Weeki Mbili

Week 2

After an immensely positive meeting with the Lulu VICOBA in Nkoarisombo, we decided to focus our briquetting pilot project in this community. Given that they are the only one of EARD-CI's VICOBA groups that grow coffee, it also fits our mandate under the GMCR grant. On Friday at EARD-CI, we tended our composting materials, made some demo briquettes, and arranged to attend the Lulu meeting next Monday. We will check on their current material decomposition and schedule a few day long intensive training session that interested group members will be able to attend.

After our stove struggled to burn without tending on Monday and Tuesday morning, we began building our own version of the Kisangani stove Tuesday afternoon using the sheet metal leftover from the spring group. By the end of Thursday we had all the major pieces of the stove cut out and for cylindrical pieces, bent into shape. Friday, Bernard of AISE welded the main body/fuel canister of the stove together and began welding together the lid. The new stove will likely be finished on Monday, with burn tests tentatively starting Tuesday. While it would have been beneficial to visit KSG in Njombe, it would have taken roughly a week of travel. In about the same time, we will have built our own version of their design, gaining valuable metalworking experience in the process, which will undoubtedly inform our future work and lead to designs that are easier to build.

During this week, AISE and Global Cycle Solutions moved from their old workshop to new, larger space nearby. We helped move some the heavier items like the lathe and drill press on Wednesday, and while the logistics of the move slowed our work slightly, it was great to be able to help out a group that has provided us with constant assistance and graciously shared their space with us.

We were lucky enough to have Misha from the spring trip visit us for part of this week. He had plenty of valuable experience to share in areas ranging from stove construction to Swahili to simply living in Tanzania. It will be sad to see him go, but we wish him all the best in his continuing travels.

-Nik