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Simple instructions, big impact: How DIY solutions lift people out of poverty

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14 Jun, 2023

This post was originally published on Good Search

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© dooiy

We highlight some startups and initiatives that are successfully helping people in underserved regions implement simple solutions to everyday challenges on their own. What all models have in common is helping people to help themselves and transferring knowledge.

Anyone searching for DIY instructions on the Internet today is flooded with ideas and video material. However, most of the offers are life hacks that make life more pleasant. In underserved regions, however, the focus is on real improvements in living conditions and quality of life. The Internet offers a unique opportunity to realize access to simple innovations such as water filters, vertical vegetable gardens or the production of hygiene products for the relevant target groups. Of critical importance, therefore, is a curated approach based on knowledge of the challenges and opportunities faced by residents in poverty-stricken areas.

 

Keine Fotobeschreibung verfügbar.

We are supporting the start-up dooiy – DIY Solutions to Alleviate Poverty

This is exactly what the Berlin-based non-profit company Hack your Shack puts into practice with its app dooiy: a well-researched selection with a high success rate for independent implementation. The life hacks from dooiy aim to empower people to help each other. Simple technical solutions can play a key role in significantly improving the lives of many people.

Low-tech solutions are in demand in order to achieve a high outreach. On the one hand, this includes compact basic knowledge with step-by-step guides, illustrated and presented in an easy language. The problem for people in underserved regions is: Do I understand the instructions? Can I implement the service on my own without prior knowledge, special tools, or money? It is therefore important that the process works in a resource-efficient way and can be implemented with local resources that are easy to obtain and, at best, should cost little. 

Beyond that, it’s all about data volume. DIY instructions via video on YouTube are worthless for the target group in underserved areas because data consumption is high and therefore prohibitively expensive for most users of mobile devices, especially since functioning mobile networks are not standard. In addition, explainer videos need to be watched multiple times to capture all the information, and sharing them with third parties can only go viral. Illustrated step-by-step instructions that can also be saved are therefore worlds better for their use and distribution. 

The free dooiy app consumes little data, is battery-friendly and intuitive to use. Soon, offline use will also be possible, users with reading difficulties will be supported, and community translations will be offered in many languages.

 

© dooiy

The most popular product is a DIY fire extinguisher

It all started with the fire extinguisher, the most successful and effective dooiy hack. It is hard for us to imagine what a fire can do. However, for the inhabitants of informal settlements, this is the greatest danger. Candles and kerosene can quickly ignite easily combustible material, fire extinguishers are scarce or not available at all. The dooiy founding team has experienced how quickly a hut can burn down: in 45 seconds. Water connections are rarely “around the corner” and even if they were accessible in a reasonable amount of time, it would take up to 10 minutes to fill the bucket, if the water line is working at all. Often water and electricity are limited to a few hours a day, and illegal power lines are one of the most common causes of fires, along with open cooking stoves. In the narrow maze of paths, it is impossible to get help quickly and thus the fire can easily spread in a short time. That day, 250 dwellings burned down, leaving 1,200 residents homeless. 

This experience sparked Marlene Lerch and Christian Fuß’s motivation to make a difference, and soon the DIY fire extinguisher was born. With a few inexpensive household utensils, an effective foam is produced in a bottle. To this day, demand for fire extinguisher training courses is high, making the offering a dooiy best-seller. Since the building courses are aimed primarily at women in the communities, it not only gives them a new sense of security but also boosts their self-esteem – and that’s not just because of the impressive demonstration effect of the fire extinguisher at the end of the course. 

Equally popular is the homemade washing machine made from buckets. In addition to its own DIY solutions, the app also features curated partner offerings, such as solar lamps made from PET bottles by Liter of Light and soap making by Viva con Agua. The app is flanked by workshops and the development of a network of multipliers such as educational institutions, NGOs and community organizations. The focus is on do-it-yourself because helping people to help themselves often inspires those around them and promotes the achievement of shared solutions.

 

Liter of Light - Wikipedia

Liter of Light – Solar lamps made from old plastic bottles

Founded in 2013 in the Philippines, the global grassroots movement Liter of Light has designed solar lighting for slums using inexpensive and readily available materials. This gives people with limited or no access to electricity a source of daylight. The idea: fill a 1.5 liter PET bottle with clear water and a small shot of bleach, thus preventing the growth of bacteria and algae. The bottle is then glued into the roof with a special adhesive and simultaneously sealed watertight. The water in the bottle now diffuses daylight and brightens the room, with the luminosity equivalent to a 55-watt incandescent bulb. Meanwhile, regional chapters are developing simple solar lamps that provide light even after sunset as do-it-yourself kits thanks to LED lamps, a small solar panel and a rechargeable battery. In many cases, the tried and tested PET bottles are also used here, for example as street lanterns.

© Liter of Light

DIY solution EcoBricks – A bottle with lots of power

In 2003, Susanne Heisse collected plastic waste for the first time in Guatemala and stuffed it into plastic bottles until there was really nothing left to fit. That was the beginning of a worldwide movement around the so-called Ecobrick, an easy-to-implement solution. What can you do with thin plastic bags and film? Put them in a bottle! That way, the otherwise lightweight material becomes progressively stronger until it becomes a stable building block. According to the Global Ecobricks Alliance, Ecobrick is a conventional PET packaging bottle compactly filled with hard-to-recycle plastic waste. The plastic waste used should be dry and clean to avoid the growth of microorganisms inside the bottle. This can be used to build furniture or successfully used in the construction of houses and schools, although the blocks do not meet any common safety standard. Ideally, this is done for circular and spiral building applications, but modules can also be assembled with the help of silicone. Currently, the vision “Project Wings: The World’s largest recycling village” is being implemented on the edge of the Indonesian rainforest. An education and awareness centre for children and adults is being built there to draw attention to the problem of waste.

 

Keine Fotobeschreibung verfügbar.

Low-Tech-Lab – Collective intelligence to spread useful innovations

All over the world, people are using the resources at their disposal to develop innovations and solutions to solve key problems in their everyday lives and thus raise their standard of living. This often involves adapting simple and often traditional technologies. These low-tech technologies, unlike high-tech ones, require no special know-how and very little financial resources. An open-source database collects and documents existing and proven solutions and develops new concepts. The tutorials and instructions make it possible to provide people in the most diverse areas and regions with valuable know-how, instruments and solutions that they can produce themselves and easily maintain and repair. A classic example: small farmers sell part of their harvest at regional markets. To ensure a longer shelf life, the produce needs to be refrigerated, but money and energy supplies are scarce. This is where a non-electric clay pot refrigerator, the traditional Arabic “zeer pot,” can help because it works based on evaporative cooling and has been used for centuries.

MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

dooiy

We are supporting dooiy in June 2023 with the proceeds of GOOD. You can find out more about it on our project page:

Fragen, Kritik, Anregungen? Schreibt uns!
Andreas Renner, Co-Founder GOOD: andreas@good-search.org

The post Simple instructions, big impact: How DIY solutions lift people out of poverty appeared first on GOOD – The search engine for a better world.

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Embedding environmental stewardship into IT governance frameworks

Embedding environmental stewardship into IT governance frameworks

07 Jul, 2025

Integrating environmental stewardship into IT governance frameworks has become essential as businesses increasingly prioritise sustainability. IT operations contribute significantly to carbon emissions, energy consumption and electronic waste (e-waste). Organisations that embed environmental responsibility into their IT governance can reduce their ecological footprint, improve operational efficiency and strengthen their brand reputation.

Erica Smith, chief alliance officer and environmental, social and governance lead, Blue Connections IT, said, “Environmental stewardship supports financial performance, risk mitigation and brand differentiation. With rising energy costs, increased consumer demand for sustainable products and services, and growing pressure from investors and regulators, companies can no longer afford to overlook their environmental responsibilities.

“Poor sustainability practices in IT can lead to high operational costs, supply chain risks and reputational damage. Conversely, a proactive approach improves efficiency, attracts environmentally conscious customers and helps future-proof businesses against evolving policy and regulatory changes.

“Integrating environmental responsibility into IT governance integrates sustainability initiatives into decision-making systematically. Organisations can reduce waste, lower energy consumption and extend the lifecycle of technology assets while positioning themselves as responsible leaders in an increasingly climate-aware market.”

There are four key areas that present opportunities to embed environmental stewardship into IT governance frameworks.

1. Device lifecycle management

A structured approach to managing the lifecycle of IT assets ensures devices are deployed efficiently, maintained properly and retired responsibly at the end of their useful life. Embracing a circular economy model, where equipment is refurbished, reused or ethically recycled, can significantly reduce e-waste and resource use. Companies that adopt this approach lower their environmental impact and unlock financial value by extending the lifecycle of IT assets.

Smith said, “Effective asset recovery strategies further support sustainability efforts. Integrating secure data erasure and refurbishment into IT governance policies lets businesses repurpose functional devices within the organisation or resell them to external buyers. Responsible e-waste recycling also supports companies to process materials ethically in instances where resale is not viable, reducing landfill contributions and preventing environmental contamination. The adoption of industry-certified data sanitisation methods also safeguards compliance with security and privacy regulations.”

2. Sustainable procurement

IT governance frameworks should prioritise the selection of technology vendors and partners committed to sustainable manufacturing, responsible sourcing and energy-efficient product design. This includes favouring IT hardware with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled materials and using minimal packaging. Additionally, employing Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) models optimises IT asset utilisation while reducing upfront investment and unnecessary hardware purchases.

Partnerships with sustainability-driven IT service providers can further enhance an organisation’s environmental impact. Working with partners that offer end-to-end IT asset management solutions, encompassing secure device deployment, certified data sanitisation and ethical recycling, simplifies the process of aligning IT operations with sustainability goals. Companies that prioritise environmental stewardship in their IT governance framework gain a competitive advantage by demonstrating their commitment to responsible business practices.

3. Energy consumption

Data centres, cloud services and enterprise networks require substantial energy resources, making green IT practices essential. IT governance frameworks should include policies to reduce consumption by optimising server efficiency, reducing redundant infrastructure and using renewable energy sources. Cloud providers with strong sustainability credentials can support carbon reduction initiatives, while virtualisation strategies can consolidate workloads and improve overall energy efficiency.

4. Employee engagement

Educating staff on sustainable IT practices, such as energy-efficient device usage and responsible e-waste disposal, creates a culture of accountability. Organisations that implement green workplace initiatives, such as responsible end-of-life disposal programs, reinforce their commitment to sustainability at all levels.

“IT governance must also align with corporate environmental, social and governance commitments. Companies can contribute to broader sustainability objectives by embedding environmental stewardship into IT policies, such as net-zero emissions targets and responsible supply chain management. Clear reporting mechanisms and regular sustainability audits aid transparency, letting businesses track their progress and demonstrate accountability to stakeholders,” Smith said.

Government regulations and evolving industry standards are increasingly shaping the sustainability expectations for organisations. Aligning IT governance frameworks with best practices for environmental stewardship keeps companies ahead of regulatory requirements. Proactive adoption of sustainable IT practices positions businesses as industry leaders in environmental responsibility.

Smith said, “Integrating environmental stewardship into IT governance frameworks is not just about meeting compliance obligations; it’s about futureproofing company operations and prioritising the broader environment. Taking a proactive approach to sustainability lets organisations drive efficiency, reduce long-term costs and contribute to a healthier planet. Businesses that lead in sustainable IT governance will be well-positioned for long-term success as environmental concerns continue to shape consumer and corporate priorities.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Petmal

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