Field Ready Scaling Update

Field Ready has been particularly active the past few months with new initiatives and projects underway. Here is an update:

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and Maria, Field Ready will be deploying in the Caribbean. We will begin by responding to the US Virgin Islands, where people are struggling without shelter, food and water. Island infrastructure has been destroyed in many cases, including the only hospital on St. Thomas, where there is a great need for medical assistance and additional supplies. The impact of our work is unlike other aid agencies. A single repair, such as fixing a power supply, can benefit thousands of people. “We’ll be able to rapidly make a difference,” says Dara Dotz, a member of Field Ready’s Rapid Emergency Deployment Team. “With the start of our response, we’ll begin with the aim of building people’s resilience.”

In Syria, we are seeing significant progress with the airbags five people have been rescued, including a young child. The lifting airbags are being distributed to search and rescue operations and we are eager to see the many lives that can be saved through this technology. Eyad Janneh, our RescueTech Coordinator from Syria was nominated by the MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators under 35. Our Syrian team is making strides to bring innovation such as creating emergency communications equipment, hydroponics kits, fuel filtration systems, transitional shelter and other innovations.

In Jordan, Field Ready is partnering with the NGO Un Ponte Per to train people with disabilities to locally manufacture useful items such as ramps, handrails, removable desk for wheelchair and many other inventions. In Jordan, people with disabilities face extreme difficulty and we are eager to see how this program will not only develop useful items to benefit this population but also create livelihood opportunities in the process.

For the “Hidden Incentives” program will be brought to Northern Iraq, where soap will be locally made to supply Save the Children on their operations. This soap will not only have a small toy in the middle to incentivize handwashing amongst children but will also be providing skill training and job opportunities to Iraqis.

Field Ready was a top contender in the prestigious design competition INDEX: Design to Improve Life Awards. We were nominated as a semifinalist and selected in a group of 9 out of 1400 applicants for the accelerator.

Our project to finalize key elements of our digital approach, enabling us to establish sustainable partnerships and open communities around two platform concepts, supporting both supply side (manufacturing and design) and demand side (aid supply procurement) needs for more effective and efficient aid delivery. Thanks to the Cisco Foundation this opportunity to work on this is possible.