About this Blog

This is the blog for Lincoln's EWB-UK placement in Ujire in Karnatica in Southern India. I am working for SELCO, a solar lighting social enterprise, on the development of a solar food dehydrator, a device used to increase the life of foods. The aim of the placement is to make it fully functional, more efficient and to conduct market research in order to help market the product to customers living in rural areas enabling them to break the poverty cycle.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Training It

I haven't blogged in over a week, so this post is longer than I usually bother to write - I've got the time as I'm writing this on a thirteen hour train journey.

Last week, after ironing out any glitches with the current dryer design, I ordered the construction of two solar biomass hybrid dryers. This was much easier than it had been previously as I did not have to explain the designs. On worker commented 'making one prototype is difficult, but making more is much easier. The purpose of these two dryer is to package them and send them to demonstrate drying at SELCO's regional branches.

The last four days I have taken off work to visit the backwaters of Kerala, and was an experience to remember. Out of the eight different train classes, I decided to travel in what I thought was complete comfort on the way, 2 tier AC. I was given a blanket and a pillow, and spent most of the journey trying to stop the freezing cold AC vent blowing in my face.

It occurred to me as I was being driven round the backwaters on a houseboat, how vulnerable the people living there actually were.

  • What is development? When should it stop?

  • Is an equal world desirable?

  • Is the world overpopulated?

These questions arose in my mind because you see so many people living what appear to be very happy lives among the backwaters. For me the answers to these questions come down to vulnerability and sustainability.

I am now heading back to work. My train (non AC this time has just entered Karnataka - I know this because after 4 days in sunny Kerala, it has just started to rain.

Development problems, like the drying problems I have been faced with are difficult problems to solve. As my placement nears its end, I realise what huge achievements and progress I have made, but have to face the reality that unless SELCO sells any of the products developed in the lab, the impact will be minimal.

I hope the product demonstrations are a success, but know that whatever the outcome the lessons learned will make it have an impact on peoples lives in the future.

Written on the 6604 Mavali Express from Trivandrum to Mangalore.


As a side note, last week, having watched the sun set over the tropical treetops, I was lying on my bed in a etherical haze, and I knew where I was... in India.

But then I just chundered everywhere!!!

(Actually I must have eaten something my body didn't agree with)

1 comment:

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