AfricAlive lowers threshold for sustainable technology
Rotterdam, 8 June 2007 - Today, five students of Delft Technical University in the Netherlands and a camera man start their AfricAlive expedition. This expedition will promote sustainable technology in the continent of Africa while seeking sustainable lessons for the Western world. Delft TU celebrates every fifth year of its existence with a special project. In 2007 the theme will be Sustainable Technology and the main social project will be AfricAlive. The main sponsor of the expedition is E.ON Benelux.
On 8 June 2007 the students are leaving the campus of TU Delft on the start of a 30,000 km drive to Cape Town, South Africa. The team reckons this will take some five months - a physical trial in itself. Top priority for the students will be sustainable technology. During the trip the team will, in several projects, be sharing technological findings with the local population – with the emphasis on sustainability. The team will garner lessons in the area of sustainability in what is arguably the poorest part of the world.
Initiator and expedition leader Bogdan Dumitrescu believes the western world-view of Africa is due for a shake up. ‘The issues for AfricAlive are co-operating, sharing and learning. For many westerners Africa and Sustainability are by definition opposites. Sure enough, the continent labours under massive problems including energy wastage, out-of-control diseases and the spread of deserts. With the best of intention the west has tried to help Africa. All too often the solutions provided are off-the-shelf and developed from a western mind-set. Everyone involved with aid and assistance knows about the shortfall when it comes to listening to Africans – and the massive underestimation of Africa’s potential.’
Africa has a lot to offer. And Africa can be supported differently. And so, more than anywhere else in the world, Africa seems an ideal breeding ground for elegant, ingenious new discoveries. The students are also aware that despite the problems and shortcomings Africa has more lessons to learn around sustainability and elegant inventions than is generally realised. Indeed, survival in Africa demands ultimate ingenuity with minimum resources.
The main sponsor of AfricAlive is E.ON Benelux. The company’s public affairs manager, Maxim Brouwer, went on record as follows: ‘AfricAlive puts the viability of a pioneering sustainable technology to the test. Meanwhile it seeks out hidden wisdom for us to use. This approach strongly appeals to us at E.ON Benelux. It matches with our conviction that people who lower thresholds will ensure new energy. We aim that our support will enable the team to realise its dream and make a modest contribution to enhancing the situation in Africa.’
The expedition’s route across Africa meets up with special, sustainable projects, including ’Project Sierra Leone’. Here, a Dutch foundation co-operates with local farmer to maintain a certified palm oil plantation. Revenues are invested in a local hospital. The students will also visit a reforestion project in Kibale National Park in Uganda, which is supported by E.ON Benelux . For a full overview of the AfricAlive expedition visit www.africalive.nl. You can also follow the expedition in media such as SPITS!,RNN7 and Discovery Channel. New media channels that are being used include Youtube and AfricAlive.nl The journey will be filmed by the students for a TV documentary.