MiracleFeet Receives USAID Funding for Brace Project
MiracleFeet is thrilled to become one of 32 organizations receiving funding through USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) program, which supports “breakthrough development solutions with the potential to change millions of lives at a fraction of the usual cost.”
This exciting award provides $85,250 over fifteen months for Stage 1, which will enable the project to establish proof of concept and conduct initial, year-long testing. The grant will cover half of the costs of production, testing, and management – all critical to helping miraclefeet launch the brace successfully and help reach more children.
MiracleFeet has been working with partners Stanford University’s d.school, Clarks Shoes and Suncast since 2012 to design a new, easy-to-use brace that will cost approximately $20 to produce.
The MiracleFeet Brace has the potential to enhance the bracing phase of clubfoot treatment. It lowers the total price of treatment, making it more accessible to children with clubfoot everywhere. The brace’s ease-of-use and comfort will help families comply with the treatment protocol so that children’s feet remain corrected. The brace can be mass-produced to strict quality standards, allowing for streamlined roll-out within miraclefeet-supported clinics.
USAID’s DIV program holds a year-round grant competition for innovative ideas, pilots and tests them using cutting-edge analytical methods, and scales solutions that demonstrate widespread impact and cost-effectiveness.
Read the entire USAID press release: https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/oct-21-2015-usaid-awards-141-million-breakthrough-innovations-fight-poverty/)
