The material found in this site was assembled while doing research into appropriate technology projects for the U.S. Peace Corps. Most of the appropriate technology books that I had read while doing this research seemed to focus on large and expensive projects that would require outside financial assistance and often complex skills training. While these projects do fill a valid need and provide much needed assistance in solving health and development problems, they can be unsustainable because later maintenance costs are not available after initial funding, or the necessary skills are not completely passed into the benefiting community. In addition, overly complex projects are not often understood by beneficiaries, creating a form of mysterious aura around the project. In these cases, project success can be attributed not to the misunderstood role played by participants, but to this Technology Mystique.

     The projects found here actually fulfill two development needs. Primarily they address immediate concerns of health, education, nutrition, environmental conservation, income generation, etc. The projects, though, also serve a second function as their low cost and ease in which the necessary skills can be passed encourage the beneficiaries to initiate, sustain and replicate projects. These projects can serve then as a stepping stone onto the larger and more involved projects.

     The projects outlined here were developed for use in The Gambia, a small country in the West African Sahel. The materials suggested for their construction are based on local Gambian resources.  Projects will need to be adapted for use in other areas where local resources differ. Furthermore, the creation of new projects is most highly encouraged. When creating new or adapting old projects, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Always base designs on locally available materials. It makes the project easier to fund and replicate. The calabash globe in Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible is an excellent example of the principles behind these projects because it was made from a common African gourd.

2. Whenever possible, base projects around local skills. The projects will be more readily accepted, the skills involved will be more readily passed, and sustainability will be more easily attained if they are based off of existing community knowledge. Also, basing projects off of local skills removes some of the Technology Mystique.

3. Many solutions lie not in an object's form, but how it can function. It doesn’t have to look pretty, it just has to work and keep on working. Some projects in the past have not worked because some of the more aesthetic parts actually stood in the way.

4. Keep it simple. Complexity can be intimidating. The more difficult the skills, the harder they are to pass to beneficiaries, and the less likely the project success. The more complex the structure, the more expensive it becomes. Often, design problems can be solved by removing from, not adding to a design.

5. Know your situation before you begin designing projects. The projects are meant to benefit the community around you, so you need to understand that community before you can start anything. Personally, I would love to continue working on these projects, but my service time is up, and I am no longer in the appropriate environment, and can no longer know what is specifically needed.

    When possible, I have tried to give proper credit to the resources from which the projects were researched, however, time and circumstance prevented me from giving full bibliographic references. Please give as much credit as possible when recording future projects. Also, this manual was originally written while working for Peace Corps. , Which means that no income can be generated from it or its distribution. I don’t mind people passing or possessing it as long as there is no money involved.