Success Stories
Spring 2016
Rockingham, North Carolina
In March of 2016, The Full Belly Project visted the local farms of Rockingham, North Carolina. Upon the visit, the team helped the farmers switch from the county water inputs to Full Belly's water pump. By use of our Solar Panal Platflorm Array and Diaphragm Water Pump Design we were allowed to provide sufficient water and presure at 5 gallons per minute to irrigate several rows of crops. A special thanks goes out to the warm and welcoming farmers of Rockingham, North Carolina.
Zambia
The opening of 2016 took Full Belly's Jock Brandis and Randy Shackelford back to Zambia with the Universal Nut Sheller in hand. Building upon thier last visit and previous efforts, the two also used new detection procedures and began testing an innovative ozone generator to help rid the local food supply of the aflotoxin fungus. These efforts aid in securing not only high, but safe, uncontaminted peanut yields. The pair have now trained over 500 small farmers on the use of the Universal Nut Sheller.
Summer 2015
Jamaica
The Jamaica Sustainable Farm Enterprise Programme in Johnstown, St. Thomas hosted a farmers workshop which focused on simple systems that can help to solve irrigation issues brought on by drought in their area. Turns out, drought has been a major issue for the farmers in Jamaica for the last 45 years. Therefore, the main focus of the workshop was to educate farmers on the simplicity of our Rocker Water Pump. The Rocker Water Pump makes it possible to pump five gallons of water per minute and lift water as high as thirty feet.
Farmers from all aver Jamaica attended the workshop and "learned the mechanisms of the pump as well as the importance of water insurance."
-Shanna Monteith, The Jamaica Gleaner
Zambia
On our latest trip, Full Belly introduced many storage and harvest methods to local farmers in Zambia, this will help make the most of each and every peanut harvest. Along with the teaching of these techniques the team brought along Universal Nut Shellers and Rocker Water Pumps to share with local farmers in the community. Aflatoxin Tests-There has been an issue with high levels of Aflatoxin in peanuts aswell, so while in Zambia the team assisted the farmers in running Aflatoxin level tests to ensure their peanuts were safe for eating and exporting.
Spring 2015
Soap for Hope
Over two years ago The Full Belly Project devised a cold soap press with our friends at Sealed Air that allowed for the repurposing of used cleaning materials from hotels around the world. The Soap Press is a “micro-factory in a box” that creates entrepreneurial opportunities for those with limited access to proper sanitation and resources. From its introduction in the field in Cambodia in October 2013, it has yielded some amazing numbers:
• Now in 15 countries • Working in 21 cities • With 150 hotel partners • Partnering with 11 Non-Governmental Organizations • 43 tons of soap diverted from landfills • Over 15,000 soap bars made/distributed/sold • Nearly 15,000 people receiving free soap a month • 150 people now employed thanks to Soap for Hope
Spring 2014
Bag Board Desks
Full Belly Project’s latest design is fashioning schools desks from recycled plastic shopping bags. In many developing countries rural school children are still forced to sit on concrete classroom floors. This is not only uncomfortable, but hinders the learning process. The skeleton of our new desk is built of a single piece of rebar folded fifteen times into an origami frame. The surfaces are made from the “mountains of plastic trash.” To form the seating and writing areas, solar ovens heat the plastic into thick sheets. This spring in Nairobi, the Full Belly Project is partnering with another NGO already on the ground to bring proper seating to pupils there.
Fall 2013
Soap for Hope Debuts
In keeping with our mission of changing the world for the “bottom billion” through production of self-sustainable technologies, the Full Belly Project and our partners at Diversey would like to introduce our latest development: the soap press. Known as Soap for Hope, this project reuses a portion the millions of pounds of soap that are thrown away annually by local hotels and resorts. The soap press allows communities to produce and distribute recycled soap products to fend off disease, promote better health, and generate income for impoverished communities around the world. As per usual, the Full Belly Project developed a “soap press in a box” micro-factory to ship abroad for assembly, granting entrepreneurial opportunity to those with less access to proper sanitation and resources. In October, the soap press debuted in Cambodia. Poverty stricken areas in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville were the first communities Full Belly Project and Diversey distributed this technology. Nearly 1,000 bars of soap were generated during our first week there.
Fall 2012
From Paris with Love
Since 2012, The Full Belly Project, has been working closely with Paris, France based Eco-Carbone. A sustainable energy management group, their big concern has been the efficient production of bio-diesel fuel from jatropha. With very little refinement, this nut-shaped fruit, is used in diesel powered equipment through the developing world. We recently heard from Eco Carbone’s Chief Agronomist Anne-Claire DeGail that they have distributed the Universal Nut Sheller in nearly all their project villages throughout Papua Indonesia, Laos, and Vietnam. She tells us that the UNS is “one of the best technological innovations in our projects” and that it has significantly made farmers more efficient.
Summer 2012
Full Belly in Guatemala
Recently, longtime volunteer Colin Pawlowski, traveled to Guatemala to test for aflatoxins affecting local peanut crops. Throughout the trip, Colin, along with local contacts Carlos, Robert, and Luis, worked to, set up contacts with local peanut farmers in Zacapa to teach them aflatoxin-reduction techniques as well as ways to increase the yield of peanut crops in general. By educating local farmers in safer storage practices, crop yields will increase and human exposure to harmful aflotoxins will decrease. Colin prepared a Spanish powerpoint presentation for major farmers and government officials in Estanzuela. It included detailed descriptions of technoligies used for peanut production, crop yields, and ways to increase efficiency. The possibilities for local peanut farmers are promising due to this contribution. Aflatoxin testing was conducted using the Peanut Aflatoxin UV Scannerbox, which was built by Full Belly Project volunteers here in Wilmington. The machine, utilized in Guatemala, allows testers to observe, the contrast between infected peanuts and normal peanuts. In honor of the Full Belly Project’s work in Guatemala, the Mayor of Estanzuela presented Colin with a personalized award, giving thanks for volunteer efforts to help their city with research to improve peanut production in the region.
Spring 2012
Biofuel and Peanuts GROW in Guatemala
Headed up by the 15-year-old daughter of our co-founder Jay Tervo, Caroline Tervo took the Universal Nut Sheller (UNS) and Rocker Water Pump (RWP) technology down to Central America recently. Their group, “Guatemala Returning Opportunities to Women” or simply Project GROW, built and demonstrated Full Belly Project technology to several community organizations that are now able to produce their own Universal Nut Shellers and Rocker Water Pumps. The pair has also created promising connections specifically with Borlaug, Mani Plus Project and the Association BPD. Contacted by Vanderbilt University about utilizing the UNS to process peanuts in the manufacture of RUTF (Ready to Use Theraputic Food) we at Full Belly Project were able to connect the Tervo’s mission to the Vanderbilt project. In rural Guatemala nearly 80% of the children suffer from malnutrition. RUTF based from peanuts has been a real lifesaver in sub-Saharan Africa and in other parts of the world. The Tervo's were able to meet with Mani Plus Project and supplied them with a UNS, RWP as well as an aflatoxin detection lamp. Aflatoxin is a hazardous fungus that can grow on peanuts.
Spring 2011
Mali: Beginning To and Back Again
Nearly 10 years ago, The Full Belly Project’s Jock Brandis promised women from the West African country of Mali he'd help them find a better way to shell their peanut crop. They had been shelling peanuts one at a time by hand. As we all know, he didn’t find an existing machine and came up with what was initially called the Malian Peanut Sheller, now called the Universal Nut Sheller. Since Mali was the birthplace of our signature machine it holds a special place in Full Belly’s heart and great news of the enduring impact of the sheller is always lifting.
Josh Litwin, a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, recently presented two Universal Nut Sheller (UNS) units to the chief and the women’s association in the village of Niagadina. Two local women will oversee the machines and collect a small fee per container of peanuts shelled. The profits will go toward income generating projects or will be divided among the women’s association members. According to Josh, the women and men who tested it were excited and liked its simple, hand-crank design. He will also demonstrate the UNS at the upcoming volunteer training sessions at his training center in Bamako.
While walking through the village to deliver one of the machines, Josh and his colleague Youssouf were approached by several village men who were interested in purchasing their own machine. When he suggested that a finished UNS could be sold for a cost of somewhere in the range of $60.00, they were very interested in buying one and possibly producing and selling them on their own.
Josh and Youssouf visited Mali Biocarburant, where 40 UNS units are now in operation and have been welded together using local materials. Jatropha, a inedible nut, is run through the machine and later its oil is turned into a biodiesel fuel. Before Josh leaves Mali he intends to start a small business, begin marketing the UNS, and perpetuate the sheller’s legacy.
Fall 2010
Peace Corp Partners
David Campbell, a young Wilmingtonian, continues to amaze us with his efforts to introduce the Universal Nut Sheller (UNS) in his assigned Peace Corps country of Senegal. David’s work is the same as that of our Malawi Pilot Project. We expect to have another FBP worker in Malawi soon. David writes, “We have already molded 20 new shellers, and fully assembled and welded 10. Our first sale came from a man who happened to swing by the workshop one afternoon and see us working. He is from a region half way across the country, and transporting one of these shellers home will be challenging for him, but he was so intrigued that he had to have one ASAP. He now wants to return to his home region and find another metalsmith who can launch a production line down there.”
“As of right now I am extremely proud of the work of the guys at the workshop, who are now fully trained in the molding and assembly of the machines and will soon be an independent enterprise. Once they are completely independent my work load will shift from construction manager to road warrior and promoter, taking the UNS to villages and even into other regions. Once the demand has reached a certain point, I am sure that word of mouth alone will bring in more requests than this little workshop will be able to keep up with.”
May- June 2008
MIT intern Ming Leong began the process of improving the Universal Nut Sheller. Leong's challenge was to strengthen the shelller while reducing it's weight and size in order to make it more mobile.
February 2008
Peace Corps Assistant Country Director Brian Connors successfully trained his volunteers to introduce UNS machines in Chilongo, Malawi. One new volunteer took a machine to a village where farmers now shell 30 tons of peanuts in 2 months, earning enough money to drill a bore hole well in their village.
December 2007
Brandis returned to Haiti to install an electric version of the UNS for Meds and Foods for Kids. The program director was hugely impressed with the effectiveness and appropriateness of the technology to their needs.
January 2006
Teams from MIT D-Lab travelled to the Philippines, Ghana and Zambia with sets of molds and metal kits in order to introduce these machines to local populations. The Philippine introduction was extremely successful. Hundreds of machines were built in partnership with the Holcim Cement Company and CentroMigrante, a Filipino NGO that builds low-cost housing for migrants seeking work in the port cities of the Philippines.