Here’s what I believe: If you plan for the most vulnerable, the world works better for everyone. Organize a busy street so a deaf child with a physical disability can cross it safely and suddenly you’ve got a street safe enough for an elderly person who moves slowly or a pregnant woman with a heavy briefcase or a harried father with three small kids in tow. That’s how it (...)
Columnists
Backdoor Humanitarianism
HOW A SCIENTIST IS HELPING BLIND CHILDREN IN INDIA
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More than a new angle on raising funds for a good cause, the research approach takes a project - something finite and potentially limited - and turns it into a learning opportunity. As such, it helps bring those delivering a solution more directly into a partnership with those being helped and adds a sense oF humility often missing from humanitarian program delivery. We are all at our best when we are learning. Moreover, it gives the project more of a sense that this is just the beginning. Imagine where this could lead in the future. For me, the thought of children gaining their sight for the first time, and learning more complex skills (like painting, sculpture, cooking, engineering and design) is inspiring. Imagine the masterpieces that could come from these kids. It will be fun to track the results of this project, and this collaborative approach, in the years ahead.