LES FOYERS AMELIORES

LE FOYER AMELIORE EN ACTIVITE
les trois images que nous avons ci dessus nous demontrent quelques foyers en fonctionnement
-premiere image : comparaison entre un foyer a trois pierre et un foyer amelore

-deuxieme image: unfoyer amaliore tout seul constatons qu il n y a pas assez des bois pour atiser le feu

-troisime image: seul les spates de mais sont utilisees pour la cuisine

quelques ouvrages de ACREST

les images que vous verrez en ordre descendante: visite d un admirateur et futur associe de ACREST; la prise de charges du micro central; un batiment en construction avec les briquettes stabilisees

visiteurs a ACREST

juin 2008
visite d une delegation du HOPE COLLEGE MICHIGAN U S A

Solar Dryer by Cecilia

The Bangang province of Western Cameroon lacks a system of refrigeration and other basic techniques of food preservation. This leads to the unnecessary spoiling of food, particularly during the harvesting period, when there is an excess of it. In response to this problem, ACREST has created a solar dryer. The solar dryer eliminates the moisture in the food so that it will not rot. Fruits, vegetables, meats, and other items can be preserved using this technology. Then, if there is a fresh food shortage during the dry season, the dried foods can be consumed.

How it works.

First, you open the solar dryer so that the aluminum foil-covered parts and black part are all exposed to the sunlight. Rays of sunlight are reflected off the aluminum foil-covered parts and are captured by the black part. The black part is covered with a transparent material. The sunrays trapped by the black part then heat up the air in the compartment below. The heated air exits the compartment at the back of the solar dryer. It flows out and up to the shelves on which food is placed. The food is dried out by the heated air, which then exits out the top of the solar dryer.

ACREST has two solar dryers, one small and one big. The small one is a year old and costs 60,000 CFA. The big one is still under construction. It will be used for demonstrations at ACREST, and ACREST may also sell the dried food from it to passers-by.

Biogas Digester by Cecilia and Nelson

As its name indicates, the biogas digester exclusively uses biodegradable materials as fuel. It is a 3-part system that functions automatically and therefore requires almost no manpower.

How it works.

The first part of the digester is the inlet. All of the biodegradable materials enter the digester through the inlet. These materials include human and animal waste, as well as leftover food. They decompose more quickly in the digester, the second part of the system, because it is hermetically sealed to facilitate the process. The decomposition of these elements in the digester produces a gas, called “biogas.” The biogas creates a pressure which pushes the excess waste through the last part of the system, the outlet. In the meantime, the biogas is directed to the points of us. It can be used as fuel for a variety of applications and, contrary to popular concern, is completely odorless.

The biogas digester at ACRESt was constructed 3 years ago. It is composed of cement. At first, it was used to run a motor. Now, the biogas is used as fuel for cooking.

Water Testing and Biosand Filters by Katie Pesce

One of the first things that Mary and I set about doing upon our arrival in Cameroon was to interview people about their water use and sources and to do some water quality testing on those sources.

We bought the water testing kit back in Boston from an MIT professor. It mainly serves to identify whether or not a water sample contains E. coli or other coliform bacteria (coliform is defined “as gram-negative rods which produce acid and gas from lactose during metabolic fermentation”). Part of the sterile water sample is squirted onto a Petri-film on which E. coli will grow blue colonies and other coliform will grow red colonies. Another part of the sample is put in the Colilert tube. If E. coli are present then the sample will turn yellow and fluoresce under UV light. If just coliform are present the sample will still turn yellow but not fluoresce. The results of both the Petri-film and the Colilert tube are evaluated after 24 hours of incubation at body temperature.

We started with the water sources close to home at the ACREST Center. These include the nearby river, named the Mii, the rope pump outside the gate, and water from the rope pump that was then treated by a biosand filter manufactured by ACREST.

The River is used by many for washing and cleaning. Neighboring children come by the rope pump all the time to get water to carry home for cooking, washing, and drinking. The ACREST staff drinks the water from the biosand filter. Below is a picture of Colilert Test and Petrifilm Test results.

Water testing results.

The River is highly contaminated with E. coli and other coliform and is classified as high risk. The water from the well with the rope pump is not quite as dirty but is also classified as high risk because E. coli are present. But the water from the rope pump well treated by the biosand filter shows a dramatic difference. Coliform are present but the there was no E. coli found. The water is designated as low to intermediate risk. The biosand filter had improved the quality of the water and lowered its health risk.

The ACREST staff were trained by a Canadian NGO named Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (cawst.org) in May 2008 to manufacture the biosand filter and since has manufactured many filters.

ACREST staff constructing a biosand filter.

A cross-section of the filter is shown below. They are constructed from concrete and other locally-available materials. The filtration is aided by the mechanical trapping by the sand, gravel, and stone and the natural ecology of the micro-organisms that grow in the filter. The filter works to remove parasites, bacteria, organic compounds, and some inorganic compounds to improve the quality of the water.

Taken from Biosand Filter Brochure made by CAWST (cawst.org).

ACREST has not fully begun marketing and disseminating their biosand filter, but we were able to visit the home where the first filter sold had been installed. The family treated all their drinking from their well with the filter and reported that it had improved the health of their family.

The first biosand filter bought from ACREST installed in a home near Bangang market.

Some maintenance and cleaning is required about every six months to keep the filter working properly. The top layer of sand needs to be cleaned and exchanged. Proper training on how to take care of the filter is given when the filter is purchased. On our visit to the compound, Simon showed the family how to maintain their filter.

Simon showing the family how to clean the sand in the filter.

A drawback of the filter is the amount of cement that it requires and the weight of the filter. Mary and I hope to help by slightly redesigning its structure in order to reduce its weight and cost.

Jikos (Improved Cooking Stoves) by Mary Masterman

Kennedy is currently the person heading up the Jiko project at ACREST. He arrived at ACREST in October of 2008 and started working on the stoves, which are called liners. He has made 98 liners; 12 cracked because of the gauge. He is also heading up the construction of the “better born kiln” (to be written about in another blog entry) for the mass firing of the jikos. They sold the first jikos in February of 2009 and have sold about seventy since. Recently, the main tasks have been collecting clay for the stoves from a riverbank, drying and sifting the clay, constructing the kiln, and production of the stoves. Right now, there are 88 more stoves ready to be burned and 64 ready for the metal cladding.

Kennedy (SEE PHOTO-LEFT), who is very passionate about the jikos, wrote some notes for me about them, which I will transcribe here.

Tharaquet ceramic Jikos (T.C.J)

In one week, five people can make 100 energy-saving stoves. So in one month, you can get 400 energy saving-stoves, although it depends on weather. You must do your best on mixing and production so that you get 100% quality in all areas.

PROCEDURE

1. Digging the Clay.
2. Drying the Clay.
3. Removing all impurities.
4. Sand drying and Sieving.
5. Soaking and Mixing (Ratio).
6. Moulding of the liners (Jikos).
7. Quality Control.
8. Fixing the Pot-Rests.
9. Drying the Stove (liner).
10. Firing (adding value) 60% (value)
11. Marketing *
12. Ratio: Clay-2 Sand-1
13. Installation and training.

TO THE LEFT ARE PHOTOS OF THE PLACE WHERE THE CLAY IS SIEVED AND THE LINERS.

The kiln is used to fire the stoves, but it is small, so it can only fire 150 stoves at once. The kiln was flooded with water because it is next to the river, so ACREST can only use it to fire stoves during the dry season.

PHOTOS ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A large jiko, which would be used in a big building such as a school or hospital, next to two smaller jikos; the existing kiln; the existing kiln when it floods; construction of the new kiln