Impact/Purpose:

Columbia University Engineers Without Borders (CU-EWB) is working with Pilgrim, an established, indigenous Ugandan NGO, to implement a pilot multifunction platform (MFP) in the established farming cooperative network that Pilgrim supports in Soroti, Uganda. Soroti has experienced incredible hardship over the last 20 years from occupation by rebel groups, constant cattle rustling, and flooding. All three hardships have left Soroti desperately poor. Hence, the MFPs are needed to provide an important mechanization for agricultural processing, electricity generation, and domestic or irrigation water supply systems which will improve income generation and reduce the amount of repetitive manual labor in critical populations such as women and children.

Description:

• Multi-sector Baseline Survey:  A five-sector survey (agriculture, energy, water, health, and general - demographic & income) was carried out among more than 175 households across three northeast Ugandan districts where Pilgrim’s farming cooperatives reside. The results of this multi-sector survey have been documented in an extensive 50+ page report produced by CU EWB. These results provide a deeper understanding of the livelihoods of these Ugandan farmers, shaping our efforts and how we tailor the MFP program. Additionally, data from the survey when combined with data from a follow-up survey will provide a useful mechanism for comparison, helping to quantify the impact of the program.
• Engine Modification Kit “COVII”:  A robust, field appropriate engine modification kit (named the “COVII”) for the MFPs has been designed and tested in Columbia’s laboratory. Careful testing has shown the kit to allow for safe engine operation on plant oils, while also improving engine emissions (CO, HC, NO, NO₂, and smoke opacity) at low and medium engine loads.
•  MFP Pilot Sites:  Two pilot sites have been established within Pilgrim’s farming cooperative network. A key finding in establishing these pilot sites was to set up appropriate sourcing channels, so that further MFP installations would utilize appropriate vendors. Engine sellers as well as a host of agro-processing equipment manufacturers were identified and interviewed, finally arriving at a preferred list of vendors. Additionally, workshops were held within the farming cooperatives to prepare farmers for the installation of the MFPs. (As of the submission date of this report, the two pilot sites had just received the assembled and tested MFPs, and as such no specific data with regard to their operation was yet available.) Education and capacity building was a core focus of these pilots. Workshops utilizing PRA (participatory rural appraisal) were carried out in each of the cooperatives prior to installation, to further farmer participation, mobilization, and education.
• Key Partnerships:  CU EWB strengthened its relationship with Pilgrim through closely collaborating on the completion of the Multi-sector Baseline Survey and MFP Pilot Sites. A new relationship with Makerere University was forged, specifically with its engineering school allowing a Makerere Mechanical Engineering senior to assist in the design, assembly, and testing of the MFP pilots as a part of his senior thesis work. Because momentum toward MFPs and jatropha already exists in West Africa, a close partnership was developed with a Mali company—Mali Biocarburant, a biodiesel company that works with the UNDP in West Africa with regard to MFPs, farming cooperatives, and jatropha. To further expand the farmer mobilization and jatropha growth EWB met with and began to collaborate with a Ugandan biodiesel and farming education company – EGOF. Tto help offset the risk borne by farmers when beginning to grow and sell jatropha oil, a key collaboration was made with EarthWise Ventures, a transportation company that wishes to buy excess jatropha oil from Pilgrim’s farming cooperatives. Pilgrim also is in the process of signing an MOU with the British Council and Makerere to further expand MFP efforts, jatropha production, and irrigation. This partnership will significantly expand the reach of the program, synergistically leveraging EPA P3 work.

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In close partnership with Pilgrim’s local staff, CU-EWB will carry out a detailed pre-instalation assessment followed by the actual instalation and monitoring/followup. Specifically, each MFP will be fueled on jatropha straight vegetable oil, widely available in the region, preheated to lower the viscosity to a suitable level for the diesel engine. The use of jatropha straight vegetable oil will save money because it can be obtained for a fraction of the cost of current diesel prices. Jatropha has gained much popularity recently as a biodiesel feedstock, but the body of research is still limited in regards to its engine performance properties and long term use as a mechanism for sustainable development.

In close partnership with Pilgrim’s local staff, CU-EWB will carry out a detailed pre-instalation assessment followed by the actual instalation and monitoring/followup. Specifically, each MFP will be fueled on jatropha straight vegetable oil, widely available in the region, preheated to lower the viscosity to a suitable level for the diesel engine. The use of jatropha straight vegetable oil will save money because it can be obtained for a fraction of the cost of current diesel prices. Jatropha has gained much popularity recently as a biodiesel feedstock, but the body of research is still limited in regards to its engine performance properties and long term use as a mechanism for sustainable development.

In close partnership with Pilgrim’s local staff, CU-EWB will carry out a detailed pre-instalation assessment followed by the actual instalation and monitoring/followup. Specifically, each MFP will be fueled on jatropha straight vegetable oil, widely available in the region, preheated to lower the viscosity to a suitable level for the diesel engine. The use of jatropha straight vegetable oil will save money because it can be obtained for a fraction of the cost of current diesel prices. Jatropha has gained much popularity recently as a biodiesel feedstock, but the body of research is still limited in regards to its engine performance properties and long term use as a mechanism for sustainable development.

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