Few initiatives start by reprimanding their audience, the unorthodox approach adopted by Law3andakDam (L3D). The popular Egyptian expression literally translates as “If you had blood", and is the name of a blood matching campaign that creates a platform for donors and recipients to find each other easily. “There were two experiences that inspired me to develop the idea," said Hisham Kharma, the founder of L3D. “First, my cousin was once hospitalised in a well known private hospital, and he needed a blood transfusion. It was a hassle to find blood in the hospital's blood bank so I asked myself, imagine if in a privately owned hospital like this people are unable to find blood, what about the poor who cannot afford those hospitals? “Secondly, the mass text messages and blackberry messages [bbms] sent when someone needs blood; and how many tend to disregard those messages also inspired and triggered the idea," said Kharma. L3D became especially prominent around the time of the infamous Mohamed Mahmoud Street clashes. Shaimaa Taher, project manager of L3D said: “[They] were actually the reason why we decided to start our project. There were countless blood donation requests circulating through text messages and bbms. And once we started interacting with people on Facebook and Twitter we got lots or requests. The name was chosen to inject humor into a serious subject and to attract more people. Basically, if you have blood, give it. “We knew that it will take time to collect donors' data. So we decided to start with Facebook and Twitter to help spread cases that need blood donation until the donors' database is ready on the website," she said. The service works based on location and blood type, matching donors and patients accordingly. “Donors register their information with Law3andakDam.com, recipients fill an easy to use online request form that is instantly routed to donors with the same blood type and location," said Taher. “Using social networks like Twitter and Facebook to spread cases, in collaboration with other nonprofit organisations, has created a huge online community of people wanting to help. We are taking advantage of the growing online presence in the Middle East" she added. “The basic idea is: there are people who need help; there are people who want to help. Bring them together." “We have now collected donors in our database and Bright-Creations.com picked Law3andakDam as one of four most innovative initiatives in 2011," she said. L3D says using conventional channels for blood transfer is not an option, owing to the inefficiency of state bureaucracy and of the health care system. “Most of the similar organisations/initiatives offer help in the form of stored blood, which costs them money and space. Operating as a mediator online by using technology offers help to those who cannot afford it instantly and with a wider reach. We are challenging bureaucracy and delays," said Taher. “L3D prevents wasting blood due to expiry dates. One would only go donate when there is an actual need for his type of blood. A lot of people also do not trust government institutes and demand more transparency. L3D allows for full transparency and credibility since the donor interacts directly with the patient and we are just a mediator. Finally, some cases such as accidents and internal bleeding require fresh blood donations," she said. Further growth is expected for L3D and there are talks of integration into the healthcare system via clinics and hospitals. “We want L3D to go regional and grow as a hub in the Middle East where people go when they need blood. We are currently assessing the options of further integration, but we have not decided on where, when and how to start." Law3andakDam succeeds where Egypt's health care services have clearly failed; it offers a simple and fresh platform that does one thing and does it very efficiently. We think if you had any blood, you should give it to them.
