The Problem
Most of the developing countries suffer energy shortages of many sorts. In relation to poverty, women’s health and climate change, the biggest crisis facing these countries is the basic need for fuel for cooking and clean water for drinking. Wood, of is also cut for construction. On top of those basic needs, other factors have combined to increase demand recently.
Some households, in rural area use paraffin for cooking and lighting. However, paraffin prices have shot up as the world price of oil has escalated. People have turned back to charcoal and firewood.
According to Uganda’s National Biomass Study in 2003 it assumes that most of Uganda’s forests will be lost by 2025.
Establishing and promoting Eco-friendly cook stove and other technologies to substitute charcoal stoves and firewood kitchens could be the best alternative. However, this can only be done by those with expertise together with the society.
Our idea
Our idea is to create groups for engineers at regional levels to act as volunteers.
Our target
- Student & Graduate engineers
- The communities
Objectives
1. Encourage communities accept and use new technologies
2. Teach communities how to design for themselves and not wait for the professions
3. Provide knowledge and skills to villagers
4. Reduce deforestation
5. Reduce pollution
6. Improve health
7. Bridge a tight relation between communities and engineers
Justification of the idea
We believe this approach to be the most appropriate. Communities lack experts but if they taught what to do, they can cause the change we want and help us save the environment for our future generations.
Benefits (Community)
1. Environmental conservation
2. Poverty reduction
3. Employment opportunities
4. Proper utilization of available resources
5. Knowledge sharing
Hi everyone, I’m Richard, your mentor. Here is some feedback on your concept note;
What worked well; the concept note is well structured and this has helped you present a reasoned argument for your proposal. You have also communicated the solution benefits very effectively.
A few things to think about; what would the costs of the proposal be in the short term and long term, both to the volunteer organisation and the communities, and how would it be funded? Which people in the communities would you be engaging with, and how could this meet the principle of being inclusive?