I first started this blog to chronicle my life and journey serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama. In November of 2011, I wrote the epic conclusion of my Peace Corps story as we finished our aqueduct and latrine project in the village I call Maje. This provided faithful followers some much needed closure. However, as Hollywood has taught us, every good story has to have a sequel...
In a few days I'll be leaving to India to work for 10 months. This time, I'll be working with Design Impact, a non-profit organization that partners professional designers with community organizations to design and implement life-improving solutions. That's a general overview of their mission paraphrased from their website.
Design Impact
Specifically I will be working in Pune with ARTI (Appropriate Rural Technology Institute) on a project redesigning the "Sarai Cooking System," a small charcoal burning stove. Fellow Jed Farlow has been doing extensive research and testing and has laid the groundwork to develop an innovative product. I'll be taking over where he's leaving off as a design/engineering consultant for the next phase of the project, building prototypes, picking a final direction for production and possibly following through and developing a marketing/distribution strategy to dramatically improve sales. For those of you who want more information about the process, Jed's final report can be found here.
I'm very grateful for the opportunity to work on a product that has so much potential to improve the lives of those who use it, not to mention the great food I'll be eating, and rich culture I'll be experiencing. Needless to say I'm looking forward to my time in India, and will try to keep up with my blog as much as I can. The transition from jungle-to crowded Indian city will be interesting to say the least, so I look forward to sharing the journey with my faithful blog followers.
No comments:
Post a Comment