IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Spring 2014 - 20

pursue appropriate technology in more ways, co-creArguably, such aid-based models of development
ating solutions that can improve their collective quality
lead to inefficiencies and waste in the entire system.
of life. This article suggests that instead of considering
For instance, foreign aid agencies donate millions of
AT design tenets as rules for technology development,
dollars to developing countries to combat malaria by
they must be considered as a series of tradeoffs and sysdistributing free insecticide-treated mosquito nets, but
temic design decisions that are informed and co-created
these programs have efficiencies comparable to proby the specific communities and their context. Along
grams that espouse cost-sharing with customers [7].
with relevant real-world examples, this article presents
Should we be donating products when cost-sharing
a series of thought-provoking questions that must be
with recipients is just as effective and has the added
answered when engaging in the design of technology
advantage of fostering a sense of ownership? What
solutions for resource-constrained environments.
else can we do to lower wastage? One way of combatOver the last decade, the Humanitarian Engineering foreign aid waste is to invest the funds in local
ing and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) program
programs that catalyze more opportunities for employat penn State has led technology-based social venment and self-empowerment. For instance, foreign
tures in Kenya, Tanzania, rwanda, India,
donations could enable micro-lending for
Cameroon, and other countries. Through
small businesses or financing for public
approximately thirty different projects,
goods like infrastructure development
Aid
we have found that AT solutions are too
projects. Instead of donating mosquito
distribution
nuanced to be generalized across connets, foreign aid might invest in social
is often more
texts, cultures, and specific desired outventures like NetMark, a company that
comes. Though all aspiring AT projects
builds facilities and trains local residents
about the
have the same overall goal of improving
to manufacture low-cost mosquito nets
politics of the
the lives of resource-constrained commufor the local market [8]. The "aid versus
deliverers than trade" question is important because of
nities, they operate in different environthe economic
ments to address dissimilar problems.
the customer-consumer relationship.
For instance, a company attempting to
When foreign entities donate to non-profand social
provide electricity to rural Indian villages
its or developing-nation governments,
needs of the
need not adhere to the same tenets as a
they separate the customers (NGOs and
recipients.
group helping a community reconstruct
governments) from the consumers (peoa water reservoir in Kenya, or a venture
ple: end beneficiaries). When customers
commercializing affordable food dryers
don't understand, or don't articulate, the
in Nicaragua. We argue against the application of rigid
needs of the population correctly, the resulting solutenets and design principles and encourage innovators
tions are likely to fail. This phenomenon is less likely
to adopt a systems approach when developing new
in market-based ventures like NetMark, where the
technologies. We ask the entire community engaged in
customer and consumer are one and the same and the
appropriate technology - innovators, educators, stufeedback systems are fast and effective.
dents, entrepreneurs - to consider how we all should
Alongside the aid vs. trade debate, we must rememreally be designing such technologies. To what end,
ber that a major application of foreign aid is in shortand by what means, should this movement progress?
term humanitarian relief. For instance, disaster relief
funding can be necessary for countries and communiQuestions on Appropriate Technology
ties to address immediate, short-term challenges and
avoid further danger [9]. In the wake of catastrophic
Should we Design Technologies
natural disasters, devastated communities cannot rely
for Aid or for Trade?
solely on market-based or locally-developed improveThere is considerable discourse in the development
ments. However, the consequences of tragedies (and
community over the usefulness of foreign aid. Over
potentially the causes, in anthropogenic cases) can be
the past 50 years, more than two trillion dollars in formitigated by building resilient systems through effeceign relief have been transferred to Africa. paradoxitive long-term planning. Disaster aid is certainly neccally, Africa has a lower real per capita income today
essary in some instances, but it should not last so long
than it did before this aid began [5]. The "Marshall
that it weakens the society's economy and perpetuates
plan for Africa" has not worked, but why? And what
its dependence on foreign donors.
does this tell us about the appropriate circumstances
for foreign aid? Despite best efforts, aid distribution
Should Technology Solutions Leverage
within the current infrastructure of developing nations
Western or Indigenous Knowledge?
is often more about the politics of the deliverers than
Technology carries with it certain knowledge, perthe economic and social needs of the recipients [6].
spectives, and lifestyle concepts. Traditionally, AT
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IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

SprING 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Spring 2014