Fr. Lammert (Bert) Otten SJ
Jesuit
Monze, Zambia
Fr.
Lammert (Bert) Otten SJ, Jesuit, works as a
Consultant in Appropriate Technology for the
Diocesan Promoters Office in Monze, Zambia.
During 2007, my core work involved the
installation and design of a solar water pump
systems at three boreholes which had been
already drilled. This was followed by the
drilling of four subsequent boreholes, with
solar pumps. We have installed a dozen so far.
Furthermore, we continued experimenting with LED
lamps for villagers.
We are working to get the women at Home Crafts
Chikuni to make and sell them. We tested a solar
vegetable drier prototype and produced the first
of several in Rural Engineering. Soon ten should
be ready for use with home-based care centres in
villages. More will follow. A solar charger for
cell phones in remote villages was also
developed.
Elements of this included: the improved
production of vegetable oil for diesel fuel,
consulting on
air-conditioning/insulation/ventilation of a
remote computer school for girls, and giving a
talk in Nicaragua to scientists and engineers
teaching at Jesuit Universities.
My diesel vehicle runs on 100% vegetable oil. It
is hoped in the future to experiment with
non-edible jatropha vegetable for the vehicle.
Two more diocesan vehicles will be converted.
We will investigate submersible diaphragm pumps,
solar water heating, an alternator made from
refrigerator magnets, etc, along with looking at
other areas of sustainable agriculture to
benefit people living in the rural Monze Diocese
especially.
This year emphasis was placed on the
organisational work with the Rural Appropriate
Technology Centre. This also connected with my
work on the board of Chikuni Youth Agricultural
Training Centre and on site work.