MitticoolRefrigerator for poor

MAN OF INNOVATION

• Mansukhbhai Prajapati (44)• Traditional clay craftsman of

Rajkot, has developed an entire range of earthen products for daily use in the kitchen. These products include water filters, refrigerators, hot plates, cooker and other such items of daily use.

INITIAL STRUGGLE

• Being elder son of Potter family, Jagdamba Potteries, as a trainee at Rs. 300 per month in 1985. He worked hard for three years and learned all the related works of the unit.

• In 1988, he left his job and took a loan of Rs 30,000 from a money lender to start his own earthen plate (locally termed as Kaladi/Tavdi) manufacturing factory.

• In 1995 he start Mitticool water filter.

THE MITTICOOL STORY• In the fateful earthquake of

January 2001, Mansukhbhai suffered huge loss, as most of his stock got broken.

• In February 2001, Sandesh Gujarati Daily had a photo feature on the earthquake where at one place it showed a broken water filter of Mansukhbhai with the caption ‘the broken fridge of poor’.

THE MITTICOOL STORY• This caption ignited a thought in him

to work on a rural fridge that did not need electricity and could be used by masses. It was 2002 when he actually started his work.

• After a journey of three years during which he tested all sorts of soils and fridge designs, he finally came out with Mitticool fridge in 2005.

• His success story has been widely covered in the regional and national media. The Discovery Channel, Aaj Tak, NDTV, IBN 7, DD News, BBC and Vividh Bharti, AIR have covered his innovations.

MITTICOOL FRIDGE – A “COOL“ PRODUCT INNOVATION

• Fridge that does not require electricity!

• made out of clay • works on the principle of

evaporation.• cools drinking water and can

store vegetables and milk • affordable for nearly anyone • improves food quality and

health of poorer population and provides employment

• environment friendly in manufacturing, use and recycling

HOW IT WORKS• Uses evaporation effect for

cooling.• Through the bottom layer of the

upper chamber, small droplets of water continuously percolate below, which keep the inner climate moist.

• Water evaporates through side walls reducing the inside temperature and thereby providing the desired cooling effect.

• Keeps the temperature inside the "fridge" about 8 degrees below room temperature.