Advice - Jaipur Foot

[Mehta, Shailendra]

Lars,

How about Masterji (Om Prakash Sharma) a teacher of woodworking who
designed the Jaipur foot at the Mahavir Vikalang Samiti ? This
prosthetic device, made entirely from local materials like PVC pipes and
recyled tires, has been fitted free of charge  to hundreds of thousands
of people worldwide, including thousands of victims of landmines from
Cambodia to Africa and Latin America. They fitted over a thousand people
in Kabul just before the Taliban took over and were then evacuated to
chants of Hindustan Zindabad! In fact, they were the last foreigners to
be evacuated out of Kabul. The former Mayor of Manila, among others uses
it, even though he, as one of the richest men in Manila has access to
the best technology worldwide. Even he was fitted free of charge,
replacing his American leg, which he could not use for swimming. (He had
lost his leg in a terrorist attack).

Truly a remarkable technology and one of the best kept secrets in the
world, outside of India of course, where everyone has heard of it.

There is a very nice audio tape made by Daniel Zwerdling of PBS on
Masterji, outlining how he came upon the idea.

Best regards,

Shailendra Raj Mehta
mehta at mgmt.purdue.edu