The goal of the internship is the diffusion of knowledge on biogas and its benefits in rural Kenya. Our mission is to support the formation of a self-sufficient knowledge diffusion network that can assist the development of biogas installations for local farmers and households theoretically, practically and financially. The aim is for Loreto Convent High School to have a key role in the process of spreading knowledge and connecting people and organisations. Therefor a prototype biogas system is to be built at the schools premises.
To achieve our goals we have composed the following research questions.
- Who are the organizations and the people to be part of such a knowledge diffusion network? How can we reach these people and how do we engage them? How to share the available knowledge? What do biogas companies currently offer and how can we make use of that? Are there micro credit loans available?
- How do we embed a key role position in a knowledge diffusion network for Loreto Convent? Can the subject biogas be included in the education program? Can the students be the ambassadors of biogas and its benefits? Can a prototype biogas system demonstrate the benefits of biogas? How can the prototype be embedded in a strategic program for the knowledge diffusion of biogas in the network?
- What size of biogas installation can be built at Loreto Convent? Who can construct this and how much will this cost? How can this be financed? How does such an installation need to be maintained and should there be one or more people responsible for this? How much gas can be produced and to which extent can firewood be replaced? What will be the payback period of the investment?
The learning goal of the project is to apply our newly gained knowledge on International Development & Entrepreneurship to the project Biogas & Income. We will learn how to set up a business plan, how to cooperate with different cultures and how to implement a sustainable solution in a developing country. We will learn how to adapt to and interact with other traditions, standards and values of another country.
There will be activities before and during the internship in Kenya. From Delft we will do extensive desk research. This will include research on the technology of biogas and the currently available providers of biogas systems. We will prepare questionnaires and/or interviews for local farmers. Once in Kenya we will start the development of the biogas system prototype and the knowledge diffusion network. We will support the beginning of the construction and supervise if needed. Meanwhile we will go out to spread the news on the project and interview the local farmers. We are also thinking of giving workshops and demonstrations at Loreto Convent. We hope for the completion of the prototype around the beginning of January 2016. The interaction with farmers, students, the school’s staff, organizations and other people involved will be on going during our stay.
To be able to monitor the progress of our internship, we have described some milestones.
Our first milestone will be the completion of the detailed plans how to set up the sustainable network and how to realize the biogas installation at Loreto Convent. Once in Kenya the finalization of the biogas installation at the school will be a huge milestone. Ideally this would be realized in the first trimester of the internship. Smaller milestones will be the interviews with the farmers and the workshops for them. We would like to interview around 10 different farmers and organize one or two workshops, perhaps one in the second and one in the third month of the internship. The development and completion of the knowledge diffusion network will be another milestone. Eventually, the last milestone will be, when we are back in The Netherlands, the finalization of the first biogas installation as a result of the self-sufficient network.
This internship will result in various deliverables. We have listed them below.
- A detailed report, to be delivered to our supervisors.
- A prototype biogas installation at Loreto Convent. This will help the school cut cost of firewood but also create a key role in the diffusion of knowledge on biogas.
- Workshops and maybe a guide on how to give these workshops, this is for Loreto Convent so they can easily demonstrate the benefits of biogas.
- A detailed guide with contact information of all parties involved in the network. This is also for the school so anyone has easy access to providers and a financial plan.
- Also we will come up with recommendations for further knowledge diffusion. A strategic plan on how this can be done by Loreto Convent, will also be one of our deliverables.