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The first thing Jeff Evans, a recent graduate in
entrepreneurship, did when he started his senior project was to
locate Malawi on a map.
He and engineering students Travis Meyer, Kyle Kraemer, and Dan
Good have since learned a lot about this African country, third
poorest in the world, and developed a treadle pump they hope will
make a positive difference for people there. They traveled to
Malawi in March to test their product. Working with Peter Wyeth,
associate scientist in International Programs, Trent Bunderson,
associate director of International Programs, and faculty advisors
Denny Davis and Jerman Rose, the team was part of a unique
entrepreneurship class sponsored by the College of Business and
College of Engineering and Architecture that requires
interdisciplinary student groups to design products and develop a
potential business venture plan.
The treadle pump that farmers currently use in Malawi is
basically a “stairmaster that sucks up water,” says Evans. Although
not exactly high-tech, the pump dramatically reduces irrigation
time, compared to using buckets, and can mean the difference
between health and malnutrition for poor families.
The pumps are mostly manufactured in India and made of steel,
which is imported with high tariffs. Costing about $100, they
consume half the annual income of the average Malawian. The farmers
have to move the heavy pumps during the day and take them home each
night to prevent theft. The Malawian government wants a treadle
pump that could be manufactured within the country and maintained
with easily replaceable parts.
The students worked to develop a lightweight pump that can be
made locally. They built their pump primarily out of PVC, commonly
available in Malawi. They worked with two nonprofit agencies, Total
Land Care and the Land Resource Center, to learn about the business
culture—all the factors that will determine their product’s
feasibility and usefulness. These agencies were absolutely
essential to the project’s success, says Davis, helping the
students find materials, conduct testing, and make contacts for
manufacturing facilities, delivery systems, and marketing.
“How do you do marketing in Malawi?” wonders Evans. “Here we
have whole [academic] departments that study how to market to
Americans, but it’s difficult with our limited access to know what
they do in Malawi.”
The students presented their project both in Washington State
University and University of Washington business-plan competitions.
Judges at the UW competition gave the group a special $2,000 award
for “social responsibility focus.” They also each made a personal
contribution, encouraging audience members to do the same.
The Malawi project is one of a few student projects that has
potential to take off and solve a real human problem, says Davis.
It brings together skills and experiences that 21st-century
engineers and entrepreneurs need—hands-on learning,
entrepreneurship, product development, and global experience.
Taking these projects to the next step will require formal funding
mechanisms for product and business development, he adds. Travis
Meyer has recently formed a non-profit organization, hoping to
raise funds to make the project viable. Davis and Rose are seeking
funding for a second student team.
For more information, see www.mtp4life.org.
—Tina Hilding
Washington State Magazine Home
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