Johanna Figueira: Simple, effective tech to connect communities in crisis | TED

Summary

The speaker, a Venezuelan immigrant, shares their journey from Venezuela to the US, highlighting the hardships caused by Venezuela's political and economic crises. They co-founded Code for Venezuela, a tech-driven initiative aimed at solving critical problems like medicine shortages and power outages. Two key projects, MediTweet and Blackout Tracker, use Twitter data to help people find medicines and track blackouts. The speaker emphasizes the importance of leveraging professional skills to make impactful changes in communities, creating solutions that locals need, and fostering global collaboration for meaningful change.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The speaker is an immigrant from Venezuela who has lived in the US for six years, reflecting on the challenges of leaving their homeland.
• 💔 Venezuela has faced severe crises, including economic collapse, infrastructure failure, widespread blackouts, and shortages in healthcare and medicine.
• 📢 The speaker first became politically aware during a 2007 student protest after a major news network was shut down, leading them to value free speech.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Despite many friends leaving the country, the speaker's parents remain in Venezuela, leading to constant concern for their safety, especially during violent protests.
• 🛠️ Code for Venezuela was founded in 2019 by Venezuelan immigrants using their tech skills to create solutions for those still living in Venezuela.
• 👩‍⚕️ The organization collaborates with local experts, such as Dr. Julio Castro, who collects health data via informal communication networks to address medical shortages.
• 🤖 One key project, MediTweet, is a Twitter bot that helps connect Venezuelans in need of medicine with those who have it, leveraging social media data to track shortages.
• 🔌 Another project, Blackout Tracker, uses Twitter to map electricity blackouts in Venezuela, helping to monitor power failures and hold the government accountable.
• 💡 These solutions may not be highly advanced technology-wise, but they are tailored to the real needs of Venezuelans and have a significant impact.
• 🌐 The speaker emphasizes that professionals around the world can use their skills to create meaningful change in their communities, not just by donating money but by contributing expertise.

Q & A

What motivated the speaker to leave Venezuela and move to Canada?

The speaker left Venezuela due to the country's worsening economic crisis, including infrastructure breakdowns, electrical blackouts, public healthcare decline, and shortages of medicines. These issues, along with political instability and censorship, motivated the speaker and many others to leave.

What event in 2007 led the speaker to realize the importance of free speech?

The speaker first realized the importance of free speech during a 2007 student protest after the Venezuelan government shut down one of the country's most important news networks.

How did Code for Venezuela start, and what was its primary goal?

Code for Venezuela started in 2019 with a hackathon organized by Venezuelan immigrants who wanted to use their tech skills to create solutions for problems in Venezuela. The primary goal was to develop practical technological solutions to aid people on the ground in Venezuela.

Why did Code for Venezuela collaborate with local experts inside the country?

They collaborated with local experts to ensure that the solutions they developed would address real, current needs in Venezuela. They recognized that many technological solutions created abroad failed because the developers were disconnected from the actual problems people faced on the ground.

What is MediTweet, and how does it help people in Venezuela?

MediTweet is a Twitter bot that helps connect Venezuelans who need medical supplies or medicines with others who are selling their private leftovers. It scans Twitter for the hashtag #ServicioPublico and uses location data to assist local organizations in identifying shortages and disease clusters.

What inspired the creation of the Blackout Tracker project?

The Blackout Tracker project was inspired by Venezuela's electricity crisis, where blackouts were frequent and went unreported by the government. The tracker scans Twitter for the hashtag #SinLuz, creating a map of blackout locations, which helps both citizens and organizations understand the severity of the problem.

How does Blackout Tracker hold the Venezuelan government accountable?

By tracking and visualizing the frequency and locations of blackouts across the country, Blackout Tracker provides concrete data that the government cannot deny or ignore, counteracting the lack of official reports on the power crisis.

How does the speaker describe the challenges of being an expatriate with family still in Venezuela?

The speaker expresses deep concern for her family, especially during moments of crisis like teargas explosions during protests, despite her mother's attempts to reassure her by saying 'We’re fine, don’t worry.' Being thousands of miles away, she feels a sense of helplessness but still worries constantly.

What significant impact has Code for Venezuela had on the community?

Code for Venezuela has created practical solutions like MediTweet and Blackout Tracker that directly address pressing issues in Venezuela. The movement also fosters global collaboration, leveraging the skills of expatriates to make a difference in their home country despite being far away.

What does the speaker believe is the key takeaway from Code for Venezuela’s success?

The speaker believes that the key takeaway is that people can use their professional skills to create impactful solutions for their communities. By connecting with locals and leveraging specific expertise, individuals can contribute in meaningful ways, even from a distance.