Summer Archives

Will Stokes Kampala, Uganda - Technology for Tomorrow

 

In the developing world of Uganda, Technology for Tomorrow, an organization founded by Dr. Moses Musaazi at Makerere University, seeks to use the idea of appropriate technology to provide for some of Uganda’s needs. Appropriate technology is all about creating technologies that are specifically suited for the certain environments they are designed for. The idea is particularly valuable in the developing world as it seeks to use local resources to combat local problems. T4T is involved in many different projects, but the one I worked with was concerned with the improper disposal of medical waste that has been contributing heavily to the spread of infectious diseases in Uganda. T4T has developed an incinerator that cheaply and effectively disposes of medical waste, but in the past they have not been able to afford the equipment necessary to run tests on the emissions of the incinerator and provide needed data to allow for the widespread distribution of the incinerators. Before leaving for Kampala, I raised money to purchase the necessary gas analyzer and spent the bulk of my time in Kampala running the tests on the different versions of the Mak incinerator. Since the tests results were positive, the data will satisfy the various organizations interested in purchasing and distributing these incinerators in Uganda. After the testing was complete, I visited local health centers to evaluate current waste disposal practices and make sure administrators were aware of the dangers associated with improper disposal. After pointing out the dangers associated with poor disposal practices, I was able to present a solution through the T4T Mak incinerator complete with the data that I had just collected on its efficiency.

 

For more stories and pictures, please visit: http://lifeiskampala.blogspot.com/.