Hi!
We are Derek van Benthem, Wik van den Heuvel, and Daan Buitenhuis. For our minor, we are heading to Sierra Leone to improve the efficiency of palm kernel oil production in the local village of Makonkarie.
Currently, producing palm kernel oil is a labor-intensive and hazardous process. When cracking the nuts, fragments fly in all directions, causing injuries and making the process very slow. Together with a local machinery company, we are working on developing a machine that will make this process much faster and safer.
With these machines, the people in the village will be able to process their own kernels, as well as those from neighboring villages. This will lead to financial growth for both the villagers and the surrounding farmers!
