Naide and the Virtual VillagePump project

"Philips introduceert nieuwe LED lampen op basis van zonne-energie. De lampen moeten een oplossing..."

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:14:44 -0500

“Philips introduceert nieuwe LED lampen op basis van zonne-energie. De lampen moeten een oplossing vormen voor verlichtingsproblemen voor mensen die geen toegang hebben tot elektriciteit.”

- Idealize - Philips introduceert LED-lamp voor Afrika

"It turns out that one of the main problems in places like Africa, which is somewhat similar to..."

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:12:52 -0400

“It turns out that one of the main problems in places like Africa, which is somewhat similar to places in India, is that the investors have to be educated first. Seed capital and early venture funding is a high risk proposition. There are few investors who care about technology, and those that do are interested in the later stages of investing.”

- There’s a Problem with Seed Capital in Africa | White African

The Sun factory

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:51:42 -0400

The Sun factory

"Midogo heeft van Nedap een prototype gekregen van een waterzuiveringsapparaat genaamd Naiade. Omdat..."

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:49:58 -0400

“Midogo heeft van Nedap een prototype gekregen van een waterzuiveringsapparaat genaamd Naiade. Omdat deze bij het vorige team niet werkte heeft Arjan een nieuwe “computer” mee gekregen voor de Naiade. Het is nu aan ons om dat ding te testen.”

- Stage in Ghana.nl

"The HAPV (Advertised as HAPPY) is a twist on the ‘horse and buggy’ mode of transportation, making..."

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:31:45 -0400

“The HAPV (Advertised as HAPPY) is a twist on the ‘horse and buggy’ mode of transportation, making this a donkey, cart, solar panel on a canopy FUV (Farm Utility Vehicle) that is quite ingenious and absolutely AfriGadget. A donkey drawn carriage is commonplace in many countries in Africa, and this retrofit by the organization Water and Wheel adds more functionality and utility especially suited for rural Africa.”

- AfriGadget » Blog Archive » HAPV - Human and Animal Powered Vehicle in South Africa

"‘Het Google Grants Nederland-betaprogramma ondersteunt organisaties die onze filosofie van..."

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:41:13 -0400

“‘Het Google Grants Nederland-betaprogramma ondersteunt organisaties die onze filosofie van dienstbaarheid aan de gemeenschap delen en de wereld verder willen helpen op het gebied van wetenschap en technologie, onderwijs, gezondheidszorg, het milieu, jeugdwerk en de kunsten.”

- Google Grants

"This project will introduce simple, locally assembled, affordable LED solar lanterns to the poorest..."

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:54:00 -0400

“This project will introduce simple, locally assembled, affordable LED solar lanterns to the poorest communities. It will provide people with a cheap alternative to kerosene, saving many lives.”

- Lighting Malawian homes gives a great example of what can be dione with next to nothing

The components needed to make a solar powered LED light cost about £4. Once assembled, the final product can be sold for up to £7. This is cheaper than in other countries, as materials are cheaper in Malawi.

"This project will introduce simple, locally assembled, affordable LED solar lanterns to the poorest..."

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:50:39 -0400

"The personal powerPlant is a portable device that harnesses electricity through a solar cell and..."

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:33:42 -0400

“The personal powerPlant is a portable device that harnesses electricity through a solar cell and hand crank generator, into a NiMH battery. The device also includes a visual multimeter that monitors the amount of energy stored. The personal powerPlant can be used to power applications up to 8V at 70 mA.”

- personal powerPlant

Thiis might be an interesting solution to provide power to the houses

The Virtual VillagePump Project

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:11:00 -0400

The Virtual Village Pump Project.

The virtual village Talk pump project is based on hundreds of hours of talking to African students which has led to a unique combination of local experience, grassroots commitment as well as the power and knowledge of a global network of private and corporate sponsors.

Village Talk is building a clever, ultra low cost distribution network that is of benefit of all the organisations that are in the position to solve many of the challenges identified in the Millennium Development Goals, without the huge amounts of cash these goals are based upon, as that cash is either not at hand or buried in complicated plans or stuck in corruption.

During our research we have learned that is next to impossible for Africans living at the bottom of the pyramid to communicate with the organizations that are trying to improve the lives of the people in development countries.

Our program does not count on massive financial support, but builds upon local capacity, redirection of available money into the usage of smarter and cleaner ways of running the daily household which frees up a part of the budget to pay for utilities, owned by the community, clean water and clean energy. Less health risks and a steady, higher average daily income for the community.

Centrepiece of the solution is the Naiade system.

To the people in Africa Naiade is a water container linked to a solar panel and a battery storing energy. As far as water purification is concerned there’s a clever filter solution. The 3 basic components however could be the start of a company in rural areas, provided we find more ways of using the hardware than just purifying contaminated water.

Here’s my vision.

There are many solutions on micro levels, demanding attention from many different organisations. Since all these micro solutions are isolated islands, it’s next to impossible to convince the development industry of their importance. This can only be done by incorporating as many micro solutions as possible to solve a few major challenges.

Each solution provider always focuses on it’s own unique benefits and at the same time each NGO will focus on it’s own cause, leaving the total challenge per community in the middle of a logistical nightmare and a lot of wasted energy due to lack of cooperation of stakeholders.

Folks working for development companies have to follow their corporate vision. Presenting practical solutions will damage their future, so in many cases they will not want to cooperate.

The Virtual Village Pump project addresses this problem by showing people how they can help themselves, and create a better basis for communication with development initiatives and micro finance solution, by building their own micro finance model. That way they no longer have to beg for charity, but offer potential sponsors a business opportunity that will open doors that have been closed for ages.

When I showed the Naide to my friend Norman in Bunabumali, his first response was, I want a solar panel, as that will solve many of the problems of our community (2000 people) We our now developing a business model that incorporates Naides features to be part of the new bakery, the education centre, the school and many other projects.

Until now Naiade was marketed as a water purification system. The Village Talk model links the Naide to rural communities, providing the awareness campaign needed to convince villagers they already hold the power to change their future, without realizing it. By rethinking the options of the installation and adding some essential tools for development Village Talk helps with transition process and eliminate bottlenecks that are not solved by traditional development institutions.

Effectively Naide is a mini power generator capable of:

Purifying 750.000 litres of contaminated drinking water per year.
Recharging mobile phone batteries.
Recharging notebook batteries.
Provide free off grid lightening to rural areas. There are plenty of easy to implement wiring systems available on the Internet if you only have 1 solar panel.
Clean energy provider, reducing the dependence on fossil fuel.
Self contained small business concept.
Education aid

Once installed in Bunabumali, Uganda, this will have a huge impact and will be instrumental in reaching the goals Norman has set himself in 2001.

Improve educational infrastructure.
Make better use of local resources.
Improve living conditions.
Show kids how to build a better future.
Increase average daily income less dependent on seasonal work (like coffee harvest).

Combined savings on inefficient technologies will result in a more effective management (reduced overheads, the killer of traditional micro financing) of the service. So we need to find out what effect it would be if we set up a business model for the 6 communities within a 10 KM radius of Bunabumali.

The VT model starts with building links with local communities, and creating a network of local people that support the idea. We currently have built connections in Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. Connections range from individuals at village level to University students who have used the internet to build strong private networks of national and international sponsors that are dedicated to help the communities move into the 21st century.

Interestingly very often the names emerge over many networks so effectively we have a very strong, committed group of people from all walks of life and each of them connected to other powerful networks. To get the VT concept up and running we basically requires one powerful message, a clever promotion campaign and a sound business model. From than on the community can take over.

The village pump Ltd.

This business model transforms charity based financing in a business opportunity for rural areas.

Annual paraffin usage for lightning: $ 800.00. The Naiade eliminates the use of paraffin lamps. The savings can be used to fund the monthly lease charges. (Lease concept = 1080 annual charges for naiade).

Savings on non rechargeable batteries.

According to Norman replacing the 100 kerosene lamps with LED lamps, charged by Naiades Solar panel we can cover 60 %of the monthly lease fee of the Naiade plus additional infrastructure.Mini internet cafe based on PC, plus 4 workstations based on the using Ndiyo concept.

Cooking is now done on firewood, no energy saving stoves available. We are planning to build traditional pizza ovens to create a more energy efficient way of cooking. There are also plans to start a fruit juice company that requires efficient, free energy and increases the need for clean drinking water.

In the default setup Naiade only uses 25 % of the energy output of the solar panel and the car battery. Adding capacity to power the internet centre and LED installation is technically no problem.

The non water related services can be provided as an add on package, since all they need is one simple connection connecting to the solar panel/battery pack. If we add a simple eeepc as standard customer service unit, connected to the latest Nokia mobile phone we have the fundament of an internet cafe, all powered from one simple solar panel, in one self contained unit.

Communities & local contacts.

Bunabumali, Uganda

Masaka, Uganda

Mado Nigeria

Tamale, Ghana

If we set up loosely connected local distribution networks we have enough demand to install 100 Naiades. Since this solves the off grid power issue, we have opened up a BOP market for other partners, more specifically, mobile phone operators and computer service providers. Chances are that by sharing resources amongst regional communities internal trade will increase. To fund the lease fee there are a number of options.

A. The community uses the paraffin savings to pay into the Naide lease fund.
B. International private sponsors adopt the community and cover the whole or a part of the Lease fee.
C. Telco’s and computer service providers can offer their services at reduced rates in return of more airtime and regard their contribution as advertising for a bigger market share.
D Organisations like
On-line networks
Friends of Bunabumali
Help Nigeria
World Youth Alliance
One reaching another
Action Hero Network
Norman’s network
Naamlooz
Linked In
Facebook
Twitter

"The Microtelecom business model The VNL team has direct experience in bringing new services to rural..."

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:54:00 -0400

“The Microtelecom business model The VNL team has direct experience in bringing new services to rural communities in India. Based on this experience, we have developed a “microtelecom business model” aimed at helping operators scale their rural businesses at maximum speed and with minimal exposure.”

- Business model | VNL

This is very much what I have in mind for VillageTalk.

Higher average daily personal income

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:44:48 -0400

….

Show kids how to build their future

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:36:13 -0400

….

Improve living conditions

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:35:50 -0400

…..

Make better use of local resources

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:34:56 -0400

……

Improving educational infrastructure

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:34:37 -0400

…..

Connecting Bunabumali to the Internet

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:48:00 -0400

Connecting Bunabumali to the Internet:

Untill now I have been lucky to be able to spend so much time on-line thanks to Makarere university. One of the biggest issues that has kept me busy all this time is how we can get connect Bunabumali to the Internet at an affordable manner, so I can go back to coordinate all our efforts on the ground.

This resulted into the Bunabumali VillagePump initiative, which is a realy simple alternative to the traditional often unsustainable / cybercafe approach taken by many African communities.

About us

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:32:00 -0400

The Bunabumali Good Samaritan & Needy School project from Emmanuel Norman Nakhokho who contacted VillageTalk in search for creative solutions to get school items, and other highly necessary equipment into Bunabumali, Mbale Province, Eastern Uganda

Topics

Arts & Crafts
Bunabumali Juice Company ltd
Hammocks
Good Samaritan & Needy School (GSON)
Tourism
Internet

Staff & Sponsors

Emmanuel Norman Nakhokho Director
Irene Aidah Asistant
Cory Richardson, co-ordinator
Brenda Thonsgaard, Executive Director
Jane Monica Tvedt, GSON HP
Ben Koot, webmaster
Karenann Whelan GSON HP

Contact

Since I started Virtual Bunabumali, a lot has changed. Untill a...

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:11:00 -0400

Since I started Virtual Bunabumali, a lot has changed. Untill a year ago nobody had ever heard about us. Today we have our own Bunabumali chronicle, international visitors visiting Buna, thousands of digital images, video and a network of hundreds of international friends on facebook and twitter.

More important we have connected to African colleagues and friends at a level where we share our individual experience, knowledge and contacts in order to solve complicated issues based on our own capacity.