This is a very inspiring story. It tells the story of Mukund Venkatakrishnan, who visited his grandfather in India when he was 14 and was charged with the task of helping his grandfather get fitted for hearing aids. Venkatakrishnan said that it was hard enough to get the appointment at $500 and the actual hearing aids at $2000, but once they actually did, they were ripped off. So, Venkatakrishnan went back home, learned how to program and two years, at 16, he's created a hearing aid that doesn't cost more than $50 and a cheap pair of earphones.
I think this is so cool, especially since it's for his grandfather and he's not doing it for the money. In fact, Venkatakrishnan is hoping organizations that already have relationships with developing countries would want to mass produce it. He's already started talking to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The article says how "hearing is a luxury many people in developing countries can't afford". This reminded me how during the Cold War, America sent people to developing countries through the Peace Core. They went to educate and spread American ideas of democracy and capitalism, to gain more support against the Soviets (and visa versa). Many times the developing countries didn't want the American influence, they felt that it was being forced on them, but they didn't want the Soviet influence either. This is a situation where the product/information being provided really is benefiting and welcomed by the developing countries.
http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/09/technology/mukund-venkatakrishnan-cheaper-hearing-aid/index.html?iid=ob_homepage_tech_pool
Great synthesis! It's awesome how Venkatakrishnan wanted to help his grandfather, and as a result, will help people from all over the world in developing countries! Able-bodied people, like myself, often forget how lucky we are.
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