DIY

As a child, I loved inventions and inventors. Thomas Edison was my hero and I devoured books like The Way Things Work. In recent years, I haven't been as interested in gadgetry and invention as I used to be. Perhaps it's because most of today's innovations are ephemeral (like software) or too complicated to understand the mechanics of (like biotech). Are we just too materially comfortable for the mother of invention to do her work?

In Africa, she certainly isn't, which is why I love reading AfriGadget. Without the money to buy the pre-fab necessities we don't even think about in the developed world, enterprising types across Africa are doing it themselves with ingenious results. Check out this payphone-on-a-bike or this homemade welding machine. For decades, generating economic growth in Africa focused on building huge dams, factories and mines - nearly all of which fell prey to corruption, mismanagement and lack of support services like a reliable energy grid. If farmers and fisherman can call into the market to see commodity prices, they can make more sensible decisions about where and how much to sell, boosting income. If regular people can start up small repair shops, they can generate more income and provide useful services. The people you read about on AfriGadget may just be the new Thomas Edisons.