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A green solution to pig pollution
 Online volunteers are helping a West African NGO come up with solutions for converting pig waste into energy. (UNDP)
Online volunteer Andrea Rudin Montes de Oca from Costa Rica is an industrial engineer with experience in purchasing, planning, supply chain and people management. “I am glad for having had the opportunity of participating in this project and being part of the solution,” she said. (UNV) Online volunteer Hippoylt Fogaing from Cameroon holds a higher technical diploma in Electrical Engineering and has eight years of industrial experience. He is currently pursuing a degree in Electromechanical Engineering.“This was a rich experience; my research on the use of biogas helped me learn a lot about this renewable energy source,” he said. (UNV)Porto Novo, Benin,: Combining their expertise in engineering, life sciences and international commerce, seven online volunteers have been helping an NGO develop a sustainable solution to environmental pollution. To address the contamination of groundwater and the emission of greenhouse gases and odours through pig breeding in Porto Novo, Benin, the NGO Africavenir developed an idea to turn pig waste into energy. That energy could then provide electricity for schools and health centres. Left-over waste can be used as compost for organic farming. Through the UNV Online Volunteering service, Africavenir was able to harness know-how from people around the world to materialize their idea. “Through the collaboration with the online volunteers, we learned about the complexity of such a project, the range of tasks and activities involved and the necessary elements to be covered by the project document,” said Megan Stanislaus Afan, the director of Africavenir. First, the online volunteers developed the project outline to identify the project elements and tasks. Then they produced the technical project document, comprising an analysis of the characteristics of biogas, the environmental impact, various processing requirements, cost estimates, and so on. Through Internet research, the volunteers identified the type of generator that was needed and located a potential supplier in China. Although much of the work has already been accomplished, some important tasks remain before Africavenir can start looking for sponsors to finance the implementation of the project. The financial document needs to be finalized and the legal documents elaborated. Africavenir posted the technical document on the Réseau International d’Accès Aux Energies Durables (RIAED), a knowledge and resource-sharing platform for renewable energy. Several companies have already demonstrated interest in investing in the project. In parallel, Africavenir is engaged in negotiations with the supplier of the generator in China. On this year’s World Environment Day, more than 100 online volunteers engaged via the UNV Online Volunteering service are involved in current environmental initiatives. For more, see www.onlinevolunteering.org |