"Instead of advocating aid giveaways with uncertain results, these socially conscious designers hew to the profit motive and sell their products to the poor. They say their strategy fosters dignity, not dependence, and ensures sustainability."
Below is a picture accompanying this heartwarming story; the pic shows a poor person using a device that, in order to preserve her dignity, was not given to her for free. It's a bulky straw for drinking from muddy, stagnant water.
And, damn, it look dignified, alright!
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070504/480/d54e2a09a2a848c7ba2e0e1f377bf141
-B.