The Victoria Hand Project (VHP) has a chance to win $750,000 from the Google.org Impact Challenge. You can help by voting for them.

If you’re not already familiar with the Victoria Hand Project (VHP), they’re well worth investigating. This non-profit organization makes prosthetics for people in developing countries. To be able to do this on a large scale and low budget, they use 3D printers.

Because of all of their hard work, the project has been selected for the Google.org Impact Challenge in Canada. They are one of the ten finalists in this competition, which aims to find and fund the most innovative nonprofits.

Amazingly, they were chosen from 900 other organizations. If VHP win, they would receive $750,000. This money would go towards establishing 3D printing centers which would have all the tools necessary for printing prosthetics.

It would also be used to train partners in 3D printing and fitting as well as helping to hire full-time technicians. VHP already works within 5 partner countries that include; Ecuador, Haiti, Guatemala, Nepal and Cambodia.

However, with this money, they estimate that they would be able to help over 750 amputees in 5 new countries too.

Challenges Faced by the Victoria Hand Project

VHP faces many unique challenges, but they have recently developed some interesting solutions. For example, people in some countries have expressed that there is a stigma surrounding wearing a prosthetic.

To address this previously, VHP would print a prosthetic which could then be covered using a glove. But this seriously hindered the functionality, and the gloves weren’t very hard-wearing.

VHP has now come up with the solution of spray-painting the 3D printed prosthetics with colors closely matching an amputee’s skin-tone. This has had huge benefits, not least being people are more willing to wear them.

When 3D printing options aren’t available, an amputee can occasionally receive a second-hand prosthetic flown in from a developed countries.

However, these cause problems as they don’t fit perfectly. Currently, VHP is working with The Range of Motion Project in Guatemala who help fix second-hand prosthetics.

Of course, one of the greatest challenges faced by a nonprofit is often financing. This is where Google.org could make a huge difference. And this is where you come in.

Simply vote for VHP to give them a better chance of winning. Not convinced? You will be once you read the inspiring stories of people VHP have helped.

Source: Ultimaker