Applicant Profile: AIDFI

The Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc (AIDFI) was organised by four former staff of the socio economic section of a labour union for sugar workers. The four had worked with farm lots and later with the new land reform program. They realised the need for support services besides the land distribution. AIDFI started with two main programs: Appropriate Technologies and Organic Farming. The Technologies centred on the basic needs of the mostly land reform beneficiaries which was nearly everything: water (drinking and irrigation), sanitation, (Renewable) energy (biogas, hydro, biomass and wind) and equipment’s for production and processing. All technology are locally manufactured and based on local spare parts. Several pumps are being manufactured but a crossbred model of the ram pump became the flagship technology of AIDFI. This technology was perfected over many years and a program around the technology developed for its sustainability: social preparation, set up of water association, training local technicians and watershed activities. From one island the ram pump spread over nearly all the islands and installation teams were set up. Also international installations were done and AIDFI even carried out complete technology transfer to three countries: Afghanistan, Nepal and Colombia. For its holistic approach AIDFI received numerous awards including the alternative Asian Nobel Prize. Its other program is centred on essential oil enterprising in remote areas where AIDFI partners with farmers associations. AIDFI has a Techno Park where all its technologies are on display and which has around 4000 visitors per year.

In 1990 R&D activities were carried out on the ram pump technology. Several models have been built since then. The model comes now in 9 sizes and still bigger sizes are developed for irrigation purpose. In 1997 we started manufaturing the Bush Pump which originates from Zimbabwe and which was perfected by SKAT in Switzerland. This is one of the best heavy duty community pumps for Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM). Later we started making two models of treadle pumps and the rope pump.
We have till today done some 227 hydraulic ram pump projects for villages. There is a tremendous potential and the need for such systems is huge. We also install and sell some ram pumps in and to other countries (Japan, Malaysia, West Timor, Thailand, Nepal, Afghanistan, France, Peru, Costa Rica and Colombia). Complete technology transfer was carried out to three countries and we are open for more transfers.

The roots are with sugarworkers. most of the staff come from the grassroots themselves and have been developed internally. An important menitoning is that from our start we never relied on funding but stressed on income generating. We operate the Techno Park, a coffeeshop, earn some money with ram pump instalaltions and other technologies we manufacture and through the sales of essential oil. All this income is used for the operation and re-invested in social services. also since the start we maintained our R&D with one fulltime technician on it despite absence of funds. However through donations we can fasten our plans.