Appropriate Paper-based Technology uses recycled paper and card so starting an APT business does not require a large amount of capital.

APT Craft Business

A number of people supplement their income by selling APT products they have made.

It is more challenging to try to live off selling APT products especially if the business is a social enterprise business providing a service for the community. The APTers in Zambia are making chairs, standing frames and mobility aids to measure, providing a service for people with disabilities and their families in Zambia.

Social Enterprise Business

 A Social Enterprise business has a social aim such as providing services to the community or some other community support. It is sustainable because proceeds from the business cover the operating expenses. Any extra surplus money can be used to support the social aim.

It is not shared among the owners or the management.

 

Important facts

 The business needs to be GOOD to last 

A business needs GOOD

  1. Products or services
  2. Maintenance of production - reliable
  3. Advertising and sales support

Essential to these is GOOD management When a business runs well so that the operating costs can be covered, the social aim can be achieved and there will be a committed workforce and sustainable work.

AN Example of an APT Social Enterprise Business

The APTers are a group of eight Physically Challenged people who have been making APT items for use and sale since 1992 in Zambia. They now have a workshop in the grounds of the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka. People come to this hospital for treatment and advice from Lusaka city and from outlying areas. Consequently the APTers see many people who need equipment. There is more from them further on. *

People Potential and the APTers have been working together doing action research in improving the effectiveness and efficiency in making APT equipment for children with disabilities.

Sustainability                                                                                                   Disabled people or the parents or guardians of differently-able children are often too poor to buy the useful equipment they make at the true cost of manufacture. Subsidies are raised to help them purchase equipment.

However the APTers struggle to produce enough to maintain the salaries of all in the workshop.  The cost of living is high and it is not easy for physically-challenged people to use public transport. This also adds to the daily costs.

Much thought has been going into this problem. One idea would be for the APTers money to fundraise for their salaries but this would not last. Therefore in order for the APTers to continue their work with their heads up high, they need to sell more items and earn more money to survive. This means they need to be able to make more. Therefore thanks, to Cerebral Palsy Africa, the APTers have been working with People Potential to research and implement the best means to improve the products and become more efficient in the production.

Cerebral Palsy Africa (CPA) was officially registered in April 2005.  The stated aim is to alleviate the effects of cerebral palsy on African children by:

  • Providing therapy training
  • Providing assistive devices such as special chairs and standing frames
  • Helping with transport needs
  • Carrying out relevant research

The main concentration was equipment for children with cerebral palsy but working in one area can have beneficial effects for the whole running of the business.

The work started with RESEARCH

1. Recording the equipment issued and working on ‘tools’ to record the relevant details

2. Working with physiotherapists in the area of specialist equipment e.g. seats and standing frames mainly, for people with cerebral palsy

3. Making up new designs in APT

4. Testing new designs in the workshop

5. Finding best measurements for ‘pod designs’ that can be mass-produced but still lending themselves to individual customisation.

People Potential went to Zambia under CPA and helped by the Church of the Good Shepherd in July 2006. Physiotherapists from Lusaka and other towns in Zambia had a specialist course in cerebral palsy and treatment, taught by Mrs Archie Hinchcliffe. This new knowledge from their specialised course means that the physiotherapists are more able to advise parents on positioning their child at home. This is made much easier with specialist equipment. So the APTers needed to provide more customised designs to suit the differing needs of children with cerebral palsy.

 

Work has been done on more effective designs from APT for children with different types of cerebral palsy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working towards Sustainability with Efficient Production

Kennett Westmacott from People Potential who has worked in batch production in small workshops went to Zambia, under CPA, in November 2006. He and the APTers worked to changed from making pieces of equipment individually to making batches of piece parts (sides, backs, seats, supports and so on) in batches, improving production efficiency

1.      Learning about small workshop systems

2.      Making a huge press for mass-production of layered cardboard

3.      Making up batches of piece parts

4.      Including essential joint-strengthening to make a safe product

5.      Making jigs to enable easier assembly

 

BATCH-PRODUCTION DAY

This means that they now have Fridays and mass-production days to replenish the piece parts. These are stored on shelves.

When they get the measurements they can simple select the sizes needed and trim these if necessary according the measurements. Then these are assembled and pasted together with the help of the jigs. They are covered in white recycled paper and when dry are checked with the User and Physiotherapist. Then the final adjustments and painting can be done.

“Our work shop will never be the same as long as we do what he taught us”.  Darius Banda, APTers Production Manager.

 

* Background to APTers in Lusaka Zambia by Kenneth Habaalu (Director)

Mrs. Archie Hinchcliffe (wife of the former British High Commissioner) who was herself a physiotherapist involved in the rehabilitation programs of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) introduced APT into Zambia. She trained a group of five enterprising young people with physical disability who decided to establish their own workshop. With the support of Mr. Hinchliffe and other well wishers they began production of special seating and standing equipment of CP children in 1990, which up to this time had been unavailable or too expensive for the average person. The project was also seen as a way of economically empowering persons with disabilities, by providing them with meaningful employment. In 1991, the project moved from a small room in the Purchasing Department of the Physiotherapy Unit to the ex Polio Pool, which had previously been used as part of the rehabilitation of people suffering from polio. From their workshop at UTH, Apters have continued in their production of mobility aids. This work has continued hand in hand with a variety of rehabilitation programs, which Apters have worked with and supplied with mobility aids. These include; Community Based Rehabilitation, Cheshire Homes, local special needs schools (i.e. Bauleni) and Misisi Special School.

Members of Apters work closely with physiotherapist, and play an active role in measuring children for seating and standing equipment. Each mobility aid is made to individual specification. The equipment made by Apter provides children with disabilities with low cost intervention tools that are instrumental in their treatment and rehabilitation.

Members of APTers group, Lusaka. Ms Ireen Nasolo, Mr Robson Ngulube, Mr Darius Banda, Mr Peter Banda, Mr Geoffrey Mwale, Mr Kenneth Habaala, Mr Thomas Mwiya, Mr Rayford Lungu.