iLab // Haiti is a partnership between Haiti , KIDmob, and The Blue Marble Movement whose mission is to provide access to tools for design and fabrication and to teach creative problem solving strategies.

Related: Read our series on Fab Labs

A lot of people associate 3D printing, today, with creating small plastic tchotchkes. But in a country like Haiti, even a basic desktop 3D printer can produce things that are of real value.

iLab // Haiti has deployed two MakerBot Replicator 3D printers in Haiti, which are being used to help local communities. As one example, one group of Haitians are 3D printing umbilical cord clamps that are being delivered to local birth clinics. The difference in cost between local production via 3D printing and import is material.

The non-profit is also providing 3D modeling instruction using software such as SketchUp and Rhino.

Video: Follow this link to watch a video posted from Haiti at the 3D printer lab.