Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
San Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, October 16, 2003
Matthew Yi, Chronicle Staff Writer
The winners were announced at a dinner banquet in San Jose to honor 25 finalists who use technology to improve human living conditions around the world.
This year, judges received more than 500 entries from 70 countries vying for the winning prize of $50,000 in each of the five categories.
Equal Access, which has distributed $70 satellite receivers to remote villages in Nepal, won the Nasdaq Stock Market Award for Education.
The group works with local radio programmers as well as existing humanitarian groups to educate Nepalese about issues such as AIDS and domestic violence against women, said Ronni Goldfarb, the 3-year-old organization's executive director.
"Our goal is to provide information and education to the most underserved communities in the world," she said.
More recently, Equal Access has launched a pilot program in Afghanistan. In partnership with that country's ministry of education and UNICEF, the group is providing training to teachers.
The group's goal is to also expand into India and Laos by 2006, Goldfarb said.
Witness, a New York organization that distributes small camcorders to track serious human rights violations around the world, was the winner of the Knight Ridder Equality Award.
Costa Rica's INBio, which developed a massive database containing information on all sorts of species found in that country, won the Intel Environment Award.
EcoSystems Pvt. Ltd. in Nepal was the winner in the Accenture Economic Development category for its creation of a low-cost human-powered wire bridge system that requires no electricity and very little maintenance.
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, based in Seattle, won the Dr. Alejandro Zaffaroni Health Award for its pre-filled, single-use syringes for vaccinations.
"Every year there are surprises, things you absolutely didn't think about, " said Peter Giles, president and chief executive officer of the Tech Museum of Innovation.
Since the award program began in 2001, it has been growing as more organizations submit entries, he said.
In turn, the Tech Museum has expanded its program for the 25 finalists. This week, they will spend time in workshops learning how to raise funds and how to gain greater exposure. The finalists will also meet with potential Bay Area donors.
One past winner said that while the $50,000 cash prize is nice, it's the exposure that really helps.
"It gave us ... credibility," said Martin Fisher, co-founder of ApproTEC- USA in San Francisco, the winner of the economic development category last year.
After winning that award, his organization, which developed a StairMaster- like water pump for farmers in Kenya, received attention from large news outlets including Time and Newsweek magazines. Last year, he was able to raise $1.2 million. Now he's starting an aggressive $28 million fund-raising campaign so that his water pumps can be delivered in six other countries in Africa.
"Basically ApproTEC was an unknown commodity, but it was kicked off by the Tech Museum," Fisher said.
E-mail Matthew Yi at myi@sfchronicle.com.
031016
SC031002
Copyright © 2003 - San Francisco Chronicle Press. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Chronicle, Permissions Desk, 901 Mission Street, San Franciso, CA 94103. You may also send a fax to (415) 495-3843, or an email message to chronperm@sfgate.com. http://www.sfgate.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .