AIDFI with its ram pump program, has been selected as one of the 12 finalists in the BBC World Challenge 2010.
The finalists of the World Challenge will be profiled on BBC World News in six 30 minute programmes and included in six feature pieces in Newsweek magazine.
You can vote for the ram pump project of AIDFI on www.theworldchallenge.co.uk
Voting will open on the 27th of September 2010 and will close at midnight (GMT) on the 12th of Novermber 2010.
Make AIDFI a winner and help us spread the ram pump over the world.
History of AID Foundation
From a group of five working in a rented small bodega (warehouse) equipped with few tools and facilities in 1992, AIDFI has become an institution, or some say, an icon in development work in Negros, in the Philippines, and internationally.
In 1997, AIDFI made a renewed push in its work by focusing this time on the designing, fabrication, installation and development of appropriate technologies in support of sustainable and organic agriculture initiatives.
Beginning 2003 and 2004, AIDFI responded to new set of needs, that of designing and fabricating a distiller for the lemon grass producers in some communities, putting up of systems like biogas, micro hydro power and windmill to produce electricity in areas un-reached by big commercial power corporations.
As of July 2010 ram pumps have been installed in 170 upland villages, benefiting around 50,000 people.
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Technology Transfer Offer
It is the opinion of AIDFI that it doesn’t make any sense to have several ram pump manufacturers in one country. The fabrication can best be done in a centralised place which is fully equipped with the necessary machines and tools to make good quality ram pumps. Others interested in this amazing technology better go into installing ram pump systems. As proven by AID Foundation in the Philippines, this can be done in a self sustaining way.
For this reason AIDFI doesn’t offer technology transfer to other groups in the Philippines but rather encourage them to become installers. AIDFI is willing to train and guide such installers.
For other countries AIDFI is very much willing to share its well developed technology. Transferring the manufacturing is suggested in different steps:
- Visit to the country to look at capacity in terms of skills and machines, looking at locally available materials, surveying some possible sites for piloting.
- Setting up of 2-3 pilot sites in the country
- Training of around 45 days of technicians/entrepreneurs from the target country in the Philippines in all aspects: theory of ram, surveying, designing system (outputs, components, costing), pattern making, actual manufacturing of pumps and pre fab material for installations, actual installation, testing and tuning of pumps.
A license will be provided for the trained technicians/entrepreneurs.
At this moment AIDFI has the following ongoing activities on technology transfer:
- Complete transfer done to the Kargar Company in Afghanistan. AIDFI installed three pilot sites and a 45 days training was held in the Philippines. The Kargar groups is now active in manufacturing and installations
- A group in Cambodia under the supervision of Leak Sorn is installing ram pumps. Together with AIDFI they worked on three ram pump sites for drinking and irrigation. They prefer to remain an installation team for the meantime.
- In Nepal a program has been crafted by CRT/Nepal for the (re)introduction of ram pumps, this time the AIDFI ram model with Nepal door hinges. Three ram pumps are being send to Nepal for installation under a USAID program. The real technology transfer will take place with sponsoring from the KORU Foundation and includes pilot sites and training of Nepalese engineers in the Philippines.
- Another transfer is planned to Aprotec in Colombia. A visit was done by AIDFI to the group of Mauricio Gnecco. They looked at the capacity, materials and did a first survey for a pilot site.
There is an ongoing campaign to make this project happen (see project site)