Together We Stand

[ 50 ] Earthquake Response has facilitated new kinds of partnerships to maximize creativity and innovation for the world’s most vulnerable children and their communities. When the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck in April 2015, nearly 3 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance. World Vision responded immediately with emergency shelter, health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, support for livelihoods, education and child protection. As the response progressed and focus shifted to long-term concerns, World Vision saw an opportunity to bring together the best thinking and ideas from affected communities and private sector partners. The Innovation Lab is a new model for responding to disas- ters; a platform for new processes, partnerships and products to emerge from within a response. It has a fully equipped multi- media centre in Kathmandu, which is connected to over 200 Wi-Fi-enabled remote villages in Nepal. The lab serves as a project headquarters, while supporting partners such as academic institutes, private companies, trade associations, local and inter- national NGOs, and government agencies to work closely with communities to design and test their concepts directly in the field. The lab supports partners to access start-up resources, shape project direction, problem-solve at the strategic level, test, prototype, establish community networks, publish results and connect to the right ecosystem of donors, investors and stake- holders needed to scale up proven innovations. The lab attracts and tests new ideas, products and processes that are not widely used within the humanitarian sector, but which can directly impact earthquake recovery and long-term development in Nepal. One such innovation being explored is 3D printing. Silicon Valley based, technology focused NGO Field Ready has been engaging with a range of local partners in central Nepal. One of their projects took them to the Bahrabise internally displaced persons camp, where over 200 families are surviving in tempo- rary shelter. They observed a water system that was failing to serve the community, with insufficient flow rate and pressure at the taps. A key reason for this was use of locally available but inappropriate fittings to connect the pipes, which leaked and easily disconnected. Field Ready designed and 3D-printed an appropriate compression fitting while inside the camp. By printing essential items like water fittings on location, the tech- nology provides timely, quality fixes for common issues and greatly simplifies supply chains. In a country with so many logistical challenges, stemming from geography and infrastruc- ture, these gains are particularly valuable. Through collaboration and partnering with World Vision Innovation Lab, Field Ready is in a stronger position to develop and expedite wide-scale adoption of 3D printing technologies in emergency responses. Field Ready estimate savings of 40-50 per cent on logistics by designing and printing items in the Image: Field Ready, 2015 Field Ready uses 3D printing to manufacture a water fitting to stop leaking pipes at Bahrabise internally displaced persons camp T ogether W e S tand