Friday, May 23, 2008

What do I actually do all day?

In writing my list of things not to write about on a blog (Your bank details, Your secret membership of the Klu Klux Klan, Your addiction to alcohol/drugs/tea/highjinks*, How you used to fancy Maggie Thatcher, How you still do fancy Maggie Thatcher, How you think you are Maggie Thatcher), I noticed that nowhere on that list was talking about what you actually do at work. But I actually never do. So ...


Rubbish in Nairobi is a problem. Well, rubbish anywhere is a problem - but there's a lot of it in Nairobi. Unlike trees which there are increasingly less of as people keep cutting them down to turn into charcoal. A couple of weeks ago I met a Kenyan who wants to set up a recycling plant which will turn rubbish into charcoal. Neat idea huh. So today, I tried to work out how he could do it profitably. And if so, we might be able to invest.

*Delete as appropriate

4 comments:

Mike & Helen said...

Now he just needs to work out how to change rubbish into trees. That's what I'm working on. There'd be little challenge in doing that profitably.

Mike

Birthday boy said...

I read this page!

ps sounds like a rubbish idea

Dad Mzungu said...

Hi Jon
I am working or turning (organic) rubbish into methane, that can then be used for cooking, and saving a few trees in the process.
Not a new idea, I know, but not exploited enough, so I am creating a show shamba, "River Cottage Kenya" in Kisii when I next visit.
Also working on easy to build, easy to use water cleaning (dare I say purification?) plant, rainwater collection, etc.
The problem is getting people to adopt new methods so we are compiling education programmes in parallel - well, that's the dream, anyway.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jon
You don't know me, my name is Ianto Jones I am a friend of Katy Wareham who I believe you worked with at Tearfund. I am currently doing a master's degree dissertation researching leadership roles for women in development. She told me about you and directed me towards your blog (which I like very much by the way!) and said that you would be a good person to talk to. I appreciate that you are very busy but if you have time to answer a couple of questions that wuld be fantastic. You can contact me at ianto_jones@hotmail.com also if you can think of anyone else that may be good to talk to please let me know. Thank you for your time, regards,
Ianto