Today was an exciting day for me. After spending one and a half weeks getting to know the other people in the class, I was able to share a little more about what I have been working on since I moved to Bangalore 10 weeks ago.
Our trip today was to a Women's Technology Park run by the NGO I work with, Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE).
The Women's Technology Park is a location where TIDE can display appropriate technology, train local women on how to use it, and give these women the opportunity to earn an income.
The various technologies at the park include a rainwater harvesting system, a low-smoke stove, machinery to make eco-friendly plates and bowls from local palm leaves, and a system to mass produce and fire mud bricks.
The one I was most excited to talk about, however, was the technology used for my current project: a 100kg capacity food dryer that runs on biomass, such as wood or agricultural waste.
It was fun being able to talk about how we will be opening several food drying centers around the state in the next few months that will dry onions, garlic, and other vegetables and send it here, where it will be packaged and sold to wholesalers or retailers.
TIDE is a non-profit and the main goal of the project is women's enterprise development, so all the profits will go to the local women who run the center.
I'm glad to have had the opportunity to share what I'm working on with my colleagues and I hope they enjoyed it!
