Ashoka Fellow David Cuartielles and César García, both innovators in the open source space, are helping to curate the Coronavirus Makers Forum that they set up on March 13 as the crisis was getting worse. More than 20.000 makers are coordinating efforts today to build masks, respirators and cabins for hospitals.

The mission of the social enterprise before Corona:

David Cuartielles makes learning technology part of a creative and problem-solving process for children and teenagers. By doing so he motivates them to use technology not as an end, but as a tool to design solutions, reach outcomes and create change. This process provides thousands of young people with the opportunity to solve problems and see their ideas put to practice from a very young age.

What changed with Corona?

Ensuring that young people can use tech as a tool is being put to the test during the Coronavirus crisis. Young people, parents, and teachers are struggling with this new reality of distance learning and the threat of the crisis. David’s work helps to show young people that technology can be used to solve urgent problems like the medical equipment shortages that the world currently faces. 

The biggest challenge many countries face during the Coronavirus crisis is a severe shortage of medical equipment. This includes highly technical equipment. Unfortunately, rapidly increasing production of this equipment cannot keep pace with the rate of infections.

Coronavirusmakers is a community of over 20.000 makers in the whole world working at providing protection equipment to medical personnel, police, people working with services facing customers, etc. at no cost. Coronavirusmakers has over 20 R&D projects and has created over 400.000 face shields, more than 100.000 masks, designed 4 different respirators, and transferred knowledge to local companies for them to manufacture those products at the right scale.  

David Cuartielles is an innovator in the open source space. He is helping to curate the Coronavirus Makers Forum that was set up on March 13 as the crisis worsened. The Forum takes a bird’s eye view of all the community’s activities, connects members, extracts insights, and builds bridges to health care institutions and experts. This will speed up solutions that could save lives.  

Ashoka: How are you dealing with the situation and what is your biggest personal worry?

David: “Personally I have no big issues. I am of course worried about my family and friends back in Spain, since I am not living there right now. However, I am talking with them more than ever… but I have no clue when we will meet again, if at all.

The one thing I do is that I take daily walks before starting my workday, and then I jump into really long days, up to 14h where I combine my everyday duties with my volunteer work.”

Ashoka: What is inspiring you and giving you hope that we can overcome this crisis?

David: “Seeing the other volunteers and how they bring in new ideas and collaborate despite the situation makes me think that there is enough brainpower and muscle in the world to make things happen. It is also great knowing that we are part of the solution.”