The Affero Blog

Appropriate? Technology

By Barak Bruerd in Articles

In nearly every situation in the West, technology plays an important role in dishing up services and solving problems. The more hi-tech and the more efficient the technology, the more we like it. Consequently, when we step into the context of poverty, our natural response is to search for a technological solution. After all, poverty is primarily a physical issue… right? Wrong. But that’s for another post (or two; or five).

That said, technology plays a critical role in addressing the aspects of poverty that are physical. Unfortunately the latest-greatest technology is not always the best. In fact, it’s often the worst. More times than I count I’ve watched universities, companies, and other entities pour millions into research to develop a fancy widget that works fabulously in a laboratory surrounded by techno-geeks, knowing with deep sadness that it’s a terrible solution to the problem they are trying to solve because it has been completely divorced from the context in which it will be used.

Though the term is kicked around in many circles, NGO’s refer to “appropriate technology” as technology that is contextualized for a given situation, offering an optimum balance in service delivery and sustainability. Very often, these two are in tension with one another and selecting the right technology is not always easy. However, there are five basic criterial that can be used to judge the appropriateness of any technology for use in a community development project.

These simple criteria are critical in technology selection. A reverse osmosis system may offer fantastic water quality but the cost and technical requirements are high, making sustainability in a rural community extremely low. A ceramic water filter may be a low-cost, simple solution but if it’s longevity only extends 2-3 years and is not easily replaced locally, it is only a bandaid solution. Chlorine is inexpensive and locally available but many cultures resist chemical treatment or greatly dislike the taste and therefore reject it’s use.

What’s brilliant is that it doesn’t take a PhD to ask these questions or evaluate the answers. What technologies and solutions do you see on the news, on websites, or out in the field that meet or don’t meet these criteria? Play Pumps is a technology recently in the news for it’s reported ongoing failure in the field. It’s a sexy and techie solution to water access but how well does it meet the criteria above as an appropriate technology? Are there situations where it would be more or less appropriate? Though our role is small, we play an integral part in the poverty equations and we have a joint responsibility with implementing organizations to evaluate and ensure that the solutions used are effective. The answers aren’t easy and compromise is a necessary staple of most projects, but best practices in development have strong principles that have to be applied if we are to achieve any measure of long-term success.

A quick note before I sign off: in humanitarian relief, these criteria overlap, but with some very key differences. Humanitarian relief is not about solving poverty, but about responding to life-threatening emergencies. Considerations for sustainability, cultural sensitivity, cost etc, tend to take a back-seat role in the face of saving lives. Effectiveness and rapid deployment in high volumes with consideration for short-term usability tend to be the primary determinants in technology selection. Later, we’ll be talking more about the differences between relief and development but know that technologies that are perfect for relief are often poor choices for development and vice versa.

~ Peace

An Unlikely Affangelist Throws a Party

By Beau Miller in News

I’d like to tell you about a very special friend of mine named Ziggy. He’s super cool, makes the funniest faces and noises, and the girls think he’s very handsome.  I love Ziggy and he loves The Affero Project.  Oh, I should probably also mention that Ziggy is only a year old.  I haven’t done any scientific research on this, but I would assume that this makes Ziggy our youngest Affangelist.  At this stage of my post, I must also warn you not to underestimate the power of a one-year-old boy.  If the Super Bowl has taught us anything, it’s taught us this.  Just look at those little kids in the E*TRADE commercials – they’re getting stuff done!  OK, so Ziggy may not golf yet, but I can tell you that in addition to grabbing faces and laughing, he’s doing some serious ground work for Affero.

Ziggy’s dad, Joshua is one of my closest friends, and his mom, Stacy, is like the older sister I never had.  This is code for “she beats me up, makes fun of me, then tells me she loves me and buys me French bread pizzas.”  The point is, I love Josh and Stacy a ton and they are family to me.  Along with Zig and his beautifully brilliant sister Hannah.  But you’ll have to wait for another day to hear about them.  This post is about Zig and his awesome, Affero-themed birthday party!  Last Saturday a bunch of our friends got together at the park to celebrate Zig’s first birthday.  Unfortunately, I was gone shooting a TV commercial, but I heard all about it.  All of my friends told me it was epic, and that was expected because, well…  Ziggy is epic.  There were tons of families hanging out, having a blast and enjoying community.  And of course there was prince Ziggy, the master of ceremonies and the guest of honor.  And this is where Affero comes in…

When it comes to little kids’ birthday parties, what the heck are you supposed to get them?  I mean, come on, how many copies of “The Giving Tree” can a kid possibly need?  And if that’s not enough, let’s face it, by age one, a super cool dude like Ziggy probably has every article of clothing in Gymboree’s last ten collections.  So, Josh and Stacy, being the revolutionaries they are, decided that instead of getting more stuff for Ziggy, maybe Ziggy could be a catalyst for Affero.  Totally awesome!  Their invites simply stated that instead of bringing gifts, they’d love it if their guests would take the time to check out Affero and join the movement.  It was that simple.  They believe in Affero, and knew that Zig’s party would be a great opportunity to share the joy of community giving.  And it worked out beautifully.  People got the invite and joined Affero, and others left the party committed to going home and doing the same.  Others asked questions, some put money for Affero in cards, and Josh even did an interpretive dance with Ziggy about what Affero means to them.  This is a lie, but it would have been super funny.

So, that’s the story of Ziggy’s amazing first birthday.  Even though he’s just a year old, I will always remember the stories of his party and how a world-changing Affero event centered around a little boy who still spits milk down his shirt and shrieks like a Terradactyl.  There is no doubt in my mind that Ziggy is going to be a revolutionary someday, and I am so thankful for Joshua, Stacy and Hannah for the roles they are playing now, and the roles they will continue to play as his life goes on.  Let’s face it, Ziggy did the majority of planning and work on the Affero birthday bash, but to his parents and sister, he wanted me to tell you, “thanks for the assist!”  Ziggy, you are the man.  I love you so much and I am so excited to see how you are going to change the world.  As proof of my appreciation, please accept the autographed copy of “The Giving Tree” and the brown and orange Gymboree onsie with puppy dogs on it, that will be delivered to your house sometime today.  Until next week my friends, keep on living…

Peace,
Beau

The Journey

By Barak Bruerd in Articles

Our world is a fast-paced world.  I use the term ‘world’ very loosely because our understanding of it as Americans is largely shaped by our limited perspective of it – which is true of any culture.  *Our* world, in America, is fast-paced, driven by productivity, profit margins, technology, and innovation.  Our history has been shaped through frontier micro-economies, assembly line manufacturing, franchising; all driven by a powerful value of the self-made man.  Wealth, status, and power were achieved, not inherited – a concept alien to most cultures of the past, and even a great many today.  Wealth has been defined by material possessions and we draw strong lines connecting happiness and wellbeing to it.  We thrive on innovation, differentiation, and a fierce sense of individualism.

I say these things matter-of-factly.  As in all things, there are many positives mixed with many negatives in our culture.  Rather, I paint this very brief picture of ‘us’ to open a conversation on the reality that our culture – our worldview – has an incredible impact on how we interact and relate to other cultures, the way we define problems, and the solutions we determine are needed.  As a minority culture on this planet (>5% of the world’s population), but one with a disproportionately large impact, it’s critical that we are deeply sensitive to the way we engage other cultures.  Our sense of ‘right’ and our values in life are not inherently shared by all, and the problems faced by the majority world, particularly the materially poor, are so intensely complex that simple solutions are nearly impossible.  Often, our very act of helping entrenches people deeper in the systems responsible for their poverty.

I’m excited and honored to be a voice in the Affero journey. We want to be a voice for responsible engagement – transformative engagement with those in other cultures.  It’s a hard thing and it’s never perfect, but it’s a journey that we are taking together.  Over the next few weeks and months I’m going to be posting topics that explore some of the fundamental attitudes, values, and ideals that drive how we engage the majority world, especially the materially poor.  I’m rather well known for tangents so there may be some rabbit trails that explore technologies, current issues, cutting edge methods, and the work of some of our different partners and why we chose them…  Make sure you leave comments and ask questions – ultimately this is a dialogue and an exploration we want you to be a part of.  Peace.

Getting Hairy

By Lucas Parry in News

Sam Davidson, our good friend from over at www.coolpeoplecare.com blogged this today – I thought it worthy of a share!

“Whether you rock a bob, an Afro, a perm or a Justin Bieber, your hair can be used to help clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Matter of Trust takes hair clippings both from humans and pets and turns them into super-absorbent mats that can help soak up stray oil. We didn’t believe it at first, but this story and video from the LA Times shows how it works. So, if you’re set for a trim in the next few days, ask your barber to bag those clippings and send them to Matter of Trust.”

Are You On The Global Rich List?

By Lucas Parry in News

Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world. Wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where would you sit on one of those lists? Here’s your chance to find out. www.globalrichlist.com

I hope that this inspires you to:

1) Be grateful for you you have.

2) To use that wealth to change the life of someone else.

If you haven’t already, join us at www.afferoproject.com

UNcultured?

By Affero in News

Today I stumbled across this blog www.uncultured.com and wanted to share about it. One man, doing what he can, to change the world.

Shawn Ahmed was an ordinary Canadian student.. and in his words – “In 2005, I got a scholarship to pursue a Masters & PhD in Sociology at Notre Dame University. One day, in September of 2006, Notre Dame closed all of its classes so that students could learn more about the important issue of global health and global poverty. Among the scholars Notre Dame invited to speak to us was Dr. Jeffrey Sachs (author of the book “The End of Poverty”).

Note – Reading any of Dr. Jeffrey Sachs books or hearing him speak is a good way to begin your journey of truly understanding the world of poverty and how we can change it. He iterates that It doesn’t require us to have a dramatic revolution or for all become like Mother Theresa. Simple and small changes in our global, political, and personal priorities can make a huge difference in the world”. This is true and part of the reason we started Affero.

Shawn started blogging and encouraging the conversation about global poverty and moved himself to Bangladesh to immerse himself with life on the ground and finding out the good, the bad and the ugly of development work first hand. Take some time and check out his blog and website. Also if you know of others doing similar things, let us know by commenting below.

“We can end extreme poverty – but I have to tell the students the bad news: it’s your homework” - Dr. Jeffrey Sachs