Flexible Light and Power Bags to Haiti

Cordelia Newlin de Rojas ( Bio  /   Posts )  |  Monday, February 22, 2010 UTC

Editor’s note: For more on the the FLAP portable solar bag, please see the FLAP FAQ page.

Back in November, we sent a number of FLAPs (Flexible Light And Power solar bags) to be tested by Maison de Naissance’s mobile health care workers. When the devastating earthquake struck, we reached out to Maison de Naissance’s staff to see if they could use additional FLAPs. With the enormous number of people displaced, Robin Johnson from Maison said they would be delighted to receive any additional FLAPs and distribute them to the displaced of Haiti.

Once we knew the FLAPs were needed, we were faced with the logistics challenge of transporting them to Port-Au-Prince. We owe a big thanks to Honeywell for providing cargo space in its business jets to transport supplies and Partners in Health medical staff. Honeywell, with the support of its employees has also committed $1 Million in cash to the Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts.

FLAP bags to Haiti
PopTech staffer Cordelia Newlin de Rojas with FLAP bags packed for Haiti.

Much help is still needed in Haiti. We urge the PopTech community to donate urgently required funds to the many outstanding organizations such as Partners in Health and the Red Cross who are providing critical support to Haitians in need.

Tags:

Rate this post:

  • Meh.
  • Love it!
  • Community Rating: 5
Click and drag above to vote.

Comments

Name: J.A. Ginsburg

Really glad to see FLAP bags being tested in such trying conditions. If they can make a difference in Haiti, they can make it anywhere…

Obviously, it would take FLAP bags by the hundreds of thousands to begin to make a dent, but if the details of solar textiles can be worked out (not just tech, but price and local commercial distribution channels), the implications are vast.

I would love to see photos / hear stories of the successes and inevitable failures in Haiti. There is so much to be learned from the latter: Was a failure due to distribution (what are the metrics to determine who gets one)? Or mechanical? Was it waterproof enough to withstand a sustained rainy season? What about bugs & mold issues?

btw, I just added a link to this post on the "TrackerNews PopTech 2009" page (http://www.TrackerNews.net/poptech – under "PopTech Project / FLAP Bag")

Name: Kristen Taylor

Janet, thanks very much for adding the link to the PopTech TrackerNews page—and we’re anxious to know how the bags do in the conditions in Haiti too. The great part is that the bag is still a prototype, so we’ll learn what works and doesn’t in this particular situation to add to what we already know from the bags being tested since the summer.

We’ll keep everyone updated through the blog—

Add your comment

No HTML or JavaScript, please.

Keep in mind, your comment may take up to 15 minutes to appear if approved.


(Not shared or displayed)