While development requires many ingredients, perhaps the most fundamental is some combination of ingenuity and an entrepreneurial spirit. I ran across a very interesting blog that covers exactly this topic called AfriGadget. The site is dedicated to "showcasing African ingenuity." And while some development practitioners get interested in the newest technologies - be it laptops or podcasting - they may forget a few more basic pieces of technology that are essential to small businesses around the world: nuts, bolts, screws, hammers, and wrenches.
Unfortunately, I doubt that Snap-on hand tools are easily accessible in markets around the world. Thus, entrepreneurs with a little ingenuity create their own tools, and I'd say this is on display in this picture of two hammers crafted by Rwandan bike repairmen (Hat tip: Street Use).
And this is not the only display of ingenuity that AfriGadget has to offer. They've got a Flick Group with all kinds of photos demonstrating ingenuity on many levels. I couldn't help but admire a windmill (pictured) made from plastic pipes, sticks, and bicycle parts. You can read more about it here on AfriGadget.
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