My year-long stay in India focused on introducing a smokeless chulha technology into a poor, urban community through a generation of grassroots demand and locally fulfilled supply. The objective of the project was to achieve sustainable, developmental progress with minimal external financial contribution or future support. Using a variety of techniques, from controlled experiments to interactive meetings, the families of Behrampura, Ahmedabad, began to see the benefits of a new, more appropriate and beneficial type of cooking stove.

Research has shown that private schools for the poor provide a better quality of education than government schools. However, they face the challenges of a regulated education sector where government approvals are extremely hard to get. Private entrepreneurs or “edupreneurs” are denied finance by banks. Those serving low income communities are unable to charge high fees and are therefore forced to recruit unqualified, inexperienced teachers who cannot deliver a high quality of education. What then is the solution for parents from low-income communities who want their child to receive a decent quality of education at an affordable price?