A Reid Harvey on mon 21 aug 00
Janet and Clayartists,
I hope it is okay that I pasted on your message to me, below, Janet. I
do not like to rub salt in the wounds of those who are sensitive to
accusations of western arrogance, but will do so on this occasion out of
respect for Nikom. I have sent several postings to Clayart concerning
the water purifier we developed in Africa and the ones promoted by
Potters for Peace. I would like to give my impressions about just why it
has taken so long for the purifiers to become accepted.
In a nut shell there are two reasons I can think of right now. They may
sound simplistic but I will elaborate. 1. Though every twenty seconds,
someone, somewhere in the world dies as a result of drinking bacteria
contaminated water, water experts prefer high cost alternatives to
purification. 2. Donors and aid agencies who would like to consider
projects to make and promote earthenware water purifiers are reluctant
to do so. The reason is that there are almost no independent ceramists
around who are ready and willing to help with feasibility studies.
For those at risk of water born illness, the tragedy is that there are
practically no appropriate methods of purifying bacteria contaminated
water. In fact, this is the leading cause of death worldwide. Poor
people do not have access to methods of water purification that are: low
cost, easy to use and effective. Upto now the conventional thinking
among water experts is a preference for pipe born water from a single
pure source. This is far too expensive for consideration for the poor,
who constitute the vast majority of those at risk. Household
alternatives for purification, such as earthenware purifiers, are
considered non viable by experts, in part because this would suggest
educating community groups on various methodological aspects. By
contrast, when delivering pipe born water the users need not be involved
in hygienic or 'scientific' aspects.
Also, water researchers prefer to work on high cost alternatives because
this is far more lucrative. Once they develop a methodology they can
make immediate money when selling their system unit. By contrast, our
units and PFP's cost about $3.00 to $8.00, far to little to make any
money anytime soon. In fact the only way to get a project for low cost
alternatives in place is with considerable donor sponsorship, and donors
are looking for successful precedents. So there is a catch 22 involved.
As to the difficulty of doing feasibility studies, few ceramists are
familiar with the methods of making the water purifiers. While the
techniques can be simple, they also involve an understanding of water
issues, and few ceramists are familiar here as well. This is also true
for the few organizations who have ceramists who can consult on
development issues. And it would be costly for a donor to hire a
ceramist to research feasibility. In addition, donors and aid agencies
tend to avoid ceramic projects in general, since these are considered to
be encumbered with technique and too esoteric.
Additionally the bigger health organizations, pharmaceutical companies,
etc., will not research low cost water purification for the same
reasons: low cost alternatives are not lucrative. Actually there is a
success story in dealing with problem of incentive to research, which I
believe could one day be applied to earthenware purifers: new
anti-malarial medicines are being developed by pharmaceutical companies,
using financial guaranatees provided by the World Bank, in collaboration
with the U.N. A situation similar to that of the lack of incentive for
big companies to develop low cost water purification has existed with
respect to malaria medication. Currently there are millions of poor
people dying every year in Africa and Asia, simply because there is no
effective medicine for the new, virulent forms of the disease. And the
current best medication is too expensive for the poor.
A similar situation exists here in Banlgadesh with respect to dengue
fever, also mosquito born. My wife Catherine just got over a really
horrible bout of dengue fever, but fortunately this variety was not the
killer. Hemorrhagic dengue is a big killer here in Asia, but the tens of
thousands effected are not considered enough to provide pharmaceutical
companies with an incentive. Adding insult to injury, the recent dengue
panic here in Bangladesh has caused shop keepers to triple the prices
for spray insecticides, like Raid. Now the poor cannot afford to buy
these. The axiom that the poor get poorer would seem hard to dispute. In
this part of the world the life expectancy is tragically low.
Reid Harvey
Dhaka, Bangladesh
http://www.geocities.com/ceramafrique/
Janet Kaiser wrote:
> Dear Reid,
>
> Yes, it is sad. I work for OXFAM and support
> Water Aid so I am a little informed about some
> of the issues both Nikom/Ed and you were/are
> experiencing first hand. The information he was
> able to share was very important, as well as
> interesting. It scratched at the surface of
> western arrogance. And that is a VERY GOOD
> THING.
>
> I hope you will be able to report to Clay Art
> often on your work in Bangladesh. Information is
> a very powerful tool and you will never know
> what benefits your words will bring if you do
> not speak.
>
> Best wishes
> Janet
> The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
> HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
> Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
> E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
> WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
Paul Taylor on mon 21 aug 00
Dear Janet Reid and all.
I Would like someone to send me some specifications for a ceramic water
purifyer . I have a rough idea of how to make one but could do with a better
one and a cleaning regime for it . We have spring water so I will be making
a purifyer for the mother inlaw. Claire's home town Ballyhaunis and another
large town near here called Sligo have had their water supply condemned. Now
how a relatively rich area on the same latitude as Nova Scotia and nearly a
hundred inches of rain a year can not organize clean water I do not know.
What hope for bangladesh?
In 1959 a book was published called the Ugly American by William J Leader
and Eugene Burdic. It was about the futility and the stupidity of grand
western aid intervention political and economic . What I don't understand is
that the book that had twelve reprints yet no politician or economist that
could do anything about our aid attitudes can have read it.
-- Regards Paul Taylor.
Westport Pottery, Liscarney, County Mayo. Ireland.
http://www.anu.ie/westportpottery/
Ps to all. Please paragraph your posts and put a blank line in between the
paragraphs. I have great difficulty reading large blocks of type from a
screen.
> From: A Reid Harvey
> Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 09:18:46 +0200
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Nikom, earthenware water purifiers and western arrogance
>
> Janet and Clayartists,
> I hope it is okay that I pasted on your message to me, below, Janet. I
> do not like to rub salt in the wounds of those who are sensitive to
> accusations of western arrogance, but will do so on this occasion out of
> respect for Nikom. I have sent several postings to Clayart concerning
> the water purifier we developed in Africa and the ones promoted by
> Potters for Peace. I would like to give my impressions about just why it
> has taken so long for the purifiers to become accepted.
>
> In a nut shell there are two reasons I can think of right now. They may
> sound simplistic but I will elaborate. 1. Though every twenty seconds,
> someone, somewhere in the world dies as a result of drinking bacteria
> contaminated water, water experts prefer high cost alternatives to
> purification. 2. Donors and aid agencies who would like to consider
> projects to make and promote earthenware water purifiers are reluctant
> to do so. The reason is that there are almost no independent ceramists
> around who are ready and willing to help with feasibility studies.
>
> For those at risk of water born illness, the tragedy is that there are
> practically no appropriate methods of purifying bacteria contaminated
> water. In fact, this is the leading cause of death worldwide. Poor
> people do not have access to methods of water purification that are: low
> cost, easy to use and effective. Upto now the conventional thinking
> among water experts is a preference for pipe born water from a single
> pure source. This is far too expensive for consideration for the poor,
> who constitute the vast majority of those at risk. Household
> alternatives for purification, such as earthenware purifiers, are
> considered non viable by experts, in part because this would suggest
> educating community groups on various methodological aspects. By
> contrast, when delivering pipe born water the users need not be involved
> in hygienic or 'scientific' aspects.
>
> Also, water researchers prefer to work on high cost alternatives because
> this is far more lucrative. Once they develop a methodology they can
> make immediate money when selling their system unit. By contrast, our
> units and PFP's cost about $3.00 to $8.00, far to little to make any
> money anytime soon. In fact the only way to get a project for low cost
> alternatives in place is with considerable donor sponsorship, and donors
> are looking for successful precedents. So there is a catch 22 involved.
>
> As to the difficulty of doing feasibility studies, few ceramists are
> familiar with the methods of making the water purifiers. While the
> techniques can be simple, they also involve an understanding of water
> issues, and few ceramists are familiar here as well. This is also true
> for the few organizations who have ceramists who can consult on
> development issues. And it would be costly for a donor to hire a
> ceramist to research feasibility. In addition, donors and aid agencies
> tend to avoid ceramic projects in general, since these are considered to
> be encumbered with technique and too esoteric.
>
> Additionally the bigger health organizations, pharmaceutical companies,
> etc., will not research low cost water purification for the same
> reasons: low cost alternatives are not lucrative. Actually there is a
> success story in dealing with problem of incentive to research, which I
> believe could one day be applied to earthenware purifers: new
> anti-malarial medicines are being developed by pharmaceutical companies,
> using financial guaranatees provided by the World Bank, in collaboration
> with the U.N. A situation similar to that of the lack of incentive for
> big companies to develop low cost water purification has existed with
> respect to malaria medication. Currently there are millions of poor
> people dying every year in Africa and Asia, simply because there is no
> effective medicine for the new, virulent forms of the disease. And the
> current best medication is too expensive for the poor.
>
> A similar situation exists here in Banlgadesh with respect to dengue
> fever, also mosquito born. My wife Catherine just got over a really
> horrible bout of dengue fever, but fortunately this variety was not the
> killer. Hemorrhagic dengue is a big killer here in Asia, but the tens of
> thousands effected are not considered enough to provide pharmaceutical
> companies with an incentive. Adding insult to injury, the recent dengue
> panic here in Bangladesh has caused shop keepers to triple the prices
> for spray insecticides, like Raid. Now the poor cannot afford to buy
> these. The axiom that the poor get poorer would seem hard to dispute. In
> this part of the world the life expectancy is tragically low.
>
> Reid Harvey
> Dhaka, Bangladesh
> http://www.geocities.com/ceramafrique/
>
> Janet Kaiser wrote:
>
>> Dear Reid,
>>
>> Yes, it is sad. I work for OXFAM and support
>> Water Aid so I am a little informed about some
>> of the issues both Nikom/Ed and you were/are
>> experiencing first hand. The information he was
>> able to share was very important, as well as
>> interesting. It scratched at the surface of
>> western arrogance. And that is a VERY GOOD
>> THING.
>>
>> I hope you will be able to report to Clay Art
>> often on your work in Bangladesh. Information is
>> a very powerful tool and you will never know
>> what benefits your words will bring if you do
>> not speak.
>>
>> Best wishes
>> Janet
>> The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
>> HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
>> Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
>> E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
>> WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
Dwiggins, Sandra (NCI) on mon 21 aug 00
Paul,
The Potters for Peace group in Nicaragua are also making water purifiers
from earthenware as a cottage industry to sell to India, Bangladesh, etc.
They have a website and you may want to contact them. It's outrageous that
Ireland, considered a developed country, would have the same problems that
Blangladesh and Africa have. What's so awful is here in the states it's
true as well. I just heard that a large housing project in California had
been built on land that had been given to the state after it had been used
as a dump by a large oil company. The project was built and this land, and
the land around the projects was given to the renters to plant their little
vegetable and herb gardens. So, now they find the land is completely
carcinogenic, and all these years that the children have grown up and eaten
those plants, they have ingested those carcinogens. Now they are trying to
clean it up, but the clean-up is just as bad as the land itself...and they
haven't bothered to relocate the people while the clean up is going on.....
Sandy
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Taylor [SMTP:taylor@ANU.IE]
> Sent: Monday, August 21, 2000 1:47 PM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Re: Nikom, earthenware water purifiers and western arrogance
>
> Dear Janet Reid and all.
>
> I Would like someone to send me some specifications for a ceramic
> water
> purifyer . I have a rough idea of how to make one but could do with a
> better
> one and a cleaning regime for it . We have spring water so I will be
> making
> a purifyer for the mother inlaw. Claire's home town Ballyhaunis and
> another
> large town near here called Sligo have had their water supply condemned.
> Now
> how a relatively rich area on the same latitude as Nova Scotia and nearly
> a
> hundred inches of rain a year can not organize clean water I do not know.
> What hope for bangladesh?
>
> In 1959 a book was published called the Ugly American by William J Leader
> and Eugene Burdic. It was about the futility and the stupidity of grand
> western aid intervention political and economic . What I don't understand
> is
> that the book that had twelve reprints yet no politician or economist that
> could do anything about our aid attitudes can have read it.
>
> -- Regards Paul Taylor.
>
> Westport Pottery, Liscarney, County Mayo. Ireland.
>
> http://www.anu.ie/westportpottery/
>
> Ps to all. Please paragraph your posts and put a blank line in between
> the
> paragraphs. I have great difficulty reading large blocks of type from a
> screen.
> > From: A Reid Harvey
> > Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> > Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 09:18:46 +0200
> > To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> > Subject: Nikom, earthenware water purifiers and western arrogance
> >
> > Janet and Clayartists,
> > I hope it is okay that I pasted on your message to me, below, Janet. I
> > do not like to rub salt in the wounds of those who are sensitive to
> > accusations of western arrogance, but will do so on this occasion out of
> > respect for Nikom. I have sent several postings to Clayart concerning
> > the water purifier we developed in Africa and the ones promoted by
> > Potters for Peace. I would like to give my impressions about just why it
> > has taken so long for the purifiers to become accepted.
> >
> > In a nut shell there are two reasons I can think of right now. They may
> > sound simplistic but I will elaborate. 1. Though every twenty seconds,
> > someone, somewhere in the world dies as a result of drinking bacteria
> > contaminated water, water experts prefer high cost alternatives to
> > purification. 2. Donors and aid agencies who would like to consider
> > projects to make and promote earthenware water purifiers are reluctant
> > to do so. The reason is that there are almost no independent ceramists
> > around who are ready and willing to help with feasibility studies.
> >
> > For those at risk of water born illness, the tragedy is that there are
> > practically no appropriate methods of purifying bacteria contaminated
> > water. In fact, this is the leading cause of death worldwide. Poor
> > people do not have access to methods of water purification that are: low
> > cost, easy to use and effective. Upto now the conventional thinking
> > among water experts is a preference for pipe born water from a single
> > pure source. This is far too expensive for consideration for the poor,
> > who constitute the vast majority of those at risk. Household
> > alternatives for purification, such as earthenware purifiers, are
> > considered non viable by experts, in part because this would suggest
> > educating community groups on various methodological aspects. By
> > contrast, when delivering pipe born water the users need not be involved
> > in hygienic or 'scientific' aspects.
> >
> > Also, water researchers prefer to work on high cost alternatives because
> > this is far more lucrative. Once they develop a methodology they can
> > make immediate money when selling their system unit. By contrast, our
> > units and PFP's cost about $3.00 to $8.00, far to little to make any
> > money anytime soon. In fact the only way to get a project for low cost
> > alternatives in place is with considerable donor sponsorship, and donors
> > are looking for successful precedents. So there is a catch 22 involved.
> >
> > As to the difficulty of doing feasibility studies, few ceramists are
> > familiar with the methods of making the water purifiers. While the
> > techniques can be simple, they also involve an understanding of water
> > issues, and few ceramists are familiar here as well. This is also true
> > for the few organizations who have ceramists who can consult on
> > development issues. And it would be costly for a donor to hire a
> > ceramist to research feasibility. In addition, donors and aid agencies
> > tend to avoid ceramic projects in general, since these are considered to
> > be encumbered with technique and too esoteric.
> >
> > Additionally the bigger health organizations, pharmaceutical companies,
> > etc., will not research low cost water purification for the same
> > reasons: low cost alternatives are not lucrative. Actually there is a
> > success story in dealing with problem of incentive to research, which I
> > believe could one day be applied to earthenware purifers: new
> > anti-malarial medicines are being developed by pharmaceutical companies,
> > using financial guaranatees provided by the World Bank, in collaboration
> > with the U.N. A situation similar to that of the lack of incentive for
> > big companies to develop low cost water purification has existed with
> > respect to malaria medication. Currently there are millions of poor
> > people dying every year in Africa and Asia, simply because there is no
> > effective medicine for the new, virulent forms of the disease. And the
> > current best medication is too expensive for the poor.
> >
> > A similar situation exists here in Banlgadesh with respect to dengue
> > fever, also mosquito born. My wife Catherine just got over a really
> > horrible bout of dengue fever, but fortunately this variety was not the
> > killer. Hemorrhagic dengue is a big killer here in Asia, but the tens of
> > thousands effected are not considered enough to provide pharmaceutical
> > companies with an incentive. Adding insult to injury, the recent dengue
> > panic here in Bangladesh has caused shop keepers to triple the prices
> > for spray insecticides, like Raid. Now the poor cannot afford to buy
> > these. The axiom that the poor get poorer would seem hard to dispute. In
> > this part of the world the life expectancy is tragically low.
> >
> > Reid Harvey
> > Dhaka, Bangladesh
> > http://www.geocities.com/ceramafrique/
> >
> > Janet Kaiser wrote:
> >
> >> Dear Reid,
> >>
> >> Yes, it is sad. I work for OXFAM and support
> >> Water Aid so I am a little informed about some
> >> of the issues both Nikom/Ed and you were/are
> >> experiencing first hand. The information he was
> >> able to share was very important, as well as
> >> interesting. It scratched at the surface of
> >> western arrogance. And that is a VERY GOOD
> >> THING.
> >>
> >> I hope you will be able to report to Clay Art
> >> often on your work in Bangladesh. Information is
> >> a very powerful tool and you will never know
> >> what benefits your words will bring if you do
> >> not speak.
> >>
> >> Best wishes
> >> Janet
> >> The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
> >> HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
> >> Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
> >> E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
> >> WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
> >
> >
> __________________________________________________________________________
> ____
> > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> > You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> > settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> > melpots@pclink.com.
>
> __________________________________________________________________________
> ____
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
Gavin Stairs on mon 21 aug 00
At 03:18 AM 8/21/00, you wrote:
>...development issues. And it would be costly for a donor to hire a
>ceramist to research feasibility. In addition, donors and aid agencies
...
Hi Reid,
What, if anything, could be done by studio ceramists this side of the great
divide to assist you in you promotion of the ceramic filtering
technology? Do you need any research that could be done by such
people? What do you need, and how could we help?
Gavin
Gavin Stairs
Stairs Small Systems
921 College St., # 1-A
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6H 1A1
phone: (416)530-0419 stairs@stairs.on.ca
Louis H.. Katz on mon 21 aug 00
Dear All,
I am not an expert on this subject by any means, but development projects seem to
fail because the people who come up with them live in iclean offices in a a city
and try to figure out how to help someone who is living in grass huts, mud brick,
with no education,cash, etc. It is no wonder that they fail. We can't really even
figure out how to help our own poor.
The Peace Corp although by no means perfect at least understands that people have
to be on the ground to understand the problems and that solutions don't come quick.
While I lived in Thailand I saw numerous hairbrained schemes for helping the local
potters. Here is a short list.
1. Install heat recuperation devices on the woodkilns.
2. Build climbing kilns to fire earthen water coolers when the market is declining
and fuel is free as a means to increase production and decrease fuel costs. (saw
four of these beasts being used as scorpion nests)
3. Instruct the villagers in the use of $3000 oil burners for use in their wood
kilns.
4. Build electric wheels that don't allow the villages to use thier highly
developed coil throwing skills.
5. Build a waste oil burner that costs too much and not allow the necessary lead
time to make appropriate kiln adjustments to make it work right (my hairbrained
scheme). BTW the waste oil would have displaced the burning of rubber tires. Of
course my failled development project only cost $50 and about a week.
Louis
| |
|
