Old Town Districts

Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal
Patan Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal

Most cities have an Old Town – a historic district of quaint, old buildings that have been renovated to capture the original look and feel of the area. Often these areas are thriving tourist areas due to the unique architectural detailing and abundance of interesting shops.

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Martin Fisher Social Entrepreneurship

Martin Fisher and KickStart.org have developed highly efficient human powered water pumps.
Martin Fisher and KickStart.org have developed highly efficient human powered water pumps.

“Throughout Africa, KickStart is lifting thousands of families out of poverty by helping them address their greatest need: finding a way to make more money.

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Shelters for All Update — One Year Later

It’s been about one year since the Shelters for All $300 House design competition. (Earthbag building was the most popular building method.) Let’s look at the progress made since then. Two videos below show their work in Haiti and India.

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$300 Earthbag House Update – What the World Needs Now


Every once in a while I go back and look through my websites to check on things and look for fresh insights. I was very surprised to see this $300 Earthbag House video has received over 180,000 hits. That’s far above the average 2,000 hits on most of my videos and this got me thinking about why it’s so popular.

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Practical Action

Mission of Practical Action - To contribute to poor people’s wellbeing, using technology to challenge poverty
Mission of Practical Action - To contribute to poor people’s wellbeing, using technology to challenge poverty

“Practical Action works alongside communities to find practical solutions to the poverty they face. We see technology as a vital contributor to people’s livelihoods. Our definition of technology includes physical infrastructure, machinery and equipment, knowledge and skills and the capacity to organise and use all of these.

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