09/1/2012 by Vera Guarda
O projeto Cátedra busca ressaltar as qualidades de cuidadoras das mulheres para a proteção do meio ambiente.
o projeto Cátedra busca promover a capacitação de mulheres para diminuir as desigualdades de gênero e proporcionar aumento significativo no índice de desenvolvimento humano da região.
o projeto Cátedra necessita sempre manter parcerias para o sucesso do empreendimento.
Organization: Núcleo da Cátedra UNESCO: água, mulheres e desenvolvimento
more ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Núcleo da Cátedra UNESCO: água, mulheres e desenvolvimento
Country where this project is creating social impact
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
Government
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
A Cátedra UNESCO: água, mulheres e desenvolvimento busca desenvolver o potencial de mulheres em condições de vulnerabilidade social, através de cursos de capacitação.
Considerando a realidade brasileira, as mulheres ainda estão em posição de desigualdade no mercado de trabalho. E muitas famílias de baixa renda podem ter uma melhor qualidade de vida, com o auxílio das mulheres.
Na cidade de Ouro Preto, uma cidade turística, vive-se uma constante necessidade de mão de obra treinada para o mercado de trabalho.
Essa oportunidade pode ser explorada pelas mulheres, através de treinamento.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).Treinar mulheres para o mercado de trabalho, através de cursos de capacitação. O programa desses cursos é composto por uma capacitação técnica, para que essas mulheres possam concorrer no mercado de trabalho; um apoio em psicologia organizacional e uma formação em Educação ambiental para que as mesmas possam ajudar a resgatar a qualidade do meio ambiente em que vivem e trabalham.
A Cátedra Amde parte do princípio que o treinamento oferecido à mulher reflete sobre toda a sua família, considerando que a mesma é a administradora da sua casa e também, possui o dom do "cuidar", o que lhe dá um diferencial para cuidar do meio ambiente.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Nossa primeira experiência foi um curso de camareiras. As mulheres foram selecionadas pelo Centro de Referência em Assistência Social de Ouro Preto.
O curso teve 100 horas de capacitação: 60h em serviços de camareiras, 20h de Educação Ambiental e 20h de Psicologia Organizacional com profissional devidamente habilitado.Além de aulas teóricas, o curso oferecia as mulheres visitas técnicas para conhecerem o ambiente de trabalho.
O curso foi oferecido ainda por 4 vezes e nosso reconhecimento veio por meio dos gerentes dos hotéis, que toda vez que necessitam de uma profissional para o seu quadro de funcionários entram em contato com a Cátedra Amde.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
O SENAC, por exemplo, é um concorrente forte. É bem estruturado e trabalha muito bem, o lado técnico do profissional.
A nossa diferença em relação a eles é o fato de que nossa capacitação prepara o profissional como um todo. Cria no mesmo a responsabilidade e a visão crítica do trabalho para sua realização e sua relação com o meio ambiente.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to talent.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Approximately 125 words left (1000 characters).
Em 2 anos, o projeto já capacitou mais de 100 mulheres para o mercado de trabalho em diversas áreas: Camareiras e recepcionistas para os hotéis, cuidadoras de pessoas, artesãs que usam material reciclável, cozinheiras que melhoraram seu desempenho através da capacitação em manipulação de alimentos.
Além disso, a Educação ambiental vem complementar a sua qualidade de vida, prevenindo doenças de transmissão hídrica e aportando uma consciência ambiental.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
800 caracteres
Inserir no mínimo 300 mulheres no mercado de trabalho;
Criar 02 Associações: uma para produção de sabão artesanal a partir do óleo de cozinha usado. Uma pesquisa sobre esse tema está em andamento, pois apesar das mulheres terem experiência na produção do sabão artesanal, a maioria dos sabões fabricados possui elevado teor de soda cáustica residual, o que agride não só ao meio ambiente, mas também deixam as mãos num estado lastimável.
A outra associação é a do Papel. O papel é recolhido pelas catadoras, e é vendido no mercado. Nosso objetivo é transformar esse papel na própria associação. Assim agregaremos valor ao produto e pode se obter maiores ganhos,para dividir entre as participantes.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
-A evasão das mulheres. Muitas delas tem filhos pequenos e na cidade não há creche para todos.
Criar dentro do próprio espaço um local para os filhos pequenos das trabalhadoras, assim as mulheres que fazem capacitação em cuidador de pessoas, poderão realizar um estágio no local do curso;
-
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Plano de Marketing, implantação de programa de garantia de qualidade e busca de recursos
Task 1
Plano de Marketing - Criar um site para nosso trabalho
Task 2
Garantia de Qualidade: treinamento da equipe e melhoria nos cursos oferecidos
Task 3
Busca de recursos: participação em editais públicos
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Criação de uma Agência de Emprego com pessoas capacitadas e comprometidas com o meio ambiente
Task 1
Estabelecer dentro dos cursos de capacitação um programa de estágio remunerado para as mulheres em capacitação.
Task 2
Realizar pesquisas sobre as maiores necessidades do mercado local em termos de mão de obra qualificada;
Task 3
Buscar parcerias no comércio local ou no setor público;
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
As parcerias tem sustentado o projeto até o momento. Elas são muito importantes. Exemplo de uma parceria: o CRAS de Ouro Preto é um grande parceiro. Este Centro de Referência em Assistência Social nos garante a divulgação e seleção das mulheres em condições de vulnerabilidade social e disponibiliza seus psicólogos para os módulos de psicologia organizacional.
A transcotta, uma empresa de ônibus em um primeiro contato, já disponibilizou passagens para as mulheres virem até o local do curso.
O SINE cadastra as mulheres capacitadas, com o objetivo de lhes encontrar um posto de trabalho.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Nossa equipe é composta por 16 professores, a maioria deles são doutores nas mais diversas áreas: Farmácia, Engenharia Ambiental, Ciências dos Alimentos, Nutrição, Administração e Química. Estamos habituados a realizar pesquisas e colaborações. Nós precisamos de investimentos, assim buscamos editais públicos, e criar associações que promovam a melhoria de renda das comunidades onde trabalhamos.
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: Aromatherapy For All.
Created on 08/31/2012 by Pamela S. Gomez
Oh! Natural Aromatherapy provides a totally natural and fragrant way of holistic treatments. We use 100% organic essential oils, and byproduct that are eco-friendly and biodegradible. Through consultations methods are perscribed they include inhalation (by diffusing), baths and topical applications ultimately affect mooding changes, promoting good health and well-being.
Organization: Oh! Natural Aromatherapy
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Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
In 2011 the entire Bahamas was affect by a spreading dengue virus and in 2006 there were two reported cases of malaria. Both problems were recognized by the Center for Disease Control in the US and a warning was given to US travelers. The Bahamas has a high illegal immigrant population and many felt that the unsanitary conditions and poor housing standards did not help this situation. As a result many of the hospitals and medical facilities were filled to capacity during 2011. This brought to the forefront a need for preventative measures and holistic treatments to prevent any future outbreaks. Needed are preventative measures in the overpopulated immigrant communities and an aggressive mosquito eradication efforts.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Oh! Natural Aromatherapy's solution initially is to build a web-base retail business around the sale of 100% Organic Essential Oil base products and byproducts. Later building partnerships with Governments and other community organizations to educate and service the growing underserved immigrant population in the Bahamas. The proposal is to further build the already established clientele and then specifically create a care kits to combat some of the common illness seen at the local hospitals and community clinics. These are treatments such that are known to be insect repellants (Citronella, Lavender, Eucalyptus and Lemongrass Essential Oils) among other treatments. This is only one of a multitude of kits we can prepare with holistic health remedies. Additionally, engage the underserved community in the solution by implimenting training programs. The establishment of a farm and a distillery would also provide employment.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The Model I propose is to build a retail web-based business, establishing a presence and a clientele. Continue to participate in seminars and trade shows, solicit partnerships with persons in the underserved communities such as churches and schools. Then I propose embark on a marketing campaign, followed by doing a further feasibility study on the viabilty of establishing a farm and distillery in the Bahamas.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
My peers would be fellow entrepreneurs with similar ideas. Trying to establish similar business ideas for the moment I know of none. My competitors would be the medical industry, pharmaceutical companies and possible medical supply companies who create care kits for inpatients. What differentiats me from the others is that we are taking a holistic approach to health. Our method would effect the mind, body and soul of our clients. In a public health system some treatments and medications are free. This would be our major challenge because we cannot give away our products. Another challenge could be the quantity of stock in inventory. Additionally, most medications have a longer shelf life. Therefore, our challenge would be to move the inventory before it expires.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to talent, Access to technology, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
This solution has not been tested.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
The projected impact would be to lessen the outbreaks of Malaria, Dengue Fever or any other viruses or diseases spread due to mosquitos, or unsanitary conditions.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Lack of funding, lack of partnerships and a language barrier. At the moment the plan to find funding is to shop my idea around and see if I can catch the attention of an investor. My goal is to convince this indivdual of the many benefits of holistic treatments verses conventional medicines. As for finding partners the will take a stong selling point the would have immediate results. As for the language barrier my plan would be to hire an immigrant that how has Bahamian Status to work in the country and train this individual.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Build Partnerships with the church and schools in the Underserved Communities
Task 2
Expand the Marketing Campaign
Task 3
Build Parterships with the Government & the Private Sector
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
My "Aha" moment was when I was sitting at the dinner table with a relative who had a headache. He did not like taking pills and was suffering with the headache. I recommended treatment with one of my oils it worked and I had my first customer. The Company Name and Mission Statement soon followed. "Oh! Natural Aromatherapy". "Aromatherapy for the entire family".
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
At the moment I have existing partnerships with three suppliers in the US, one in the UK, and a Educational Institue in the South of France. The facility in France also serves as a grower and distributor for the products. Currently I am working on creating a partner ship with a company in Sri Lanka. However, in the expansion plan, I would like to create a farm and distillery in the Bahamas. Additionally, I do my endeavor best to partner with the schools, church's and civic organizations to educate and market my products.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
At the moment I do not have a lawyer and with a project of this size I would need capital investments and legal advice on how to go about getting investors to look at my idea. As a mentor, I can share my experience. As a result of my years of work as an Administrator offer advice to other about hiring and recruiting the best talent. Additionally, time premitting I can assist with research.
Created on 08/10/2012 by promitasg
our Company chose to work in the field of Sanitation through our Patented Innovation which is a Quickly Deployable and Cost-Effective Complete Toilet Solution especially for women and girl child
Organization: Innovations Unlimited
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Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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Privacy and Dignity for underpriviledged
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Since, good health and sanitation are intricately woven, we believe as an organisation that, Hygienic Sanitation Facility, which is non-existant for the under-priviledged, once when made available to all, would automatically result in reduction of fatalities and school drop outs, hence, a healthier educated Society.
In Rural Schools or at IDP Camps , to provide privacy to women and girl child ,while accessing basic needs like taking a bath, Changing or feeding their babies.
Our product aims at discouraging 'Open Defecation', abuse on women, reduce child trafficking , reduce 'school drop outs', due to lack of privacy and dignity while accessing sanitation facilities.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
our Patented Innovation nCircle R, which is a quickly Deployable , light weight mobile Superstructure, ensures Privacy and Dignity to all especially Women while catering to all of their Personal needs like taking a bath, Changing or feeding their babies.
Coupled with a toilet slab this superstructure acts like a complete toilet solution.
This structure can commissioned or decommissioned in matter of minutes. Due to its flexibility , it can be easily transported , in large numbers to remote, disaster (floods , ethnic violence etc) stricken areas using public transport.
Low cost ensures affordability for the masses.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
For Disaster response : Used in Malda ( West Bengal) for the flood response by OXFAM India whereby quick deployability of our superstructure proved to be a boon to the hapless victims. This could reduce water contamination and resultant diseases like diarrhea , dysentery etc , which are the major causes of child mortality.
At Rural Schools : Our innovative superstructure has been deployed in a rural school of Sitamarhi , Bihar, which successfully inculcated a behavioural change amongst the girl students and female teeachers. The video at our website shows the positive comments of the teacher and the principal of the school. They are quite hopeful, along with us, that this will reduce the number of school drop outs. We are quite confident that with the adaptation of the same in other rural schools will usher in a new dawn in the education for girl child.
Please refer to our website for more reports and videos.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Any organisation who deals with sanitation solutions for the under-priviledged.
We have seen the govermnet trying to build brick and mortar solutions , but the existing gap between the supply and demand is so wide , and the gap widens further with population increase.
Since our solution is an innovation which is a low cost , light weight and easily deployable requiring minimum labour (only for pit digging) , easily commissioned and decommissioned , hence it is the key differentiating factor with others.
Our superstructure can be used for multiple purposes to address most of sanitation requirements like bathing, changing feeding etc, unlike a conventional brick and mortar toilet.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to better the lives of girls and women by leveraging technology? (select all applicable)
Access to health care.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
It has been used in the flood affected areas of Malda , Assam, Bihar as well as by the CRPF for usage during Amarnath Yatra. Our product has been used by millions of pilgrims as changing and bathing rooms.
The flood affected areas could get quick sanitation facilities available to reduce inconvenience for the women and girl child.
This has helped to reduce probable abuse on women and child trafficking .
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Our innovation is now being looked at by the INGOs for their relief response abroad.
We are also trying to reach as many rural schools as possible in the next 2-3 years to reduce school drop outs , child abuse etc.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
- Government apathy towards usage of innovative solutions. The govt is working on brick and mortar solution for all , which is not only time consuming but is also difficult to bridge the gap between demand and on growing supply.
- Change of mindset of people towards sanitation
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
our ambition is to keep working with NGO's and INGOs , help change mindset of people, infuse funds to reach wider audience
Task 1
- Identify agencies who can fund our cause
Task 2
Recruit more people and collaborate with agencies to work with government and fight our cause
Task 3
Take help from global agencies to reach the wider global audience
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Hope to grow a sizeable market outside India like Africa or countries having IDP camps , to sustain and innovate further
Task 1
Tap the foreign markets , which we have already started , Send our product to as many countries as possible
Task 2
Identify more areas for collaboration
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
After our joint meeting with the Water and Sanitation specialists of UNICEF and OXFAM INDIA , when we realised the lack of such facilities in disaster affected areas. When the Wash specialist of Unicef cried out " This is Magic" commenting on the quick deployability and flexibility of the innovation, and also exclaimed that though they were in the industry for more than 15 years and was on the constant lookout for a solution, this kind of simplicity around our innovated, still eluded them , was a real "Aha" Moment for us.
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We have collaborated with with organisations whose product line compliments our products and works in tandem with our innovation.
We are also working with several INGOs and NGOs.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Investment is our key need right now. It would be good to have pro-bono help on legal requirements, as well as new marketing/media ideas. We would be more than happy to provide ideas on innovations and collaborate with any organisation which could add value to our cause.
Created on 08/7/2012 by Brydie Hill
SPF is a non-profit charitable organization committed to developing and funding sustainable projects that improve the overall life and community for impoverished around the world.
Organization: Sustainable Pathways Foundation
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Sustainable Pathways Foundation
Organization Country
United States, WI, Milwakee, Milwaukee County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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ToileTrees Micro Production Facility
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Of the 33 million people living in the rural areas of Kenya 68% or 22 million people do not have access to an improved sanitation facility. This means that the majority of the population will meet their bathroom needs by using a non-piped sewer system, septic tank, pit latrine, an open pit, bucket, a shared facility or no facility at all. These unimproved sanitation facilities are unsanitary and are the cause of the many health problems that the Kenyan people face. Some of the most prevalent infectious diseases that are associated with unsanitary water contact include bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever and schistosomiasis. With the ToileTree Slab many of these health concerns can be greatly reduced.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The ToileTree is designed using a special innovative process. This process uses an EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam encased in a proprietary fiber reinforced cement mixture. This cement mixture is used in a batch manufacturing system with virtually no waste except clean up. The end result is a 3' x 3' slab that is used as a composting toilet. The slab is affordable, easily washed, portable, sanitary, used by an individual family, and provides future site of fertile soil. The ToileTree offers a clean and safe option for people to go to the bathroom. The way it works is simple; a family digs a pit near their home 1-2 meters deep. They place the ToileTree over it and they can enclose the area as well if they like. Once the pit is full, the family simply digs another pit and moves the lightweight ToileTree slab to the new spot. Another benefit that the ToileTree offers is a future fertile source to grow a fruit tree.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The facility itself will be relatively simple and allow that the entrepreneur to start with a low initial investment and risk. The average cost of a micro production facility will be $30,000. Half is given as a grant and half as a loan to the entrepreneur. This set-up is also very simple because it has been designed to be initially run without machines or electricity. The facilities are given five molds for the ToileTree slabs and production begins with hand labor methods. As demand increases factories can be adapted for use with machines and electricity. The facility will employee 8-10 people to begin with and increase with sales and demand. In one year the micro facility is projected to make enough in profit to fully pay back the $15,000 loan.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Current competition offers their products at no cost for the consumer. HSM believes that we can overcome this obstacle because many of the sanitation options that these NGO’s offer are community based for schools and small towns. The NGO’s do not offer facilities on a per family basis. This means that the primary locations for defecation include; a non-piped sewer system, septic tank, pit latrine, an open pit, bucket, a community shared facility or out in the open. With large community options like an open pit, septic tank or a pit latrine is that they are not maintained to a healthy standard.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to supply chains, Access to technology, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We have piloted the project with 270 composting toilets and we have had much success. The composting toilets provide not only a place for the excrement, but also help with providing fertilizer for food security. We are monitoring the families that are using the toilets and assessing the health and environmental benefits. In June, 2012 we visited with 5 families and found no problems with the squat slab, that the composting was working well, and that the family was healthier. We will continue to monitor and evaluate.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Over the next 1-3 years we hope to be a crucial partner in establishing open defecation free communities. We have begun discussions with the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation. We also anticipate multiple micro production facilities providing sanitation solutions across Kenya, which will mean increased jobs and a positive impact on the economy. We already have interest by eight other countries who would like to set up a sanitation facility. We anticipate millions of people, families, and lives being changed because of a innovative portable toilet.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The biggest barrier we face is with the people themselves. Sixty-eight percent of the rural population in Kenya does not have access to an improved sanitation facility. Without these improved facilities the people are faced with many health risks. The problem is that many of the people do not know that these health issues are caused by the unsanitary sanitation facilities. Due to this fact competition comes from the lack of knowledge about the health risks. Changing people's habits and hygiene practices is a challenge. Using material put out by Public Health departments and using the schools we will need to run an aggressive education campaign. We will also use radio advertising and have workshops on bettering your health and hygiene.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Raise the additional $13,600 for the micro production facility to being in Bungoma, Kenya
Task 2
Train the staff and monitor the operation of the facility for 3 months. Keeping an eye on quality and control issues.
Task 3
To increase the facilities capacity and move from manual operations to electric/machine operations.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
To see the loan repaid by the entrepreneur, thus allowing us to set up the next facility.
Task 1
To set up another facility in Kenya or elsewhere to provide for sanitation needs.
Task 2
To create and develop ancillary products including sitting toilets, hand wash stations, and enclosures.
Task 3
To see success in more than one facility and that the model works. And to see a drop in sanitation based disease.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I have been a mission worker in Kenya since 2006. The one thing I dreaded the most were the toilets. I didn't mind squatting, but the smell, the bugs, and the uncleanliness even made me want to go in the bush. I realized that even though they had toilets no one liked them. I also realized that the bush was full of feces and it was contaminating the water. Poop became a constant topic on all my trips. I never thought finding a place to poop would be so difficult or challenging, but it was and not only for me. Many women were scared of the toilets and disgusted by the smell. Women would tell stories of men hiding out by the toilets and then attacking or raping them even. Then I heard stories of kids falling into the toilets or babies being cast into the pit latrines to die. I began to realize that I was not worried about where I pooped because I was a visitor, everyone was worried. Everyone wanted a better, safer, cleaner, personal alternative. Thus the ToileTree was created.
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We partnered with Rotary District 6270, who provided us with $15,750 to conduct the market study, make and ship 270 toilets to Kenya for testing and use.
We also partner with a local nonprofit, Project Kenya Charity, who is has the in country (on the ground) connections. Both of these organizations have expressed interest in continuing to assist us and are partners still to do this day.
Lastly, the Little Sisters of St. Francis will be our main partner. They will oversee the facility, the staff, and have already mobilized the community for their support. The entire diocese is involved.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
ACWUS proposes setting up constructed wetlands for in situ wastewater treatment in informal settlements nestled directly on the open drains scattered all over Delhi. Such settlements constitute a large chunk of the population in urban areas of Indian cities, and have little to no access to sewage treatment infrastructure.
Since 1997, iDE has been a using a market-based approach to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and hand washing (WASH) in rural areas, globally. iDE has developed an effective market-based approach to improving rural sanitation that is rooted in the Human Centered Design (HCD) process.
Created on 07/16/2012 by Nicole Darabian
Decode Global is an incubator of mobile apps for social change. We provide international opportunities for humanitarian technologists and code for social good.
Organization: Decode Global
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Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
Prize winner for "Youth Employment Services (YES) Women in Tech" competition
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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Women's personal marketplace
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Many women living in rural areas of India do not have easy and discreet access to personal care products. Research has shown that less than 2% of women in rural India use personal hygiene products like sanitary napkins. Plan India in collaboration with AC Nielsen reported that over 80% of women in rural India use unsterilized clothes, sand, husk,and ash as alternatives to sanitary napkins. They also found that reproductive tract infections are 70% more prevalent amoung women who lack access to personal hygiene products. Further, research from the World Bank suggests there is a correlation to girls missing school and a lack of access to sanitary napkins.Cultural taboos about menses, social norms, pricing and lack of supply chain are reasons limiting women's access to personal care products
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Our solution is to train women to be entrepreneurs and to develop a mobile application that would enable these women to sell personal hygiene products easily and discreetly. India has over 600 million mobile users with over 200 million being woman (mostly in the age where they would use these products) providing the application an instant access to a large number of customers. The approach proposed by Decode Global and the Boond Foundation involves entrepreneurship education, menstrual health education and strong technology. These two organizations will collaborate to train female entrepreneurs to order, sell, and market feminine hygiene products using mobile phones.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
A mobile application is very discreet, and the women using it (women rural entrepreneurs) do not need to go to the market and interact with a conventional shop-keeper (mostly male) or male members of the family making the acquisition of hygiene products personal and free of cultural taboos. The mobile application would be used as a multi-purpose tool enabling both the ordering of the product and its payment; providing awareness information to the rural women about benefits, usage and disposal for these items; dispensing health adivsory as well as generating employment for rural women. These women are instrumental in implementing the supply chain (with support from social organizations and NGOs). Moreover, this project will address a deficit of activity both within industry and academia that investigates the socio-economic impact of mobile technology for women, and how technology can be designed to complement grassroots development projects for women.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Programs currently exist to address parts of the problem. Unilever’s Shakti program trains women to sell products in rural communities, but this initiative is limited to a single supplier. P&G has pledged to work with the Minstry of Health & Family Welfare to produce inexpensive sanitary napkins for women in the state of Rajasthan. This approach focuses on subsidies while ours focuses on women entrepreneuship and job creation. A Muruganatham, an Indian entrepreneur, has created a machine to produce sanitary napkins at a low cost. He has sold his machine to female entrepreneurs. His approach encourages women as entrepreneurs and could be a potential partner. No programs using mobile technology were identified. We foresee these players as being collaborative rather than competitors.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to better the lives of girls and women by leveraging technology? (select all applicable)
Access to technology, Access to education/training, Access to health care, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Between December 2011 - March 2012 we conducted an extensive literature review of mobile app design for women’s economic empowerment, and technology review of mobile applications currently on the market. Our conclusion was there is a dearth of academic and industry activity around technology development for women’s economic empowerment. We are currently planning the prototype and focus groups/feedback sessions which Boond and Decode Global will do collaboratively.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
This mobile application will initially be for women rural entrepreneurs in Rajasthan. The pilot phase will start with training 50 women. These 50 women will be in 1 district of India with an average population of 1.5 million (or about 700,000 women). Hence the indirect impact of this application will be for around 400,000 women in the first phase (taking away women below 13 and over 50). The long term goal of the project is to expand the program to more districts in other rural parts of India and South Asia as there is a huge potential for scaling. We estimate an impact to over 10 million women over the next five years.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The main barriers could come from women not using the mobile application and not becoming entrepreneurs despite being trained through Boond's entrepreneuship training program. Another barrier could emerge from not having a strong and stable supply chain for sanitary napkins distribution.
We hope to avoid such barriers by enhancing awareness, skills and capacity to support scaling up of feminine hygiene related programmes in rural India.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Prototype Validaton and Mobile Service Validation
Task 1
Conduct awareness campaigns and discuss mobile application and its usage with villagers: 6 roadshows, 6 vilages, aprox.15K women
Task 2
Prototype design & development in collaboration with university researchers and Canada, US and India
Task 3
Entrepreneurship selection
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Mobile app development and supply chain
Task 1
Development of the final version of mobile application
Task 2
Training of the women entrepreneurs
Task 3
Development of the supply chain for the products
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
While working as a product manager at Nokia, Decode Global's founder had the opportunity to participate in a research study that focused on mobile application development where women are considered the primary (and only) users of the technology. It quickly became apparent to me that there is a lack of attention both within industry and academia on this topic. Through many conversations with Rustam Sengupta of Boond, we came up with the idea of building a project around women's entrepreneurship, mobile technology, and increased access to essential products for women's health.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Decode Global is partnering with Boond Foundation which has many years of experience managing supply chains and providing entrepreneurship training. They have recently expanded their entrepreneurship training to women. We also have partnerships with Nokia and Microsoft BizSpark Startup.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
There is a deficit of research and activity both within industry and academia that looks at the socio-economic impact of mobile technology on women, and how technology could be designed to complement grassroots development projects for women. The only research providing some insight on the topic is by Schroff and Kam in “Towards a Design Model for Women’s Empowerment in the Developing World”.
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: eco friendly food courts.
Created on 07/7/2012 by aamir
to inovate eco-friendly food courts around educational institution which will create negligible amount of waste and serve the most hygenic and healthy meal
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Is your organization a
Not registered
How long has your organization been operating?
Please select
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
i have just inovated the idea.
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
First of all we will need funds , some equipments used in restaurants and solar water heaters, waste items used in building construction ,200 sq yard of land in university in which we will set up the food court which will had to approved by the university.It will engage students who are studying in colleges who will work in the courts and also give their ideas for some upgradations.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
My idea offers a food court which runs on renewable energy and the items on the menu card would be very inovative,healthy and delicious to eat.The food court would be made of left out materials of construction work which will reduce the cost of construction ,the theme of eatery house will be eco-friendly to promote greenry in the ecosystem.The waste items will be recycled and waste from left out food items will be used as the manure for small plants.My food court will serve the meal which will be energetic and not the junk food which increases the obesity and the products will made by the most ecofiendly ways which will not emitt any smoke or pollution to the environment.The food court will also introduce some jobs for the working students.The beneficiaries will share the profits of more than 50 percent but not more than 60 percent.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
My solution make difference from the other food court in many ways . First of all it is eco friendly , it leaves negligible amount of waste product ,the food court runs on inovation and not on electricity.From the success of one outlet their could be chain s of the franchise and the the government will also support and encourage the project and will offer some tax relief because government also want to show puplic that they have done some work to reduce pollution and have taken step towards sustainable development.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
The success of my projects will have a huge and very competitive effects on my competitors as currently in india their are no eco friendly food courts. And in my view people will move towards the hygenic and eco-friendly eatery house as they will foresee that the eatery house is saving the environment they live in and will move towards it. Result will be that our competitors will also move towards eco-friendly eatery places and in response we will be one step ahead of them.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
whenever i see the restaurants and their kitchens i used to think they are also creating pollution and waste of food products and also the utilization of huge amount of electricity, so i thought to develop eco-friendly restaurant.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
The goal of my initiative is to provide a very environment friendly eatery house where all the products are hand made and can be recycled and are made with the utilization of minimal amount resources or power . A food court which does not emit any type of waste product and look unhygienic.
Which barrier(s) to financial inclusion does your solution seek to address? (select all applicable)
Powerful incentives for financial service providers to move up-market.
If you selected 'other' above, please specify which other barriers to financial inclusion you solution seeks to address:
land allotment by the universities.
For which underserved or excluded communities will your solution create access to valuable, affordable, secure and comprehensive financial services?
My innovation will create jobs for the unemployed youths and working students and if the success rate is higher there will be more jobs .
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
Yes, off course . In any region of the world were people want environment friendly eatery places , in any university or colleges around the world.
If your solution is dramatically successful, how will things be different in 10 years?
It will change the shape of all the eatery house in the world and provoke them to use environmental friendly technologies.
What will have had to have changed to make this happen?
nothing would have to change , if my idea is liked the change starts when the food court is established.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
right now it is only an idea,after its establishment the other food courts will have trouble to find the solution.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
I think if the project is established it would be very popular among the people.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
I think the barriers will be easily passed and if their will be some barrier the the significant way will be to represents the idea in front of competent authority in a very attractive and in a way that will be profitable to the government.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 2
make a presentation of idea
Task 3
think new amendment in the inovation
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
start the work of food court
Task 2
earn the profit , show the people its achievements
Task 3
start the working on another idea
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
If any organisation funds my project his share will not be more than 50 percent.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
the organisation working in the fields of sustainable development and organisation in waste recycle industry.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: Toilets for all.
Created on 06/20/2012 by Custom Parts Online
Company started for giving shape to innovative ideas, hence the name Custom Parts Online. One may have an idea, we convert them to form, by materials and processes.
We made first BPA free feeding bottles which fetched us National award.
We supply low cost water filters which need no electricity and maintenance. Now we launched modular toilets, saying manufacture and not construct toilets!
Organization: Custom Parts Online
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Is your organization a
Hybrid
How long has your organization been operating?
Please select
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The data collected by various sources confirm that India has 70 crore populace defecate outside in op-en air. A serious health hazard and a social stigma. Problem - skilled masonry a rare source to make them with conventional materials plus time consumption to make a toilet is minimum 15 days.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The supply demand gap is so huge that unless we make factory made modular toilets and supply them from various points across the country, we cannot solve this problem. So we would try to address at least 1% of this populace which is a whopping 70 lakhs toilets!
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
We are planning to make a modular toilet using Fiber reinforced plastics, standardize the molds, materials and supplies of materials to various points in the country. We would offer free training to people who are interested to get involved in making this social change and also supply them the molds, materials from a centralized quality controlled environment and fix a brand name, ensuring all toilets made bear same quality and brand, get supplied all nooks and corners in no time.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
As such we are planning to patent this idea as community toilets are not done in FRP and made as factory produce-able. No competition as such. Peers? Other NGOs who are fighting this menace have extended support to our cause.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to supply chains, Access to technology, Access to economic opportunity, Policy change/advocacy.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Now that the first sample is ready, the very word, "manufacture, not construct toilet' has evinced much interest from all quarters. People appreciate the idea of ready built toilets and they feel good as we plan imparting training to one and all in their localities to empower themselves as future entrepreneurs there by making wealth as well as improve sanitation in their environment
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
To start parallel vocational training centres all around the country with set up for making modular toilets would generate at least toilets the first year, multiply in 1000s every year exponentially!
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Governmental policies and quality standards. We plan to tie up with a leading governmental agency who has established centres all around the country to make manufacturing of toilets as a vocational training model. Then, we standarize the set of molds and materials, training program. Then we will launch the plan effectively so that the Government will look upon us and change their policies, backed by another leading Government agency!
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Sample product completion
Task 2
Take it to the horse's mouth to the Govt sanitation departments and NGOs
Task 3
Plan execution with a wider geographical reach
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Spread more manufacturing units
Task 2
Create skilled work force to learn manufacturing
Task 3
Ensure supply chain and quality
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I am already manufacturing potable drinking water water filter without need for electricity and also renovating heritage temples using traditional materials in many villages. While traveling, the problem of toilet was lurking large, forcing us to run to a nearby city with lodging. This made me talk to them why they don't have toilets. The reply was, "It is costly". Masonry and materials rising cost needs to be solved. With various materials available in Polymer industry which can make train bodies why not toilets? I presented the idea of 'manufacturing toilets' in a recently held national seminar on toilets for which I got a standing ovation. This made me start working on modular toilets.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Mr. Natarajan, the designer who is a graduate Engineer, has 30 years of experience in designing. He helps in modeling and fine tuning the modular toilets. In future he would look after production and plant. Another friend, Rajamanickam is a civil engineer who has built apartments and toilets using conventional materials. He is very excited of this idea and has promised to take care of the execution and distribution part once we shape up the company into a Pvt Limited company. At present it is my own proprietorship venture.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Governmental policies should encourage such social models and should change policies which would enable us get raw materials without excise and sales tax, which in turn get the product done at more economical costs to benefit those in need of toilets. Te current financial support for building toilets given to rural public has too many red tap-ism,which can be avoided through single window system
Created on 06/7/2012 by dolphyne98
Centralian Consulting Foundation encompasses a wide range of specific activities designed to enhance the ability of women and girls.
Organization: Centralian Consulting Foundation, Takoradi, Ghana
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideFacebook URL
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1270548248#!/profile.php?id=670256253
Organization Name
Centralian Consulting Foundation, Takoradi, Ghana
Country where this project is creating social impact
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideName Your Entry
Women aged 18-34 Healthcare education via phones in Ghana
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Cost.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Young women aged 18 to 34 years in Ghana face many very serious problems in healthcare. Notable amongst them are diet, pregnancy, potable water, emerging pandemics, population control, good hygiene and sanitation practices, basic education, and simple techniques for improving their lives. One cannot expect to upgrade the young women's health by education through the use of cellular phones
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The objective is to improve healthcare education amongst women between ages 18-34 via cellular phones in Ghana and enhance healthy living. We propose to do this by applying novel solutions that take advantage of developments in information technology. Our strategy is to use technology like the cellular phones to educate and deliver expert health care to young women, and minimize any inconvenience and to provide health education emphasizing on family planning, hygiene, sanitation, and prevention of communicable diseases for young ladies and healthy living. A final step in this process will happen through video consulting and examination, a technology we anticipate becoming available in rural areas by year 2015.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
For the healthcare education to be effective, we will first partner with a Telecommunication Company to start the Project and also young women have to believe that the cellular phone or technology is there to serve them and to provide value. To facilitate this we plan to involve the local population in Ghana Evaluation will be based on one simple criterion — whether the healthcare education via cellular phones have significantly improved the health and well being of the young women.
the primary activities will be
1. Instruct women on pre and post-natal care and early childhood development.
2. Provide information on family planning and birth control.
3. Give instructions on simple practices that improve hygiene and sanitation.
4. Provide instructions on how to make drinking water safe.
5. Provide information on how to reduce the risk of communicable diseases in women and children.
An educational course on health and hygiene, emerging pandemics (TB, malaria, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV), addictions (alcohol, tobacco, drugs), abuses (emotional, physical, sexual), and environmental concerns (air and water pollution)
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There are no competitors at the moment in healthcare education via cellular phones to young women.
The timing is right. Ghana is undergoing a tremendous transformation to open markets, and has leveraged its development on the boom in Information Technology to young ladies. The potential for Ghana to emerge as a modern technological giant, however, depends on its ability to close the economic and literacy gap between its rural and urban populations who are mainly young women, manage health pandemics, and control the population. For this to happen, a long-term sustained investment in rural development, with health care and health education as the foundation stone of this initiative, is essential.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to better the lives of girls and women by leveraging technology? (select all applicable)
Access to technology, Access to education/training, Access to health care, Access to economic opportunity, Policy change/advocacy.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The approach is holistic. It is designed to be sustainable and yield long-term changes in health care and welfare amongst young women. The basis measure of success will be winning the trust of the young women making significant behavioral changes in their daily lives, and improving their understanding of, and involvement in, a modern technological society. Population control is expected to be a major result of this strategy.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
The Project impact over the next 1-3 years will be long-term vested interest in seeing this project succeed. We propose to building on the infrastructure and concept therefore, a significant start will be made.
We will also bring together new paradigms that fully exploit modern technology and incorporate anticipated developments in both human and material resources.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
It will require an amount of time and money to achieve the desired full and effective capabilities. And the only way to overcome this brrier is to lobby for funding and plan and organize the project well
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Our six month goal is to incorporate the program within 6 months
Task 1
Identify a Telecommunication Company to partner with for the Project
Task 2
Cost Recovery for Sustainable Operation
Task 3
Execution / Implementation of the project
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Conducting a Needs Assessment/Survey
Task 2
Designing, coordinating and implementation of the project
Task 3
Information campaigns, monitoring & Evaluation and Reporting to be done
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The founder Madonna Afiba Dolphyne is a Social Entrepreneur and believes the young women should be cooperative and inspired by creativity. Young women should be a full chapter of the technological age and internet society where development is connected to technology
I believe that young women are the true change agents. They are the champions who believe in the change they want to see in the world. As we train the next generation of social change agents, we must consider how technology will assist them in building stronger society. The accelerated trajectory of technology in the last five years marks this as an exciting and promising time in social change. From innovative approaches to reach intergenerational audiences, to the ability to rapidly share new ideas and resources, is the beginning to see break-through a healthy society
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CCF has identified a new Telecommunication Company called GLO and started discussions on future partnerships to launch or start project
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Make and supply modular toilets, manufacture not construct! The demand considered only in INDIA 70 crore public defecating outside.
Consider a family of 4, we need 17.5 crore toilets in India. No masonry or conventional means can do this, but only solution is to manufacture and install toilets, not construct. So my plan is to:
1. Prepare best installable ready to fit toilets
2. Give free training to youth/ women who come forward for learning how to manufacture toilets
3. Control brand, design, materials supply all from one end
Make and supply modular toilets, manufacture not construct! Microsoft Chief Bill Gates openly announced that his Ultimate dream is to make toilets, Jairam Ramesh the Rural Development Minister from Central Government seeks more funds for toilets.
Facts: 70% of Indian Population defecate outside.
Figures: Consider 4 members a family of this 70 crore people. That is 17.5 crore toilets. Even if we target to make 1% of 17.5 crore, it is a HUGE DEMAND OF 17,50,000 toilets!
Problem Area: Conventional materials or masonry does not and cannot solve this problem.
Created on 03/15/2012 by Ruby Cup
“Ruby Cup is improving menstrual hygiene and raising the quality of life of women and girls worldwide.”
Women and girls living in developing countries face problems when they menstruate, because they cannot afford sanitary pads. Instead they use whatever they have at hand such as bark, mud, newspaper, cloth, and pieces of mattress. The lack of menstrual hygiene products has an effect on education, gender equality and basic human dignity.
Organization: Ruby Cup
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideThe competition is only open to people between 18-34 years-old and resident in UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark or the Netherlands. Does this apply to you
Yes.
Country of residence of entrepreneur
Denmark
Tell us about your personal background. Why are you passionate about this issue? Making an idea a reality takes innovation, dedication and strong leadership. Do you have the necessary entrepreneurial skills to realize your vision?
I am co-founder together with my two partners Julie and Maxie. The three of us met at Copenhagen Business School and always dreamt of starting a social business together to prove that the future of capitalism lies in creating social and environmental positive change. When we read about the problems that girls and women face during their menstruation, we knew that this was where we could make a difference as young female entrepreneurs. We are a strong team and are already realizing our vision. The idea started less than one year ago, and since we moved to Kenya in September, we have developed our own product, tested cultural acceptability, obtained funding, and are now ready to pilot our first commercial sales through women to women sales.
Country where this project is creating social impact
Kenya, NA, And rural locations
Is your organization a
For‐profit
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
UNICEF (2010) and UNDP (2007) call menstruation an overseen issue that hinders reaching the Millennium Development Goals: education, gender equality and economic development.
Women in developing countries face challenges when dealing with menstruation, as disposable menstrual hygiene products are often unavailable or too expensive. Moreover, making disposable hygiene products available to women in developing countries poses a serious environmental problem, as there is rarely an appropriate infrastructure to handle this type of waste. As a result, girls miss school and women are unable to attend work while menstruating. This amount to 20% of days missed in school and consequently girls often drop out because they are unable to follow their courses any longer.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Ruby Cup is a menstrual cup made of medical grade silicone that is affordable, healthy, and environmentally friendly, as it can be re-used for up to 10 years. We will reach low-income markets through a low-cost pricing and women to women distribution model, which will enhance peer to peer education, generate income for local women, addressing the problem of menstrual hygiene and help de-stigmatize menstruation.
Benefits of Ruby Cup:
ECONOMICAL: It is an affordable one-‐time investment that will last up to 10 years. HEALTHY: Medical grade silicone is a material with no side‐effects, suitable for all girls and women and contains no harmful chemicals, absorbency gels, additives or perfumes. RE-USABLE: Investment in a Ruby Cup means a positive environmental impact, since the waste created from disposables is eliminated.
SAFE&CONVENIENT: Ruby Cup can be worn for up to 12 hours, which for many means that the cup does not have to be emptied during a whole school or workday.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Kendy is 15 years old and lives in Kibera, a huge slum in Nairobi. Before she met us, she never had a conversation about menstrual hygiene. When she can afford it, she uses pads. But most often she uses anything at hand such as bark, mud, cloth, newspaper or pieces of mattress. She does not go to school when she has her menstruation because she fears leaking. Today, she is a happy user of Ruby Cup and can freely go to school. Her older sister wants to become part of our female vendor network, where we train women in sales and menstrual hygiene. They go out into the community and sell Ruby Cups while earning a commission. This way, we help start the conversation about menstruation, generate income for the women vendors, solve the problem for Kendy, and distribute our product so we can achieve financial sustainability.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Menstrual cups are a proven success with a retail price between $25 to $45 per cup, focusing on high profit margins in middle and high-‐end markets. Among the strongest brands are Mooncup (UK, 2000), DivaCup (Canada, 2004), LadyCup (Czech Republic, 2008). Only a few companies sell in developing countries but they also target high-‐end markets. Currently, Makit Ltd. is the only menstrual cup company targeting developing markets. Re-‐usable or bio-‐degradable pads are other alternatives benefiting women in developing countries. However, they also hold challenges: Re-‐usable pads require much water for cleaning and cause problems in water scarce areas, Bio-‐degradable pads still need to find a suitable scaling model to make them available.
Select the stage that best applies to your business
Operating for less than a year
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the social impact you have had to date and how you measure it?
To date, we have done acceptability studies with women and girls in Kenya and our users are happy and recommending our product to their friends and relatives. Our potential social impact is huge, as the need is great all over the world for sustainable and hygienic menstrual hygiene protection. For every girl or woman that becomes owner of a Ruby Cup, one more girl or woman can move freely, attend school, and pursue her career. This will, by result, increase gender equality for women and benefit the economy as a whole. We will directly impact the income level of the Ruby Cup Female Vendors. In addition, scale‐up of Ruby Cup users has the possibility to save the planet for a vast amount of CO2 emissions from the pads/tampon industry and the waste management required to handle the disposal.
What barriers might hinder the success of your business? How do you plan to overcome them?
Our main barrier lies in the acceptability and understanding of our product. We will overcome this through peer to peer education and marketing on the ground. With one happy user, word of mouth will spread quickly.
Handwashing is a potential hygiene threat, as users must have clean hands before insertion or removal of Ruby Cup. However, an acceptability study of menstrual cups in Kenya by the African Population and Health Research Center showed that a positive spill-over effect of using a menstrual cup was that users increased their general hygiene level and understanding. Education is the key for making Ruby Cup a success.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow does your model address financial, social, and environmental sustainability?
Economic: We will improve the livelihoods of our female vendors and customers as we increase income by offering a commission for each Ruby Cup sold and by saving money for Ruby Cup users that they otherwise would spend on pads/tampons.
Social: We will increase the life quality for our female vendors and customers, since a purchase of Ruby Cup concurs with increased health, freedom to study/work and the ability to pursue opportunities. Also, education about menstrual hygiene leads to less stigmatization, increased self-‐esteem and empowerment of girls and women. Environmental: On average, girls and women use 11,000 pads/tampons in a lifetime. Ruby Cup will have a positive environmental impact from the CO2 emissions and waste saved from girls and women that switch to a Ruby Cup.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow do you see social entrepreneurship contributing to the improvement of developing countries?
I believe SE is a catalyzer for disruptive innovation and change. Often, SE can take more risk than other entities and are driven by passion and illogical drive. Too many people in the developmental and corporate sector have become cynical about solving the worlds major issues. The last ten years show a new generation induces change through seeking financial sustainability while doing good for society. This is often being done in partnership with a variety of sectors and co-creation with the communities involved. I believe SE to be the key to social innovation both for for-profit businesses and for the development sector that will bring sustainbalility and positive change to societly at large.
What aspects of your stay in Uganda as part of the competition do you think you will find most challenging and rewarding?
Meeting the other inspiring social entrepreneurs and learning from judges and participants
Created on 03/13/2012 by Nadejda 1
Approximately 20 words left (160 characters).
Organization: School # 238
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Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Coach, Teacher.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Climate variability is the severe stress faced by local communities, and people are faced with the need to find ways to adapt to the negative impacts of this phenomenon. On the other hand, the human impact on environment is not always beneficial. In this context, issues of adaptation to the impacts of climate change are actual. But, in developing countries the State has not enough finances for environment and heath protection. Meanwhile, the situation has not become better from year to year. We assumed that the best option in this case - the mobilization capacity at the community level.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
At the same time, these problems cannot be saved only by organizational or financial issues.
Such problems arise because of lack of knowledge and environmental education as a community and among local authorities. Without adequate formation of a new vision problems do not really solve it. Now the progressive initiatives promoted at the schooling level. But environmental problems are mainly related to the activities of adults. But adult education - a more complex process, methods of environmental education of adults do not exist. We offer that problems with training youth and adults can be solved not only at the state level, but also the help of local initiatives. To help address these issues we implement the complex educational program for adults and children.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The special program includes: round tables, trainings in the villages, a special literature development, documentary production.
Target-groups: local communities, including children, women, the impoverished people, people with disabilities. Priority would be given to training of local community management of the household, economy and clean water, sanitation, savings budget. Training orientation: the reorientation of the rural population in eco-tourism and national crafts, the implementation of organic farming and rational grazing, development of ecotourism, trainings on renewable energy. As one of the impact tools used our manual “Environmental safety of the family and environment conservation”. It is the first in a series of books about the adaptability of the family to climate change. To achieve the possibility of training on an ongoing basis we offered an effective and, at the same time, accessible training system. These are Teaching-Parental meetings (take place in almost all countries on a regular basis at schools). That not a few important - sometimes adult education is carried out with the help of students. The program is practical - increase adaptive capacity of local communities to the impacts of climate change, as well as mitigate the negative impacts of people on the environment.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Appropriate education of adults engaged in a number of NGOs. However, as a rule, this process is a one-time, is one component of any project and is not intended for feedback, nor systemic continue. Not to mention the integrated approach to teaching adults and children. A similar study of adults (communities, families), put on a regular basis, with significant feedback and low-cost virtually absent. We already worked with communities and know what they need for adaptation to climate change. We published books about our initiative.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
The implementation of an effective mechanism for developing of local communities capacity to adapt to climate change
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
We proposed mechanism of ongoing training of communities no requires financial investment
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
To date the mechanism of integrated education for children and adults working in several urban and rural schools in three regions of the country. This is especially important for the zone of ecological disaster - the Aral Sea and mountain areas. Target groups: local communities, local authorities, representatives of religions, women and youth groups. They gained knowledge of climate change consequences mitigation at the household level - ways of cleaning water, saving water and energy resources, rational wastes management, how to save wild animals and plants. Decreased number of diseases of children. Created jobs. More and more people become engaged in ecotourism, national crafts. In the mountain village installed biogas plant, which provides gas for families. People have realized the benefits of renewable energy sources.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Improve the situation with the morbidity of the population. Create new jobs. Decrease the negative human impact on the environment.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
We do not see any barriers to further implementation of our project. However, the teachers- coaches may not want to take the extra load - teaching adults. To do this, and proposes a mechanism for adult education at teacher-parent meetings. To encourage teachers, we are working to improve the relevant rules, together with the Ministry of Education.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Developing a manual for dissemination of project experience to other regions and neighboring countries
Task 1
The study of the situation in other regions. Detection of specific problems
Task 2
Development of a manual on the mechanism of local community training to adapt to climate change
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
We intend to expand the scope of project activities and disseminate our experience to other regions and neighboring countries
Task 1
strengthen the partnership with Ministry of Education
Task 3
training for organizations wishing to implement similar projects in their community
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
I am a primary school teacher. 7 years I have been teaching ecology using my textbooks. At the parents' meeting a parent of one of my students said to me, "My son is reproached us that we do not turn off the water and light." It was a simple example of different views of children and adults. I thought it would be good to combine the learning of adults and children, and make it a school-based. Sometimes, adult education may be held with the help of children, and it gave a positive. Exchange of views took place and at home.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Eco-Forum of Uzbekistan, NGOs, local authorities, women's and youth organizations, State Committee for Nature Protection, Ministry of Education
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
These are teachers who work in schools
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Created on 03/11/2012 by Thea from PEPY
PEPY's Child-to-Child Clubs are a powerful, creative process for children to learn how to work together for change in their communities.
Organization: PEPY
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Is your organization a
Non‐profit / NGO / Citizen sector organization
Your role in Education
Resource Officer.
The type of school(s) your solution is affiliated with
Public (tuition-free)
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long has your solution been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The destructive regime of the Khmer Rouge 30 years ago is still affecting Cambodia’s education system today. There is a lack of trained teachers and educators, especially in rural communities, and little understanding of the value of education. Currently 50% of rural Cambodian children drop out of school by 3rd grade. This only perpetuates the cycle of poverty. There is also a need to transition the current education system from one that relies on wrote learning, to a dynamic more stimulating environment that fosters analytical and critical thinking skills, leadership, emotional understanding, teamwork, and creativity.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Fostering leadership, social responsibility and critical thinking through non-formal education ensures not only that children who do not attend school learn key life skills but also gives an opportunity to promote the value of education and encourage at-risk children to stay in school. PEPY’s Child-to-Child Clubs offer children aged 5-14 an environment in which they can identify common difficulties in their lives and communities and strive to address them by working with other members of their Child Club. It is an action-based learning approach that encourages children to focus on key issues around health, environmental, and human rights subjects.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
In Child-to-Child Clubs, the children themselves identify the topics to be discussed and addressed. For instance, in the last quarter of 2011, children and facilitators focused on the importance of water hygiene and clean clothes to improve health. As the children gathered information and tried out various solutions, there was a steady improvement in hygiene practices among participants over the quarter as they practiced what they learned. In addition, the students have shown initiative in speaking with community members and encouraging them to adopt hygienic practices for a healthy lifestyle. The Child-to-Child Clubs are successfully impacting the children’s health, awareness, capacity to develop social and personal skills, as well as spreading positive changes in the wider community. The children also learn a methodology that they can then apply to solve problems independently. The 6 steps involved in Child clubs are:
1. Discuss community issues within an open meeting setting.
2. Identify the reasons behind the problem discussed.
3. Share ideas of how to make a positive change based on personal circumstances and experiences.
4. Work together to choose the best and simplest way to address the problem, analysing the pros and cons of the proposed solution.
5. Develop a plan to communicate the issues and solutions to the community through plays, campaigns etc.
6. Evaluate the process to ensure the problem has been resolved and identify steps to mitigate the problem in the future.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
We seek to scale our impact through sharing lessons learned, partnering with organizations, conducting trainings and pooling resources. In 2011, we welcomed the opportunity to work with Child Rights, an NGO in Phnom Penh, and Oxfam Australia to share our experiences in implementing the Child-to-Child concept. Both organizations aim to use the methodology in their programs. In Cambodia many development organizations donate books and resources directly to schools or children. In many cases, there's no training to go with these and they frequently lay idle. In other cases, direct giving can create dependencies. It can be a challenge breaking the expectation of “handouts”. We believe in investing in people rather than things to build capacity for young people who can then develop themselves.
Define your company, program, service, or product in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
PEPY's Child-to-Child Clubs are a powerful, creative process for children to learn how to work together for change in their communities.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences [136 characters]
The entirely child-driven approach of the clubs empower youth to become real world problem solvers and advocates for positive change.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
261 children attend Child-to-Child Clubs in 14 villages of Siem Reap Province. Since its inception in 2008, Child-to-Child clubs have been well received by villages we work in and have helped to improve overall health and hygiene habits. Dozens of families are now with water filters, and 10 backyard toilets are a result of the Child clubs so far.Child-to-Child Clubs sparked enthusiasm in young leaders so much so that a new club (Volunteer Community Development) was created by former Child Club members and is completely run by them. 54 young educators (grades 7-12) collectively teach more than 700 kids, 5 nights per week, in more than 20 different locations in the district. The club offers English lessons for children, and when comparing English scores between Chanleas Dai primary school and Prasaat Knaar primary school (outside of VCD's teaching area), the Chanleas Dai students achieved higher scores. These outside school clubs have positively affected student's performance in schools.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Child Clubs will contribute to PEPY’s goal of promoting education through the child club members, who will have the capacity to create awareness on the importance of quality education, based on their own experiences.
We aim to develop the skills of young Club members to the point where (like with VCD) they feel empowered to create their own groups. Further, PEPY aims to encourage more youth formed groups in regions where they currently don't exist. In this way a greater number of children will have the opportunity to learn from young educators, and accordingly we should see an improvement in children's performance at more schools in the district.
We seek to develop strong partnerships with other like-minded organizations who can implement the Child-to-Child methodology in their work.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Children pulling out of clubs to work for their families or to migrate for work. Solution: Conduct a needs assessment with children and families to understand the challenges they face to participate in the clubs.
Clubs are typically held in different places but children and community members have expressed the wish for a more permanent location. Some villages have fundraised to build community shelters and others have worked with schools to offer classroom space at the weekend. However this issue is still a challenge in many villages.Solution: work together with the community to find most appropriate solution for that village. Assist in fundraising/match funding for construction of community centres.Work with communities to establish committees to ensure ongoing upkeep of the centres.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Identify students at risk of dropping out of schools and clubs. Work with their families and them to encourage attendance.
Task 1
Conduct home visits and work closely with parents
Task 2
Promote homework clubs and other PEPY educational programs within Child Clubs to strengthen value of education
Task 3
Conduct an impact assessment of the clubs to date and analyse what's working and what's not.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Have a program component designed which assigns one trained young leader per club to facilitate the younger children.
Task 1
Conduct a project survey within the clubs to gather interest in leadership roles.
Task 2
Design a framework and criteria for how the facilitation training could operate.
Task 3
Select the young people with a view to implementing leadership roles within the next year of the club.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world [125 words]
After conducting Participatory Rural Appraisals on PEPY’s main target areas in 2007, it was agreed that the education programs that we’d been engaged in for the past two years were not doing enough to build capacity in young people. The country director decided to try implementing a methodology developed by the Child-to-Child Trust in the UK. The Child-to-Child concept appealed to PEPY because we wanted to focus more on 1) directly impacting young people 2) training local leaders for our own organization and 3) better understanding the community. These are all core activities of the Child-to-Child model. As time went on, the Child-to-Child concept received more and more support in the local communities. With continual trainings and improvements it has grown into what is today a more participatory approach for the children.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
PEPY has previously partnered with Resource Development International Cambodia (RDIC) and built several rainwater harvesting units for schools and communities through this partnership. As some of the topics covered in Child-to-Child clubs focus on water sanitation, RDIC’s help has allowed the participants of Child-to-Child clubs to benefit from solutions that include RDIC’s water filters. PEPY also partners with Room to Read and BETTS, both of whom helped PEPY develop children’s literature and learning techniques in the classroom library.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section? [75 words]
PEPY currently has 37 Cambodian staff, 2 international staff and 5 international volunteers. PEPY programs are managed and facilitated entirely by Cambodian team members, with many of the Child-to-Child educators coming from, or near, the communities that PEPY works directly with. In addition, the local communities and Child Club participants assist with the impact of this project through their participation and application of skills and lessons learned.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Technical skills and information sharing between organizations would help to create learning opportunities. In kind donations for computer and IT equipment are helpful as they will support PEPY's operations.
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: Biochar Community Toilets.
Created on 02/13/2012 by WorldStove
Our company is a well established group of humanitarian engineers. We develop technology and provide training for regionally specific sustainable development.
Organization: WorldStove
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n/a
Is your organization a
Please select
How long has your organization been operating?
Please select
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Quality.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
According to Dr. Paul Farmer, Haiti is currently facing the world’s largest cholera epidemic due to a profound lack of sanitation that can be directly linked to human waste and improper treatment or disposal of excrement. (Meeting Cholera’s challenge to Haiti and the world: A joint statement on cholera prevention and care (2011) PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 5 (5), art. No e1145)
Haiti also suffers from extensive deforestation, which has lead to a litany of environmental concerns. In the northern part of the country the loss of topsoil has been so extensive that the region has been certified as desertified. The new iteration of our biochar toilet reduces the time needed to eliminate waterborne illnesses from poor sanitation while the processed waste can aid in soil restoration.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
By utilizing biochar toilets we can already compost fecal matter at twice the rate of tradition fecal decomposition processes. (Proceedings 2004, Organic Waste Treatments: Safety Implications. Vinneras, B., Comparison of Composing and Urea Treatment for Sanitising of Faecal Matter) In our laboratories we have developed, tested and verified new prototypes that employ a system for rapid processing. This new method can render fecal matter free of pathogens on a daily by-need basis through a practice that eliminates the need for any chemical treatments or additives. By doing this on a daily basis we are reducing the risk of waterborne illnesses from pathogenic microorganisms that arise from fecal matter. An added advantage of this process is the reduced volumes that need to be handled. By utilizing our new biochar toilets, we can reduce the number of waterborne illnesses that currently kill approximately 1.5 million children per year globally. (WHO.org Fact sheet N 330, August 2009).
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Our specific objective in requesting this grant is to build, deliver and install one of our latest generation institutional scale biochar toilets at a partner health institution. Over the past decade our primary activities have focused on cleancook stoves. We have found in many cases that by reducing the cost of cooking many people have had more income available for the purchase of additional food. In addition to our stove programs, biochar produced by the stoves is being used to increase crop yields for subsistence farmers. This increase access to food has created a greater need for access to sustainable sanitation options.
In this specific example, by locating our next generation of biochar based toilets designed specifically for use in clinics or institutions, we provide sanitation to higher population densities found in institutional settings. We provide this in a way that is appropriate for both rural and urban settings and perhaps most importantly providing sanitation to patients who pose the greatest risk due to increased pathogen levels in their excrement.
The greatest advantage of this next generation institutional biochar toilet is the ease of operation and the fact that all surfaces can be sterilized on a daily basis. This increases the assurance that it will be appropriately operated. The fact that it can provide an odor free experience will hopefully increase the rate of acceptance and use. This unit will render safe-for-handling its contents on a daily basis eliminates the need for large and potentially hazardous storage chambers.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Currently, there is a movement towards building and implementing composting toilets and pit latrines in the developing world. Though these methods provide an improvement upon existing sanitary conditions by reducing the number of people who defecate in the open air, they still possess the profound risk of contaminating local water supplies because of the length of time needed for human fecal matter to decompose to the point of being safe to handle. Pit latrines also possess a risk due to collapse during rainy seasons, with many pit latrines being rebuilt every one to two years. There is no easy way of disposing the fecal matter from these latrines once they fill up, as communities that use them often lack resources to adequately dispose of the fecal matter.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
While on a humanitarian relief mission in Haiti in 2010, out of necessity and need WorldStove developed and introduced its first separating, odor free, low cost community toilets that are still being successfully used today. Because the waste can be processed in the same day that it is excreted, it can be rendered safe and free of many of the pathogens that plague developing countries’ water supplies.
We built the first three toilets because in the camps we were working in there were no sanitation options. To our surprise we found them being used far more often than other options in other camps. When we asked why, we were told that because of the specific design that incorporated the use of biochar there was no odor, making the latrine experience less offensive. Because of the lack of odor, it allowed for people to maintain their dignity in a crisis situation providing them privacy and sanitation.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
Our initiative is to build and deploy a new prototype biochar toilet. The goal of this particular initiative is to provide a community health clinic with our next generation biochar toilet and to conduct further laboratory testing to re-verify that the human waste is safe for handling once it has been processed.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Our first prototypes have been in the field for over two years. We have successfully implemented the biochar toilets in Haiti and Senegal and have had great success and feedback from the communities that have used them.
What we had originally designed to be a temporary stopgap application has proven to be a long-term sustainable solution. This has driven us to elaborate on our original designs to create evermore durable and permanent solutions. Lack of odor and ease of operation have clearly been the driving forces behind the acceptance of our early prototypes, and therefore are the driving design parameters of our next generation versions. Realizing the greatest need for sustainable sanitation, because of high population densities and high concentrations of infectious disease, we have focused our greatest efforts in developing sustainable sanitation options specifically for hospitals and relief clinics.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Over the next five years, WorldStove plans on installing two to five of our biochar toilets in health clinics in up to ten of the countries where our programs are already established. Each toilet provides sanitation options to fifty to one hundred people a day, meaning that over the course of five years this component of our work will be bettering the lives of over 36,500 to 182,500 people. Measures of success that we are currently observing are neighboring communities that are inquiring about acquiring their own biochar community toilets. With this in mind, we have been working to develop strong partnerships with local health organizations so that we will not only be meeting the greatest needs but assuring permanent staffing necessary for long-term operation of the devices.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Our project to date has been successful with little or no funding. This grant allows us to develop the next generation of biochar toilets and to build upon our past experiences. Because we have already selected recipients for this next generation who are willing to be trained in the operation, there is no reason to assume that long-term success is not possible. The only obstacles we see are customs agents at the receiving ports, who at times can slow the release of items for several months. Because of the experiences we have had dealing with this specific obstacle, we are confident at the very worse it might cause a delay but not a permanent stop to any of our projects.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Through a formal evaluation process we will monitor acceptance rates, daily use, structural integrity, and pathogen elimination.
Task 1
Formal evaluation program
Task 2
Structural revision, and upgrade if necessary, of all critical components.
Task 3
Publish report on the both user feedback and laboratory analysis of processed waste.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Refine evaluation process based on the previous six months and redesign if necessary the clinic sized toilet
Task 1
Formalized partnership with local subsistence farmers and reforestation programs and to continue the application of the sanitize
Task 2
Provide training programs for subsistence farmers for permaculture based intensive agriculture.
Task 3
Monitoring of samples being taken of surrounding water tables to verify a decrease in pathogen levels following the introduction
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We are partners with many different organizations, including but not limited to the Rwandan Red Cross, Gente Como Nosotros in Mexico, The Youth Recovery Initiative of Sierra Leone. Our partnerships were born primarily through our work with Clean Cookstoves, and reforestation/subsistence farming programs that were all born from the biochar produced with our clean cookstoves.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
There are currently 2.6 billion people worldwide who lack access to any kind of improved sanitation, and 2.2 million people dying a year as a result of poor sanitation and hygiene practices (http://www.susana.org/lang-en/sustainable-sanitation
). Our program seeks to address this critical shortcoming. Realizing the greatest concentration of hazardous pathogens will be hospital areas, we area specifically targeting hospitals and clinics as recipients of our latest generation of biochar toilets. The other reason that we target clinics is to be sure of having permanent staff.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
Our biochar toilet is overbuilt, which ensures ease of use and longevity. Because each of the locations we have been selecting are either affiliated with or in proximity to local health clinics we are assured of permanent local staff that we can train, creating work for them and assuring the long-term correct use of the toilets. Creating long-term sustainable solutions that can be maintained by the local communities in which our products are used, is an essential dimension to our work.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
By being locally owned it empowers communities to be the directors of their own improvement. The knowledge and technology transfer allows for local communities to replicate the programs on their own with minimum to no additional guidance from the outside.
Created on 02/13/2012 by Bruce Walker
50 cents that changes the world for every child is found in Healthy Hygienic Habits (3H). Maximizing the outcomes in education by reducing absenteeism.
Organization: Partner Aid International
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Partner Aid International
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
PartnerAid’s work is regularly praised by beneficiaries, government, and UN partners in the countries where we work but we have not yet received any formal awards/honors.
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
a. Jochen Schmidt – Currently the International Director for Partner Aid, previously worked in Kyrgyzstan on a German-government funded effort to transform the emergency health care system. Jochen has extensive experience in coordinating health care initiatives and has provided support to the Healthy Hygienic Habits (3H) program. Email: schmidt@partneraid.org. Phone number: +49 (0)6081-9128980-6
b. Pantjawidi Djuharnoko – Currently the Director of the School Health Education Coordinating Board (SHECB) in West Java and a representative from the Department of Social Services in the Governor’s office. He has advocated for the development of a daily hand washing and tooth brushing intervention in preschools and elementary schools in West Java. Email: pantja_kes@yahoo.com Phone: +62 815 623-4180 or +62 87822822162
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Equity.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
In West Java the Department of Health reports that 75% of school age children are suffering with significant dental disease. The number one reason why children miss a day of school is tooth pain (61% of the total). Research has proven that a student’s learning process is significantly impaired by dental disease. One of the most effective and efficient means of preventing dental disease is daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste. The benefit is not correlated to proper technique of brushing or the quality of the toothbrush. The other most common causes of absenteeism in schools include diarrhoea, and upper/lower respiratory infections. The incidence of these diseases is greatly reduced if children use proper hand washing technique with soap on a daily basis.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The Healthy Hygienic Habits (3H) program educates children about the benefit of regular hand washing and daily tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste. These two basic activities drastically reduce the incidence of the leading cases of school absenteeism: dental disease, diarrhoea, and respiratory infections. The cost per student of a 3H program is estimated to be US 50 cents per year. This includes buying a toothbrush, toothpaste and soap for the child to use in a daily activity. Because the cost is so low, even governments that are not rich in resources can afford to get involved in an effective prevention program. A program of daily hygienic practices in the schools will also impact the habits of the surrounding community resulting in an improved Human Development Index (HDI). Governments in developing countries hoping to move toward achieving Millenium Development Goals (MDG) by positively impacting the HDI will find the 3H program to be an affordable and effective option.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The 3H program that will be developed in primary schools consists of two main activities which are daily hand washing and tooth brushing. The approach is focused on intersectoral collaboration and makes use of the existing structures of the educational sector to institutionalize evidence based preventive measures every day in public and private primary schools. The 3H Program will require contributions from all stakeholders, i.e. teachers, parents, local and national government leaders, companies, and most importantly the SHECB. PartnerAid International acting in conjunction with the SHECB will work to ensure the sustainability and success of the program. The SHECB will play a leadership role and facilitate coordination between stakeholders and supervision of the implementation of 3H. The teachers in primary schools will facilitate the implementation of the program under the authority of the SHECB. The parents will play a role as supervisors and supporters of the activities through contributing to the building of facilities for tooth brushing and hand washing. Companies will play the role of supporting the activities through donations of needed materials (CSR) or through providing high quality, low cost materials for purchase to be used in the program. PartnerAid International staff will play the role of training teachers, advocacy with parents, local and national government leaders, monitoring the implementation of 3H, evaluating the impact of 3H, and networking the participation of other interested parties in the 3H activities in conjunction with SHECB.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
PartnerAid International will work closely with the SHECB and also with teachers as daily implementers, parents as supporters and supervisors, and with companies as supporters and providers for some of the materials and training activities. Competitors will not likely exist because other organisations can jump-in to contribute according to the roles that will be appropriate for each different organisation. Our approach gives special emphasis on intersectoral cooperation and coordination in developing and implementing the 3H program. Since 3H activities do not generate income for stakeholders, there are not likely to be competitors but only potential partners or organizations that are interested in supporting the improvement of the health of primary school children in West Java.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Over the past two years Dr. Walker has visited dozens of schools across West Java along with the SHECB. Each year there is a contest for the schools who are implementing the School Health Education Program (SHEP) and champions are determined on a national, provincial, and county/city level. Schools that win the SHEP contest do not necessarily have healthier students than in other schools. Particularly in primary schools, the lack of daily hygiene is evidenced by the lingering presence of dental disease and dirty hands which leads to a high rate of absenteeism. The SHECB recognizes this deficiency even though they have prescribed in their manual that daily hygiene is important. In the vast majority of primary schools tooth brushing or hand washing takes place on a quarterly basis at best. With the support of Parner Aid International a 3H program would provide a needed boost to the emphasis on the practice of daily hygiene resulting in a measurable impact on student's health.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
The practical goal is a reduction of 40% in absenteeism from illnesses that are preventable. The overall goal of the 3H Program is to improve the health and education outcomes of school children in selected schools through the implementation of effective and sustainable practice of good personal hygiene. The 3H program will play a role in supporting the development of the intersectoral program of the SHECB. It is expected that a program of daily hygienic practices in the schools will also impact the habits of the surrounding community resulting in an improved Human Development Index (HDI). Governments in developing countries hoping to move toward achieving Millenium Develpment Goals (MDG) by positively impacting the HDI will find the 3H program to be an affordable and effective option.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The 3H program is still in the advocacy stage where important stakeholders have been meeting to plan for the implementation phase. During this phase Dr. Walker has met local SHECB teams in each of the selected areas for pilot programs. The head of the department of education in West Java has verbally committed to supporting the purchase of locally manufactured materials for scaling up the program in the future. Partner Aid International has facilitated the formation of an MOU between SHECB and a large local manufacturer of toothpaste. The corporation is interested in providing high quality low cost materials in the future for purchase to be used in the program. Dr. Walker has been networking with other NGOs that are interested in impacting the health of children through school based initiatives. Several meetings have been held for heads of primary schools where the principles and expected outcomes of a 3H intervention have been explained generating interest in the program.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
The projected impact is a reduction of 40% in absenteeism from preventable causes in the pilot schools covering approximately 2,400 students in the first year. These pilot programs will be conducted in 2 different areas in the first year and for succeeding years the program will be piloted in 4 new areas. A pilot program can be developed in 18 of the 26 counties/cities of West Java with at least 4 pilot schools in each area covering approximately 21,600 students. Partner Aid International will provide funding during the pilot phase of the 3H program. In successive years the pilot programs will be taken over by the SHECB and additional schools will be added in the third year by the SHECB. The total number of students participating in the program is expected to be 43,200 in 5 years.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
A shortage of funding could hinder the success of the program in the pilot phase. However, a successful pilot program will open resources from the government, private companies and parents to support the program. The committment of school principals and teachers is another crucial factor which will determine the success of the program. Regular consultation, monitoring and advocacy in partnership with the SHECB will provide additional support for the expansion of the program even without any further outside funding. A successful pilot program will generate interest in surrounding schools who will seek to procure support from the SHECB in order to begin a 3H program. Since the program is not expensive to expand, it is expected that scaling up in each area will be achievable by the SHECB.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
3H pilot programs will be established in two areas each with four pilot schools for a total of 2400 students
Task 1
MOU establishment with schools and local governments in the two counties/cities
Task 2
Training all of the teachers in each of the pilot schools to implement the program
Task 3
Construction of washing/brushing facilities in conjunction with the support of parents and local governments
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Reduction by 40% of absenteeism from highly preventable causes in the eight pilot schools
Task 1
Implement and closely monitor the 3H program in 8 pilot schools along with the SHECB
Task 2
Measure the impact on absenteeism in schools where the program is being implemented well
Task 3
Continued advocacy with all stakeholders to develop future support of 3H outside of the pilot phase
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We are currently working in conjunction with the Department of Education and the SHECB. In each county/city there is a local SHECB that is responsible for developing the program in primary schools. The provincial SHECB has already facilitated the introduction of Dr. Walker to the local SHECB in one of the targeted cities. With coordination occurring from the provincial SHECB it is expected that the program will be received well from the beginning. We are also fostering the involvement of other key stakeholders including corporations, other NGOs, and international sources of funding.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
The population of West Java is around 43 million and around 90% of them are from the Sundanese ethnic group. There are around 6 million primary school students. The first pilot program will be implemented in 4 schools in Banjar City and 4 schools in Kuningan County. The local government leaders in Kuningan and Banjar have given verbal committment to support 3H. Currently there is no plan to expand outside of West Java in the first five years. However it is expected that interest will be generated in the program for expansion into other provinces and funding can be sought in that case.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
3H will focus on collaboration and intersectoral cooperation between the local and provincial levels of SHECB, the department of education, and other important stakeholders. Dr. Walker has spent the last nine years developing good working relationships working as a consultant with the department of education. He is frequently involved in public speaking engagements (using Indonesian language) in school environments and government meetings. The country director of PartnerAid International, Mr. Ageng, is a native Indonesian with an MBA from Germany. Both have a high appreciation of the local culture and will guide the implementation of 3H. PartnerAid International values the appreciation of the local culture and good working relationships as the keys to the sustainability of 3H.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Created on 02/13/2012 by anshu goonj
Making clothing a matter of concern !!
Organization: GOONJ
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
• Nov’10: Listed in ‘Forbes’ as one of the India’s most powerful entrepreneurs
• May’10: ‘Innovation for India’ award to GOONJ..
• March’10: Jamnalal Bajaj CFBP Award for ‘Fair Practices’
• Nov’09: ‘Cloth for Work’ wins international Lien i3 Challenge Award
• June’09: ‘NJPC’ wins Changemaker’s Innovation Award
• March 2009: CNN IBN’s ‘Real Heros’ award to Mr. Anshu Gupta in women welfare segment.
• March 2008: ‘India NGO of the year' award
• May 2007: GOONJ’s sanitary napkin project ‘Not just a piece of cloth’ wins World Bank’s Global Development Market Place Award.
• July 2007: GOONJ’s first initiative “VASTRA-SAMMAN” recognized as one of ‘The Good Practices’ in Dubai International Awards.
• 2006: Win the prestigious Changemaker’s Innovation Award, the second time, for our disaster relief initiative ‘RAHAT’.
• 2004: Prestigious Ashoka Fellowship to Anshu Gupta.
• 2004: GOONJ wins Changemaker’s Innovation Award for its “SCHOOL to SCHOOL” initiative.
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
Prof. Anil Gupta, IIM-A, Founder- honeybee network and known for his Shodh yatra to find innovations across the country. E- anilg@iimahd.ernet.in
Tel.-09825014437
Prof. Madhukar shukla, XLRI, known in the field of Social entrepreneurship E- madhukar@xlri.ac.in
Tel.- 09431113764
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for more than 5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Menses falls in most neglected health subjects worldwide.One of most taboo subjects,it induces a ‘culture of shame & silence'.With a complete lack of awareness about connect it has with a women’s reproductive health,even the biggest health projects don’t have budget for sanitary pads.Use of Old cloth is most common worldwide,but due to lack of basic clothing itself millions of women are forced to use sand,ash,jute bags,old papers, dry grass to even polythene during menses.We have cases where a women used a piece of blouse and died of tetanus,a lady died as a centipede entered through the grass or many women lost their uterus due to infections!! Adolescent girls are worst;relying n their peer groups for half-baked information,also a major cause for drop out of girls from schools.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
We are using old cloth as a tool to open up the subject. Old cotton cloth lying idle in cities is used as a resource to address this basic need, focusing on critical gap in women’s health.Clean cloth pads are entry point to generate awareness on related health & hygiene issues.In cities we are involving urban women,drawing on their instinctive empathy.Use of cloth;most village women are comfortable & familiar with & reuse possibilities makes it
viable.Sustained raw material supply is ensured as cities discards cloth frequently.This nationwide intervention starts with
providing physical product but stresses on changing practices, behavior
change,education & replication.Pad is developed out of old cloth
collected from urban masses. Made with highly indigenous process at
just INR 1(2 cents),cheapest in the world,this is also becoming an income generation activity for women!!This is like a tool to teach women the value of cleanliness and bring changes in behaviour & practices.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
For last 13 years GOONJ channelises vast quantities of
underutilized material in urban homes to villages to address many
needs of village India.Clothing & other material is collected from
metros from corporates,schools,collages,institutions & residential
areas which reaches far flung villages of India
through our network of more than 250 grassroots partner groups. Un-wearable cotton cloth is turned into sanitary pads, reaching rural women through
same channel.Just by strengthening & spreading our present programmes,
generation, distribution & management of pad initiative is done
smoothly.
Four interconnected innovative aspects;
1. Providing better product; this pad get village women
to experience better product first hand, to feel the difference.
2. Behavioral change;Spread of awareness about health & hygiene
aspects tied to distribution of pads; bring about a long term
behavior change.
3. Supplying cloth holistically in long term: pad work is
implemented together with our other initiatives, ensuring fulfillment
of entire family’s clothing needs. Thus households have surplus cloth
available for use.
4.Teaching how to make cloth pads;village women are trained in
simple cloth pad making process so they can make it on their own as
also turn it into an income generation activity.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Practical,affordable & environment friendly pads are still
on experimental level in most parts of the world.Commercial sector has
not made affordable & good pads for masses therefore village India uses all kind of bad things.Few NGOs,women’s groups have taken this as
limited activity only for their communities.Products/programmes
developed thus face sustenance challenge as raw material & logistical costs make it unviable.There is no macro analysis of problem.Connect it has with serious health hazards hasn’t translated into comprehensive remedial action.Our is a regular,large scale,affordable,easy to copy/replicate,sustainable solution due to large scale people's participation.As we take it more an idea than an organisation or project, competitor are helpful in spreading the word !!
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Many years ago in his journalism days,in Delhi
Anshu Gupta,founder GOONJ saw a rickshaw carrying abandoned dead bodies.
Bit shocked & intrigued he followed Habib’s rickshaw & started
spending time with his family to know more.Statements from Habib & his daughter shook Anshu
completely.Habib said, “In winters my work goes up” he found that
sometime he picked up 10-12 dead bodies in 24 hours,double the number
in summers!! meant more deaths on roads due to cold,inadequate
clothing.His 6 years old daughter innocently said -“When I feel
cold,I hug the dead body & sleep.It doesn’t trouble me, it doesn’t
turn around!.”This in India’s capital where people have so much stuff
in their almirahs & they don’t know who to give to. Later he found about a woman who used a blouse piece as sanitary pad & died of tetanus due to metal hook inside.Another women died in Tamil Nadu as centipede entered her body. This is how clothing and later the sanitary pads became a subject for him..
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
Village Women receive less health care & education bearing prime
responsibility for dealing with hunger,education,health for their family. Struggling for everyday survival,they treat their own
needs as last priority.The goal is to highlight their high-risk behavior & empowers their health
seeking behavior.Exposure & interactions on this taboo issue shows simple possibilities available to them in their daily lives.By opening up the subject and debate in urban parts we are not only making urban women more aware but they are getting involved in making a difference in lives of their village counterparts.
The aim is to use this small piece of discarded cloth in opening up the subject,create awareness and promote a practical,affordable solution to the problem of million of women across !!
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Opened up the subject,major impact on government's policy & NGOs/agencies work
Over 2 million pads provided so far
Production capacity of a million pads.year
Over 200 meetings held across India,talking to village women about the taboos and related health and hygiene issues
75 Display cum exhibition held in the villages,highlighting good practices, health issues,taboos and superstitions around this issue.
Over 500 collection camps held in metros to sensitise urban women and to collect material.
Production process easily replicable in any part of India or the world.
Pads produced without any machines or technological inputs.Entirely manual operations employing women from nearby slums in entire process.
Tonnes of waste cloth,which would have gone in landfill sites is converted into the pads.
Potential of large scale employment to the most marginalized women in slums/villages.Right now 25 women are employed full time to work on this.
People call it the cheapest pad in the word.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Impact will be on 2 levels-idea & organization level
Sanitary pad to enter in list of issues in Development sector.
Help people to scale up 5 more local solutions
10 organisations,replicating by starting local production & us focusing on mentoring & capacity building.
Intensify advocacy at policy level with national & international health & development agencies.
Work towards making PHCs to become hub for information and product distribution.
Focus on going deeper to remote areas.Given growing scale,we
want to explore more avenues of vast quantities of cotton cloth.For
self sustenance we want to work on idea of urban women sponsoring
sanitary pads.
Become a voice to make sure that commercial sector think of environment and disposal before entering deep in rural market !!
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Communicating new idea: GOONJ started with challenge of communicating
simple but new idea.Here challenge is changing mindsets built over strong cultural & social dogmas.Women’s growing awareness about their rights & needs is translating into more discussion,debate & growing demand.
Risk of generating material;risk in generating material from masses is
in forward planning.We tackle it on different levels.Napkin cloth
sponsorship,export surplus,big hospitals,hotels & scrap dealers are
some sources we are tapping.
Tackling attitudes:of people who clear their wardrobes and give useless material which eats up meager resources. Others
seriously doubt NGO’s.The showcase of work and impact and use of social media has been very useful in tackling this
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Identifying 30 grassroots groups from among our rural partners who want to focus seriously on this issue.
Task 2
Make them understand gravity of issue & urgency of need.Train them on interacting with women on this taboo issue
Task 3
Putting up village level awareness exhibition, village level meetings with target women so that they take it further.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
10000 benificiary women gets 12 to 15 packs @ 5 napkin each pack spread over in 10 states
Task 2
100 Schols, SHG groups, PHCs come in the network to work on this.
Task 3
Target national/International media and forums to share stories and issues.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Our existing rural & urban network of partner organizations is
backbone of our model.In cities we work with
corporates,institutions & individual households.Every
part of society is involved in our processes.Our stress on services
results in wide network of transporters,suppliers etc. providing
free/highly subsidized services.Identification of reliable grassroots
groups is critical in effective implementation. We build partnerships
by talking to established institutions, existing network is of about 250
partner groups- NGOs, Ashoka Fellows, panchayats etc.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
the prime target is tribal and rural population in the remotest parts of the country.People from a few other countries are in regular touch to take up the model.It has become a part of WSSCC forums and various other international forums.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
This idea is familiar to beneficiaries;it is improvisation of existing usage practices with lot of value addition.Wide scale replication & spread has been possible given our nationwide network.Market products
are un-affordable for village women.GOONJ
offers them more appropriate option,preventing bigger environmental problem of disposal.Most ideasfail to reach their potential due to financial constraints. This programme deals with frequently discarded cloth in urban homes. Unlike other efforts for limited audiences this is nationwide intervention,stressing on education &
replication rather than providing physical product forever.It works
together with our other programmes addressing bigger issue of
clothing,in turn ensuring regular supply of raw material..
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Turning it into income generation activity can be explored by women
SHG’s, micro finance groups & we share our knowledge & provide raw
material.We can collaborate with experiments in different parts of
India/world to better work & product.Going deeper in far flung areas
means rising costs;we need pro bono services & support to reach more
women.
Created on 02/13/2012 by SacredValleyHealthServices
Sacred Valley Health improves health by combining regular direct care via mobile clinic with community health worker education in underserved rural areas.
Organization: Sacred Valley Health Services
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Sacred Valley Health Services
Organization Country
United States, WA, Seattle, King County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
Miguel Gando is a Ollantaytambo native who owns three restaurants and is a founder of Awamaki (www.awamaki.org), a textile cooperative focused on women’s empowerment. Just under a year ago, Awamaki recruited Keri Baker to launch a healthcare project which evolved into Sacred Valley Health Services.
Email: Miguel@awamaki.org
Phone: +51 984 855 579
M. Kennedy Leavens is the Executive Director of Awamaki. As the health program grew by leaps and bounds, she endorsed our decision to become a separate entity and has agreed to serve on our U.S. board of directors.
Email: kennedy@awamaki.org
Phone: (206) 550 6674
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Equity.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The Ollantaytambo District of Peru’s Sacred Valley is an impoverished area where 60% of inhabitants are below the national poverty line and 26% live in extreme poverty. Most of the poverty exists in the rural mountain communities where 70% of the population lives. Many villages are inaccessible by road, and visiting a clinic requires walking or riding horseback for hours. As a result, people typically do not seek formal medical attention unless they are very ill. Based on our survey data, knowledge of disease-preventative measures in these communities is limited. We aim to reduce preventable illness and premature death through increased access to healthcare and health education.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Our solution is three dimensional. Our mobile clinic brings doctors, nurses and health educators to remote villages on a monthly basis. Between these visits, community health workers (prometoras) provide basic care, supervise medication compliance, promote good hygiene and sanitation, and refer urgent cases for immediate attention to the nearest clinic. The prometoras can dispense first aid supplies and non-prescription medication from their botiquinas, which are restocked by the mobile clinic. Our partnership with the local government is the third, and perhaps most crucial, element of our solution. The Ollantaytambo Municipality (which covers our current catchment area) has recently hired a doctor and nurse to expand the mobile clinic program, which already serves 5 communities. The mayor also offered us the opportunity to staff, equip, and run a clinic, which is close to completion. The mobile clinic partnership is moving forward, and the clinic partnership is under discussion.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
In the Founding Story (see below), we describe a young woman whose minor condition became very serious because she had been misdiagnosed and poorly educated about medication side effects. She lived too far away and could not afford to return to the government clinic for follow up when her symptoms worsened. Had our programs been in place when she became ill, her trajectory would have been much different. Feeling unwell, the woman would likely have attended the next monthly mobile clinic in her village at no cost. We could have treated her for a urinary tract infection and explained the medications’ side effects both to her and the local prometora, emphasizing completion of the treatment regimen. After the mobile clinic left, the prometora would have stopped by the woman’s house regularly to ask how she was feeling and to ensure that she was taking the medication as prescribed. When the mobile clinic returned the following month, our providers would have followed up with the woman and checked in with the prometora about her progress and medication compliance. If the patient had developed any alarm symptoms the prometora could recognize these and arrange transport to a clinic for further care. The patient would never have reached the depths of severe illness and pain that resulted from a lack of access to quality healthcare.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
We are working in the Ollantaytambo District because no one there currently provides the services that we offer (the mobile clinic), and will offer in the future (the prometora program). Several organizations in other parts of the Sacred Valley are doing similar work, and we are in communication with them. A community health worker (prometora) program called Desea is based about two hours from here (see Partnerships). Kausi Wasi is a low-cost private clinic about one and half hours away. The Ollantaytambo Posta Medica, run by the Ministry of Health, could be considered a competitor, since patients who we see with the mobile clinic might otherwise have trekked to the Posta. However, the Posta is also a partner since we refer patients to them and our visiting medical groups bring supplies.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
In June 2011, Keri Baker led a nursing service trip in the Ollantaytambo District. The nurses visited a remote mountain village, and Keri was asked to see a young woman too sick to leave her home. The woman had visited the government clinic one month prior and was given a vaginal cream, but the doctor hadn’t told her it would sting and she stopped using it. Her infection worsened until she couldn’t walk without pain. Although her village is accessible by road, she was unable to afford transportation and a second doctor visit. Keri accompanied her and funded a clinic visit. Lab tests revealed giardia, bacterial vaginosis, and a severe bladder infection. This experience illuminated the need for increased access to local, affordable, quality health care. It inspired Keri to ask people in more remote communities about their health and access to medical care. It became evident that this is a widespread need in rural areas and Keri created the mobile health clinic in response to it.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
The goal of our initiative is to improve health outcomes among the rural poor in the Ollantaytambo District and ultimately beyond it. We intend to serve villages in the district that currently lack healthcare services, and train one or more prometoras to work in each of these communities. The prometoras will work in conjunction with the mobile clinic and the existing stationary health clinics to create a network of prevention through health education and early detection and treatment of illness.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We have treated nearly 200 patients via mobile clinics, and we are visiting 5 communities this month. All our care is free, and we give patients enough medicine to last until the next clinic-day. Thus far we have distributed over 3000 doses of over-the-counter and prescription medication. We do basic lab testing and have diagnosed urinary tract infections, pregnancy, and gallstones. We have avoided unnecessary but commonplace antibiotic treatment for symptoms that are non-bacterial. We have diagnosed several illnesses that would have otherwise progressed. These include a man with a badly-infected finger injury who improved dramatically with antibiotic treatment, and an elderly woman with a head and neck cancer who was referred to an ENT surgery campaign at a partnering institution. Finally, we provide nutrient-rich drinks to all who show up for our clinics and have conducted fluoride campaigns in every village where we work.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
We anticipate reaching all villages (30+) in the catchment area with the mobile clinic at least once a month. This may require the creation of multiple mobile clinic units.Training prometoras in first aid and midwifery will improve health outcomes in emergency situations such as difficult childbirths and accidents. The mobile clinic working in conjunction with the prometora program will, we believe, decrease incidence of preventable diseases and increase early diagnosis and treatment of serious illness. Health education for the community, along with adoption of water filters and improved chimneys provided by our partners, will also significantly improve health outcomes.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The current mayor is supportive of our program and eager to strengthen and expand the partnership. Although his term expires in 3 years, we have been assured that if we demonstrate the efficacy of our programs with detailed monitoring and evaluation, subsequent mayors will want to sustain the partnership. Other challenges include poor road access, especially during the rainy season, widespread illiteracy, and the Quechua-Spanish language barrier. We plan to hire a nurse who speaks fluent Quechua and Spanish, use a photo-based training program, and pay all expenses and transport related to prometora training. Finally, given the widespread poverty, family obligations may trump prometora commitments. We are training at least two prometoras in each community to buffer potential attrition.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Mobile clinic serves 10 villages; prometoras trained in 6 communities with an appropriate curriculum.
Task 1
In concert with the mayor and community leaders, identify and add 5 more communities in need of mobile clinic services.
Task 2
Hire a dedicated Quechua-speaking nurse and finish crafting the photo-based prometora curriculum with her input.
Task 3
Select 2-3 prometoras from 2 clusters of communities served by the mobile clinic and begin training program.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Provide primary care services via mobile clinic to 15 communities and have 24-30 prometoras in-training.
Task 1
Hire an additional provider to maintain the level of services we currently provide as we continue to add a community per month.
Task 2
Train more prometoras and adapt curriculum based on local disease trends; prometoras in all 15 communities in training.
Task 3
Integrate services from Ministry of Health, NGOs, and local government to further improve health outcomes.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Desea, the prometora program mentioned in the Marketplace section, has shared with us their Quechua language, photo-based training curriculum. Threads of Peru, a textile NGO, granted us funds to hire a part-time nurse. We intend to distribute Pro Peru’s water filters to the villages we serve. Socios en Salud, part of Partners in Health, hosted us in Lima so that we could learn about all aspects of their prometora program. They have offered to introduce us to USAID’s Calidad en Salud program and the Cusco Region’s Minister of Health. The Ollantaytambo Municipality is our major local partner.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
We believe that our model of integrated mobile clinic and prometora programs, in partnership with the local government and other NGOs, is widely replicable. If we achieve demonstrable success in our current catchment area we will expand to other parts of the Sacred Valley. Where we expand will depend on where there is a demonstrable need for our services.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
Our executive director’s commitment to the community, and her strong relationships with individual community members, are major assets. We also have an organizational culture of open and direct communication, and people with a lot of energy, ideas, and strong critical thinking skills. The municipality’s enthusiasm for our work and eagerness to partner with us in order to grow our program is also important factor our current success and achieving future aims.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We could benefit from all of the categories of support listed, but we checked the boxes where we can use the most help right now. Perhaps it sounds premature to offer to support other initiatives, but we've got a smart, energetic team and we think we can make a contribution even though we're a young organization.
Created on 02/13/2012 by dmvanloenen
Drinking Water as a Service (DWAAS) is a social enterprise that invests in safe drinking water projects in rural area's in Cameroon.
Organization: Drinking Water as a Service (DWAAS)
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideThe competition is only open to people between 18-34 years-old and resident in UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark or the Netherlands. Does this apply to you
Yes.
Country of residence of entrepreneur
The Netherlands
Tell us about your personal background. Why are you passionate about this issue? Making an idea a reality takes innovation, dedication and strong leadership. Do you have the necessary entrepreneurial skills to realize your vision?
Since three years I am working for the LiveBuild Foundation, a small Dutch foundation that supports local water and education projects in Cameroon. During my work in both the Netherlands and Cameroon I came to realize that the work that we do is great, but that we are unable to realize real and large scale change. The current institutions and frameworks we have in place to address the huge global water crisis are not effective and fail to deliver water to millions of people around the world.
Contemporary development aid is just not cutting it to supply all people in developing countries with access to affordable, sustainable and safe drinking water, especially not with the current budget cuts and public criticism that we find all around us. Funds are too dispersed over sectors, countries and regions. To really make a change, massive investments and a strong focus on a single area and a single sector are needed. The investment needed to supply al rural area's in Cameroon with access to an improved-water source amounts between 22.5 and 52 million dollars. The only way to raise these kind of investments is through the capital markets.
Traditional firms on the other hand are also unable to address this issue. For them, the risk is too big and the rewards are too small. Next to this, traditional firms are not equipped to take on the massive challenges of doing business in a country like Cameroon. In Cameroon, there are almost no companies active in the rural water supply sector.
We think that we have a solution. We want to address a social problem (access to safe water) via a business approach. We are setting up a social enterprise that invests in water systems and solutions for rural communities in Cameroon. Because we ask local communities to chip in (in other words, they have to pay a fair price for the water) we can recuperate our investments. This means two things. First we have access to more funds because (opposed to traditional development aid) we pay back our funds. Secondly, because the money comes back, we can re-invest it and serve even more people.
I think that I have the necessary skills to make this project a success, altough doing business in Cameroon will be tough. As one of the founders of LiveBuild I know how to set up and develop a business (or foundation). I have experience with coordinating development projects in Cameroon and already have a strong network of motivated partners in place in Cameroon.
Next to my job I'm also finishing my Masters' degree in International Financial Economics at the University of Amsterdam. I'm currently writing my thesis on social entrepreneurship and impact investing and how these can be a solution for delivering social services in sub-Saharan Africa when markets, NGO's and governments fail.
Organization Name
Drinking Water as a Service (DWAAS)
Country where this project is creating social impact
Cameroon, SOU, Buea and surroundings
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Despite the word telling that the Millenium Development sub-Goal concerning safe drinking water will be easily met in 2015, statistics for rural Cameroon suggest a serious shortfall in complying with this MDG water goal. More specifically, rural Cameroon faces an annual funding deficit of US$ 10mio required to provide 66% of rural inhabitants with access to safe drinking water in 2015. In absolute figures more than 4 million people are currently denied access to safe drinking water in rural Cameroon. Simultaneously these regions are consistently neglected by for-profit capital markets and underserved by both NGO's and governments. Apparently, traditional practices are inadequate in supplying safe drinking water to inhabitants of rural Cameroon while there is a huge demand for safe water.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Our solution is to make a transformation from development aid towards a social enterprise approach. We don't give away water for free, but we make social and ethical investments in local water projects. We see people in developing countries not as poor victims, but as resilient entrepreneurs and value conscious consumers.
Too many water projects fail because of ownership and sustainability issues. By realizing a revenue stream we can finance maintenance and support and build long-term relationships with our partners. The income furthermore enables us to reach a larger scale and access (international) financial markets.
DWAAS will focus on two main activities: financial and operational services. We act as an investor towards local organizations, entrepreneurs and communities to enable them to finance and realize their projects. Next we will also set up our own projects where no local counterparts are available and charge local communities a fair prices for access to safe water.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
DWAAS will operate as a social enterprise that invests its capital in drinking water projects and/or local entrepreneurs setting up safe drinking-water businesses. Through the direct or indirect sale of affordable and safe drinking water in an inclusive and sustainable manner, we will slowly generate revenues that we will reinvest in maintenance, local capacity building and new remunerative water projects to ensure a sustainable social impact and DWAAS' survival and growth (goal alignment). DWAAS will start by investing in water-by-gravity systems that are widely used in our selected rural areas in Cameroon.
DWAAS will start with a start-up phase lasting one year. In this year we will research and test how to distribute water in rural Cameroon. Will we run an operating company owning water projects and selling drinking water to local communities or will we run a financial company investing in local initiatives and entrepreneurs? Furthermore we will investigate whether to find local partners or set up and build our own local functions dealing with project execution, maintenance, and spare-parts distribution (greenfield). When the start-up delivers a strong proof of concept we will attract investors and expand our operations.
Our model starts with identifying local water projects in Cameroon. We have an extensive list of selection criteria that we use during this process. We identify both investment projects (those who only need capital) and operational projects (where DWAAS also manages the construction, management and maintenance of the water system).
After we have selected a project we will team-up with local organizations and communities. We will support these local partners to set up drinking water solutions based on business principles. Some projects will only require financial assistance (investment projects) that will be paid back within a certain timeframe. In this case we support local entrepreneurs to set up their own safe water business. Other cases may need for DWAAS to act as an operating company and fulfill a larger part of the value chain (operational projects). In these projects DWAAS focusses on construction, maintenance, support, sales and marketing. The revenues in this case come from water sales based on for example a pay-per-liter of subscription fee.
We take care of all our systems and investments by focussing strongly on maintenance and the collection of revenues. By doing so, we can support the sustainability of our projects that is often lacking in development projects. Our income stream enables us to pay for maintenance and organizational costs. Profits will be reinvested in new remunerative water project so the whole process can start over again. This approach to access to safe drinking water enables us to reach more people every year and get closer to universal access to safe drinking water.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
We target a neglected market. For-profit companies assume start-up risks too high, and financial returns too low. NGO’s and local governments cannot realize sufficient scale, nor ensure sustainability. Foreign development cooperation furthermore abandons Cameroon due various reasons. Our main focus will be on Cameroon's Southwest and Northwest regions. In the rural parts of these regions, 800.000 people have no access to safe drinking water. For the whole of Cameroon this is 4 million.
The large potential market has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that there are plenty of investment opportunities. On the other hand will we be working in an undeveloped market and do we need to realize a mentality change with respect to paying for safe drinking water.
Select the stage that best applies to your business
Operating for less than a year
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the social impact you have had to date and how you measure it?
As a spin-off of the LiveBuild Foundation, DWAAS can build on LiveBuild's previous work in Cameroon. In the last three year we realized access to safe drinking water for over 10.000 people. Access to safe water is measured by community size and access to an improved water source. According to the WHO, each dollar invested in safe water leads to economic returns of between $3 and $34.
Through our community approach (based on supporting local initiatives), approximately 12 local communities were trained in setting up and managing water and education projects. We merely committed resources, the communities executed their own projects. As such our projects act as a catalyst for further autonomous community development.
What barriers might hinder the success of your business? How do you plan to overcome them?
Bussiness success will largely be dependent on the willingness to pay for safe drinking water and to secure healthy income streams to expand our social impact. The main problem is that we need to realize a mentality change in rural communities. We have to convince people that the long run benefits of safe drinking water are much higher than the short-term costs. We plan to overcome this issue by developing a savvy marketing strategy that explains consumers the added value of safe drinking water and by taking small steps. We will start investing in various (small) projects and expand our operations based on lessons learned.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow does your model address financial, social, and environmental sustainability?
DWAAS adresses financial sustainability by asking customers to pay a fair price for access to safe water. In general, people in Cameroon spend between 1% and 3% of their income on water. With this revenue, we can maintain our systems, run a (small) local organization, repay our investors and invest in new remunerative water projects. The main challenge here is to realize the mentality change mentioned earlier.
DWAAS is socially sustainable because we will ask a (minimum) price that enables us to supply people with save drinking water in the long run and because access to safe water has such profound effects on health and economic development. Because we sell our water, we need people to buy it. This leads to the logical conclusion that we have to offer what people really need and want. We are forced to cater to local demand, something that many NGO's fail to do. Many projects fail because the donor leaves the project after completion. We will not. We will support our partners for many years with maintenance and other support, thus realizing effective and sustainable projects.
With regard to the environment we use only natural water sources and protect these sources well. We support local communities in proper water management and sanitation. For this we will work closely together with the LiveBuild Foundation, which will support communities with sanitation, hygiene and environment training.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow do you see social entrepreneurship contributing to the improvement of developing countries?
Both traditional development aid and for-profit companies have (often) failed in addressing the needs of the people in developing countries with respect to access to safe drinking water. The main question is how we can we address these needs without giving products and services away for free. A social enterprise can combine the best of two worlds. Such an organization can take the social goals and values of NGO's and combine them with the efficiency and effectiveness of for-profit companies.
By making its success depend on how well the organization serves its customers, the organization is forced to really address local needs and local demand. If water is distributed ineffectively, the organization will cease to exist. A social enterprise is thus forced to make a profit, as opposed to development organizations. We believe that this approach leads to organizations that really cater to local demand, treat people with respect and get things done!
What aspects of your stay in Uganda as part of the competition do you think you will find most challenging and rewarding?
I would love to meet up with other social entrepreneurs, especially people who are also working on social ventures in Africa. I would really like to exchange experiences, ideas and best practices and to get inspired by other people's ambitions and motivation. Next to this, I am very interested in VSO's approach in Uganda. I hope to learn more on setting up a social venture in Africa's challenging business environment and how to tackle (a part of) the mentality problem. It would be amazing to learn from VSO and Ashoka in the field!
The most challenging aspect will be the confrontation with existing water projects that are broken down or not functioning anymore. There are so many well intended projects out there, that are not working because they were not addressing local demand and local skills or not based on a sustainable business model. I think that there's so much to learn in Uganda that ten days might not be enough!
Created on 02/12/2012 by RiseGHI12
Through collaboration of higher academic, research & clinical institutions, RISE GHI will increase access to health care and education in developing countries.
Organization: RISE Global Health Initiative
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideFacebook URL
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/RISE-Global-Health-Initiative/225669157500128
Organization Name
RISE Global Health Initiative
Organization Country
United States, CA, San Diego, San Diego County
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
RISE Global Health Initiative (GHI) has been operating for less than a year and since it is a new organization has not yet received any awards or honors.
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
Dr. Candis Morello, (858)822-5586, cmmorello@ucsd.edu, Dr. Morello is the Dean of Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California at San Diego's school of pharmacy. She established the Pharmacist Run Diabetes Intense Medical Management Clinic at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Health System where she is currently working as a clinical pharmacist. She is highly involved in clinical diabetes research, particularly in the area of pharmacist led ambulatory care clinics.
Dr. Naemeka Agajelu, (443)418-3553, agajelu@gmail.com, Dr. Agajelu specializes in internal medicine and has been practicing for over 18 years. He and his wife, Nora Agajelu NP, operate their own private practice, The Primary Care Group in Maryland.
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Equity.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
In response to the growing epidemic of poverty in Nigeria and lack of access to quality healthcare and education, RISE GHI is opening a free clinic in Anambra State, Nigeria. The Nigerian government pours 70% of its annual funding into the urban medical system, where 30% of the population lives. Most Nigerians cannot afford health care and are uneducated about the measures they can take to prevent many common illnesses. Health and education are intrinsically connected and Nigeria’s socio-economic development will not begin until its medical system is ameliorated. Additionally, the emigration of Nigerian health professionals to western countries (because they are seeking better training) is straining Nigerian resources, causing a financial and personnel strain on the medical system.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
RISE GHI is a multidisciplinary effort to create sustainable health programs by promoting collaboration between health professionals in developing countries and the United States to increase access to quality health in rural areas of developing countries. RISE GHI will insure that health professionals in Adazi Ani receive quality education and incentive to stay and work within their country. This will be obtained through the development of an exchange program, where both Nigerian health care students and faculty can learn and share knowledge with international health care professionals, and a free clinic in Adazi Ani. The exchange program will allow Nigerian health care students to travel and train abroad at universities and then return to apply their knowledge at the RISE free clinic. The free clinic will provide free primary care and education seminars/programs to the local community while also serving as a rotational site for international and Nigerian health care professionals.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
International aid is becoming an increasing burden on more developed countries, which still have their own developmental challenges. Many people question why so many NGOs are working abroad when there is still so much poverty and medical related issues within America. We targeted Nigeria because of the vast socioeconomic differences and mortality rates compared to North America. Instead of merely sending volunteers abroad to operate a clinic in Nigeria, RISE’s innovative solution targets one of the main ominous developmental issues confronting Nigeria; their underdeveloped medical system. By working with, training and providing Nigerian medical professionals with equipment and a clinic in a rural area, RISE is providing Nigerians with a package to succeed. Nigerian health care students will focus on chronicling, educating and treating patients, to better understand how the community manages their own illnesses. Furthermore, we will be providing symptom management and treatment for walk in patients and educating the population through seminars, health fairs, and community outreach programs. RISE’s clinic will increase the doctor to patient ratio in an underserved area while also reducing the mortality of patients from preventable diseases. The hope is that through our teaching methods and clinic we will encourage Nigerian health professionals to want to live and practice in Nigeria. RISE will create a system that requires no international aid and provides a sustainable solution that has the potential to be a model for other university and NGO partnerships in the future.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
HIV gave rise to the creation of many NGOs in Anambra, however many are currently dormant because they are uncoordinated and are only active when they are receiving government funding. Therefore, RISE will not have many peers, aside from The Center for Population Research and Development in Anambra, which will be working with RISE to address health care issues within the state and gain community support. There is potential for backlash from current for profit clinics in the area, but RISE will differentiate itself by providing more advanced technology, services and equipment. The potential challenge will be in trying to create a partnership between RISE and these for profit clinics. Our demographic is slightly different as we are targeting patients who cannot afford any medical care.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
RISE’s creation was less of an Aha moment, and more of an idea that developed with a great deal of persistence and hard work. RISE was developed in 2008, when the founder (a Nigerian native) was working at a pharmaceutical research company. He began thinking about Nigeria’s constant health care burdens, specifically related to pharmaceuticals. Nigeria has some money, due to the export of crude oil, and while economic development is an issue the crux of the problem can invariably be associated with its poor structure of health and education. At this point, our founder decided to attended pharmacy school and realized that exposure to health care can change human lives. In speaking with various people, support grew and his initial idea of opening a pharmacy in Nigeria transformed into creating a clinic and exchange program. By providing access to health care, pharmaceuticals and education, RISE hopes to make a structure for health care and education that will change developing countries.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
RISE’s goal is to increase the accessibility of quality health care within Anambra State, while also providing excellent training for Nigerian health professionals. Ultimately, we hope to decrease the incidences of preventable illnesses, increase the community’s knowledge of common diseases, promote multidisciplinary care and improve diagnostic resources in the region. Once our clinic has been functional and has proven success in patient health, preventing the spread of disease and keeping health professionals in Nigeria, we would like to model this project in other developing countries. Although it may be unrealistic that one small NGO can drastically alter Nigeria’s health care system, this is a potential starting point for improving patient care and the climate for health care workers.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
To date, RISE has conducted its first exchange program between the University of California at San Diego and Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria and built a 32 room clinic in Adazi Ani, Anambra State. RISE’s second exchange program will commence in April, 2012 with the opening of the clinic. Also, RISE has begun working closely with the community of Adazi Ani to initiate a five day health fair at the beginning of April. This fair will not only screen upwards of 3000 patients, but it will raise awareness about preventable diseases and commemorate the clinic’s opening. RISE has members on the ground working with local universities to recruit health care students to participate in rotations at our clinic and our exchange program. We have received an abundance of support from the local community and universities, and anticipate the significant impact of our solution to coincide with the opening of the clinic.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
The average person in Nigeria lives to be about 47 years old, while this statistic will take years to change; RISE is committed to creating a model for health care which can begin to bridge the gap between developing and developed countries’ medical systems. Over the next five years we hope to not only make a significant impact on the Nigerian medical system, but we also hope to use our model as a means of creating sustainable health care solutions in other countries. Through higher education exchange programs between developing and developed countries and the creation of clinics which will train professionals and students to provide quality health care services, a sustainable solution for health care will be created.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
To be sustainable RISE will need to collaborate with other organizations and the government in order to share supplies and resources. If these relationships cannot be established, it will undoubtedly hinder the success of our project. Additionally, crossing pre-conceived ideas and practices will be a constant challenge in working with such a diverse population. To overcome these potential barriers, RISE will build a supportive environment through the use of culturally appropriate materials and gain the trust of influential community leaders. To address the problem of sustainability, the partnerships that we have already formed between UCSD and RISE should allow us to easily obtain volunteers, health professionals and medical supplies from both Nigeria and the US to help run our clinic.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Through surveys & stats, see a decrease in the incidence of preventable diseases and greater health awareness within Adazi Ani.
Task 1
Build a rapport with the community leaders and community in order to better address their needs and be more effective.
Task 2
Create partnerships with local for profit clinics to improve medical practices and manage the amount of patients.
Task 3
Acquire a sufficient amount of local and international volunteers to continuously keep the clinic running.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
See a decrease in the incidence of preventable diseases and greater health awareness within the state, and expand our model.
Task 1
Build relationships with traditional medical healers, as a means of accessing and not alienating the greater populace.
Task 2
Gain the local government’s support, collaborating to improve censuses and access to health care in rural areas.
Task 3
Coordinating with other universities and international NGOs to provide more funding opportunities for RISE’s clinic.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
RISE is currently partnering with the Godwin and Patricia Okeke Foundation which aims to actively contribute towards the development of health care provisions and human development. Additionally, RISE’s educational exchange implementing partners include Nnamdi Azikiwe University and the University of California at San Diego who are both committed to lessoning the burden of health professionals leaving Nigeria and are devoted to creating a work environment that will provide Nigerian professionals with the incentive to stay in Nigeria. Both are interested in improving health care in Nigeria.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
In addition to our initiative in Nigeria, RISE is working with a team of pharmacists who will be conducting an educational/vaccination campaign in Vietnam. The campaign will be aimed at preventing cervical cancer in Vietnamese women by administering the HPV vaccine to adolescent girls. 85% of women who die from cervical cancer reside in developing countries and the percentage of women sold, kidnapped or cornered into the sex trade in Vietnam is staggering. RISE has decided to work in Vietnam because we have contacts within the community who are willing to aid us in implementing our project.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
RISE’s innovation is successful because it is a sustainable model with enough operational support to thrive. Through the teaching of Nigerian health care professionals and the volunteer support on the ground and in San Diego, we are able to encourage volunteering at our clinic and raise funds for our programs respectively. Since the director spends time in both San Diego and Nigeria, organizational support will be available at both locations. Further, our collaboration with UCSD and Nnamdi Azikiwe University opens support channels not available to other organizations. Finally, the clinic is in a secure location, well protected from violence and political strife. This will allow for both national and international staff to feel safe working at our organization.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Since RISE is a fairly new organization, we could use more collaboration and support in the marketing, networking and funding areas. We are able to offer others help in research, developing their ideas and networking/collaborating with those we have already reached out to.
Created on 02/10/2012 by Natasya Sitorus
Lentera Anak Pelangi is a mitigation program for children living with HIV and AIDS in DKI Jakarta. Each child is ONE LIFE and every life matters.
Organization: Lentera Anak Pelangi
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Country
Indonesia, JK, Central Jakarta
Country where this project is creating social impact
Indonesia, JK, Central Jakarta
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each
1) Prof. Irwanto, Ph.D
Project Director of Lentera Anak Pelangi - Mitigation Program for Children Affected by HIV&AIDS in Jakarta
Professor from Atma Jaya Catholic Indonesia University
irwanto_i@yahoo.com
+628129310764
2) Siradj Okta, SH., LL.M
Head of AIDS Research Centre, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia
Supervisor for Peer Suport Group Division, Spiritia Foundation, Jakarta, Indonesia
+62817818107
siradj.o@gmail.com
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
A majority of children living with HIV in Jakarta are orphaned, and because they live with their poor caregivers who may be unaware of the child’s unique health needs, these children lack adequate nutrition and medical care in the home. There is therefore an unmet need for nutrition and basic health services for children living with HIV, which is exacerbated by a lack of education and information about HIV among caregivers within and outside the home. Inaccurate information and lack of education on HIV/AIDS spurs discrimination and stigma from schools and the community, creating an atmosphere that makes it even more challenging for caregivers to provide for these children.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Lentera Anak Pelangi (LAP) provides routine home visits for affected children, twice every month, followed by regular psychosocial and life skills education session for children and their caregivers to participate in together. LAP also provides advocates from children in their communities and at their schools by targeting community leaders, religious leaders, teachers, parents, and other students with education about HIV and AIDS, in the form of both public seminars and also social media. LAP also makes an effort to identify and counsel women living with HIV who become or are already pregnant, to prevent mother-to-child –transmission by advocating for them in the hospital to receive cesarean section births and providing free milk formula to avoid transmission through breast milk.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
During home visits, LAP counselors will monitor a child’s nutrition and basic health status, and then design household-specific plans for addressing any deficiencies, including providing education, and thus empowerment, to the caregivers through life skills education, to allow them to understand and respond responsibly to their child’s needs. Further, by embracing community leaders, religious leaders, teachers, parents, and other students, LAP counselors can foster an environment in which children with HIV are embraced and understood, and do not have to endure discrimination and stigma.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
NGOs such as Syair Untuk Sahabat Foundation, Tegak Tegar Foundation, and other similar programs are working to support children living with HIV and AIDS in DKI Jakarta. However, these organizations do not conduct targeted interventions into the homes and communities of children living with HIV, and do not provide psychosocial and life skills education opportunities to caregivers of children with HIV. These NGOs use their popularity to attract supporters and celebrities to do one-off charity activities with the children they serve, but what they provide for the children is usually not the priority needs of the children. Their name is heard loudly, even though their meaningful actions for children with HIV actions are less impactful.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
In Indonesia, most HIV intervention programs are targeted at the ‘highest-risk’ groups of injecting drug users and sex workers, and children are oftentimes overlooked in the process. The number of HIV-infected children reported in Indonesia every year is smaller than the number of HIV-infected adults, however, these children deserve their portion of HIV/AIDS programming and support, because each child is one life, and every life matters. There are only a few programs in Indonesia that have address directly the problem of children affected by HIV/AIDS, and Lentera Anak Pelangi aims to be the leading changemaker for this vulnerable population.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
LAP aims for our initiative to reach all 75 children living with HIV and AIDS in DKI Jakarta, and as we improve and enhance the quality of life of these children, we aim to create a replicable, cost-effective model of pediatric HIV/AIDS care for NGOs and government agencies in other regions outside DKI Jakarta
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
• Right now, Lentera Anak Pelangi works with 30 HIV infected children and in our next scale up we aim to reach 50 HIV infected children with more comprehensive home visits and life skills education program. One important impact to note is that while the number of children with HIV who we reach may be small, there are significantly positive impacts for their siblings and other orphaned children in their households and neighborhoods whose caregivers and communities also benefit from the intervention.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
• Over the next five years, Lentera Anak Pelangi will become the role model of all intervention programs for children living with HIV and AIDS not only in DKI Jakarta but across Indonesia. Although we do not aim to open up branch offices across the 33 other provinces, we do plan to collaborate and share our model of care with programs working nationwide in order to create a higher standard of physical, psycho-social, and emotional care services for children living with HIV and AIDS in Indonesia.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
• Our main barriers including sufficient funding to support our team of counselors, and support from , local government offices. Most HIV/AIDS donors focus their funding on key populations and not for children, and even the national strategy for HIV/AIDS Programming in Indonesia (2010-2014) excludes mitigation programs for children living with HIV and AIDS. We plan to overcome these barriers by engaging volunteers who are interested in helping the program directly as counselors, as we seek out and apply for different kinds of funding, and by using educational advocacy and social media tools to encourage the government and donors to pay attention to children and the discrimination and stigma they continue to endure.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
• Our six-month milestone is reaching another 10 HIV-infected children in DKI Jakarta, and producing an interactive media module
Task 1
Assess and add another 10 HIV-infected children to our clientele, and add at least one case manager to our staff, if needed, on
Task 2
Complete the interactive media module on decreasing stigma and discrimination towards children with HIV.
Task 3
Find one to two donors who will fund production of the interactive media module, and the main program costs of providing milk fo
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Within one year, we aim to be handling 50 HIV-infected children in DKI Jakarta and create a second interactive media module for
Task 1
Reaching 50 HIV-infected children in DKI Jakarta through hospitals and public health centers.
Task 2
Reaching at least one caregiver per child client to advance the disclosure module, and reaching at least one prominent community
Task 3
Finding donors to funding disclosure module and for keeping the milk formula and CD4 test sustain.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Lentera Anak Pelangi works with hospitals and HIV/AIDS NGOs in DKI Jakarta. We do not yet have any permanent donors, however Lentera Anak Pelangi is a part of Atma Jaya Catholic University's HIV&AIDS Research Centre.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?
Lentera Anak Pelangi currently targets only HIV-infected children, but because this is a limited beneficiary group – and ideally one that remains low into the future – LAP will aim to work in collaboration with other programs for all vulnerable and orphaned children within and outside DKI Jakarta into the future.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
Our innovation’s success can be attributed to an operating environment in which we connect and empower all of the forces acting in a child’s life, supporting children in their homes, communities, hospitals, and schools. Our intervention fosters a healthy and accepting environment for the child, instead of simply delivering a material or physical donation without changing the child’s psychosocial and emotional circumstances. Further contributing to our success are our internal organizational factors, namely a strong team on both the management and service-provider sides. Our management team is experienced in approaching donors and engaging professionals such as pediatric HIV doctors and nutritionists to support and guide our work, and our counselor team has extensive experience.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
