Giving a Hand

in #ecotrain6 years ago (edited)

The story of Maria Isabel

Six year old Maria Isabel, who was born with a defective arm, wanted to be a Disney princess, so the team designed this cool arm for her.




The other day I came across a video by Bastian Barami, one of the German gurus for digital nomads who usually talks about FBA.
But in this video he talks about and with Enable Medellin, a non-profit who is helping victims of landmines and other handicapped people in Colombia with prosthetics which they produce with 3D printers.


Bastian talking to Daniel who had an amputation after a motorcycle accident.
Video is in German and Spanish though, sometimes also in English, a true polyglott experience.



Since the peace of 2017 between the Colombian government and the FARC, the communist guerilla, life has become less violent in Colombia, but the decades long conflict has left a deadly legacy for Colombians, landmines, making Colombia one of the most mine-affected countries in the world.
Over 11400 people have been victims of landmines, about 10 % of that number being children.
Those landmine accidents usually happen in rural areas, the victims are often poor and cannot afford prosthetics.
So Enable Medellin is providing those prosthetics for free, with the help of local and international volunteers and donations. Also the 3D printing process reduces the costs of those prosthetics to about 10 % of conventional ones. And they can be easily individualized and look way cooler.


Terminator in da house!



During my research I learned that Enable Medellin is part of global network Enabling The Future with many local chapters all over the world. Since the designs for the prosthetics are open source, basically anybody with access to a 3D printer can produce them. Of course there is a learning curve and it would probably be wise to let people with experience produce those prosthetics, but it would not be impossible to do it yourself.
Remember the outcry when some guy printed the first gun with a 3D printer?
Well, that´s the thing about many of the technological advances nowadays, you can use them to produce hell or paradise, your choice.


Veronica aka Super Healer




Another great story is that of Veronica, an orphan from Uganda.
Not only does her new arm give her an improved quality of life, I can also imagine that it will make her a bit of a celebrity in her place because now she has something special, something other kids and adults don´t have. That´s why I like the possibilities for individualized designs with 3D printing, transforming a handicapped person into a very unique person. What this must do for the self-esteem of those kids!




@ecotrain

Supporting People Who Help

Make The World A Better Place


Sort:  

If someone has the ability or the opportunity to give joy to a small child, with some disability and this can make him happy, he should not hesitate to do, admire and congratulate this wonderful group or team that fills a child with joy.

Thank you friends have various news and information in this steemit media. I really like your news until repeatedly times I read it never miss a thank you @likedeeler

The cost of happiness. Thanks for sharing this 😞

Superb humanity loving post its a welfare cause attempt you share here in steemit world and a information about vast and huge landmines area in world coloumbia and huge death toll from it and most affected cases from mining its a panic situation for humanity in this world where the sources and wealth in billions in some areas and poority hopelessness surrounding 70 percent in this situation your post is awesome informatic stuuf and moral support to needy outstanding

Hola @likedeeler
Que buena nota.
Que alegría se iente por María Isabel, Verónica, Daniel y todas aquellas personas que han recibido o están por recibir esta ayuda invaluable de Enable Medellín.
Me encanto el vídeo
Gracias por el artículo

Ouch! Worthy post likedeeler! What an attrocity that innocent lives are ruined by warfare for years after the event.. with no attempt to clean up their mess.

Thanks!
There are people working on decontamination, like HALO and there is Descontamina Colombia, the National Mine Action Authority, but I guess it is a tedious and slow process and furthermore, real peace was only established last year.

wow this is amazing, it really is great to focus on the positives that can come out of technology and also highlight that it is up to us what we do with these advances. Really inspiring to hear about these initiatives, cheers @likedeeler

Such a confidence boost- you’re right!! I have heard of this - the mines and all. It’s such a travesty but it’s good to know the crazy technology 3D printers!!! Can create these things. Really changes the game for so much. And as you said- can be used for good or ill. Glad to see it being put to good use here!!

La felicida no tiene precio y gracias a estas imaginaciones de
@likedeeler @ecotrain muchos niños y adultos podrán ser muy felices.. Sobre todo por su autoestima

The smile in their face tells how much of happiness they are feeling with the 3D printed hand! World would be a happier place if everyone of us who is capable of doing some charity work , help the kids in some way , not only for the handicapped kids, but any kid in need ! I do my bit by donating clothes and essentials stuffs every year to a hope for kid organization near me 😊

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.35
TRX 0.12
JST 0.040
BTC 70351.33
ETH 3563.43
USDT 1.00
SBD 4.72