Something Beautiful

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So, you want to know more about what I got upto in Haiti? Let's go to school.....

What do you get with 2 plastic tanks, bits of plastic pipe, water, an old stove, a box of tools and cow dung? Something beautiful. This is how you can feed the masses with piping hot food powered by that funky stuff.....

Start with as much cowfunk as possible. The more the smellier.......I mean, the better:

Start pouring the gunky stuff into a big mixing barrel in order to mix with an equal share of water:

Mixing implement of choice, a shovel:

You don't beleive me?! See how it's done:

Gentle (you don't want a funky splashback, now do you?) but firm stirring:

To get the texture right. The dung-water mixture activates the methane producing bacteria:

When satisfied with the consistency of the mix, pour it into a water tank cut-out (no, don't try this at home with papier mâché)....and the half water jug at the end is for topping up in the coming weeks: 

Fill her up.....

Until it's about a third full......

The magic has just begun, the good bacteria (the good guys) is happily producing methane and starting to kill the pathogenic bacteria (the bad guys) - the resulting effluent is good as a fertiliser:

Hope you can wait a bit longer until dinner. Now, cover it up with a smaller water tank cut-out to keep the methane in as it is formed and to contain large amounts of it:

The entrepreneurs that AIDG is training, Roger (on the left) and Raphael (middle). Isnido, AIDG handyman extraordinaire (on the right):

Fitting in the gas outlet pipe and valve (to be able to get some of that gas out when needed):

Now time to make it work. Moving on to another site, the Domus Seminary, where a different biodigester has been producing for a while. Setting up the flexible hose. From left to right, Isnido, Roudelin (AIDG Manager at Cap Haïtien) and Steve (AIDG Director of Operations):

Fitted but not quite ready yet...

It needs to be suspended above ground so that the goats, chickens and dogs wondering around don't bleat/peck/bark up the wrong "tree":

A lil bit of impro to capture water to prevent gas blockage...

Now, for the business end. We need to find a route for the pipe into the kitchen. Isnido is on the case.....

Whoops.....

Now we need to get it in here.....

PVC tape, to keep it air tight.......

Plug it in!

Good to go!

And now.....

Turn the tap.....

Light it up!

Mo' fire! A bright red flame means that the gas is rich, and that the LPG stove is well modified for this baby.....

Soeur Delima was ecstatic (nope, I exaggerate.....I just didn't focus the camera well). But she was really excited by the prospects of replacing expensive charcoal.

The gas level lowers slowly in the tank (not as dramatic as you think):

And continues as the flame burns on the other side....

Now for the best part, cooking!!!

It will still take a while to fully replace the belching charcoal stove...

Up till my departure from Haiti I helped out in planning, monitoring, and maintenance of these biodigester pilot projects.

K.