Build Bridges for Health, Education & Hope - Nepal

Home > Catalog > Nepal > Build Bridges for Health, Education & Hope - Nepal

Close Window

Project Need: $4,000

Funding
to Date:

$4,439 (%)
As of Feb 13 02:57 2012

Theme: Economic Development

Country: Nepal [View country profile]

Sponsor: Tech Museum Awards

Project Information

Project duration: 6 Months

Project's area of focus: Safe access to health care, education and markets

Project Needs and Beneficiaries

12 million Nepalese live in the Himalayan foothills where rivers are hazardous obstacles. Limited access denies many children an education, discourages proper health care, and increases the cost of goods. To cross more than 10 meters, there have been only two alternatives: an extremely dangerous cable 'tween' wherein a makeshift trapeze or wooden box hangs from a pulley that often crushes the user's fingers, or an expensive suspended walking bridge.

Activities

Since 1998 34 gondola-like WireBridges have been built over dangerous rivers in Nepal at a quarter the cost of suspended bridges. Only two to four months are needed to complete each bridge.

Expected Outcomes

In more than 1,000 Nepalese communities, schoolchildren and others want "to reach the other side" safely. Village children and adults have used the 34 WireBridges more than 3.2 million times with no accidents. Requests for bridges are overwhelming.

Project Message

WireBridges are not just structures. They also are symbols of cooperation. Every client community has put a 'bridge' above politics and despite the regional conflict, no bridge has ever been harmed.
- David Sowerwine, Co-founder

Project Contact

David Sowerwine,
Managing Director
999 Olive Street
Menlo Park, California 94025
United States
650-380-5008

Resources

Organization's Overview


VillageTech Solutions (VTS) 999 Olive Street Menlo ParkCA94025 United States 650-853-1713 Organization's Homepage

Organization's Mission

Bettering lives in developing countries through creative and sustainable use of low cost technology.

Organization's Programs

In 1998 VTS' affiliate EcoSystems installed the first gondola-like carriage. In 2007 15 villages were equipped to generate and distribute electricity from human energy. At the PedalGenerator site 50 to 100 watts is available for 'large' applications such as a TV for A/V education.

Organization Statistics		Financial Statistics
Neela Gentile, Acting Executive Director Founded in 1996 Employees: 0 Volunteers: 6		Other funding sources: All labor for VTS has been volunteered except for legal advice which was paid by David & Haydi Sowerwine. EcoSystems was funded by the founders, the Tech and World Bank awards, and product sales. Religious Affiliation: none

Personnel Overview

David Sowerwine - Advisor

Analyst and planner with Esso Standard Eastern in the Far East, then with Castle & Cooke (Dole). Helped with Nepal's early agroenterprise development and many entrepreneurial opportunities. Coordinating plans for introduction of public private partnership management procedures.

Haydi Sowerwine - Co-Advisor

Holds a degree from Colby-Sawyer and years of office and personnel management experience, including many of the start-up years of IDEO, one of the world's premier product design companies

Nanda Lal Bhandari - Manager, VillageSolutions

Bachelor in Commerce from Tribhuwan University; six years of service training with a leading five star hotel; direct participation in the operation of EcoSystems; formed Village Solutions in January 2009 to continue development and sales of bridges, lighting systems, and other appropriate technologies.