TED's Philosophy of Development Work

• TED implements sustainable technologies. In order to be successful in the long term, construction, production and maintenance of our products are done by local craftspersons who don't rely on foreign subsidies but on local markets.
• TED trains workers, students, kids and everybody to understanding of the processes and the reasons behind the technology; this approach ensures quality in work and performance, and increases the interest of technology owners to maintain their system or device towards a long lasting use.
• TED strictly follows a demand driven approach: Action is only taken if we are approached by customers thus ensuring the economic viability.
• TED requests customers of waste water treatment systems to pay an amount which is comparable to the cost of a conventional septic tank; this payment covers construction and limited overhead cost. Customers buy the necessary building materials themselves. Since a Biogas & DEWATS plant represents a quite large investment for the typical customer, motivation for proper care and maintenance is assured.
• TED puts much effort into solving problems of adoption by getting the engineering right. Although users are instructed how to use the biogas/DEWATS plants in a proper way, we believe it is more sustainable to promote a truly adapted technology than to ask for significant behavior change in handling waste water and organic waste. This approach also relates to the construction procedure, which is carefully developed to take into consideration the available building materials, skills and environmental conditions. We do not promote technologies that cannot be built without foreign assistance.
• TED promotes behavior changes in hygiene, esp, for hand washing with clean water and soap, and relies on the social fact that children by the time being educate their parents to improve their sanitation conditions at home.
• TED fosters economic development by promoting networking of all relevant stakeholders: small local businesses, government agencies, researchers and development agencies are coming together and co-ordinate relevant efforts through TED.