The First Day

with little reference to the longer history of international philanthropic work or acknowledgement of organisations with similar practices. ‘How We Work’, for example, features display materials that suggest the Foundation differs from others because it is a private, family foundation and one that uses research to evaluate ongoing projects. These facile claims ignore antecedent organisations like the Rockefeller Foundation and undermine more interesting descriptions of the Foundation’s business strategy, its focus on difficult problems, and its emphasis on technologically innovative solutions. Perhaps more instructive are the sections ‘Tracking Trends’ and ‘Charting Changes’, which describe the Foundation’s reliance on data. Visitors here are invited to manipulate sets of moving charts to understand how data informs strategies for pursuing polio eradication and reducing child mortality through vaccinations, among other things. The Visitor Center includes a display that makes passing reference to criticisms of the Foundation’s approach. Not surprisingly, however, far more emphasis is placed on encouraging visitors to appropriate the neo-liberal Gates model and accept it as the best way to make a difference in the world. A theatre plays short pieces that celebrate the Foundation’s efforts, while the section ‘Your Foundation’ asks visitors to describe what their own foundation would do if they had one. Computer terminals in the final hall provide tools for visitors to invent solutions to problems, create something inspiring, learn about their own strengths, and share knowledge. Notable ideas, tools, and inventions adorn the walls as a means to inspire. These include new HIV prevention campaign strategies, an injectable contraceptive, examples of powdered nutrition supplements, a solar-powered refrigerator, and a rural midwife’s birthing kit. In this way, while the Visitor Center seeks to promote a narrow, favourable understanding of the Foundation’s efforts, it also provides visitors with valuable exposure to the tools, technologies, and practices of global health work.