MicroHub/MicroSeed

MicroHub is an Instant Connectivity Hub powered by sun and wind that enables the distribution of microfinance and education to communities regardless of their property rights.

Undocumented settlements lack an efficient system of property rights to enable infrastructure deployment and taxation. It would require decades for its dwellers to assemble a communal building and connect it to the grid (electricity, internet). Without a community facility its inhabitants are disconnected, often lost, and left to their own devices in a world that offers no opportunities and yet requires currency in order to fulfill their every need.

The MicroSeed is an instantly deployable community facility. It arrives in a recycled container that is transformed into the building itself by the community within a day. The building extends vertically to symbolize a lighthouse of hope; its designed to counter lateral forces without permanently attaching to the ground. If the community needs to move, the Hub moves with them.

Upon assembly, wind and solar energy provide power to activate a cell phone antenna (local or satellite) that connects a wireless router to the web, and reports its ID and GIS position. If the community must move, the GIS position is updated, allowing them to have a physical address to receive goods.

Self-powered laptops, ideally OLPC XO, are included in the basic package. The full package includes an LED screen, cranks, pedals, batteries. All required software and permanent storage is now available in the cloud for free.

A key component for MicroSeed's success is the "Train the Trainers" program where a community member is trained in digital storytelling for microfinancing puposes, and commits to teach others, encouraging them to apply for a Hub. He/she sits in the central command position, 3 workspaces surround him at each side. A small classroom on the second floor is available for educational and training purposes, for income, and for occasional health check-ups. The stairs double as a small auditorium and offer secure equipment storage underneath.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Connectivity
• Microfinance
• Education
• Community
• Opportunity
• Energy
• Environment
• Health