Local tech solutions to global problems: learning from Lomé's young innovators

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About the research

In the city of Lomé, Togo, innovators Ousia and Afate took old computer parts and built a 3D printer, turning heads around the world. Their story is not just about innovation and problem-solving skills, but also shows the reality of limited access to technology in many cities of the world. Janine Patricia Santos (KU Leuven) spent 15 months learning from these inventors how they access technological materials despite these challenges. Their methods teach us that we should learn from what already exists and show us how local creativity can tackle global challenges like e-waste. 🌍💡

Society
Technology
Janine Patricia Santos
KU Leuven

Janine Patricia Santos is a social anthropologist who has always been fascinated with people and their stories. Equipped with a camera, she shoots, writes, creates, and recreates them through ethnographic writing, documentary filmmaking, and visual arts. As a postdoc at the KU Leuven, her research focus spans global digital technologies, cultural and creative economies, migration, inequality, and labour practices in West Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

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