http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/08/02/the-best-foot-forward Comments for "The Best Foot Forward" en http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/08/02/the-best-foot-forward <p style="padding: 5px; float: right;"><img src="http://www.nextbillion.net/files/images/4 Feet Photo.img_assist_custom.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image img_assist_custom" width="150" height="113" /></p>Feet are important to discussions of the BOP hypothesis. I’m not talking about feet as in the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_%28unit_of_length%29"> unit of length</a>, but rather as those <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot">awkward appendages</a> connected to your legs. From a base of the pyramid vantage point, which is the best foot forward?<br /><br />I did some thinking about this, and decided that there are two ways to view feet through the BOP lens. The first is negative, and has to do with the penalty poor people are subject to by virtue of their poverty. We all know, for instance, that those lacking access to basic services (water, energy, healthcare) must walk long distances – a scene from the HBO movie &quot;<a href="http://www.hbo.com/films/yesterday/">Yesterday</a>,&quot; where the title character must make a day-long walk (twice) to visit a once-monthly health clinic, comes to mind for healthcare in particular. <br /><br /><p style="padding: 5px; float: left;"><img src="http://www.nextbillion.net/files/images/Freeplay Weza.thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image thumbnail" width="100" height="65" /></p><p style="padding: 5px; float: left;"><img src="http://www.nextbillion.net/files/images/KickStartPump.thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image thumbnail" width="70" height="100" /></p>But your feet aren’t only for walking, nor are they simply an illustration of poverty – there is another foot forward. Feet can also be powerful instruments of change at the base of the pyramid, when enabled by the right technologies. Step-action generators charge cell phones in rural Rwanda and treadle pumps irrigate Kenyan farms – there’s a whole list of so-called &quot;<a href="http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/004744.html">leapfrogging technologies</a>&quot; (not necessarily foot-powered) that are covered well by Alex Steffen over at <a href="http://www.worldchanging.com/search/?keyword=&amp;category=23&amp;author=&amp;month=&amp;search.x=6&amp;search.y=8&amp;search=Go">Worldchanging</a>. Here are some reviews and updates of a few good foot-related projects that have been in the news lately: <a href="/activitycapsule/topic/energy-activity?page=2">Freeplay</a> and <a href="/activitycapsule/1192">Kickstart</a>.<br /><br /><br class="clear" /><p><a href="http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/08/02/the-best-foot-forward">read more</a></p> http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2006/08/02/the-best-foot-forward#comment Agriculture Energy Water Wed, 02 Aug 2006 16:09:44 -0400 Rob Katz 3105 at http://www.nextbillion.net