Design Challenge: Latrines

Proper containment of waste is one of the problems plaguing developed countries. The challenge was to make model-scale latrines.

Economist Reading

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 r     Tuesday's reading from The Economist  discussed how cellular devices are facilitating the lives of third world citizens. Access to cell phones allows these citizens to voice their opinions on human rights, learn more about political candidates, gain vital information for profitable business ventures, and  provide their families with financial capital through cellular banking. The reading also discussed how micro-financing has played a large part in the cellular boom and that small scale businesses have rapidly expanded due to increased access to cell phones. One of the most alarming statistics for this article was that 10 phone calls for every one-hundred people in developing nations adds an additional .8 percent GDP per citizen. The article also highlighted the success of Chinese and Indian telecommunication models through the newly applied strategies of tower sharing, off-shoring, and dynamic transferring. The article concluded with a forecast predicting that the future of cell phone technology in developing nations lies in internet accessibly: an area that would further alleviate citizens from their financial shortcomings.  

Business vs Aid

Over the semester, we have had several conversations about the role of technology in economic development. Access to technology, appropriate or more advanced seems to be key to the economic take-off that developing countries are yearning for. The aid community is promoting the adoption of technologies but questions remain about the sustainability of these initiatives. Would private companies be a viable alternative then? Can big multinational companies contribute to the adoption of technology and thus help the poor? We are not talking about philanthropy here, we are not talking about short term projects. These companies are seeking profits at the bottom of the pyramid, viewing the poor as potential customers. The class was quite skeptical. Here is another reason for skepticism: these companies have shown in the West that profits take priority over human rights and local economic growth. Over the last decades, the frequent lawsuits against Walmart remind us of the essential role of regulatory checks and balances. Developing countries not only lack these legal boundaries, but they are also desperate for economic growth, a disastrous combination!