Finally! More Photos from Chad
The charcoal production site:
The charcoal production team:
Here is the sack of manioc (also known as cassava or yuca). The chunks in the picture are first pulverized into a flour and then flour is stirred into a big pot of boiling water until the mixture becomes a sticky paste.
The manioc paste is then mixed with carbonized agricultural material. This material was left out in the rain and the team was trying to dry it out.
Pouring the prepared binder mix for another batch of briquettes:
The carbonized material is mixed with the binder and then pressed into these molds. The team can produce about 1300 briquettes in a 7.5 hr workday.
Drying the briquettes on a tarp. The thin plastic tarps costs about $50 each in Chad.
Quick! Move the briquettes before the storm hits! Deluge occurred minutes later...
Taking measurements of wood charcoal to compare with our briquettes.
Eating food cooked with the eco-briquettes.
Within sight of our charcoal production, locals passed by riding bicycles with huge bags of charcoal strapped to the back. They smuggle charcoal into the city by dirt roads and paths to avoid the checkpoints on the main roads.
David talks business, management, and strategy with Aquilas, the Chadian National Coordinator. The daily long conversations were critical for building relationships and talking through the challenges together.
David and Ghislain logging onto the new laptop donated to ENVODEV by a great friend in Boston. Thanks Nate!
Studying the design of the rammed-earth mold. We discovered several errors in the instructions. Thankfully we were able to adapt.
Aquilas had previous experience ramming earth. He put us all to shame! My hands were covered in blisters after an hour of swapping turns packing the clay.
Some of the local kids thought I was Chinese. The only non-Africans they had ever seen were the Chinese oil workers.
The finished rammed earth stove! We finished this on the last day in Moundou. Grateful to have finished one before we left!
ENVODEV's full-time staff: Ghislain, Aquilas, and David.
Ghislain and I posing for a picture in Moundou. It was so great to get to be a part of the team!
