Here’s a little good news in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. A group of young ladies from Afghanistan has made its mark on the world in a beautiful way: they’ve banded together as a robotics team and created something that will help save millions of lives (and dollars). They are all GENIUSES. Seriously. Despite what the general sentiment might be around this particular country, we’re thrilled to see these ladies being recognized for their brainpower.
And it doesn’t hurt our feelings that the all-girl, all-genius group has created a mobile ventilator that costs less than 1/20th of traditional models.
Oh, and did we mention that it’s also BETTER than the more expensive models? It’s lighter and has batteries that’ll run for 10 hours. Yep.
We love that. Here’s the official story.
In the city of Herat, the Afghan Robotics Team of 7 young girls finished the design of an open-source, mobile ventilator that costs as little as $700—compared to the $20,000 needed to purchase a traditional model. The lightweight machine can be powered by batteries that can run for ten hours.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Health applauded the innovation and drive of the young girls, and eagerly awaited the devices’ approval from the World Health Organization.
“We are extremely proud of the wonderful accomplishments of the Afghan All-Girl Robotics Team,” Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Said T. Jawad, said in a statement at the time.
“They are an excellent example for people around the world of what can be accomplished by young Afghans if given the right support and the opportunity to excel in their education.”
