An hour after the 2010 quake in Haiti, first responders had no information about the extent of the damage or where to focus their efforts. But a group of students at Tufts University in Boston was already picking up and mapping Facebook messages and tweets from eyewitnesses. And so began the Ushahidi Haiti Project, a global network that helped direct aid to tens of thousands of Haitians, and showed how much can be accomplished by resourceful people who care.
PopTech network member Patrick Meier’s then-girlfriend (now wife) was in Haiti when the earthquake struck. Patrick didn’t innovate to be on trend or to make money – he did it because he had to. PopTech produced this film both to share the work of our network, and to tell an innovation story that involved using old tools in new ways.
We created a cinematic documentary short that explains what the project was, how it came together, and why participants chose to get involved.