Project Organisation

The project team consists of three female students, Sophie Holierhoek, Carlijn Beerepoot and Suzanne van Beek. We have chosen the minor because of the meaningful experience abroad it can give us and from our interest in technology and development. Carlijn follows and education in Architecture, and Sophie and Suzanne both follow one in Industrial Design Engineering. Both studies contribute to the goal of this project because of  the focus on design and its user. Throughout the project, we divide the work proportionally without fixed tasks. In this way everyone is equally involved in the various aspects of the project.

The Fortune Cooker Project holds several stakeholders in both the Netherlands and Morocco. They help us to assemble resources - both physical and immaterial - for example funding, knowledge and network. We aim to have equal expectations with every partner, which is for almost all these partners the case.

Engineers Without Borders

Our main partner is Engineers Without Borders, a renowned non-governmental organisation that has bases in several countries around the world. EWB was the initiator of the continuation of this project. It is an important partner for us because the weight of its name can give benefits when pitching our project to potential new partners and its communication channels can be used for awareness creation. We create value for EWB because our projects fits in their mission, which is ‘to partner with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through education and implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while promoting global experience for engineers, engineering students, and similarly motivated non-engineers’ (‘Who We Are’, 2015)

Jan Kluiver is a member of EWB and he plays a major role in the project. He provided a contact person in Morocco, taught us about the technical aspects of the product and built the first prototypes as the inventor of the current design of the Fortune Cooker. The project in Morocco benefits him because of the research we will conduct to develop the product. Jan has the aim to eventually have a finished end product that can be successfully implemented. We can contribute to his aim with our TU Delft taught experience in user centred design, product development, and marketing.

TU Delft, Minor International Entrepreneurship & Development

The project originated through a collaboration between Jan Kluiver and the minor program International Entrepreneurship & Development. The Minor IED prepared us for the experience abroad by for example making a Business Model and a course on sustainable development and culture. Also, we can make use of a free travel insurance provided by the TU Delft.

Iva Peša is our mentor during the project. She has graduated in history and she carries out research on frugal innovations in Africa with a focus on technology, innovation, local development and entrepreneurship (African Studies Centre Leiden, n.d.). Her experience mostly lies in projects in Zambia, one of which concentrated on the distribution of wood pellets. Such knowledge helps us assess the Fortune Cooker project.

Students4Sustainability

Students4Sustainibilty is a Dutch student’s foundation for sustainability around the world. S4S is our main investor. They donate money to buy materials and tools for prototypes. In return,we try to make a successful contribution towards a more sustainable world. This corresponds with their mission, which is to contribute to the increase of prosperity in developing countries.

Dutch Orientals

Dutch Orientals is a newfound organisation that aims to connect Dutch Moroccans to their home region: l’Oriental. Farida is the founder of Dutch Orientals and she helps us acquire several of our key resources, such as transport, accommodation, interpreters and contact with locals. The latter includes possible test groups, possible new partners or suppliers of materials. The Dutch Orientals help us because they find it important that health and deforestation issues in l’Oriental are addressed, which is something we can ensure for them. The project also contributes to forming a good reputation for them in Morocco.

Association Homme & Environment

We were brought in contact with the Association Homme & Environment by the Dutch Orientals. AH&E can bring us in contact with several test groups and can sometimes provide transport. We are important to them because we support the same cause: to address environmental and health issues in Morocco.

Université Mohammed I (University of Oujda)

We were brought in contact with the local university by the Dutch Orientals. The university can provide us with interpreters, knowledge-exchange on solar energy and more scientific information on Moroccan culture, economy and governmental systems.

Sources:

African Studies Centre Leiden. (n.d.) Iva Peša. Retrieved at 28 October 2015 from http://www.ascleiden.nl/organization/people/iva-pesa