(Linda gets off a car, holding a clipboard and a tote bag full of Post-its.) Linda (L): I'm so happy to be here!  It took me 6 months to finally convince my NGO sponsor to support my co-design work with this village!

We were walking across the rice fields with teachers and parents to do home visits when someone asked about the cost of our plane tickets. We casually shared how much we each spent on flights from the U.S., Canada, and Malaysia. Gasps rippled through the group as they did the math. “You spent that much just to bring some books to our school?” they asked, bewildered.

Whenever we organize a co-design activity in a village, I always notice the presence of "nonparticipants". This year, I found myself in a similar position for a project I had no desire to be a part in.

When I was first approached with the project, I was immediately concerned with how effective occasional design workshops could be in bring actual long lasting benefits to the local community. And this is how the idea of the Village Innovation Centre came to me.