Disaster Hack is a non-profit startup focussed on art and 3D printing. In Nepal, they are delivering prosthetics to people who need them. 

Disaster Hack faces “today’s toughest challenges” and comes up with sustainable solutions. It is predominantly built up of volunteers who consider themselves to be “humanitarian hackers”.

The non-profit technology startup was founded by Matthew Rockwell. In 2015, Rockwell brought a 3D printer to Kathmandu after an earthquake hit the country. It wasn’t long before he began 3D printing hands for people in need.

Rockwell provided father of three and farmer, Ram with a prosthetic. Ram is forced to beg after losing his hands and toes just years after contracting leprosy. It’s hoped that a new hand could give him the chance to leave the streets.

Prosthetics make a big difference to the lives of amputees, but the cost for an artificial hand or leg are too high. Rockwell explains:

“A traditional prosthesis costs anywhere between $1000 to $3000 to $5000. Now we’re able to produce prostheses for right around $30 so it lowers the cost dramatically for a functional prosthesis.”

Currently, there are 42.000 amputees in Nepal. Most of them can’t afford a prosthesis, as it would cost more than their yearly income. But a 3D printed hand cost $30 and can be printed in 25 hours.

Just listen to the story of Sabita, a young girl who also received a prosthetic from Disaster Relief:

Bringing Down the Cost of Prosthetics

Currently, Nepal’s healthcare sector receives little funding. However, as 3D printing becomes cheaper, both the time it takes to provide those in need with prosthetics and how much it costs will be drastically reduced.

Rockwell also wants to use recycled plastic bottle tops as 3D printing filament. The easy to come by resource could also dramatically reduce the cost of prints.

However, Rockwell’s printer currently restricts him to only being able to provide prosthetic hands – his printer is just not big enough. Printing the 20 parts required to create a hand also takes a whole day. But, anyone can help by donating to the cause, here.

As well as providing people with prosthetics, the startup also teaches IT skills. In order to make money and continue providing for people in need, Disaster Hack teaches how to code and also consults on technology issues. Rockwell hopes he can reach more people in the near future. In fact, he believes there are over 7,000 people who could benefit from Disaster Hack’s work.

The predominantly volunteer-run project is certainly already making a difference to people’s lives. You can find out more about the non-profit over on their website or follow them on Facebook.

Source: Yahoo News