Innovation immediately conjures images of classic renaissance -- inventing “brand new” things that had never been seen before -- ever! But that's so out of reach. 

A more realistic definition is: Using building blocks of already existing materials to create another brand new material, a brand new process or system. This definition tones down the “je ne sais quois” and prodigious qualities commonly associated with inventions by expressly pointing out that the building blocks of innovation are all around us.

For instance, an old abandoned chair can be subjected to two innovative processes: one is to simply chop it up and burn it as firewood. The other alternative is to pop out the seat, sanding and refinishing it and using it as a flowerpot frame. In both cases, the end product is totally unrecognizable as a chair both in usage and aesthetics – a new product.

This takes me to my story -- Google happened on a community of struggling third world humanity in Madurai – a city in Southern India. And here’s the innovation process they chose to go with.

To leverage ICT in Madurai to encourage and enhance development of eye treatment facilities/hospitals via training of personnel, providing loans for expansion of facilities, creating data centers and building connectivity for better access and support of the knowledge development process, etc.

India home to 25% of world blind – Google stands to turn residual pool of handicapped to great resource – a happier people, more employment opportunities, more skills, more eye doctors, opticians, ophthalmologists, to boost overall eye/health care delivery capacity, etc. And of course, Google gets to inscribe their DNA in the Indian community as well. Benevolence may help make Google in the Internet search Engine world what Coca-Cola is to soft drinks, and Xerox to photocopying.

And if you are up to this challenge: Out of the abundant handicapped human population in SSA, what segments/groups and how can we turn them directly into wealth and positive resources by applying ICT?

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