sap223’s Blog

1. Based on your life experience, skills and interests, what would a design process that is both uniquely yours and effective look like?

 

Our group will look to learn from and build off of other projects that have already attempted to improve the processing of copra. It has already been shown by other research groups that there is a way to improve the system that is currently being used. Where our design process will differ from these groups, however, is in the approach of the problem. Our goal is to improve the livelihood and income of small landowner coconut farmers in the Philippines. Simply designing a cutting edge, all-weather drying technique to generate more consistent quality copra (based on moisture percentage) is a major step in the right direction. However, to truly achieve our goal our product needs to do more than just produce better copra. It needs to be easy to use, affordable, and durable. Additionally, our design process will look to, in any way we can, give the smallholder farmers the ability to generate additional income other than just coconuts. We’ve looked into ways to add value to waste copra, such as copra snacks. We’re exploring ways to allow coconut farmers to add value to their finished product as well; smallholder coconut farmers usually sell raw copra, which sells for much less than refined coconut oil itself. If our product in some way enabled farmers to process their copra into a finished coconut oil product, they could feasibly earn much more for their product. 

This design process will follow a cradle-to-cradle strategy in which our goal will be for all outputs to enter into another system as inputs. In order to do so, we must change the way we view sustainable systems. In nature, the fallen blossoms of a cherry tree can be seen as waste/output or they can be seen as input for the next generation of cherry blossom trees. By applying this analogy to our project, we will plan a design process that creates economic growth rather than restricts it. Instead of minimizing consumption to create a cradle-to-grave design process, we will work to improve methods that will allow for increased consumption of coconut products while also creating a system that is sustainable. 

 

2. Identify your three most important stakeholders and list five UNIQUE attributes for each one of them. 

1. Copra Farmers
   1. Directly using copra processing techniques
   2. Feels the effects of their business (efficient/non-efficient process)
   3. Major Coconut producers
   4. Will feel the direct impact of our work
   5. People that we will be working with the closest
2. Philippine Coconut Authority
   1. In charge of developing the coconut industry to its full potential
   2. Has a say in the regulations of copra farming
   3. Is researching and trying to develop ways to increase copra quality
   4. Working to develop and expand foreign markets
   5. Works to ensure the socio-economic welfare of coconut farmers
3. Coconut Consumers
   1. The consumption of the product keeps the farmers in business
   2. Consuming coconut products puts money back into the economy
   3. Their needs are working to be met  
   4. Their demand quantifies the amount of copra that needs to be produced
   5. Consumerism has a major effect on the pricing of coconut goods

 

3. Identify three ways in which you will validate your project concept, technology, usability, and business model. 

 

“Are we building the right product…with valid requirements, features & performance?” This is the question that we should ask ourselves as we validate our project design and model. Three possible validation pathways that we come up with are:

 

• Write down our basic assumptions and test: Who are our customers/consumers? Who are the stakeholders?  What problems are we solving? What is the economic problem? What is the engineering problem? Does addressing the engineering problem solves the economic problem? How does our product/design/approach solve the problem(s)? What are the key features of the products?

 

• Reach out and interview our networks, including friends, mentors, investors, partners, and others for feedback. The interview questions should be (1) open-ended, (2) help uncover pain, value, or motivation, and (3) challenge our previously held assumptions. Come to the interview with a curious mindset about the stakeholder’s problems and needs instead of a sense of cursory will help us gain valuable insight.

 

• Find the value(s) proposition of our product/design/approach. A value proposition is the expected gains that our customer/consumer will gain from using our product/design/approach. Values can be both quantitative and qualitative, and by thoroughly understanding and documenting these quantitative and qualitative values through the fieldwork and stakeholders interviews, we can push our design closer to the correct features, performance, functionality, and other requirements.

4. Give three examples of something very interesting you learned from a friend that was a completely alien concept to you.

A friend told me that more than half of all new PhDs in the U.S. each year are fake. Another friend told me about the beauty standards in Korea and I was surprised to learn how different they are from what the U.S. defines as beauty. Lastly, a friend who went on a Peeps factory tour told me that Hot Tamales candy is made from all the reject Mike and Ikes after the factory reworks them and uses cinnamon to cover up the flavor.

Samantha Powers

List the top 20 questions your team needs to answer to advance the venture forward.

1. What are we impacting?
2. How are we impacting?
3. Where/why are we impacting?
4. What makes copra so important?
5. How many lives can we impact?
6. How will our work have an impact outside of the Philippines?
7. What are the different ways we can have an impact?
8. How do we make our impact sustainable?
9. How do we quantify impact?
10. Can we generate a negative impact as well?
11. Will the people in the Philippines be open to our ideas?
12. What will be the obstacles that prevent us from making an impact?
13. How long until we are able to deliver impact?
14. How will we adopt their cultural habits?
15. What are people doing to create an impact now?
16. Who are these people?
17. How personal is the process to them?
18. How do we adjust our solution to their culture?
19. How can we make people happy?
20. How can we improve ourselves through this project?

 

Develop and Visualize the Theory of Change (Logic Model) for your venture.

Inputs:                    Activities:                                Outputs:

– money                   – research                                 – consistency in copra quality (and higher quality)

– time                       – prototyping                           – reduced copra waste

– knowledge            – designing                              – maximized use of the whole coconut

– expertise               – networking                           – increased nutritional value in copra

– materials               – visit farms                             – value-added products from coconut

– equipment            – educate                                 – (down the road) social venture focused on 

– partners                – propose ideas                        introducing and implementing sustainable,

                                                                                     state-of-the-art copra processing methods to 

                                                                                     copra farmers

Outcomes: 

Short term:

– knowledge and awareness of current drying processes and their shortcomings

Intermediate: 

– reduced the popular use of sun-drying and smoke-drying methods

Long-term:

– elevate the livelihoods and increase income for copra farmers

– benefit the economy and communities in the Philippines

– sustainability and positive environmental impact

Samantha Powers

 

1. Give three compelling examples of how cultural issues affect your project.

 

In Filipino culture, there is a high respect for elders. People go to their elders for guidance in decision making and they highly value their opinions. In farming, agricultural practices are often passed down from generation to generation, making farmers less inclined to adopt new techniques and methods of production. In relation to my project, we may be disadvantaged due to our age in that farmers may be less willing to accept new ideas from my group as well as the university students we are partnering with in the Philippines as it may be seen as disrespectful to elders due to change in their long-standing practices. Another important part of Filipino culture that may affect my project is the tendency to be late, dating back to the Spanish colonial period when it was portrayed in literature as a status symbol in which the latest was considered most important. Now, tardiness continues as a result of the terrible traffic in the capital, Manila, making it difficult to meet a person at a specific time. When one person continues to be late, the other doesn’t find it necessary to be punctual either, creating a perpetual cycle. This may affect my project in the Philippines because it may make it difficult to meet at the same time as someone and as a result, we could lose productivity. Communication in the Filipino culture is also an issue that may affect my project. In the Philippines, people use non-verbal communication and are less dependent on words. They understand when things are implied without needing a statement or command. While in Manila, this will affect the way we communicate with and understand the people we speak with in our project. 

 

2. Have you experienced or observed any of these social situations at home?  Describe at least three such situations.

Though respect for elders varies between households in my culture, I have noticed that it does not seem prioritized to the extent that it is in the Philippines. Children often talk back to their elders or do not follow their directions and it is not taken as seriously as it would in places like the Philippines where it is of higher importance. Specifically, throughout my schooling I have seen students speak to teachers in disrespectful ways without any reaction or consequence by the teacher. Unlike in the Philippines, I find the tendency to be late less common in my community, as people really value their time. This is particularly true for academic meetings, though social or casual gatherings seem to be more elastic. Personally, I have experienced the situation in the Philippines in which the tardiness of one person influences the punctuality of another to be true in my culture when I know that the particular person I am meeting is typically late. I will also be late so I do not waste my time waiting for them, as some do in the Philippines. With regard to communication, I find the situation in Filipino culture to be similar to mine in that people speak with implication or question rather than command. For example, at work, my manager would always ask me if I would like to sweep rather than telling me to, though I knew there was no real choice in the question. 

 

3. Give three examples of cultural practices that can be leveraged to addressed community / market problems.

In the Philippines, farmer to farmer communication is an important relationship in the dissemination of reliable information, especially in areas where there is a lack of access to government extension agents. This may help us in the dissemination of our ideas in the Philippines and may save us time as agricultural information can spread efficiently in a network that is based on communication between farmers. Having this network may also build trust and minimize skepticism in a potential product through discussion between farmers if one farmer knows others who have used it successfully and can attest to its validity. Though also seen as a challenge, another practice that can be leveraged is the value placed on respect for elders. If elders accept our ideas, farmers will also be more inclined to accept the new methods as the acceptance from elders may be seen as approval for change. The Filipino way of communication can also be leveraged, as it is very similar to the way of communication in America. This will allow us to communicate with farmers and university students effectively to understand what is meant verses what is said. 

Why did you enroll in this course (motivation, prior interests)?

 

I initially heard about the Global Social Impact Fellowship during my older sister’s visit to Lehigh. On the tour, the student guide spoke about the project in Sierra Leone with the UTI test strips for improving maternal health. I was intrigued by the magnitude and meaning of the project, though the possibility of actually becoming a part of one of the teams did not cross my mind as I was only a rising high school sophomore at the time and did not know that I would eventually end up at Lehigh. Three years later, I heard about the fellowship again through a presentation during my Engineering 5 class. After listening to the presentation and hearing about GSIF from students who were a part of it, I knew the program was something I wanted to be a part of. Though I value my traditional classroom courses, I knew that becoming a GSIF fellow would allow me to engage in a way that my other courses did not. My motive was my desire to actively participate in a hands-on experience that would allow me to apply knowledge from class to a societal challenge. I was also drawn towards GSIF because it seems to be one of the only opportunities at Lehigh that has the potential to create the impact of its size. Personally, I feel most passionate about my work when I know that it is meaningful. I feel the most purpose when I am making a difference. The GSIF gives me the platform to do so through creating sustainable social impact in a country where it is much needed. In addition to creating impact, I am also excited to be able to work with students across disciplines to achieve a common goal, as I feel that working on an interdisciplinary team is representative of the dynamic that is necessary in solving complex issues. 

 

How do you envision this course making you a better (<your major>) student?

 

Solving any societal, engineering challenge involves working across disciplines, and I envision this course will help me grow the skill set and mindset that is needed to create effective solutions. This includes being part of a group that has different strengths and visions. I think I will learn to value differences in perspectives, as having differences in perspectives in a group is what cultivates optimal solutions. As an engineering student, working with people of different ideas and backgrounds will foster creativity when developing solutions. I envision that the immersive nature of GSIF will lead me to consider the community I am influencing more and understand the causes to the need rather than solely focusing on solving the technical problem. Given that many of the world’s greatest engineering challenges exist in low-income countries, I see the fieldwork portion of the fellowship to be particularly important, as engineers must understand the social circumstances behind their work in order to create a proper solution. By immersing myself in the culture of my work and bridging the gap between communities, I will develop the mindset of an ethical engineer. In addition, I envision the course building my entrepreneurial mindset as an engineer through finding innovative solutions, acting upon new ideas, and learning that failure is an important part in finding a successful solution. For my particular project, Copra Processing and Process Streamlining in the Philippines, I envision my knowledge and experience in Industrial Engineering to grow, as a major aspect of the project addresses the efficiency of systems involving the copra and as well as communication between farmers. 

 

What solution do you propose to address the lack of accessibility of eyeglasses in developing countries like Kenya?

 

Given that old prescription eyeglasses tend to go without use, one part of the solution to the lack of accessibility of glasses could be gathering and distributing donations from people when they get new prescription glasses. With donating these glasses comes the need for more optometrists in order to assess the eye health of recipients to correctly treat them. To bring more optometrists into developing countries, developed nations can raise awareness of the condition in poorer countries regarding proper eye care. By raising awareness, developing countries would likely attract more donations as well as volunteer optometrists willing to give their time. Though these solutions would not fix the issue permanently, they are solutions to the lack of accessibility while the country builds a more sustainable solution. The foundation to this sustainable solution is education. In order to grow economically and improve accessibility to eye care in the long-term, nations need to work together to build a stronger education system in developing countries like Kenya.

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