What do you want to solve?
You want to find practical solutions to problems of poverty without skewed advertisements or biased information, and we can help you. Our crowdsourced database contains curated, objective information on ready-made products, do-it-yourself guides for local manufacture, and best practices. Choose a challenge area below to get started.
Need help finding the solutions that are right for you? Contact us for needs-based project consulting.
Institutional Stove Solutions
The stoves use advanced “rocket stove” design principles to maximize fire power and fuel efficiency while minimizing harmful emissions including carbon monoxide and particulate matter by 90% or more. Each stove comes with an integral aluminum ...
3M
3M™ Petrifilm™ Aqua Plates are sample-ready plates that replace conventional agar, petri dishes, media pads and disposable filter funnels used in the microbial testing of water. Each plate contains a water-soluble gelling agent, nutrients and ...
Forus Health
3nethra is a portable, non-invasive, non-mydriatic, pre-screening ophthalmology device. The device can detect diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, cornea problems, and refractive errors. 3nethra then provides an automated “Normal" or ...
5 Star Stoves
5 Star Stoves provide one and two-plate gasification stoves. The stoves support pots with a 10-liter capacity, and operate using biomass pellets. Each stove costs USD $41.
Working with local partners, 5 Star Stoves implements integrated ...
Institutional Stove Solutions
The stoves use advanced “rocket stove” design principles to maximize fire power and fuel efficiency while minimizing harmful emissions including carbon monoxide and particulate matter by 90% or more. Each stove comes with an integral aluminum ...
Sunforce Product, Inc
- Excellent for Cabins, Remote Power,Backup Power,
- 12 Volt Battery Charging, RV’s & Boats
- Maintenance Free / Easy Installation
- Works in All Weather Conditions
- Built-in Blocking Diode Protects
- Battery Discharge at Night
- Made of ...
African Clean Energy
The ACE 1 is a solar-biomass hybrid that uses one LiFePO4 battery to power a ventilator creating clean biomass combustion, as well as to give users access to solar electricity for mobile charging and lighting. A fan blows oxygen into the ACE 1 ...
Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. (AIDFI)
The AIDFI Hydraulic Ram Pump is a device which utilizes the energy contained in falling water (hydro power) to lift a portion of this water to high elevations.
The hydraulic ram pump developed by AIDFI is ideal for providing upland and ...
GS Yuasa International
GS Yuasa International Ltd., a Japanese battery manufacturer, offers two solar latern products: the AKARi Solar Light Kit and the Mini Moshi-Moshi.
The AKARi Solar Light Kit is a small-sized solar power system for household use equipped with ...
Appropriate Rural Technology Institute
A biogas plant can turn organic waste into readily usable gas, which can be burned as fuel. The ARTI designed biogas plant is compact and can be built on-site in just a few hours. Kitchen waste, or even organic waste found on the street can be ...
Nonspec
An adjustable prosthetic limb that can be taken off-the-shelf and adjust in height and angle to meet any amputee's need. It is quick and easy to fit, high quality, lightweight, and durable so that amputees worldwide can have access to a limb ...
Adlens Ltd
Adlens manufactures eyeglasses which can be instantly adjusted to suit the user. They are intended for use where prescription eyeglass fitting is not available and emergency situations where replacement eyeglasses are needed immediately. The ...
Malawi Handcart Project
The AfriCart (also known as the Malawi Handcart) is designed to improve the quality of life and the economic productivity of rural Africans. The Malawi Handcart Project resource page provides design specifications and instructions to build ...
Childline Kenya
116 is the African Child Helpline number currently used by Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Guinea Conakry, Namibia, while others are still lobbying for the number from their respective governments. They include Uganda, Lesotho, South Africa among ...
AguaClara Reach
AguaClara builds water treatment plants that produce US EPA-standard drinking water and are owned and operated by small communities with limited resources. AguaClara technologies are built entirely out of inexpensive locally-available ...
Noble Energy Solar Technologies, Ltd.
Lighting in rural India is mainly achieved through the burning of kerosene lamps. In remote parts of India, specifically in the states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, kerosene is unavailable. If available, it is sold to the poor at ...
Amplio Network
Talking Book is a low-cost audio computer designed for the learning needs of illiterate populations living in the poorest areas in the world.
The Talking Book disseminates verbal information created by local experts to rural communities. For ...
Village Forward
Developed by Solutions Benefiting Life, which became Village Forward in 2010, the Aquasif system is low cost and efficient. It is produced and sold by local manufacturers in developing countries.
Household water treatment:
- Low cost system ...
Medentech Headquarters
Aquatabs are tablets used to rapidly disinfect large or small quantities of drinking water. In thirty minutes it effectively sanitizes the water, effective against all waterborne pathogens. The tablets are often cheaper than the fuel needed to ...
Catholic Relief Services
The ArborLoo is a simple, low cost toilet that is easy to build and maintain and is relatively free of odors and flies.
The ArborLoo is made up from 4 parts:
- A dug pit
- A “ring beam” to protect the pit
- A concrete slab which sits on ...
Aston University
Arclight is a handheld medical device used to examine the eyes and ears of patients of all ages. It is an all-in-one solar-powered ophthalmoscope-loupe-otoscope. The Arclight identifies preventable diseases which can leave a person partially or ...
Invention Labs
There are 40 million people in the world today who live without a voice. They lose the ability to speak because of various conditions: cerebral palsy, autism, mental retardation, strokes, motor neuron disease, and many others.
Most non-verbal ...
Azuri Technologies
Azuri Quad Solar Home System provides a complete package of household lighting for as little as US50 cents per day. The product comes with 4 powerful LED lights, rechargeable radio and torch, plus mobile phone charging. Once the system is paid ...
Bempu Health
Regular temperature monitoring can enable early intervention and is one of the most effective ways to ensure newborns are healthy. BEMPU is an innovative bracelet, which detects and alerts in the event of hypothermia, facilitating improved ...
International Research & Development Afr
The BIO-MOTO is a bio-fuel cookstove developed by International Research and Development Africa (IRDA).
The stove has five-stage variable power (0.8 KW- 4.0 KW), instant ignition capabilities and is fuel spill and explosion proof. The BIO-MOTO ...
PATH
Low birth weight is the invisible undertow for infants in the developing world, where 95 percent of underweight children are born. Babies who don’t weigh enough at birth are terribly vulnerable. Their bodies are not strong, and they may have a ...
Ushahidi
BRCK is a device that brings the internet to remote locations, even without electricity.
The BRCK’s backup battery and multiple ways of connecting to various networks offers users consistent connectivity even when networks are down and power ...
Backpack PLUS
The Backpack PLUS Collaboration provides a prototype toolkit for Community Health Workers (CHWs) to distribute a basic package of medical commodities and diagnostic tools to patients throughout developing countries.
By supplying CHWs with ...
Backpack Practice
At Backpack Practice (formerly Backpack TV), you can find education videos to help you with math, science, and other academic subjects. ...
Bamboo Bike Project
The goal of the Bamboo Bike Project is to test the feasibility of implementing bamboo bikes as a new form of transportation in Africa.
There are several advantages to making bicycles out of bamboo. Since bamboo is grown locally in Africa, and ...
Carry Freedom
The Bamboo Trailer was designed by Carry Freedom for use in developing communities to allow anyone to build a strong adaptable trailer from locally-sourced materials. This trailer can be built locally by following DIY instructions provided by ...
Storm the Castle Paper Making
Banana fibers and other plant fibers can be converted into pulp for paper making. This offers a productive use of waste fibers for creating a local supply of paper and generating income. Once plant fibers are removed and dried, they are boiled ...
Barefoot Power
The Barefoot Connect range of solar home systems is designed to meet the needs of households and businesses without reliable access to electricity. All Connect systems include a quality power controller, efficient LED lights and a robust ...
Barefoot Power
The Firefly series of portable lighting and phone charging solutions combine LED lighting with long lasting lithium iron phosphate batteries that are rated to last for 1000 cycles.
The Firefly series includes the following products:
- Firefly ...
Barefoot Power
The Barefoot Go portable solar light has been specifically designed to meet the needs of rural markets. The ultra-bright lamp can illuminate an entire room or shop. Multiple brightness settings allow the user to conserve power until it’s ...
Barefoot Power
The Barefoot PowaPack Series offers a solar lighting solution for homes and businesses. The series includes longer lasting AGM sealed lead acid batteries that last up to 400 cycles – twice as long as previous Barefoot Power kits. The PowaPack ...