Hi Everyone,
After 6 months, this project has finally come to its closure. During these six months, I followed TU Delft design methods to find out possible solutions for the post-harvest loss issue of dagaa. To generate a suitable solution, studies regarding the background, opportunities, users, etc., were done to understand the limitations and the state of the arts. Then, stakeholders and I made a decision to develop the design that utilizes a heat pump as its heat source. In order to improve the functionality and usability, 10 iterations and tests were conducted. As a result, a greenhouse dryer, “UpWind,” was designed. UpWind provides a hygienic environment for drying. It keeps dagaa away from the sand, animal, rain, and UV contamination. Moreover, it is sustainable, low-burden, faster, and affordable. The most impactful sustainability concerns were pinpointed through analyzing the life-cycle assessment of the former design. Then, the concerns were improved by replacing the charcoal-burner with an energy-efficient heat pump; moreover, the plastic-coated steel wire meshes were replaced with retired fishing nets.
The recommendations of the design’s manufacturing methods and future developments were delivered to our partners in Tanzania. They will take over this project and keep it going. We are excited to see how the dagaa fishery in Tanzania will change in the future! How about you?
