Message-ID: <1230bbd0@UNCMAST.CCMAIL.UNICC.ORG> Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 10:35:18 +0000 From: Jean-Claude Mporamazina <mailto:Jean-Claude.Mporamazina@UNCTAD.ORG> Subject: Re: Solar Cooker Design Contest (fwd) To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Thanks for Joel Vignon for forwarding the message to us.Many more thanks for those who initiated the Solar cooker contest. As an African working in the science and technology area, I know how vital such an initiative is for Africa and I agree with the explanation you gave for its potential use in the background information.
However, I must say I was disappointed to read how small the prize will be for such a potentially revolutionary product. The grand prize of $250 might not be enough for paying the postage to send the disign to the organisers of the contest! The incentive is just not there even for a poor student. In addition, the disigners are told that their work will be the property of the organisers of the contest!
It seems to me that it will be difficult to draw enough talented contestants and that would be really a pitty. Maybe next time the organisers could call for contributions for prizes to the many subscribers of African lists and other donnors like pop singers, businesses and business men both in the USA and Africa, other Africans in the diaspora etc...I would be more than happy to contribute as I can.
Meanwhile, I wish you good luck and would be pleased to know the contest's results.
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Solar Cooker Design Contest (fwd) Author: Joel Vignon <mailto:jvignon@hubcap.clemson.edu> at INTERNET Date: 2/11/96 8:16 PM
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 2 Feb 1996 14:45:55 -0500 From: George Brooks, Jr. <mailto:GEOBRO@DELPHI.COM> To: Multiple recipients of list AFRITECH <mailto:AFRITECH@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU> Subject: Solar Cooker Design Contest
Solar Cooker Design Contest Purpose: The contest serves as an opportunity for student engineers to use their developing skills to contribute the improvement of the quality of life of rural African villagers. By using their ideas to solve real problems through the practical application of solar energy.
Contest Rules: To be eligible to win all contestants must submit an entry form with the description of their original solar cooker design by March 15, 1996. Multiple design concepts may be entered, but only one design construction per person will be considered to win a prize.
Design Specifications:
The solar cooker must be portable and not weigh more than 15 lbs; dimension should not exceed 4 ft in length, 3 ft in width, 2 ft in depth. It should be capable of reaching a minimum temperature of 212oF or 100oC and at least a maximum temperature of 400oF or 200oC(average temp. for stove top and oven cooking) . Its design should lend itself to cooking, canning, pasteurization, and sterilization of foods and other materials.
Design Constraints: Only materials which are readily available or are traditionally produced in remote locations of African should be used in the construction of the solar cooker (paper, reflective surfaces, wood, natural dyes, etc.). You may need to research which materials are readily available. Special attention should be given to this constraint. Cost of materials for construction should not exceed $10.00.
All design drawings and information submitted will become property of the Northern California Council of Black Professional Engineers and may be used as resource information to improve solar cookers used in Africa. The top 3 designs will be selected at the 1996 NSBE Conference and will be awarded prizes.
Eligibility Requirements and Judging Criteria
All entrant must follow the rules of the contest, and be able to prove student status. All cookers must be constructed in accordance to the description you submit, and be available for demonstration at the Spring NSBE Conference in Nashville, TNN. The cooker should be capable of performing within the design specifications and should conform to the design constraints. Winning designs will be judged based on appearance, conformance, originality, ingenuity and performance of the cooker.
Prizes: Grand $250;Second Prize $150;Third Prize $100 ________________________________________________________________________ Solar Cooker Design Contest Entry Form Name___________________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________
School____________________NSBE Chapter___________________________________
Attach description of solar Cooker and Drawing: (Include list of materials used and cost); Highlight any unique features. Send to: Solar Cooker Design Contest, NCCBPE, P.O.Box 1686, Oakland, CA 94604. Deadline March 15, 1996 For more information write to the above address or e-mail mailto:hattie_carwell@macmail.lbl.gov or call (510) 486-4296.
Background Information
Although the poverty of Africa is generally the image portrayed by the media the continent has tremendous untapped potential wealth in natural resources (its people, minerals and energy resources). Much of the development of these resources to date has been to benefit societies outside of Africa. The lack of socio-economic progress has largely been due to the exportation of resources rather than the internal industrial technical development within countries. Wide scale, technical skills and know how to the benefit of the local economies and communities has yet to be developed and is just becoming the focus of the political govern ments. Countless opportunities exist to assist in the transformation, and to provide opportunities for trade, investment, and business opportunities for African Americans.
The International Committee of the Northern California Council of Black professional Engineers (NCCBPE) are currently developing mechanisms for African American engineers to become directly involved in establishing technical links with Africa. They are working with the Constituency for Africa in Washington, DC, and technology organizations in Africa such as the African Regional Technology Center (ARCT) in Dakar, Senegal and the Research and Development Forum for Science-led Development in Africa, RANDFORUM to accomplish this goal.
One of the projects involves the use of solar energy to improve the quality or rural life in Africa. Many of the life threatening problems of Africa are attributed to unsafe drinking water conditions, famine, environmental problems due to the Greenhouse Effect and deforestation. The quality of life for many people in Africa are substandard partially due to the lack of opportunity to earn income, unawareness of simple ways to improve living conditions, and due tot he lack of municipal services.
Solar energy can be used to help address these problems which limit the quality of life of Africans living in remote areas.
The spread of diseases can be controlled by using solar energy to heat water to improve sanitary conditions. Medical services in remote locations can be improved by providing doctors with ways to sterilize their instrumen- tation in the field through the use of solar heat. Deforestation which leads to the Greenhouse Effect can be reduced by supplementing food preparation with wood with solar cooking. Solar cooking can also alleviate the drudgery of searching for wood which is becoming very scare, and provide more time to attend to other household duties.
Solar Energy will be used to promote sustainable development among rural villages. The intent is to provide villagers with economic opportunities. Representatives from NCCBPE's International Committee will work with rural villages to popularize solar applications to solve problems impacting the qualify of their lives. They will educate villagers about the usefulness of solar energy, and train them to create new designs of solar cookers to adapt their use to local needs and conditions. Villagers will be taught how to produce, market and distribute the cookers within their own and neighboring villages, as well as other countries . Other projects are being developed. For more information contact Hattie Carwell (510) 486-4296 or e-mail mailto:hattie_carwell@macmail.lbl.gov
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