Internship list as offered by the section "Technology Dynamics
and Sustainable Development", minor "International
entrepreneurship and development"
05-07-2015
This list is maintained and updated from time to time by Otto Kroesen as internship
coordinator of the above-mentioned minor. Some internships are offered by the section
technology dynamics and sustainable development, other internships involve other partners.
Usually the final internship assignment is formulated in cooperation between the student (it
should be interesting enough), the NGO or company involved (which should receive a
concrete and tangible deliverable) and the internship coordinator (watching over the learning
goals of the minor concerned). Most of the internship assignments mentioned are a sort of
half products, to be finalized in such cooperation.
Contact information and addresses are not mentioned in this list. If you have interest in some
of the internship opportunities mentioned, please take up contact with Otto Kroesen. He will
either give you more information or introduce you to websites and partners involved, either at
this university or directly towards overseas partners.
Mostly the internships require a time investment of at least three months.
Internships at NGO's and in general in developing countries do not pay. On the other hand
living in those countries is not very costly. The university fund mostly supports the students
and sometimes the faculties, from which the students come, also have special funds. Living
costs, shelter and food and traveling in developing countries in general should be possible for
an amount of money of at maximum € 300 per month. This is to be negotiated with the
receiving partner.
The date of the start of the internship is also negotiable with the NGO, which hosts the
students. In general the earlier a student starts the negotiation process, the more the NGO can
adapt the time window of the internship to his or her wishes.
In general an internship requires three months of preparation before the actual start: a concrete
assignment has to be worked out, tickets, visa, money arrangements etc. - it takes time. So
please start early!
If this list can be supplemented by new internship opportunities, please send them with
relevant information to Otto Kroesen.
The internship list especially but not exclusively focuses on internships within the framework
of the minor. These are internships with partners with whom there is an established
partnership relation. In cooperation with these partners more research is conducted so that the
internship is embedded in a series of follow-up assignments. Often these internships are also
better facilitated.
j.o.kroesen@tudelft.nl
Telephone: 85262 or 83474
Mobile: 06.53796968
Africa
1. Small wind turbines in Kenya
Core subject: In rural Kenya, local production of small wind turbines (based on the Hugh
Piggott design) by local craftsman. Three specific possible internship subjects:
1. A research on the business opportunities for a small business that gets access to a
small wind turbine in rural Kenya. What is needed for a local entrepreneur to make
profit with the turbine? Does the entrepreneur need a technical or business training, or
maybe a loan? Examples of small businesses could be: a barber, electricity shop,
sewer or carpenter.
2. A market research in Kenya on the cheapest, best and/or most suited materials for
local production of small wind turbines in rural Kenya. Examples of materials:
Magnets, steel, copper, inverter, charge controller and polyester. Cooperation can be
found with local producers.
3. A research can be done on a local entrepreneur who wants to be a small wind turbine
producer. What is needed for the entrepreneur for becoming this: a technical and
business training? Is there a need for a loan?
In all three assignments the cultural specifics of the Kenyan situation needs to be taken
thoroughly into account.
2. Building with Styrofoam among the Maasai
In Kenya, and especially around Nairobi area there exists an increasing demand for modern houses. At
the same time there is a very high level of unemployment in the same region. At a distance of about
120 km from Nairobi, in a place called Oltepesi--after the name of a widely spread type of tree in
Eastern Africa: senegalia abysinica--in Maasai land, the Catholic Diocese of Ngong is establishing a
cultural institute of learning, training and documentation. Students from Africa and abroad can follow
there courses on African languages and cultures. The institute is in dyre need of accommodation for
lodging about 25 students. The aim is to build with new materials, e.g., EPS (styrofoam), with which
has been experimented in other places as well (Paramaribo, Suriname), and investigate the possibilities
of building elsewhere in Kenya. The assignment entails the design of buildings, within the framework
of a comprehensive project plan. In addition the students should explore possibilities for local
fabrication of the Styrofoam and the use of this kind of material on a larger scale in Kenya. The
internship aims at students from architecture.
3. Check dams for irrigation in Kenya
In the neighborhood of Kitui Campus at Kenyatta University in Nairobi a pilot project is
envisaged for rainwater retention by means of check dams in order to raise the groundwater
level and for irrigation. The pilot project is meant to be emulated by local farmers in the
neighborhood of this semi-arid area. The students, preferably from civil engineering, should
work on it together with students from Kenyatta University, farmers in the neighborhood and
other relevant institutions and the pilot project itself should become part of a larger program
to be worked out by relevant stakeholders.
4. Biogas in Kenya
At Tangaza College students are involved in creating a small business of biogas installations.
In cooperation with the students the interns from Delft work on making a business plan and
also study the feasibility of compresses and tanks for the distribution of biogas. Working on
an internet website is also part of the job. The goal is to spread the use of biogas for the sake
of health and the environment. For cooking now wood or charcoal is used, which is both user
and environmentally unfriendly.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, preferably with knowledge about biogas and
management or industrial design.
5. Community House among the Pokot in Kenya
The Pokot are a pastoral nomadic tribe living in the western part of Kenya in the
neighborhood of Uganda. They live in harsh conditions, taking care of their cattle with very
little water available. Slowly the life of the tribe is giving in to modern ways of life. Their
children go to school and church and development organizations are making it possible to
create new sources of income generation. The assignment consists of the design of a small
and efficient community house for meetings, making contacts, courses etc. Building with new
materials adapted to the local circumstances is desirable.
6. Biodiesel production and waste use in Kenya
Kenya Eco Energy is the first commercial producer of biodiesel in Kenya. Their processes are
profitable, but improvement of productivity is necessary. Besides this, research has been done
to use their biomass waste to power water pumps. In the beginning of 2010, a conceptual
model was designed. This affordable water pump, which is produced locally and powered by
biomass, has to be further developed into a consumer product. It is possible to work on both
projects simultaneously. Both projects or the combination thereof involves research
(interviews) on customer's preferences and marketing opportunities besides the technical part
of the project. This is an assignment preferably for 2 students with knowledge of mechanical
engineering and management.
7. Solid waste in Kenya
The treatment of solid waste is a complicated issue. There are problems with transport,
recycling, pollution, and separation etc. By now a feasibility study has been carried out and
this needs a follow up to address other issues. One of the possible solutions is to use solid
waste to produce biogas. This in addition to a concrete business plan should be sorted out by
the next student group. The collection and recycling of solid waste can be better optimized in
a number of ways apart from that. An NGO in Kenya is partner in the research.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, preferably with knowledge about logistics,
mechanical engineering, management.
8. Solar systems in Kenya
A solar systems Company in Kenya installs and maintains small and medium-sized solar
systems. There is a growing market for such systems. This market should be further explored
by spreading information on the use of solar systems and identifying the needs in the market.
A pilot project is envisaged right now on the implementation of solar energy for schools.
What are their energy needs? How are they served at this moment? How should a project look
like and what support is necessary to expand the market and serve social needs at the same
time? This is an assignment preferably for 2 students with an electrical engineering or
management background.
9. Improving water and energy use for an orphanage, Kenya
In an orphanage in Kenya there is need to study a more efficient use of water for drinking,
cooking and laundry washing, as well as for energy use. Especially washing is a problem
since it is done completely by hand and even an old type wringer would mean an
improvement of the present situation. Results from this research may be applicable to other
orphanages too. The assignment entails optimization of the present use of resources
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, possibly from architecture, civil engineering
or electronics. Some knowledge about logistics would help.
10. Project ‘Water pumps’ in Kibwezi, Kenya.
AMREF Flying Doctors started this project in the late 80s. They installed some hand pumps
and thought the local habitants how to maintain them. At some point AMREF decided to
slowly withdraw from the project so that the habitants themselves would become responsible.
At this moment the project in Kibwezi is functioning completely independent. AMREF now
uses the project in Kibwezi as an example for other groups who are not yet functioning on
their own.
A group of volunteers, the ‘Divisional Wells Committee’ (DWC), is now mainly responsible
for the maintenance of the hand pumps. Since the start of the project, there are over 400
pumps installed which the DWC maintains in a reasonably structured way. The DWC has
been doing this job for over 25 years but they are as far as when they started. They lack a
certain amount of progress.
From November 2010 until January 2011 a group of students went to Kibwezi to give the
project a new boost. A lot of research about how the DWC handles their work at this moment
has been done. Together with the DWC, they designed a logistical system together with a
business plan to make their hand pump business more efficient, more profitable and more
sustainable. So a good start has been made.
The DWC has the intention and energy to start working on this new plan but they cannot do
this by themselves. New students are necessary to elaborate the plan and guide the DWC in
executing it. This entails a study/experiment on the sociocultural requirements for
implementing the plan (Is the new and efficient logistical way of cooperation a viable option
from the point of view of existing institutions and traditions? What institutions, learning
processes and implementation plan are required?). The students will have a lot of freedom
during the project and can determine how to further develop the project and research by
themselves.
11. Software development for Kenyan Sacco’s
Kenyan Sacco’s (cooperative banking institutions) have enabled affordable loan accessibility
for large parts of the population since their inception. These institutions are often built from
the ground up by people looking for financial security for themselves and their relatives. They
lack the level of administration that is desired in banking, which leads to unnecessary losses
and reduction of the positive socio-economic effects of Sacco services. Therefore the
Rainbow Savings and Welfare Programme (Sacco) is looking for interns to : 1.Get a good
understanding of what the Sacco is and its operations; 2 Study the present systems and
identify strengths and weaknesses; 4. develop software to address the weaknesses; 5.Induct
the staff on the use of the new system; 6. Formally ADOPT the new system as part of the
organization. The software should deal with issues like: calculating the total amount payable
in terms of interest and capital; capture loan arrears and defaults, charge penalties; capture
amounts given out as guarantees; generate periodical reports etc.
12. Technology diffusion in Mekelle in Ethiopia
At the University of Mekelle several locally applicable technologies have been developed like
water evaporation options, a bread baking machine adapted to local usage, biogas. How can
these technologies be connected to people's needs and to the market? The assignment consists
in exploring these and other technologies and market and business opportunities evolving out
of them by networking between NGOs and University.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, preferably from industrial design and/or
management.
13. Windmill technology in Ethiopia
In cooperation with the University of Mekelle the need for energy is to be explored, causes of
lack of energy and possible solutions et cetera. Especially small scale windmill technology is
to be explored, if possible -- but not necessarily -- also by building a prototype. The students
assignment consists in mapping the causes of fulfilling the energy needs systematically in
order to suggest policy options and solutions.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, preferably from industrial design and/or
management.
14. A cooking stove in Mekelle in Ethiopia
Small biogas installations (household usage) have been introduced in Ethiopia in the
neighborhood of Mekelle as prototypes. The material costs have been paid by an NGO and
the farmer and his family contributed the labor. They can produce gas, but are still not used,
because the cooking stove delivered together with the prototype is not suitable for the baking
of the typically Ethiopian pancakes, which the farmers use as their daily food. The farmers
are cooking in the old way now and the biogas installations are lying idle. What can be done?
The assignment is about the design of a suitable cooking stove connected to the biogas
installation and at the same time exploring causes and solutions for the energy needs in terms
of biogas.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, preferably from industrial design and/or
management.
15. The Kadangas Company in Durban
In 2009 students of the TU-Delft together with KidsRights developed a concept to produce
flip flops (Plakkies) near a township in South Africa, employing vulnerable and Aids-affected
workers and donating the profit to children projects in South Africa. The product was lauched
at Dam Square in Amsterdam, and it became a huge success and hype. The design of the
Plakkies was made by Jan Jansen and drawings on the footbed were created by orphan
children from the township.
Now the Plakkies go international and the new collection is called Kadangas (Ndebele for
step-forward). New models were created and even a kids-line was added. On May 7th the
Kadangas will be launched in a special way in Amsterdam. Also the Kadanga Song
will be launched a month later, sung by one of the (unknown) girls from the township. The
famous Dutch actress, hanna Verboom, will help Kadanga to get exposure. And there is more
to come.
The assignment is twofold. The official one is to develop and implement a logistics and QCsystem in the plant in Durban, in cooperation with Accenture, the Supply Chain consultants.
As we expect a big order from the US, that might cause the production to double their output.
The unoffical assignment already starts in May, i.e. to help bring Kadangas to the attention to
as many people as possible by means of a social media campaign, developed and
implemented by the students.
For both assignment the company has coaches and support.
16. A bridge in Mozambique
A group of civil engineering students has made a design for a 60-meters long bridge for
pedestrians, cyclists and handcarts over a tidal mangrove inlet. The nearby university and
village want the old and only bridge to be replaced, because it washed away during the rain
season. The bridge should be constructed by students and villagers themselves, using only
small equipment. In order to start the construction process, a complete building scheme needs
to be set up including purchase of materials and people/organisations/responsibilities
involved. The assignment for the students is to make a work plan, including building schedule
and costs for this bridge and in addition conduct research on the applicability of this type of
bridge on a larger scale, possibly including a business plan. This is an assignment preferably
for 2 students with a civil engineering or management background.
17. Tanzania - Assessing the effectiveness and impact of the Siphon water filter
among local rural households
Connect International has been piloting the household Siphon water filter for three years in
rural areas in Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique. International attention is growing for this
very low-cost filter (7 to 8 Euro for the end client) which has explicitly been developed for the
Bottom of the Pyramid (it is a Dutch invention!), and that removes bacteria with a log 4 to 5
efficiency (extensive lab tests are available). However, more evidence is required about its
effectiveness (how do people use it, does it effectively remove bacteria after several months
of use still, do people use the filter consequently and for every member in the family?) and
impact (to what extent does diarrhea decrease?) in real life to proof the level of success of the
filter in reality and get the recognition from international agencies that need to have further
proof, among others to decide whether or not to use the filter in emergencies (in the Haiti
crisis the filter has only be used at a small scale because organizations were afraid to use it
large scale as long as full real life proof has not been delivered, despite the fact that the filter
could have plaid a significant role during this crisis in solving the water problems). Also the
way in which people use the filter and their level of motivation to buy a new filter afterwards
will need to be investigated. Foundation Connect International has a survey method for the
research which needs to be adapted to fit the requirements of the assessment and be completed
with qualitative research in the field. We hope to send two students to our partner
organization SHIPO based in the district town Njombe, Tanzania for this purpose. They will
be properly accommodated and be intensively guided and facilitated during the assessment
and report writing.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, from civil engineering and industrial design.
18. Windmill technology for desalinization of drinking water in Somaliland
By means of windmills and reversed osmosis clean drinking water is produced which is
transported and sold by an independent business. After the first pilot project there is a lot of
work to do: optimization of the technology to make it more efficient, redesigning the product
in order to make it more suitable for manufacture and cheaper, raising income from
investments, subsidies, sponsorship. The present assignment primarily entails participating in
the design of the mill and exploring marketing opportunities.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, from mechanical engineering, industrial
design and/or management.
19. Computers for Uganda
Atelco is a company stocking, repairing and shipping computers from the Netherlands to
Uganda, where they are sold or leased. Non repairable computers are recycled and the good
parts exported. There are two assignments:
A) The company needs a reliable management system to keep track of the shipped streams of
computers or computer parts, in order to meet the strict regulations of the European Union
regarding waste disposal. The assignment is suitable for students of industrial engineering,
Industrial Ecology, or electronics with an interest in management.
B) Atelco would like to extend its activities to the reuse of (repaired) medical equipment in
Africa. Here the same regulations need to be met. Healthcare in Africa is something different
from healthcare in Western Europe, which makes that the success of this enterprise is not
guaranteed. Research is necessary to find a suitable match between offer and demand of
medical equipment, conditions for import and export, the needs of hospitals in Africa,
possibilities of repair and maintenance in Africa, all of this whilst keeping an eye on the
cultural and institutional setting of the use of medical equipment in Africa. This internship
should result in a feasibility plan. The assignment is suitable for students from TPM.
20. Management strategy Trashy Bags Ghana
Trashy Bags provides an income to about 65 employees. The management consists of a team
of five persons who are responsible for recruitment, job descriptions, workflow, cooperation,
efficiency etc. The factory is to be managed in a way which is suitable to Ghanaian culture, in
which people can flourish, which meets the production requirements and in which internal
communication is effective, and learning processes are installed and skills and attitudes
trained. The assignment entails a learning and communication processes in order to find the
most suitable way of cooperation and management as to make a leap forward in management
quality.
21. Advertisement and marketing Trashy Bags Ghana
Trashy Bags recycles plastic originating from the streets in Accra, Ghana. All sorts and types
of bags are sold the world over. The amount sold however is not enough yet to make the
factory self supporting. The assignment entails to investigate opportunities on local and
intercontinental markets and suggests suitable marketing strategies and help to introduce
them. Special emphasis is required to be placed on developing a strategy for growth in on-line
sales and marketing. The company believes that future viability will rely more heavily on
consumer sales rather than supplies through wholesalers and retailers.
22. Microcredit schemes for women in Asustuare, Ghana
The Asutsuare Women Development society is a society of more than 50 members. It has
received support in poultry farming from Oxfam Novib. The first phase of the poultry project
started in 2005, with ten women beneficiaries, the second phase in 2006, with 32 women and
in 2008-2010, the society expanded to include 310 women at a different location. The
assignment entails the design and implementation of a micro-finance system for the activities
of the women.
The Asutsuare society has been operating since 2005 and the local partners of the
Asutsuare women Development society is the Ghana Poultry Network, that provides technical
backstopping to the women, the Dangme Rural bank, that provides loans to the women, and
the Dangme West District Assembly, that has the political oversight of the Asutsuare.
Additionally, the Society works with the District Directorate of the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture
The main economic activities of the Asustuare Women Development Society are
vegetable farming, poultry keeping, petty trading and fishing.
Asutsuare is located about 2 hours drive from Accra, the national capital. The students
could stay in Asustuare or in Accra or nearby towns of Asutsuare.
23. Distribution of innovative products in Africa, Ghana
Goodget.org is an organization, which noticed that distribution of sustainable, innovative and
cost-effective products is often limited in Africa. Although there is a huge latent demand for
such products, since individual producers do not succeed in letting the world know about their
products. That is why Goodget is starting up an online interactive distribution platform for
sustainable, cost-effective and innovative products: not gadgets, but goodgets! Goodget.org is
a multi-sided platform that wants to bring produc use them best s in contact with
entrepreneurs from developing countries who want to start a business in these products with
the help of microcredits and other price advantages. The aim is to make marketing of
goodgets in developing countries a joint effort; this way individual goodgets can reach a much
bigger market. As sales increase, production prices can drop, and more people can buy
goodgets which can improve their wellbeing and living environment. Goodget is looking for
interns who are interested in market research for sustainable, innovative products in Ghana,
and interns that are interested in product research (selecting and testing goodgets, contacting
producers worldwide etc.).
24. Mobile factory for cassava flour in Congo
Start-up company Incentivators Congo i) offers technical services to farmers, such as soil
tillage, helping them to make the transition to sustainable, market-oriented production, and ii)
it purchases and transforms fresh cassava into two types of cassava flour in order to deliver it
to customers in the capital of Kinshasa.
It seems that mobile factories are the processing solution for efficient cassava production
systems that incorporate small farmers. Mobile factories considerably reduce the cost of farmfactory transport and therefore bring relatively far-away plantations within reach, increasing
the action radius of the company. However, designing a mobile operation against reasonable
production and operating costs is proving a challenge.
In collaboration with Rumpstad B, a Dutch manufacturer, Incentivators is customising
machines for its factory and future mobile operation in Congo. In order to further improve
both systems on site, students with a background in industrial design/engineering are required
in dedicating their internship or thesis to this project. Technical skills, particularly in
mechanics and welding, and basic fluency in French, are assets . The specific assignment will
be adapted to the profile of the students.
The factory in Mukila, Congo (DR)
Bangladesh
25. Deep tube well and targeted tube well
In general the rural people only accept the deep tube well and the targeted tube well as a
solution for arsenic contamination of drinking water. How sustainable are those solutions in
the long run? And what institutional changes on the village level do they bring about or
require? The answer to these questions implies both technical and social research. The
students can participate in ongoing projects and research best practices contribute to the most
sustainable approach in social respect also. Community management is necessary to prevent
the possible effect of these technologies, i.e. that only the rich can afford these more
expensive tube wells. The students assignment entails following ongoing projects in several
villages, monitoring and describing them in relation to literature study on peoples
participation.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, preferably from civil engineering, architecture
or management.
26. Testing and optimizing diapers in Bangladesh
Students from Eindhoven and Delft designed the "Däyapara", a biodegradable diaper for
mentally disabled grown-up children in Bangladesh. The design is at the stage of testing and
optimizing of the design and materials. In addition a feasibility study needs to be conducted
and/or a business plan as to the possibilities of production of such a diaper on a larger scale,
possibly also for an international market. The internship assignment is co-supervised by the
Delft foundation Niketan, which supports several institutions for care for mentally disabled
children in Bangladesh both financially and with its expertise in the area of child care.
27. Salinazation of the coastal area in Bangladesh
Climate change doesn't leave Bangladesh unaffected. One of the most pressing problems at
the moment is the increasing salinazation of drinking water in the coastal area. People have to
walk long distances in order to fetch non-salty drinking water and in many cases it is just not
available. The assignment entails to study the causes of the problem, map the range of
possible solutions and evaluate the feasibility of each one of them.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students, preferably from civil engineering and/or
management
India
28. Implementing a solar grid on the village level in Patna, India
Students from Delft University of Technology have designed a solar system for the village
Kedalpur in the neighborhood of Patna with the support of staff from AN College Patna and
staff from IEEE, the Institute of Environment and Eco-Development. An application for
financial support from the government is underway. The next step is the refinement and
implementation of the design together with the local villagers in order to provide the separate
households with electricity and put into place participatory and financial schemes which are
fitting to the local culture, manageable and affordable. Also part of the assignment is the
further investigation into the feasibility of including the production of clean drinking water by
means of a solar power driven reverse osmosis filter.
29. Lighting Dark Life in Rural India
Millions of people in India live in the rural part of the country without access to electricity
and modern energy. The Indian government supports electrification of villages in the state
Rajastan on the basis of solar energy. The proposed project aims at studying the demand of
electricity in each village at the design of the hardware and management system in
combination. The students have full opportunities to explore different options for single
households as well as whole communities and finding the most suitable system fitting into the
sociocultural system of villages in India. Students can in this project cooperate with Indian
research institutes and with new startup companies in India.
30. Energy Efficiency in City lighting in India
This project aims at finding suitable options for street lighting with LED lights in Cities in
India in the state of Gujarat. The research question: How to incorporate renewable energy
options for creating less carbon intensive lighting system in cities and to the present system
taking into account the social and institutional environment? Experiences from one section of
the city may possibly be upscaled. Students can this project cooperate with Indian research
institutes and with new startup companies in India.
Surinam
31. SOIL Masonkondre, Surinam
SOIL stands for Surinaamse Ontwikkeling van Industriële Landbouw in Masonkondre and
consists of a program of four years in order to industrialize agricultural production and
generate income for the local population. Interns play different roles and perform different
tasks: designing the building, the solar system, the tropical green house, devising marketing
strategies for products like juice and cassava meal, contribute to education and courses for
local farmers, write business plans. A model farm will serve as a center of expertise taking the
lead in new forms of agricultural production. The aim is not only to enlarge production, but
also to make it attractive to lead a village life and to stop the movement to the cities. That also
entails making village life not only productive but also attractive, with good provisions of
clean water, food and electricity, access to modern media, education etc. In the starting phase
the design of the building, of solar energy, and tropical greenhouses is on the agenda. At the
same time farmers in the neighborhood need to be contacted, their preferences and needs
explored and the opportunities the project can give them explained, negotiated and their
comments should feed back into the project development.
32. Solar Energy in Surinam
At the moment diesel motors generate electricity in the villages of Surinam outside the reach
of the grid. The general assumption is that at the present stage of its development solar energy
could be cheaper, although it may take large investments in the first phase. It also takes a
system transition, which means that it can only be effective when it is introduced on a larger
scale. A feasibility study is to be conducted to explore how such an energy transition could
take place involving local stakeholders as well as the relevant government agencies and
companies. For practical purposes the study will be confined to the Marowijne area, with a
focus on those villages which cannot be reached by the grid.
33. Moengo Business Center
A first exploration for creating more business opportunities and income generation in Moengo
is finished. A next task is to focus on particular promising business opportunities and complex
unspecified feasibility studies on particular products such as bread baking, fishery, income
generation by means of tropical greenhouses, and more. Such a study should not only focus
on the local market, but also research the possibilities of competing on the international
market, in the first place French Guyana. Such explorations need inputs from the local
population, because they often know the practical opportunities and obstacles for making
things work. But it can also not do without some good ideas and insight in general business
strategies.
34. Biogas in Moengo
In the neighborhood of Moengo the old mine is being used as a dumping station for waste.
This is quite detrimental for the environment and therefore not sustainable, whereas the waste
could be used to produce energy as well. The student following up this internship assignment
is supposed to conduct a feasibility study and an actor analysis in order to reach a support
base for the installation of a biogas station. Such a feasibility study can become the base of a
change in policy of the municipality and/or as a base for acquiring funding for such a project.
This is an assignment preferably for 2 students with knowledge from biogas and policy
analysis.
35. Workshop for technology Marowijne, Moengo
In the area of mechanical engineering there is a need for vocational personnel, but there's no
vocational training yet available. Connected to but organizationally apart from the vocational
training center, the Barronschool, a workshop for technology will start for short courses with
the aim to create independent entrepreneurs in mechanical training related issues of all sorts.
The assignment for the students is to design and develop a curriculum of such practical
courses related to job and business opportunities, which are also to be explored by the
students. The workshop for technology needs to establish firm relationships with companies
in the neighborhood so that students are trained both in the workshop and on the job.
Bolivia
36. Solar Bolivia – Stichting Samay
In this project Solar Lamps are implemented at farms and schools in five villages in rural
Bolivia. These villages are not connected to the grid. The internship consists of helping with
the preparations and the choice for solar panels and lamps and helping with installing them.
Furthermore, a sociotechnical analysis should be done into the opportunities and bottlenecks
for these technologies in rural off-grid Bolivia.
The internship period is September-December 2011. The student should be able to speak
Spanish.