Unabadilishaje ulimwengu? Je, misaada ya kigeni ndiyo chombo chenye ufanisi zaidi, au je, misaada inayofadhiliwa na mamilioni ya wafadhili wadogo ndiyo itakayoongoza?
Shirika jipya linaloitwa Billions in Change linajaribu mkakati mpya: kuunda uvumbuzi ili kutatua matatizo ya kimsingi ambayo watu hukabiliana nayo kote ulimwenguni.
Shirika hili lilianzishwa na kufadhiliwa na mabilionea Manoj Bhargava, lina fursa ya kipekee ya kushughulikia moja kwa moja matatizo ya umaskini duniani.
Bhargava, mwanzilishi wa 5-Hour Energy, aliahidi asilimia 99 ya utajiri wake kusaidia watu wasiojiweza. Kwa hivyo Mabilioni katika Mabadiliko hayakubali michango.
Mabilioni ya Mabadiliko ni harakati ya kuokoa ulimwengu kwa kuunda na kutekeleza suluhisho kwa shida za kimsingi za ulimwengu - maji, nishati na afya. Kufanya hivyo kutainua mabilioni ya watu kutoka katika umaskini na kuboresha maisha ya kila mtu - tajiri na maskini.
"Sisi sio mashirika yasiyo ya faida au ya faida. Hatuna faida yoyote," Bhargava aliiambia Opportunity Lives. "Tunaendeshwa kama faida, lakini hatufanyi pesa yoyote."
Badala ya kutoa pesa zake tu, Bhargava anataka kuleta mabadiliko endelevu kwa kuwapa watu uwezo wa kujikimu kimaisha.
Mabilioni katika Mabadiliko yanahusu kufanya - kuunda na kutekeleza masuluhisho ambayo yanakidhi mahitaji ya kimsingi, na hivyo kuleta matokeo chanya kwa mabilioni ya watu ulimwenguni kote.
"Lengo letu ni kuwawezesha watu kujipatia riziki zao wenyewe, na kuwawezesha watu - bila kujali wanaishi wapi au ni pesa ngapi walizonazo - ili kufikia ustawi wa hali ya juu," inasema tovuti ya Billions in Change.
Mabilioni katika Mabadiliko mara nyingi huajiri wahandisi. Wahandisi hao wamepewa jukumu la kutengeneza bidhaa za bei nafuu na rahisi kutumia ambazo zinaweza kuleta mapinduzi katika upatikanaji wa umeme wa uhakika, maji safi na huduma za afya kwa watu duniani kote.
Malengo haya matatu ni ya msingi katika kuwapa watu uwezo wa kujikimu kimaisha na kuanza safari ya kutoka katika umaskini.
Umeme wa Bure
Moja ya uvumbuzi hadi sasa kutoka kwa kazi za uhandisi za Mabilioni katika Change ni mashine ya Umeme wa Bure. Mashine huwapa watu uwezo wa kuzalisha umeme wenyewe - bila uchafuzi wa mazingira. Mashine ni ndogo, nyepesi na rahisi.
Hivi ndivyo inavyofanya kazi: Mtu anakanyaga baiskeli mseto. Gurudumu la baiskeli huendesha flywheel, ambayo hugeuka jenereta, ambayo inachaji betri. Kuendesha gari kwa saa moja hutoa umeme kwa saa 24 bila bili ya matumizi, na hakuna moshi, hakuna taka.
Mtengeneza Mvua
Uumbaji mwingine ni mashine inayoitwa Rain Maker. Inaiga asili, kugeuza maji ya bahari au maji machafu kuwa maji safi yanafaa kwa kunywa na kilimo. Mtengenezaji wa Mvua hutengeneza zaidi ya maji kidogo tu.
Mashine moja yenye ukubwa wa gari ndogo inaweza kutengeneza galoni elfu moja kwa saa. Tofauti na mifumo mingine ya kuondoa chumvi, Rain Maker hurejesha nishati yake ya joto na kuifanya iwe safi na bora zaidi.
Pata maelezo zaidi katika Mabilioni katika Mabadiliko

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Two good articles in one morning about the work of such good, and wise people! Again - I will continue to watch this space!
I appreciate his efforts in all ways; that he must have worked hard to get where he is and that he has decided to use his monetary wealth to funds projects that serve others. If only everyone would follow suit; and who knows how many seeds he is planting by doing this work! Thank you for sharing his story.
I cringe a little bit when people like this are considered "fortunate". Clearly the guy has busted his tail for quite a while to get where he's at. While I'm certain that luck has made a housecall or two on this man's journey, it wasn't the fulcrum many would like to think it is.
And I wonder how long until these devices are strongarmed and patented by Big Money, the way that Big Oil has done for so many years with devices and inventions that stretch gas mileage.