Fabio Rosas – A Credo for World Changers

Several years ago I read about Fabio in “How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas” by David Bornstein. I highly recommend reading these incredible stories of individuals who have blazed the darkness of social stagnation by igniting the agents of social rejuvenation.

Fabio’s story stuck with me in particular because he had studied electrical engineering in college — my own area of study. At my school, classes are structured that we may learn how to make electronic phenomena faster, more efficient, more robust. And while these things will of course be huge enablers for social progress, I have always enjoyed thinking in the immediate — that is, how can I apply the technology we have today to make an environment better.

If you end up reading Fabio’s story, you will learn that he developed a novel low-cost technology to bring reliable electricity to rural areas in Brazil. This meant that farmers could have refrigerators, radio, television, heating and cooling, and the myriads of other amenities that are embedded into the very walls of my living space. However, political groups that favored to have large power companies as the sole supplier of electricity have stymied Fabio’s efforts to distribute his work.

And so, we have this beautiful, very human quote from Fabio — the social entrepreneur who continues to fight for his vision in a black and white reality.

You can learn more about Fabio at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabio_Rosa