Law3andakdam.com is an online service that matches blood donors and patients in need of blood, based on location and blood type. The project was founded by Hisham Kharma, a creative director at the Fortune Promoseven advertising agency and founder of thinkk, a creative and idea hub. Kharma said the project should be up and running Tuesday. Blood donors register their information with Law3andakdam. Recipients fill in an easy-to-use request that is later routed to donors with matching blood types. The system accepts all donors; however, it is the recipient's responsibility to make sure the blood donated to him or her is tested. “We simply advise the recipients to make sure that the blood provided by the donors is tested before the donation but we have nothing to do with the analysis,” says Kharma. Finding blood is a tedious task for many, especially for those with rare blood types. Lately many people have resorted to sending text messages to find donors among their extended circle of friends and acquaintances. “The idea was born after being bombarded with all those BBM messages sent when someone is struggling to find blood,” says Kharma. The young founder said he himself was put in the situation when he needed blood for friends or family members. Even for patients being treated in great hospitals, finding blood is a hassle. “I simply wanted to find a creative solution using the social and digital scene in solving that simple problem of finding blood,” he says. He adds that the project is more a social responsibility project than a medical one. He is working with a motivated team of designers, developers and volunteers interested in providing this service to patients all across Egypt. Concerning the actual donation and blood storage, Kharma says, “Law3andakdam.com is not responsible for the actual act of donation; it is just a simple online service that helps blood recipients and blood donors find one another using a simple mixing and matching algorithm.” However, there will also be a public directory of donors on the website, who can be quickly contacted in emergencies. The project is self-financed, with extra funds collected from volunteers. As for publicity, Kharma says, “Anyone can help spread the idea and help save lives.” He says that after the revolution, more Egyptian feel responsible for taking their country forward. He believes that the online blood bank idea will depend on how people in the community actively spread it. Law3andakdam.com is founded and owned by thinkk. It was designed and developed by thinkk and Shuratech.
