Blog

Narrative of Change: Chapter 1

Summary: The Maintainers network has transformed from an in-person conference series to a virtual space, convening practitioners and academics. This Narrative of Change blog post will be the first of two chapters. In this iteration, we articulate how our network … More →

Maintainers Meet Ups

Virtual Event Upcoming: Stay tuned   Are you a repairer, fixer, maker, hobbyist, mender, or caregiver passionate about community-building? An independent or university-affiliated researcher delving into the themes of maintenance, repair, and care? An advocate seeking to promote the maintenance … More →

2024 Monthly Maintenance Sessions

Monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, at 11 am ET Invitation: Join The Maintainers for a monthly, no-cost, self-guided maintenance accountability session as we invite you to set aside time for maintenance each month with us! During these … More →

“SUSTAINING MENTAL HEALTH REPAIR: Understanding the Journey of Psychosocial Helplines in the Covid-19 Pandemic” by Himani Kulkarni

You can download Himani’s Landscape Scan here.   “Individuals dealing with depression, anxiety disorders, and suicidal thoughts sought assistance, emphasizing the critical role helplines played in providing support for complex and deeply rooted mental health challenge (….) some callers sought … More →

“THE ESSENCE OF REPAIR, CARE AND MAINTENANCE CULTURE IN DISPLACEMENT SETTINGS IN UGANDA: A Sense of Direction and Hope to Rebuild Lives” by Mathew Lubari

  You can download Mathew’s Landscape Scan here.     “Despite the challenges, a culture of repair in displacement settings can contribute to the resilience and self-sustainability of the community and the global transition to circular economies.”  – Mathew Lubari, … More →

Evolving Mobile Repair Business in Ahmedabad City, India

Guest Blog Post by Himadri Das, former 2021 Summer Fellow   Is increasing consumerism a death knell for repair? The classic conundrum of consumerism with respect to sustainability plays out in complex ways. One would imagine that mobile phones, which … More →

End of Year Fellowship Panel

End of Year Fellowship Panel Wednesday, December 6th at 9am ET on zoom You’re invited to join the 2023 Maintainers Movement Fellows for a presentation and panel discussion as we celebrate the culmination of their Fellowship. This event brings together … More →

An Interview With a Maintainer: Vincent Lai

SUMMARY KEYWORDS repair, fix, maintenance, laptop, lamps, broken, hard drive, screens, repair shop   On October 13, 2023,  Lauren interviewed Vincent Lai, a longtime Fixer Collective leader for the past decade and a dedicated member of the maintenance and repair … More →

Studying the Sensible Side of Love in the Netherlands

STUDYING THE SENSIBLE SIDE OF LOVE IN THE NETHERLANDS WRITTEN BY GUEST STUDENTS Authors from Leiden University   Last fall, we started working together to hone our fieldwork skills in self-directed ethnographic research projects on maintenance. Taking inspiration from U.A. … More →

An Interview with a Maintainer: Rachel Achieng’ and the maintenance of public health data

On July 20th, 2023, Lauren Dapena Fraiz (The Maintainers) met with Rachel Achieng’, a digital rights researcher based in Nairobi, to discuss more on the question of access and maintenance related to public health data in Kenya. Rachel gave us … More →