Our Mission: Acts Of Kindness
The Darwin Project Mission is to improve the quality of life for people, animals and the earth, through small acts of kindness which serve as catalysts to engendering positive change for all.
We believe that the health and wellbeing of humans, animals and our natural environment are intricately intertwined.
“The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.”
Paul Farmer, MD
Featured Darwin Projects
Global Surgery
One of our primary exempt purposes is to advance global surgery by expanding access to safe, affordable surgical care. Nearly 5 billion people lack access to safe surgery and anesthesia, with orthopaedic trauma placing a significant burden on low-resource countries. Our work focuses on Africa, where sustainable investments in equipment, training, and local healthcare systems can save lives and create lasting sustainable impact.
Resident doctors Emmanuel and Yamikani
Orthopedic Residents Training Program
Malawi faces a critical shortage of orthopedic surgeons, with only a handful of specialists serving a population of more than 23 million people. To help address this gap, Developing Progress launched the Orthopedic Surgery Residents Training Program (OSRTP), focused on training and retaining surgeons within their home countries.
Today, the program supports doctors through residency training, mentorship, and access to essential surgical equipment. Residents receive educational and salary support, hands-on clinical training, and ongoing mentorship from Dr. Don Hangen (Malawi program) and Dr. Jack Wixted, Chief of Trauma Surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, who reviews surgical case X-rays and provides feedback. The program also supplies modern orthopedic equipment, including surgical implants, fracture fixation systems, ultrasound technology, and trauma surgery instruments.
Training and certifying a single orthopedic surgeon costs approximately $11,000 per year. By investing in local medical professionals rather than short-term medical missions, OSRTP builds sustainable impact by strengthening local healthcare infrastructure, surgical education, and access to life-saving orthopedic care for generations to come.
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Device (NPWT)
One of the most prevalent causes of poor outcomes post orthopedic surgery, including disfigurement, loss of limb, disability and death, is infection.
Darwin Project Director, Jonathan Haar designed and produced a Negative Pressure Wound Therapy device (NPWT) and has been distributing it to hospitals in Malawi and Cameroon, and 7 other African countries. It prevents life-threatening infections after surgery, especially in long bone repair. The NPWT device has become a life-changing device for surgeons. We have had a serious demand for more and have found a high rate of positive healing when used after surgery. 600+ of our pumps are in 13+ OR’s around the world and see hundreds of surgeries per week
Kristo Mfalme Catholic Hospital of Sumbawanga SIGN nail training
Community & Regional Hospital Equipment & Upgrade
The Darwin Project works with local surgical leaders to strengthen hospital capacity by purchasing and supplying essential equipment, including orthopedic trauma systems, surgical implants, ultrasound technology, cautery machines, and other tools needed to provide modern trauma care. We are also investing in SIGN Fracture Care kits, which provide hospitals with the specialized instruments and implants required to treat complex fractures and expand access to high-quality orthopedic surgery.
In addition to supplying equipment, Darwin Project supports the training required to use these resources effectively. Participating hospitals submit surgical case X-rays for review and mentorship, helping surgeons improve outcomes while expanding access to high-quality orthopedic care in underserved communities. Through these efforts and our partnership with SIGN Fracture Care International, hospitals are better equipped to deliver advanced orthopedic treatment close to home.
These investments create sustainable impact by strengthening local healthcare infrastructure, improving the quality of care available at regional hospitals.
Public Health and Early Learning
Mangochi Orphanage
Mangochi Orphanage and Education Training School in Malawi
Sustainable global health requires investment in both people and infrastructure. Through our partnership with the MOET Orphanage in Malawi, we help provide 320 students with the education, support, and opportunities needed to build healthy, productive futures in their communities. Guided by the belief that lasting impact comes from empowering local people, we also support public health initiatives, including access to clean water and community health outreach. To date, DPI has funded a clean drinking water well that provides reliable access to safe water for the orphanage and the surrounding community, as well as public health visits by doctors in our Orthopedic Residency Program.
We make regular visits to MOET, bringing STEM supplies, computers, books, and mentors. These efforts help equip students with the resources, skills, and inspiration needed to succeed on national exams and compete with better-resourced schools in urban areas, creating opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.
To strengthen long-term food security and environmental sustainability, DPI is partnering with MOET to establish a tree planting and school garden initiative. The project will provide a sustainable source of protein-rich foods while teaching students practical agricultural skills and environmental stewardship. By improving nutrition and creating hands-on learning opportunities, the initiative supports both the health of current students and the long-term resilience of the orphanage.
To further expand educational opportunities, we are working to fund the construction of a secondary school classroom on the MOET campus. A dedicated classroom would allow students to learn in a stable, well-equipped environment and help the school accommodate its growing student population. By investing in educational infrastructure today, we are helping create opportunities for generations of students to come.
Support for US Troops in Harm’s Way & Veterans
The DPI Directors are both children of the 60’s and 70’s when social justice and environmental justice were pushing to the forefront of a dramatically changing world. The Vietnam War was dividing our country, and many of our troops were returning home disillusioned, injured, suffering from PTSD and facing homelessness. Observing these injustices was the catalyst for establishing our foundation. To quote Jonathan, “I can’t say I support war as a solution to anything, but the soldiers now serving and our forgotten veterans are another matter. As said, old men send young men to war.” Many veterans of the Vietnam War are living on the streets decades after the end of the war – forgotten. To bring this closer to home, Jonathan’s cousin went to Vietnam for several tours of duty which left him wounded and a different, shattered man. It is in his memory that we support those who risk their own lives to protect us.
While making any significant changes to solve veteran homeless problems is far beyond DPI’s capacity, we can contribute small acts of kindness to troops who are active today. In 2008 we started to donate gift packages for the troops during the holidays. Hanscom Field Air Force included the gifts in their shipments abroad. We did not realize how important this would be.
The first year we received a thank you letter from a soldier. He wanted to let us know how important it is to remember their folks back home. We have been distributing holiday gifts every year since 2008. We create 250 packages and letters while sitting on our living room floor with family and friends—and our animal companions. Our packing team says that this is the best part of Christmas for them. Hanscom AFB continues to carry the gifts every year. We receive numerous thank you notes from all parts of the world, as remote as the Horn of Africa. The main theme of the letters is, “Thank you for remembering us and helping our families who make the greatest sacrifice”. Some of these letters are linked below.
Darwin Project Areas Of Interest
Global Surgery & Public Health
Early Childhood Learning &
Well Being
Support for the Disenfranchised
Support for U.S. Soldiers & Veterans
Animal Rights & Well-Being
Wind Power Technology
Environmental Learning & Stewardship
We work on funding local projects based in Massachusetts and Boston to grow our community, as well as global-scale work within medicine and education.
Darwin Project Partners
“…we have no choice but to try to better ourselves, touch those around us, shape and challenge our community, and ultimately, change the world — and thus leave a lasting memory.”
Jonathan & Linda Haar