Warning: fopen(/home/odhktmrn/public_html/components/com_jd-wp/wp-content/cache/wp_cache_mutex.lock) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: Permission denied in /home/odhktmrn/public_html/components/com_jd-wp/wp-content/plugins/wp-cache/wp-cache-phase2.php on line 94
AIDG Blog [Appropriate Technology, Development, Environment]
AIDG’s Konkou Biznis Ayiti business plan competition is seeking applicants for its 2011-2012 season. Do you have a great green business idea in water, sanitation, energy or housing? Apply now to KBA2011 for a chance to win $25,000 to launch your enterprise. KBA applications close November 28th.
Do you have a green business idea for Guatemala? Now is your chance to get $25,000 in support from AIDG. Guateverde applications close November 18th. Apply today!
Vini Sosa from RECELCA talks about his company’s growth processing ewaste over the past several years, his goals to build out value added services to hedge against commodity prices, the search for mentorship, and the exercise of determining how much investment to take.
AIDG Blog interviews Quetsol founder Manuel Aguilar about bringing light to Guatemala, financing for his customers and enterprise, the impact his company has, and being a TED Global Fellow.
AIDG Blog interviews Donald Stevens of Shelter 2 Home about the Build Back Better Communities Expo, the growth of his company, and the housing sector in Haiti
AIDG Blog interviews Duquesne Fednard of D&E Green Enterprises 2010-2011 Konkou Biznis Ayiti winner. Duquesne discusses his stove product the Eco Recho, carbon offsets, and the challenges of running an enterprise in Haiti.
In response to the devastating January 12 earthquake, the theme of the 2010 Konkou Biznis Ayiti was Haïti Renouvelée (Haiti Renewed). We were looking for Haitian entrepreneurs and sustainable businesses that can aid in the country’s reconstruction. Here are our six semi-finalists.
Gael Pressoir Lwil Agogo
Modelled after the award-winning Lèt Agogo, Lwil Agogo will use jatropha to provide a an environmentally friendly fuel source, animal feed and land restoration crop all while ensuring a decent and stable livelihood for small and medium sized farmers. Jatropha oil can be used in modified engines as a diesel substitute (the second largest commodity market in Haiti, absorbing 17-25% of Haiti’s hard currency, potentially US 280 million US). Jatropha shells can be used for briquettes ($60 million US market) and the seed pulp for animal feed (approximately $65 million US market). The initial franchisee (Lwil Agogo Saint-Marc, based in Artibonite region of Haiti) will employ 250 farmers and We will provide an internal rate of return> 20% to our investors. For an initial investment of 316 881 USD during the ten (10) years with a discount rate of 10%, the NPV is close to 166 580 USD (and assuming a low productivity). The NPV is positive after the sixth year.
Duquesne Fednard & Jean Fritz Fednard D.&E. Green Enterprises
D & E Green Enterprise, is an institution working in the field of clean and renewable energy in developing countries. Our goal is to find sustainable local solutions to energy problems for all those using biomass as primary energy source by using the market model. Our stoves (EcoRécho) are equipped with a ceramic coating which makes them very efficient and are capable of reducing coal consumption by 50% without affecting the speed or the cooking method. In addition, our products are manufactured locally using local raw materials, creating jobs and other business opportunities in Haiti, where more than 66% of the population was unemployed and 80% lived below the poverty line before the earthquake. To date, we have manufactured and distributed to the local population more than 6,000 improved stoves.
Gary and Tania Pierre-Charles K-Rapas
K-Rapas seeks to solve two issues simultaneously: using non-biodegradable refuse (car tires, juice bottles, milk cans, Styrofoam take-out boxes) to build temporary housing for internally displaced populations. Units are quick to build and quick to take down, cost approximately $2,500 (but per-unit cost diminishes with larger-scale projects) and recycle 250 tires, 3,000 plastic bottles, 500 milk cans and 8,000 Styrofoam plates. The homes will be sold in packages (25, 50, 75, 100) to developers and/or resettlement initiatives.
Lesly Grandin & Jean Eveillard Cazeau BONGAZ
Bongaz was founded in Hinche, Plateau Central in 2009 to help rural people gain access to propane stoves. Sensitive to Haiti’s intense environmental degradation, it’s goal is to spearhead on the one hand, a of propane gas supply center, distribution of stoves adapted to the specific needs of street vendors and canteens; and on the other hand, a simple distribution model suitable for low-income households. Bongaz will build a network of stove distributors across 5 neighbouring municipalities in the region. The company seeks to achieve a turnover of 5.5 million gourdes, or U.S. $140,000.
Elan Moncher ACOD
ACOD (Action et Cooperation en Developpement) was started with the goal of generating income and promoting the availability of certain services in the communities of Mont-Organisé and Carice. Focal points are integrated agriculture, agro-industry and marketing of agricultural products and inputs. The first product will produce vermicompost from kitchen waste, crop residues and starter worms. The product will be used in ACOD organic vegetable farm and excess production will be sold to other farmers and agricultural organizations of local and regional market, representing 75% of farmers in target areas is more than 10,000 consumers whose majority is made up of heads of families. It will play an important role in sanitation as it uses waste as input.
Frantzcy Bien-Aimé & Wilner François CPCEA
The Centre de Production et de Commercialisation d’Energies Aternatives (CPCEA - Centre for Production and Marketing of Alternative Energy) seeks to be a one-stop shop for renewable energy in the goal of protecting the environment while turning a profit. CPCEA is planning to market ranges with improved furnaces and super-efficient fuel briquettes to the surrounding communities who hyper-consume charcoal. Based in Gonaives, the company will target the metropolitan population and that of surrounding communities (70,000 households, or 264,000 inhabitants) and is hoping to achieve a turnover of 28 million gourdes, or U.S. $700,000.
Congratulations to Vinicio Sosa and his company RECELCA, the GuateVerde winner for 2010!
RECELCA is a Guatemalan company that offers a wide range of electronic recycling services, based on personalized attention, seeking the greatest benefits for the environment and our customers.
Our services are targeted to businesses and consumers, including:
Recycling of obsolete and outdated equipment
Certified Information Destruction
Purchase and Refurbishing of Obsolete Electronic Equipment
Let us help you develop and support a recycling program for global compliance and make our world a better place, free of toxic materials.
Recelca keeps toxic electronic waste out of landfills in Guatemala.
Thank you and congratulations to all the entrepreneurs who sent their applications to GuateVerde 2010.
TED.COM just released a video of AIDG’s Executive Director Peter Haas, talking at TED Global in Oxford, about building collapse in Haiti and the importance of mason training programs like AIDG’s.
You can help us train a mason by giving $68. It is a great investment that will save lives in the next earthquake. Donate $68
If you think this talk is informative please RATE IT as INFORMATIVE on the TED.COM site. This will help keep the message alive.
The 2010 edition of GuateVerde was filled with teams searching for greener waste management solutions and/or innovative ways to use recyclable waste to solve large-scale social problems. The following Guatemalan entrepreneurs have proceeded to the semi-finals of AIDG's 3rd business plan competition in Latin America and the Caribbean. These semi-finalists will compete for up to $50,000 in grants and small-business financing in front of a panel of judges Saturday October 16, 2010.
Vinicio Sosa
RECELCA
Started in 2009, RECELCA (Reciclajes Electrónicos Centroamericanos, SA) is a Guatemalan company led by Vinicio Sosa that is dedicated to providing reliable, safe and environmentally sound disposal and/or recycling of electronic waste. Visit http://www.recelca.com/ for more information.
Jorge Mario García &
Ana Lucía Juárez
Productos y Sistemas
Inventors Ana Lucía Juárez y Jorge Mario García launched Productos y Sistemas to promote and sell their innovations in the Guatemalan market. One such product, the RET (Electronic Temperature Controller), was selected as one of the five best inventions of 2007 by the Department of Patents. The RET can help families that use electric calentadores in their showers save significant amounts of electricity and water.
Eduardo Zuñiga &
Byron Tucux
Revonagua
Revonagua, run by architects Eduardo Zuñiga y Byron Tucux, specializes in ecological wastewater treatment and purification systems based on subaquatic plants such as the Tule.
Dania Franco &
Oscar Melchor
INNOVA
Oscar Melchor and Dania Franco, the husband and wife team that makes up INNOVA (INNOVACIONES CONSTRUCTIVAS, S.A.), wish to produce emergency and low-cost housing from synthetic wood based on recycled TETRA-BRIK.
Nidia Gomez
Recogua
Industrial Engineer Nidia Gomez and the rest of her team at Recogua (Recicladora Comercial de Guatemala) aim to provide recycling services in the Quetzaltenango and Totonicapan region of Guatemala. The new company would also provide environmental waste management consulting services to municipalities and businesses.
AIDG, P.O. Box 104, Weston, MA 02493. Phone: 800-401-3860 Fax:
866-450-8016. AIDG, Inc. is a 501c (3) non-profit organization.
We would never rent, sell or exchange your email. Read our privacy
statement for more information.
