2013, August 8

Sanitation program

Tiago Soares is the promoter of the Project

This program aims to start a sustainable local production and installation of septic tanks, toilets and sinks. This will allow the progressive installation of sanitation in the different households of the village, and at the same time the development of new manufacturing processes that can help the economic development of the village. Molds of the sinks, toilets and septic tanks have been designed and first prototypes are now under production. The equipment will be made of concrete with fibers to ensure the appropriate mechanical properties.

In 2013, enough funds have been raised for the first 50 installations. The program will continue in the medium and long term with the goal of having all the houses in the village equipped with a proper sanitation system.

Besides increasing the hygiene and public health standards, the program will stimulate the creation of a space of hygiene, privacy and self-esteem in the households. This new room will help developing the sense of house as more than just a sleeping place.

2013 - July 30th

It’s the news of the 2013… after two years of traditional classes, this May we start using a little computer lab, a Language Lab.

With the three new computers gave by “Andrea Cappannoli”, this year, the language school has a new and very important tool, a Laboratory!!

This season we have seven laptop computer, 3 of them are personal, but four are permanent property of the school. Using the all seven mobiles we have, for now, classes of 14 students for any level. We mean also to allow the English and French teachers of the middle school to use the lab all around the year as support for their courses…  

The software installed is intuitive and interactive, and it’s not using any intermediate language… it means there isn’t any translation, but only a full immersion in the language you are learning. The method is the same used for mother tongue… just adsorbing.

A Computer Lab has multiple meaning for our school…

·      As a linguistic support:

-       Because it avoid the passive attitude of some student in the traditional courses

-       It helps in listening and comprehension, especially in a place like this where is not easy to find a mother tongue teacher that can follow the students for the whole academic year.

·      As a computer class:

-       It is useful to make the students better understanding the computer and the Operative System… and become confident with the keyboard, mouse, and touchpad.

It’s also important for the students that had followed the OLPC France Project at the Elementary School… using the little XO computer. The Lab give them the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge to a real computer.

2013, June 20

The school of Antintorona has got the Internet connection. It is realized through a radio bridge with the near and bigger island of Nosy Be. 

 

A antenna, posted in a high position an a big rock above the forest, re-send to the school of the village of Antintorona the signal coming form the city of Hell-Ville.

 

The complex system of networking has built by the Organization OLPC France, inside of the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) Project for of the local Primary School.

The Wi-Fi Project has born two years ago, and has been realized in the 2012 in collaboration with the local telephone operator TELMA… from this year the service has been given for free in order of the humanitarian and educative intent.

OLPC International is an American Organization who produces little laptop for the children of the Elementary School. 

The little computer are resistant and tropicalized, propose for all the critical situation that can be found in the Third World environment. Those mobiles use Linux as Operative System and are fully furnished as a normal mobile computer… included a Wi-Fi network card. 

OLPC France: http://olpc-france.org/blog/

OLPC: http://olpc.org/

2013, June 11^th

The new solutions make the everyday work an interesting laboratory of life. The gradually introduction of new techniques in masonry and architecture helps the local workers to assimilate the new concepts of construction.

Following the idea that every advancement needs the right time to be assimilate, we wait and observe the slow but inevitable evolution of the local houses… from “ravinala” (leafs) and wood to concrete.

 The bricks are built in series before to rise the walls.

 Stefano is working at a mould of an arch.

The example of the bricks in concrete built by specific pre-shaped mould was only the first step to an infinity variety of different ones. Bricks, arches, and steps for stairs are already well assimilate in the by the locals… the main idea is that everything must be easy, cheap, intuitive, and repeatable.

Even the arches of the bridge built in the 2010 were prebuild and then brought to the location.

What we are experiment now is a new method to build terrace and solai avoiding wood:

 

 

✎ Monday – May  27th, 2012

The main objective is to bring experiments in chemistry, physics and biology that teachers can use as practical examples to illustrate different scientific concepts to the students. The experiments have been chosen in line with the program of the secondary school covering the area of magnetism, electricity and optics. A microscope with its associated tools has been as well installed.  A room in the school building have been chosen to be the laboratory place where the teacher can store the equipment and carry out the experiments with the students. For this purpose the room has been refurbished with new storing places, lamps and plugs have been as well installed.

 

Wednesday – August 28th, 2012

…typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen.

Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal feces, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called biogas. Biogas originates from biogenic material and is a type of bio fuel.

The biogas scheme. 

Biogas is produced by the anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such as biomass, manure, sewage, municipal waste, green wast, plant material, and crops. Biogas comprises primarily methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) and may have small amounts of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), moisture and siloxanes.

The gases methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide (CO) can be combusted or oxidized with oxygen. This energy release allows biogas to be used as a fuel. Biogas can be used as a fuel in any country for any heating purpose, such as cooking. It can also be used in anaerobic digesters where it is typically used in a gas engine to convert the energy in the gas into electricity and heat. Biogas can be compressed, much like natural gas, and used to power motor vehicles. 

Example of biogas plant in a rural environment

In the UK, for example, biogas is estimated to have the potential to replace around 17% of vehicle fuel. Biogas is a renewable fuel, so it qualifies for renewable energy subsidies in some parts of the world. Biogas can also be cleaned and upgraded to natural gas standards when it becomes bio methane.

Thursday – July 26th, 2012

...Environmental consciousness is imparted in Antitorona. 

A house cannot be erected on unconsolidated land, as a road cannot be built on a marsh. It is of little use to treat malaria if there are millions of mosquitos in your own garden. Living in clean, stable and well organized environment gives humankind the possibility of projecting itself mentally into an evolving future.

Seeing structures like roads, schools and bridges arising around oneself stimulates the urge to be part of the system creating them. Man identifies himself with the places he lives in, it is his strength and the banner of his pride. Instilling the knowledge of belonging a community gives strength and stability, and thus we have set out to render the environment we live in functional and tangible.

Plans for the safeguard of the territory must be taken into account in every social development enterprise. In our village at Nosy Komba the awareness of environmental protection is more and more present. Children know that rubbish must not be thrown out in the street but taken to the incineration plants,  the zebus (local cattle) must not trample the surfaced village roads, trees must be protected and be part of the urban environment; the public spaces should be left unoccupied and available to everyone.

We are all aware that the important structural works that are being undertaken are to prevent that the village is washed away from under our feet by the rains.

Ø 1993 - Removal of stagnant water. We reclaimed, dried up and cleaned the terrain to greatly reduce the risk of illnesses like malaria, parasitosis and dysentery.

 Ø 1997 - Earth consolidation: Terracing has been important to stop erosion, which is typical during the rainy season, and to acquire a greater surface for the natural expansion of the village.

 Ø 2001 - Initial urbanization: Surfacing the road which would become the backbone of the village and the symbol of urban unity.

 Ø 2003 Reforestation: The Nosy Be administration altered the status of Komba island to a protected area for tourism use. Thus rice cultivation which has a high environmental cost has been forbidden and reforestation has been instated in its place.