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Briquette ProjectAfghans4Tomorrow Fuel Briquette Project
2010 Programs in Kabul, Afghanistan
This spring, A4T selected and trained candidates for the "Briquettes Into Bridges program" at the Charahee Qambar Camp of Internally Displaced People (IDP) from Helmand Province, on the outskirts of Kabul. The program is sponsored by generous donors through the Children's Culture Connection.
Please learn about this "Briquettes Into Bridges" program by clicking on the videos HERE!
Below are the six trainees in the program, at our A4T Briquette Production Center during their training in briquette production and literacy classes in April.
SEE more photos HERE.
In early May three new 'Briquette Production Centers' were constructed at their IDP camp to help establish a briquette business for the trainees. A4T staff delivered the materials there and worked with them to set up the sites (see photo below and our Photo Library's 1st album, HERE!).
The trainees are continuing the program's literacy classes at the camp for two more months and will receive assistance in their briquette production. Soon they will train other family members in briquette production to expand their business.
We will help the people of the camp adapt to using the new briquettes to cook with or heat their homes. We believe the people will earn a real income from this new business and see positive improvements in their lives.
2008 and 2009 ProgramsView PHOTOS of the workers and students making briquettes at two of our work stations in albums # 1 & 4 HERE.
The Afghans4Tomorrow (A4T) staff and the Engineering for Developing Communities (EDC) program at the University of Colorado at Boulder launched the Fuel Briquette Project in July 2008, making fuel briquettes from free waste materials, such as sawdust and burnable garbage (paper, leaves, etc.) by mixing them up with water.
A `press` is used to push all the water out and make the briquettes. After the briquettes have dried, they are stored to sell later to bakeries and families, for heating and cooking, at a lower price than wood.
The overall objectives of the A4T Briquettes Project are to provide the poor and disadvantaged people of Afghanistan with:- An inexpensive alternative to wood fuel (for heating, cooking, baking, etc.)
- A sustainable business and income generating opportunity
- Improved sanitation conditions by reducing the garbage
- Improvements to the environment by reducing air pollution (a Briquette produces 40% less smoke than wood when it burns)
- A counter to the deforestation problems in Afghanistan
Our goals for this project are to:- Provide a source of income for our A4T schools and projects
- Offering reading and writing classes those making the briquettes
- Offer our expertise through head training centers in the larger provinces in Afghanistan where people from surrounding regions can come train to start their own briquette businesses.
Additional facts:- Under the supervision of A4T Board members in Kabul, the master trainers, handicapped men and street children have been identified to be part of this program.
- Work stations have been set up at our A4T schools and near the A4T office building where equipment has been built, supplies have been collected and briquettes have been produced.
- The founder of Foundation for Sustainable Technologies in Nepal is the consultant on this project. See their website here for more info.
- View photo albums of the briquettes project here.
A4T 1 students making briquettes after their morning classes as part of a vocational training program. December 2008.
Visit this EDC Briquettes website to learn more.
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Afghans 4 Tomorrow (A4T) participated in the 3-day Kabul Agricultural Fair (KAF) in mid-August 2008, not to sell the product, but to survey the public`s response and interest to the A4T Briquette Project. The booth displayed varieties of briquettes, a brochure that highlighted key items, and a press with molds.
We held a conference in Kabul on Oct. 8, 2008 to launch the product and develop relationships with prospective customers and partners. We are establishing partnerships with NGO's who would like to collaborate with us and fund our training of local Afghans in briquette production to start their projects before this winter.
We are focusing on presenting this project as something to especially help widows and handicapped people.
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