We have now been at Wenchi Agricultural College for three weeks. We initially came here to design an analogue thermometer with sound, which can be used to parboil rice at the right temperature. Parboiling is a process in which the rice is pre-cooked before it is sold, which improves its quality. The rice farmers and the people who carry out the parboiling process, who are mainly women, live in Tamale, in northern Ghana. We are working with four students from the agricultural college, all of whom come from communities in this region. By working with them and through our first visit to these women last weekend, we have gained a much better understanding of the parboiling process and have gained many new insights.
Our initial focus was mainly on designing the thermometer, which would improve one phase of the process. During our visit, we discovered that there was still much room for improvement in every phase of the process. The various phases of the parboiling process are: washing the rice, cooking the rice, soaking the rice, steaming the rice and drying the rice. We want to implement improvements in each stage to ensure the best possible quality of rice. We want to work on a water filter, insulation against heat loss during soaking, a way to steam the rice above the water instead of in the water, and a raised platform for drying the rice. We will work on these developments alongside the further development of the thermometer.
In the coming weeks, we will conduct more research and continue working on the prototypes. Ultimately, we will compile everything into a manual that is understandable and applicable for the women in Tamale. Towards the end of the project, we will return to Tamale to implement our changes and explain the manual.
