Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group

AIDG Appropriate Infrastructure

Development Group

“Sustainable Solutions

for the Infrastructure

Needs of the Rural Poor”

Agenda

• State of Current Affairs

• Introduction to AIDG

• AIDG Technologies

• AIDG In Action

• Call To Action

State of Current Affairs

• Poor Global Infrastructure– Large populations with limited access to basics– Reality check: limited global resources

• Existing Solutions– Centralized, not localized– Resolve and cause problems simultaneously– Complex & expensive– Non-scalable

Implications

• Increased poverty

• Further division of rich & poor

• Global instability

• Environmental destruction

Solutions: Sustainable Development

What is Sustainable Development?“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Sustainability Triangle: Economic Development, Ecologic Integrity, Equity

What is Appropriate Infrastructure?

1. Affordable2. Environmentally Sound3. Repairable

What Is AIDG?

“AIDG seeks to increase the use of appropriate technologies in developing countries through education, training, outreach, and business incubation.”

How Does AIDG Work?

A Business Model To Create Change

• Market-based development strategy

• Spreads appropriate technology solutions through incubation of small employee-owned businesses

• Previous workshops help AIDG techs to train new workshop employees

• After 3 yrs, business is transitioned to a worker-owned cooperative

AIDG Technologies

Affordable

AIDG Technologies

Environmentally Sound

AIDG Technologies

Repairable

AIDG In Action!

• August 2005 - AIDG began training at its 1st manufacturing facility

• 10 engineering, electrical, & metal-working specialists

• 2008 - Xela Teco will transition into a worker-owned cooperative

Assistance To Workshop

Financial Assistance– Seed capital– Community exposure through grant

supported and pre-negotiated projects

Material & Equipment Procurement

Business Planning– Market Analysis– Client Procurement– Financial planning

Assistance To Workshop

Technical Assistance– Access to Technology, Training, Product

Development, Quality Control, Good Manufacturing Practices

– Computer training, Web development

Providing a living wage

Prudencio Lopez72 years old, Prudencio was born and lives in Quetzaltenango. Weeks Before being hired by Xela Techo, Prudencio lost his job as a teacher of metalworking at the Taller Agotón-Boj, a school-workshop dedicated to restoring historic buildings.

Xela Teco Hired him to teach the team metalworking, soldering and welding.

Living wages for individuals an appropriate technologies for the community.

Xela Teco Technologies

Biodigesters: Biodigester technology offers a low cost and environmentally sound solution to several needs facing farmers, namely waste management, energy and fertilizer

Windmills: The Axial flux windmill design can produce from 1.2 to 3.3 kilowatts for community centers, radial flux windmills mills are smaller and produce around 300 watts suited for homes.

Xela Teco Technologies

Water Pumps:Lack of access to clean water is a leading cause of diarrheal and other diseases and a major contributor to mortality in children under the age of five. Solution: Ram pumps & Hand/Bike Pumps.

Micro-Hydroelectric Solutions:Micro-hydro setups use stream or river water diverted with PVC pipe in mountainous or hilly areas to a drop where the water is shot from custom jet into an injection molded plastic turbine blade.

Casa Guatemala

Casa Guatemala:Provided a sustainable technology source of energy to Casa Guatemala

Long-term plans

Previous workshops help AIDG techs to train new workshop employees

Questions?

Recent news?What Does AIDG Need?How Can You Help?

Thank You!Ben Lee

www.aidg.orgwww.xelateco.com