Use What You’ve Got

By Tom Peterson

You may be involved with a cause that wants to take its mission to a new level. But most likely, it’s got limited funds. Actually, that’s okay. In fact, it may be the best place to start.

This idea isn’t new: More than 2,000 years ago Plato called necessity the mother of invention. When you look at groups acting at the intersection of innovation and social change, you’ll noticed a lot of efforts that make me say “Wow!” Surprisingly, on a second look, you’ll see that in almost every case, the innovators’ funds were completely inadequate for the size of their challenge. That’s why their ideas — and the execution of those ideas — are so remarkable.

Iron Fish Saves Lives. In the summer before he started graduate school, Chris Charles joined a research project in Cambodia with Research Development International, an organization focused on iron-deficiency anemia. The deficiency impacts billions worldwide and can result in a range of health problems, from fatigue to death.

Charles extended his three months to three years and a PhD project: How to get iron into the daily diet? Iron cookware is used in other places, but the impoverished villagers weren’t likely to switch to the heavier pots, nor could they afford iron supplements. The answer? As villagers boil their water for drinking, they put in a small fish locally cast from scrap iron. This small act provides 75 percent of the needed iron. And it’s still working several years later. Read the reports in Charles’s school magazine or in The Record.

Giant Blank Canvases. In 2009 Tony Goldman was trying to find a way to revitalize a district of abandoned warehouses in Miami. He realized they had one asset in abundance: blank walls. So they invited artists to paint  murals to create Wynwood Walls a giant outdoor art museum and attraction. Now more than 30 internationally known muralists, graffiti artists have created a multi-block district of arresting art. For example, Edgar “Saner” Flores and Sego, Mexico City artists, mix the scale and story telling of Diego Rivera’s murals with Bosch and Naked Lunch. The result… well you can see it yourself in episode five. Wynwood Walls has its own website, with a history, images, neighborhood happenings, restaurants and artist info.

“Light bulbs” made of two-liter plastic bottles are being installed in the roofs of slums around the world.This brilliant idea is spreading quickly around the world. Simply fill a plastic bottle with water (add some bleach to prevent clouding), and cut a hole in the roof. And behold: an almost free 50-watt bulb. Obviously, it shines only during the day. This is especially great for the millions of houses that are too close to each other to have windows.

• A group in Peru is trying to bring back the glaciers of the Andes (and the water that makes farming and life possible) by painting giant areas of rock white, and cooling the micro-site by thirty degrees.
• Cash Mobs are springing up around the country as way to encourage local spending.

You can do a lot with little. Limited funds, while inconvenient, does not determine the future. With creativity and perseverance, causes can move mountains with small inputs.

Photos and Art: Fish: Chris Charles; mural: Martha Cooper.