Zipline is an American company that operates autonomous drones to deliver blood, vaccines and essential medicines by parachute. Following an order via WhatsApp, its drones can drop supplies to any of 5,000 clinics across Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria and Rwanda, and may soon reach 10,000 more. Its expansion in Africa is being underwritten by a $150m performance-based contract—a new kind of American aid deal that requires domestic co-investment.
A lot of people I know believe in positive thinking, and so do I. I believe everything positively stinks.