Response to “How to Think about Consumer Innovation in Africa”
Encouragement from my Nigerian tweeps to go ahead and write a rebuttal to a recent article in TechCabal shared on Twitter yesterday has led to this post. Given that my doctoral dissertation is based on my past decade of work in innovation & design planning for the vast majority of the population that comprises the […]
The Resilience of Innovation under Conditions of Scarcity
Innovating beyond the traditional tin lantern – a simple wick attached to the can – Kouassi Bafounga cuts shapes from tin cans and fixes them together with glass, string and a little petrol to produce storm-proof lanterns. Last year, Bafounga was one of 11 winners in a “Fab Lab” innovation competition run by the French […]
Innovation, under conditions of resource scarcity
When Mkulima Young, a social media community for young farmers in Kenya tweeted this photograph of a motorcycle modified to pump water, I was delighted. It had been a long time since I’d seen such an excellent example of innovative product development under conditions of resource scarcity. REculture, the group blog hosted by the now […]
David is a maker; he sees his creations in his dreams
David with his combine harvester, Karantina, Kenya 15 April 2013 David is a maker. An artisan and craftsman who makes furniture as a carpenter in his day job, he’s nonetheless driven by visions of what he sees in his dreams to build these toys made out of scraps of wood, metal and plastic. That green […]
Jua kali jewel
And old bulb, a cap from a glass jar, some metal strips – light.
