Here I am giving a demonstration to village women on a new product put out by Population Services International, funded by USAID. We use their product, Waterguard, in our own water. The new procuct, Waterguard Wa Uffa (uffa meaning flour or powder) treats the water and makes all the sediment fall to the bottom. This is perfect for the village woman who get their water right from the river. Instead of giving out the product free, PSI charges a small amount and the rest is subsidized. The idea behind it is "social marketing". They have found that when they give out free procucts like Waterguard and mosquito nets, people don't value them and don't use them. When they charge a small price that villagers can afford they sell like hot cakes and people use them.
P.S. Brian had a role in this demonstration too. After all the sediment magically fell to the bottom of the bucket he would come over and look in the bucket excitedly saying "wonani! wonani! (look! look!)"
2 comments:
Brian is now in the Peace Corps volunteering as a shill?
I had to look it up, jerk.
Shill
–noun 1. a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating, as at a gambling house, auction, confidence game, etc.
2. a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.
–verb (used without object) 3. to work as a shill: He shills for a large casino.
–verb (used with object) 4. to advertise or promote (a product) as or in the manner of a huckster; hustle: He was hired to shill a new TV show.
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