The Buckminster Fuller Challenge recognizes innovative strategies with the potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems. Each year, a distinguished jury awards $100,000 to the winning strategy to support further development and implementation. In this series, we’re featuring the 21 semi-finalists currently under consideration for the 2011 award
FrontlineSMS is an open-source, award winning software program that enables groups of people to instantaneously communicate with each other without internet connectivity using computer-to-cell phone text messaging. The software is particularly useful in remote areas of developing countries where internet access may be limited or non-existent. With 12.5 million users in 60 countries and 300 organizations, applications of the software range from monitoring national elections to tracking potential targets of human trafficking networks. Developer Ken Banks was named a Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow in 2008, Laureate of the Tech Awards in 2009, and National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2010.
The Portable Light Project created an adaptable solar textile kit that provides decentralized power and light to communities in developing countries without access to electricity. The 2-watt PV cell can be woven into bags, clothing, or other textiles and provides up to 14 hours of light with 5 hours of charging. An integrated USB connection makes charging devices like radios or cell phones possible, and the individually owned cells can be joined to form a larger grid that powers community-scale tasks. The non-profit partners with NGOs in Mexico, Nicaragua, Haiti, Brazil, South Africa, and Kenya.
Sanergy, a collaboration between engineers from MIT and Kenya, has developed technologies to convert human waste into biogas and fertilizer safely and efficiently, addressing the sanitation and energy problems of slums while also creating jobs and a valuable agricultural product. Their design moves human waste from a franchised network of pre-fabricated ferrocement toilets to an off-grid waste collection area using bicycle power, and on to a centralized processing facility where it is converted to electricity and fertilizer. There is a potential $72M market in Kenya where they are operating pilot projects in Kibera and Lunga Lunga slums.