The problem

The seller of wood is spending more hours of her day gathering dry wood

with diminishing access.

Meet Ms. Wood

Barrier

• The dead wood has become harder to find, so she spends 2-3 hours more per day getting it.

Barrier

• The consumers of her wood do not have more money to compensate her for the excess time she spends collecting it.

Barrier

• Gas powered stoves are too expensive for her clients and also pollute the air

• Garbage and waste accumulates in the village and harms the air and water with pollution

Solution

• Switching to a forced air stove that can burn garbage more efficiently than wood will provide the seller of wood with an alternative method of earning a living, as she will sell the stoves as a chit lady.

• Will give incentive to burn locally produced garbage at the point of origination.

• Will reduce air pollution 70-80 %.

Innovative design

• The fuel efficient biomass burner with forced air fan was designed and field tested in a similar area of India.

The device from UCSD

www.projectsurya.org

Decentralized distribution

• Initially, the devices would be obtained from the northern India manufacturing site, but eventually, local manufacturing would occur.

• The seller of wood already has an existing clientele who know and trust her(them).

• Word of mouth will make these very desirable-less household waste, less fuel cost, enhance future of children

Resource network

• The university involved with the stove product and the Subsistence Marketplace staff could arrange for a site visit to existing village by some of their already trusted local staff and students.

• The seller of wood could network with the local self-help groups to introduce the stoves, their advantages and arrange a chit program for purchase(with training).

Value Proposition

• Provide the seller of wood with an alternate means of livelihood and way to participate in improving the village’s and world’s health.

• Reduce air pollution from wood smoke, saving lives and improving crop yields.

• Reduce the build up of garbage in the environment, thus improving overall environmental health.

More value

• Provide the villagers with access to carbon credits to add another revenue stream to the pay off of the stove and their overall income after payoff.

• Enhance the health of the air and crops.• Prevent deaths due to air and environmental

pollution.

Value Chain

• Forced air stove -> purchased by existing and new clients by chit system -> burns garbage made by the household and leads to clean up of existing dumps-> saves the cost of buying the wood every day-> which generates money to buy the stove

Unit financials

• Each unit costs $50 to purchase• Cost of financing through chit program @

10%= $5, profit to seller of sticks• Total cost=$55

Phase 1

• Make local relationship with two sellers of wood, self- help groups, to seek their ideas about the need for an alternative fuel- have already secured a stove- 3 months

• Secure micro financier with 3 % ? interest- 3 months

• Establish partnership with U of I and UCSD academic departments in India and US – 3 months

Phase 2

• Use/abuse demonstration stoves and try for drawbacks, e.g. smell?, breakage, usage in actual environment, allow room for customization to environment and local manufacture -1 month

• Devise 1-1 product education method with local input -1 month

Phase 3

• Locally design product roll out plan -? Cooking party? Garbage separation person liaison? Village leader roll out? Visual banner on seller’s local bus stop, at the dump? 3 mos.

• Train needed partners to sell on chit plan, demonstrate product, record financial transactions, including possibly reducing interest charge for those with less money- 3 mos.

Phase 1 costs

• Time to establish relationships with local groups, micro financier, universities

Phase 2 costs

• Costs for potential banners and advertising graphics -$100

• Costs for education of staff and entrepreneur- $500

• Cost for demo stove and small inventory of them – 5 stoves @ $50=$250

Phase 3 Costs

• Cost of time for staff to train- $500• Cost of loss of livelihood while training and

during start up phase. $1500

New story for Ms. Wood

• Has a new income stream• Has more education• Environment has less loss of trees & garbage is

cleaned up for fuel• Better air and water quality• Less work time and fewer lives lost from illness• Better crop yields• Eventually partners with a manufacturer to make

locally and expand to new territory.