Speaking Out

Jo Rowlands, Nikki van der Gaag

Many poor people around the world are denied the opportunity to have their say. Politics generally works well for those in power, but those in poverty are often excluded from forums that directly affect their welfare and so are unable to hold decision-makers to account. Speaking Out describes differ...

Recycling Plastics: Starting a business

An introduction to plastic recycling looking at the reasons for recycling and the practicalities of small-scale businesses.

Serpentine Solar Water Heating: Guidelines for Fabrication

The Serpentine is a solar thermal collector developed as part of a low cost water heating system by the AIDG for households in Xela, Guatemala.

Strawberry Flavoured Jam

Strawberry flavoured jam can be made from ash gourd and artificial strawberry flavouring.

Coffee Processing

This fact sheet describes the types of coffee, and the techniques and equipment needed for small-scale coffee production.

Mud as a Mortar

Clay is the inherent binder of soils which are used in building. Such mortars are generally used with adobe and compressed soil blocks.

Uncharted Territory

Sara Pantuliano

Disputes over land often start conflicts; and land is often a key issue when refugees and internally displaced people attempt to return home when the conflict is over. Access to land affects people’s choice to return and their prospects of recovery. Yet humanitarian agencies largely neglect these wi...

Sugar production from Sugar Cane

This brief describes the process of sugar production, explaining yields, crushing, juice treatment, juice boiling and cleanliness.

Climate Change and Gender Justice

Geraldine Terry

Climate change is often framed as a problem that needs mainly technical and economic solutions. Climate Change and Gender Justice considers how gender issues are entwined with people’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change, and how gender identities and roles may affect women’s and men’s pe...

The Poor and their Money

Stuart Rutherford

Sukhwinder Arora

The Microfinance revolution is usually considered to have been led by the NGOs, donor agencies, and more recently banks who offer poor people financial services. But what can we learn from the ways that poor people already manage their money? What are the essential elements that they prize so much t...