“What’s so exciting about this show is that it marks a sea change,” says Cynthia E. Smith, who curated the exhibition, which opens May 4. “It surveys the trend toward more socially responsible design. A whole range of nonprofits and for-profits, community groups and international organizations are getting involved to create products that can lift the marginalized out of a subsistence existence.” Smith cites a treadle pump from International Development Enterprises (IDE) that farmers can use to lift water from deep below ground. IDE re-engineered the traditional pump out of inexpensive metal cylinders and a bamboo frame so that those earning as little as a dollar a day could afford to buy it. Since it was introduced some 20 years ago, nearly 1.25 million have been sold in Asia and Africa, enabling farmers to extend their growing season and often double their incomes. And it’s not just groups that are making a difference — individuals are, too. Wanting to find a way for subsistence farmers to refrigerate their food, a Nigerian teacher, Mohammed Bah Abba, looked to African pottery for a solution. His earthenware “pot-in-pot” system draws on principles of physics used by the ancient Egyptians for food preservation. Now farmers can preserve enough produce to sell at market.” Read More
