The Tricycle Mini-Mobile Repair Lab (MMR-Lab) is a customized three (3) wheeler vehicle with a solar system mounted on the roof top to supply electricity.
It has fabricated partitions for keeping repair tools and spare parts, mini public address system for awareness, temporary storage for electronic waste and a repair workspace on each side of the Tricycle body.
It is also an itinerant place of resources allowing forcibly displaced persons to fix and enhance everyday items (electronics) themselves and to initiate a process of resilience. Its mission is to create awareness on repair and reuse while making repair services accessible and affordable.
The Challenge
In Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in the WestNile region of Uganda, majority of the Refugee households at least have an electronic device including the UNHCR distributed SunBell Solar Lanterns, Mobile Phones, Radios among others. These devices like any other item break down or reach end of lifespan (EOL) are often disposed off improperly due to lack of knowledge and skills on electronic waste management which possess a huge risk or contributes greatly to environmental pollution and human health.
These faulty electronic items have the possibility to be repaired, reused and upcycled but there is limited access to repair centers within the settlement. CC4D has established a Repair Café Center at its Bright Makerspace in Eden II Village, one of the six Zones in Rhino Camp providing repair services(Monday - Friday) and training on electronic waste management to the Refugees and Host Communities. However, this has mainly benefited Refugees and Host Communities nearest to the Center. CC4D has conducted up to 10 repair café outreach events but efforts to meet the overwhelming demand for repair services through the mobile repair café event has been affected due to mobility challenge.
Based on the above challenges and experience, the idea to make a customized Tricycle as a Mini-Mobile Repair Lab (MMR-Lab) with fabricated partitions for repair tools, solar system to provide electricity, mini public address system for awareness(passing out information) while providing music entertainment, temporary storage for electronic waste and a repair workspace on each side of the Tricycle.
The Mini-Mobile Repair Lab(MMR-Lab) is mobile a version of the Repair Café that travels around the different places providing repair services and training with the mission to make repair services accessible and affordable.
It also encourages people to work together and share knowledge and skills which helps to bring people together and work on building a more coherent and peaceful communities.
Materials
- Three (3) wheeler vehicle (can be new or used)
- Metal plates
- Metal bars
- Wooden ceiling boards
- Timber for making stools
- Screws
- Solar System (Batteries, Panels, Inverter, extension cables, connecting wires)
- Brush
- Paints
- sprayer
- Repair tools
- Public address system
Tools
- Hack saw
- Welding machine
- Hummer
- Cutting saw
Steps in Assembling