Design and construct a inexpensive grain mill from local materials On the MIT Global Challenge: http://globalchallenge.mit.edu/teams/view/182

1. Flour Power

2. Need
• According to the International Labor
Organization, “Processed grain is one of the
most important elements in the diet of low-
income groups” in developing countries.
• Additionally the ILO found that appropriate
technologies for grain milling keep the
employment and earnings local.
• Farm technologies cannot be successful
unless the recipients are able to reap the
benefits in a sustainable way

3. Impact
• Ugali or a similar
mushie maize meal is
the staple food of over
200 million people in
Eastern and Southern
Africa
• Uses an excessively
fine flour that is
produced by a local
commercial mill or
ground by hand

4. Problem
• Currently flour is produced in small-scale
commercial mills
• ~$1 per kilogram
• Entire daily wage for a Tanzanian
• Small scale farmers and low income
consumers unable to obtain flour
• Reduced access to nutrition

5. Innovation
• Objective is to design an affordable human-
powered grain mill that is capable of in-home
production of flour fine enough for use in ugali.
• Our focus areas include ease of use, quality of
output, maintenance, and sustainability.
• Our concept would provide an innovative
substitute to commercial mills and store
bought flour, which are expensive, and the
mortar and pestle, which is timely and labor
intensive.

6. Implementation
• Initial design & Prototyping: Spring 2011
• Mounting to GCS platform: Early
summer 2011
• Testing and refinement: Summer 2011
• Distribution in Tanzania via GCS: Fall
2011