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Computer Science and Engineering
About Department
The mission of the Computer Science & Engineering Department of CE Cherthala is to generate high caliber computer engineers to meet the global demands. The CSE Department of CEC offers premier professional training with an eye on the modern development in Computer Science offering 4 year B.Tech degree course in Computer Science and Engineering. The department owns versatile and powerful computing facilities. The curriculum is harmonically tuned with today's hardware and software industry. The widely spaced subjects are – automata theory, compiler construction, programming languages, database management systems, data structures, computer networks, operating systems, software engineering, object oriented programming, Electronic Circuits and digital electronics, Micro Processors, computer graphics, algorithms, artificial intelligence, security in computing. Apart from these the curriculum also includes electives.
|* Total intakes : 90 nos
|* Merit Quota : 50%
|* Management Quota : 45%
|* NRI Quota : 5%
Both merit and management quota will be filled on the basis of the rank list in the state common entrance test conducted by Govt of Kerala
Vision & Mission
The vision of the department id to enable students to excel in the world of computer science and automation and to evolve as a centre of academic excellence and reputation, adapting itself to the rapid advancements in the field with a rigorous educational program creating a sense of commitment to the progress of the nation.
To import high quality professional training in postgraduate and undergraduate level with emphasis on basic principles of Computer Science and Engineering, including professional behaviour and strong ethical values in the young minds so as to work with commitment to the progress of the nation.
|College Of Engineering , Cherthala offers the following full-time courses
MTech. Computer Science (Specialization in Computer and Information Science) : 24 seats
|Academic Eligibility for MTech(Computer and Information Science):First class (60% marks) or percentage equivalent of GPA in B.E / B. Tech in any discipline or AMIETE / AMIE or M. Sc Physics with Electronics as special subject or M.Sc Mathematics.
|2014 admission onwards
BTech Degree in Computer Science and Engineering : 90 seats
|Additional 10% students are allotted in each branch for B.Tech Degree Course from Kerala Engineering Entrance examination Rank list as per the Govt. of Kerala orders (Tuition Fee Waiver scheme for women, economically backward and physically handicapped meritorious students.)
|Lateral entry Admission to Second Year for Diploma holders - Additional 10% in Annual intake (Govt.& Management Seats in each branch )
|Academic Eligibility for BTech : Candidates who have passed Higher Secondary Examination, Kerala, or Examinations recognized as equivalent thereto, with 50 % marks in Mathematics separately, and 50 % marks in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry/Bio-technology/Computer Science /Biology put together are eligible for admission
|Allotment to 95% seats of the annual intake is made by Commissioner for Entrance examination (CEE), Government of Kerala from the rank list of Kerala Engineering Entrance examination. For Details of Kerala Engineering Entrance examination and allotment see the website http://www.cee-kerala.org
|5% seats are reserved for non resident Indians (NRI seats). For NRI admission separate applications are invited by IHRD and rank list is prepared on the basis of qualifying examination and students are admitted from this ranklist.
|Dr.Preetha Theresa Joy
|Professor & Head
|Experience: 22 Years
|E-mail: email@example.com
System Analyst Madona House, Elamakkara PO, Kochi 682026
Murali Mohanan
Associate Professor
M. Tech in Computer and Information Sciences
Experience: 21 yrs
KARTHIKA,MPR-87,MYTHRIPURAM,Near N.G.O Quarters,Kakkanad.
Mobile: 9447576638
Manju K
Assistant Professor
M. Tech in Computer and Information Science
B.Tech Computer Science and engineeering
Experience: 18 years
Flat No.7 A4, Holy Faith Manor Apartments, Thrikkakara, Kochi-682021
Mobile: 9447380826
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Muhammed Ilyas H
Assistant Professor
M.Tech Computer Science
Experience: 12 years
Habeeb Manzil, Vellakkinar South, Alappuzha-1
E-mail: email@example.com
Assistant Professor (On Study Leave)
B.Tech Computer Science
Experience: 8 years
Mobile: 9895101879
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Anitha M A
Assistant Professor
B.Tech Computer Science
Experience: 12 years
Karaparampil House, P O Maythare Market, Alappuzha
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Greeshma N.Gopal
Assistant Professor
M.Tech in Information Security
Experience: 12 years
Mobile: 9446372852
E-mail: email@example.com
Janu R. Panicker
Assistant Professor
B.Tech Computer Science
M.Tech Computer and Information Science
Experience: 6 years
Surabhi, East of Ramaverma Jn, Avalookunnu PO, South Aryad, Alappuzha-688006
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Jisy Raju
Assistant Professor
M Tech.
Experience: 5 Years
Santhi Krishna MS
Assistant Professor
M Tech
Experience: 2 yr
Mobile: 8593820825
Jayakrishnan R
Assistant Professor
Experience : 1year
Mobile : 9539643768
Marina Crompton
Assistant Professor
Experience: 2 Years&2months
Jeshmol P. J.
Assistant Professor
M. Tech.
Experience: 2 Years
Richu Norman
Assistant Professor
M. Tech.
Swetha Saira Appose
Assistant Professor
Experience : 1 year
Mobile :9446460255
Binoy Francis M
Mobile: 9446202515
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Madhusoodhanakurup S.P
Junior System Analyst
Experience: 20 years
Lalitha Bhavan,Mararikulam North P.O, Cherthala-688549
Mobile: 9446919998
Computer Programmer
Degree With PGDCA
Experience :
Mobile : 9745033266
System Analyst
Madona House, Elamakkara PO, Kochi 682026
* M. Tech in Computer Science Engineering ( Specialization in Computer and Information System)
* B. Tech in Computer Science Engineering
The department is well established with modern lab facilities and maintained as per the AICTE norms and standards and curriculum of CUSAT. The department maintains the computer labs and the computer centre. The labs are equipped with Intel Pentium and AMD Athlon single and dual core based PCs with latest configurations interconnected with DNS, Apache, MySQL and proxy servers. The systems run on Ubuntu OS with latest softwares.
The salient features are:
|Leased line and broadband connectivity
|Structured cabling
|Rack servers, rack mounted switches and router
|Hardware and maintenance lab
|Online UPSs
The computer labs cater to the needs of the laboratory courses of the curriculum:
|C programming
|Object oriented programming
|Assembly Language programming
|Language processors
|Network and Operating Systems
|Major and Minor projects.
Sorting and Searching, Implementation of Linked List, Arrays, Stacks , Queues , Trees ,Graphs in a suitable programming languages.
Creation Of Single Pass - Two pass Assembler - Generation of Lexical analyzer using tools such as Lex - Generation of Parser using tools such as YACC - Generation of LL(1) Parser - Generation of intermediate code - Creation of type checker - Developing a compiler for a subset of a programming language.
Identification of Components/Cards & PC Assembling from components - Implementation of a File Manager using DOS / BIOS interrupts - TSR (Terminate & Stay Resident) Programming - ADC Interface - Stepper motor Interface Using DAC - Parallel Interface: Printer & HEX Keyboard - Serial Interface: PC to PC Serial Interface using Null Modem
Implementing Line, Circle, Ellipse drawing algorithms, Polygon Filling and Seed Filling algorithm, Line clipping and Polygon clipping methods, 2D Transformation, Generating Bezier and B-Spline curves, Hidden Surface Elimination, Shading methods, Animation Methods, Open GL Programming.
SWOT survey for BTech students
I've invited you to fill out the form SWOT SURVEY. To fill it out, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/195gry1FGXdMXX6nrVK8-ZhjwRa7x-yp2khkKxiKL6Bs/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=mail_form_link
SWOT survey for Parents
I've invited you to fill out the form SWOT SURVEY. To fill it out, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1b_WjHoVNRCU9iMpe_HmfokDN31Kl6FQoC1o3uQwV1pM/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=mail_form_link
SWOT survey for Faculty
I've invited you to fill out the form SWOT SURVEY. To fill it out, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fz2Uk0yW5_MRAIP5l5BSA8rLmcTE8u9i15dGR-EXY0s/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=mail_form_link


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One interesting e-mail that recently found its way into my inbox was from an organization calling itself the "National Anti Spam Registry." The site is filled with American flags and the Statue of Liberty and references to the recently-signed and about to go into effect federal CAN-SPAM act.
As I wrote in my recent analysis of that law, CAN-SPAM calls in Section 9 for a report by the FTC to relevant congressional committees to set forth a plan for "a nationwide marketing Do-Not-E-Mail registry." This report would include an analysis of potential problems with such a list (and boy, would there be a lot of problems); and also specifically deal with childrens e-mail accounts.
The legislation also specifically mentions that the registry is not to be implemented less than 9 months after the enactment of the act. Its scheduled, I believe, for January 1, 2004, meaning that October 1, 2004 is the earliest that we could see its "nationwide marketing Do-Not-E-Mail registry."
So now the NASR appears. If its not the registry envisioned by the new law, what is it?
Further reading
Despite the flag waving, its authenticity is difficult to determine. The site is filled with misspellings and grammatical errors. Some of what the site claims to do is plainly phony, some of it tempting, but suspicious, and some of it is impenetrable gobbledygook.
But who is behind the National Anti Spam Registry? The only contact information on the page, apart from a few e-mail addresses, is a postal box in Hammond, La. Much more interesting is the Whois information for nationalantispamregistry.com. The addresses for all the contacts is in Tonawanda, N.Y., which is on the Niagara river just north of Buffalo.
On closer inspection, the zip code looks wrong (in fact, its not a valid zip code), and there doesnt appear to be a street with that specific name from the record in Tonawanda.
Now, its not illegal to put inaccurate information in Whois records, and its arguably a wise thing to do, but its suspicious from an organization trying to engender trust in the public. The phone contact is a Hammond number.
The FAQ and other descriptions describe a service that sounds vaguely like a centralized opt-out facility. One major criticism of the law is that it doesnt mandate opt-in relationships, but rather mandates that marketers honor opt-out requests. So the idea of the NASR is that you register with them and they handle all the opt-outs.
At the same time, its hardly clear that such a thing is possible; unless you grant the National Anti Spam Registry control over your mail account, it would be difficult indeed to do what they appear to be claiming to do.
Besides, this plan assumes that the opt-out will be honored. The NASR "How to avoid spam" page itself says "If you are receiving junk email NEVER respond to them and NEVER request to be removed, you are just confirming to the spammer that your email is active." So how will this company opt-out for you without having the same problem?
The site also says "you can register your email address free to be submitted to the F.T.C and be included in the National Do Not Email registry." Guess what: when there is such a registry you will be able to register your address yourself, almost certainly for free, and in all likelihood third parties wont be able to register you.
This pitch, in particular, reminded me of the first spam on Usenet years ago. It came from a lawyer offering to help people register for the green card lottery, which can be done for free, directly by individuals. As I recall, there was quite a stink that someone had posted off-topic messages on a newsgroup! It seems so quaint now, but eventually Usenet was ruined by such people, just as they are now trying to ruin Internet e-mail. The FTC recently shut down such an operation that posed as a government agency.
Next Page: The Interview And The Punch Line

subset: commoncrawl


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Project (Task) Management
WANTED! Comments. Not wanted! Compliments. If you want your comment to be accepted first you must not be a spammer that WordPress recognizes and second you need to comment specifically on some of the article's specific material or facts.
The Survival Pod Cast
Off Grid Net
Project (Task) Management can be one of the more difficult areas in ones life. Its easy to start building a "tower" for example and not finish because of unforeseen circumstances. A book I read talked about a superb metaphor about project management. I'm sure this author didn't come up with this on his own, so I will share it.
Imagine that you are on a space station. You are the engineer in charge of operating the space station's water treatment plant. In the control room there are 4 gauges and dials as controls. They read quality, quantity, time, resources. You may adjust any control from 0% to 100% but if you adjust one it may alter one or more of the other three.
If we increase quantity, then quality may drop. To compensate for drop in quality we can increase either time or resources. That is unless time is already at 100%. Time would be number of hours in a day that the plant is in operation. Resources in this case would be extra filters.
Lets say a meteoroid strikes your space station and knocks out a few filters. To keep quality the same you would need to increase time until the filters are replaced. Or we could reduce quantity possibly until the filters are replaced. This might be possible if for say we had water in reserve.
Next the filters after some use need to be cleaned. Quality may be dropped for short periods of time while one filter is being cleaned without adverse effects. And for certain uses water quality might be dropped even more for a given amount of time, such as wash water for some space station component. This would extend the life of the filters.
Let say, heaven forbid, that half the astronauts die off. Then time can be dropped which would also reduce quantity. So we see here in this example reasons to run the operation in reduced quality, reduced quantity, reduced time and with reduced resources. Not all at the same time usually.
Lets take another example in working a cattle ranch. Ideally with all gauges on 100% your fences will be up and fully mended, cows will be fed, doctored and happy. Hay or corn will be grown, harvested and stored. Sale of cattle or extra hay or feed will pay the farmers living.
Now what might lower resources? The farmer could be injured or get sick. The price of cattle, feed or hay could go down, in which case the farmer might have to pick up side work which would take time away from the cattle operation. With resources down time would also drop.
Quality would then suffer as a result and go down as well. Cows might not be fed or doctored and loose weight. Not as much hay or grain could be produced. This might force the farmer to compensate by reducing quantity, meaning selling cows.
Lets say the cows all have twins one year. Quantity goes up as a matter of production. To keep quality from dropping the farmer must sell off so many cows and calves. Imagine a disease comes along that can't be doctored and half the cows die. That's a drop in both quality and quantity. Resources and time might have temporarily increased giving the farmer time for side projects however, such as a construction project.
Consider that if the farmer earned extra income from selling excess hay or feed he can then hire the neighbors kid to help him out. This increases resources. 20 acres of meadow can be developed into pasture with weed control, be fenced, have some feeders put in etc. Now quantity can be increased. At the same time new farm tractor equipment is invented causing time to decrease. Quality won't suffer as a result of increased quantity. The next year the farmer no longer has excess hay or feed to sell.
If you try you can continue to play these scenarios out in your mind on other types of situations and businesses. After you feel you have the concept then apply them to real projects that you are working on. It doesn't matter if that project is for survival, career, or for fun. The depressing side is when you begin to understand that based on little or no resources and time your dreams are simply dreams. At that time simply scale down your dreams and redirect your energy to something feasible. For example if you can't write a book then write an article instead, such as a blog article.


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£2.75 - On Sale
6 track EP from D-Beat Raw Punks B.E.T.O.E.
Hailing from Venezuala and featuring the drummer from FINAL SLUM WAR, they've just laid waste to Europe on tour.
Musically, very similar to FINAL SLUM WAR but of course, that's no bad thing as they're an excellent raw punk band.
a cracking slab of raw punk goodness!
OVERSEAS POSTAGE: Not all countries are listed for postage (as bigcartel makes you list EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY separately, which takes FOREVER!!!) but we can post to any country so if your country isn't listed please email email@example.com with details of what you would like to order and we will work out a shipping price for you. Thanks.


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I believe that people who loves good cuisine and especially Italian one loves as well the green, flavory made of fresh basil sauce – pesto. Mostly pesto companies starters, like mozzarella and tomatoes or first dishes like pasta or even some gourmet plates as a decoration. (There is even an ice cream, a good one, with a pesto flavor. Must try it! Oh those crafty and innovative Italians, huh? )
What's for me – I love basil in general and even growing it on my balcony as love it fresh and what can be better than make your own pesto sauce to your trofie (type of fresh pasta) or tomatoes dish?
It's easy, fast and so good! Must try this great pesto recipe that comes from Liguria!
Here is the recipe and my step-by-step – how to make it.
Easy, Fast, delicious, homemade and definitely full with vitamins and the good oil that helps you with a weight loss!
Easy, Fast, delicious, homemade and definitely full with vitamins and the good oil that helps you with a weight loss!
- 50 g fresh basil (small leaves) (around 60/65 leaves)
- 1/2 glass of extra virgin olive oil
- 6 spoons of Parmesan cheese (i used Parmigiano Reggiano)
- 2 cloves of a garlic ( I skipped this time)
- 1 spoon of pine nuts
- 3-4 g of the big flake salt (sal di mer / sea salt)
- Wash the leaves in a cold water and dry them up with a dry cloth to absorb the water as much as you can. Important is not to crush the leaves.
- Put the leaves and the salt in a kitchen mixer and blend them till the green juice comes out. (If your kitchen mixer does not allow you to smash properly into a sauce - use hand mixer.
- When mixed well add grated Parmesan and mix well.
- As last ad slowly an olive oil and mix it in with a spoon till perfectly combined.
- Perfect pairing with tomatoes and mozzarella dishes as well as pasta.
How you ever eat Italian food? What's your favorite dish? Mine, for sure, is trofie al pesto!


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Home Ownership for Lower Incomes
Perhaps one reason more people do not take advantage of the economically sensible shared ownership scheme is that the programme is surrounded by many myths. Builders, lenders, and government officials should work to dispel these inaccuracies while encouraging interested buyers to let mortgage comparisons help them discover if it is a feasible option.
Myth 1: Shared ownership is not home ownership.
The truth: It is a path to 100 per cent ownership. Using stairstepping, owners can purchase additional shares in their home. In fact, according to the National Housing Federation, 25 per cent of all participants eventually own 100 per cent of their homes. Some associations report 40 to 50 per cent of all buyers reach 100 per cent.
Myth 2: People in shared ownership homes must stairstep to full ownership.
The truth: Some people prefer the partial arrangement. It is financially friendly and less risky than a full mortgage. In addition, they enjoy the property management features that accompany the lease shares of the property. However, staircasing reduces rent. Therefore, many in these homes do participate in stairstepping.
Myth 3: Shared ownership is a trap.
The truth: Any property investment has risks. When markets turn down, selling becomes difficult. When markets turn up, they become lucrative sellers' markets. This is no different than conventional mortgages. Even freehold owners may feel trapped during a poor market. Waiting for the market to turn around is the key.
Myth 4: Selling is difficult.
The truth: According to the Homes and Communities agency, shared ownership homes are selling well and consistently. An added benefit is that those who sell them avoid high estate agent fees. In addition, a study published by Cambridge University concluded that the issues that confound these sellers are the very same issues that concern traditional home sellers. For example, both types of sellers face difficulties in down markets. These difficulties include poor demand, market uncertainty, and negative equity. The bottom line is that shared ownership is still ownership. Unlike renting, ownership involves some risk.
Myth 5: The scheme is for key workers only.
The truth: The government actively promoted some of its low-cost options to key workers as a means of gaining home ownership and accumulating wealth. But this promotion was simply targeted advertising. It has never been available only to key workers and is available to all families with incomes lower than £60,000 per year. To find out if you qualify, contact your local Help to Buy agent.
Myth 6: Property management is substandard.
The truth: Property management frequently exceeds the quality of property management of conventional rental properties. Property management is a delicate balance of fees. Small fees may please residents but result in poor response time and inadequate service. Larger fees may help provide services, but from a financial perspective, they may be unwelcome to tenants.
Myth 7: Properties are low quality.
The truth: Today's schemes offer homes that exceed the standards of many conventional builders. Buyers can expect more space and many extras that are considered upgrades outside the shared ownership markets. To qualify for a grant from the Homes and Communities agency, shared ownership developers must build to a very high standard.
This is a scheme that is designed to help middle class citizens become homeowners. Even young professionals find it difficult to collect a 25 per cent down payment on a conventional home purchase, leaving this as an excellent way to begin building equity. In addition, most shared ownership developments are located conveniently close to centres of commerce, eliminating the long and difficult commute associated with renting a comparable flat.
Instead of focusing on the myths , interested parties should consider the realities. For example, the market does not have nearly enough properties available. In the United Kingdom, there are approximately 26 million homes. Of these, only 200,000 are shared ownership homes. Since rents are rising and people are increasingly dissatisfied with long commutes, the government should work to increase the number of opportunities.
To find the right home and the right mortgage, many people turn to mortgage comparisons. With diligence and patience, many find shared ownership to be a manageable means of purchasing. Therefore, disregard the myths and do a little research. This may be just the opportunity that you need to build equity for the future.
Save Money on Mortgaging
Amazon Price: $22.00 $9.50 Buy Now
(price as of May 28, 2014)


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Greening the purchasing choices of business, government and non-profit organizations—currently responsible for nearly half of the GTA's Green House Gas emissions and 64 per cent of waste—can lead to dramatic environmental improvements in the region.
With a Leadership Council of 45 public and private sector procurement executives representing $45 billion in annual purchasing, the Green Procurement Initiative aims to facilitate green procurement practices in organizations across the GTA and help drive the success of Ontario's green sector. GGT leverages the expertise and purchasing power of this exceptional group of volunteers to develop and execute the programs and materials below.
To date, GGT has secured a Commitment to Buy Green from a number of large private and public member organizations that commits them to continuous improvement in reducing their environmental impact through the greening of procurement. Interested in signing on? Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com for more information.
More than 150 buyers and vendors have attended four discussion-oriented meetings on specific sustainable procurement topics including information technology, lighting and waste, as well as a Reverse Marketplace.
The 2009 Marketplace event saw 25+ green suppliers, 100+ senior procurement executives as well as industry experts network and explore green technologies and services. The outcome report, Buyers and Sellers Don't See Eye to Eye, summarizes surprising results collected during the event's follow-up survey.
Green Supplier Cluster Analysis
The Commitment to Buy Green, Green Procurement Guide


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10 Things Trump Must Do to Save His Presidency and His Life
By Dave Hodges
August 20th, 2017
President Trump will not be President much longer. Yes, he's survived the Russian nonsense which is why it has faded. He is now being cast as an overt racist.
The longer the President is in office, there is more risk of exposure of the Deep State's antics for the great unwashed to see. The number of Americans waking up is fast approaching critical mass. However, it doesn't mean they will act. However, it has to be of concern to the Deep State. The Deep State, which had planned to install a totalitarian state under Hillary Clinton, is on the ropes which is why they are throwing everything possible at Trump and the American people. America is experiencing the Deep State kill shot.
Make no mistake about it, we are already in a civil war. The integrity of the office of the President is under attack. The American culture and history are under attack as are traditional American values. Whites are under attack and soon Christians will be put in the cross-hairs of the Deep State.
Very soon, America is going to experience a series of Reichstag fires which will paralyze this country and force Trump to declare martial law on a local and even a regional basis. This plays right into the hands of the Deep State, for when the coup against America and Trump is fully activated, they will not need to engage in the typical crackdown, because the country will already be under lock-down. When the Deep State fully takes over (i.e. Pence becomes President) they will only have to change the targets of the state of martial law. Radical, Soros-controlled subversives will be off the hook and people like you and me will be their new targets and America will experience her darkest days.
If Trump is to survive, and the average freedom-loving American is to survive, Trump must do the following 10 things:
10 Actions to Save the Country As Well As Trump's Life
The Rest…HERE


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Services for Companies & LLP's
Companies and limited liability partnerships facing insolvency struggles need to address their issues as soon as they arise. By putting them to one side, it only masks the problem, it does not solve it.
Click through to our pages below for a range of information and advice on a number of areas businesses seem to struggle with which can often lead to insolvency problems. We also provide many business rescue services that offer insolvent companies and limited liability partnerships restructuring and turnaround options.
Company Administration
|This business turnaround process will allow the company in question to receive legal protection while a restructuring plan is implemented.
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Company Liquidation
|There are 3 typical company liquidation options available for a company or a limited liability partnership. Here at FA Simms & Partners we can perform each of these services and have been doing so for over 40 years.
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Small Business Insolvency
|With our expert help and advice we can help SMEs and micro businesses with all their insolvency worries.more information >>
Company Voluntary Arrangement
|This is an effective business rescue tool that can help re-organise debt repayments in order to relieve their burden from a prospective successful business.
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Cash Flow Problems
|If you have been experiencing a tightening on your company's cash flow, then you need to try and discover the underlying problem that has caused this. We can help do a review of your company to try and find and eliminate this problem.
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Business Debt Solutions
|Seeking help when you know your company is in debt is a hard step to take, but by ignoring the problems they will deteriorate. Our business debt solutions can help you re-organise payments to try and combat your business debt and revive your business.
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Help for Company Directors
|As a company director it is your job to trade a solvent and profitable company. If you are struggling with this role and are un-sure what to do next, we can help.
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Tax Debt Problems
|Receiving pressure from HMRC is not where you want your company to be positioned. You need to take action and try to negotiate payment terms with them in order to relieve the burden and allow you to continue trading.
more information >>


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A Conversation with Mike Elliott at TechnoServe – promoting sustainable mobile solutions for farmers.
Monthly Archives: August 2014
A Conversation with Mike Elliott at TechnoServe – promoting sustainable mobile solutions for farmers
TechnoServe is a non-profit organization that seeks to alleviate poverty in the developing world by partnering with enterprising people, to create and develop businesses that can generate income and jobs. TechnoServe has operated in Kenya for four decades, helping build capacity for more than 500 small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, it is helping thousands of farmers "boost their incomes and connect to broader markets". In its role as a catalyst, TechnoServe is now promoting sustainable mobile solutions for agriculture development through the Connected Farmer Alliance (CFA), which began in October 2012.
We recently spoke with Mike Elliott, Director of the CFA project at TechnoServe, Kenya.
Hello Mike, can you tell us a bit about TechnoServe and its work in Kenya?
Kenya's has witnessed a period of recent stability, with increased credit access to the private sector, investment in infrastructure, and growth in key sectors such as tourism, renewable energy, and information and communication technology (ICT). At the same time, unemployment and poverty rates in the country remain high, with 35 percent of Kenyans living on less than a dollar per day, and food insecurity looms large due to poor farming methods and vulnerability to drought. TechnoServe is looking to address these challenges through market-led approaches. Currently, TechnoServe is focusing on livestock, coffee, horticulture, food processing, sustainable mobile for agriculture development and entrepreneurship development, with an emphasis on engaging the youth and women.
What is the Connected Farmers' Alliance (CFA) and what does it do?
The CFA is a 3-year partnership between Vodafone, USAID, and TechnoServe focused on developing mobile solutions for agriculture. For us that falls into three categories: 1) mobile supply chain solutions that enable agribusinesses to engage more effectively with their smallholder suppliers, 2) mobile financial services to that smallholders, including savings, insurance and credit, and 3) identifying and supporting entrepreneurs that are engaging in the mAgri space. With the Vodafone partnership, we are testing a model whereby private sector players can engage profitably and sustainably in the agriculture sector. At TechnoServe, we are doing the ground work to make sure it's successful. For more information, see connected farmers alliance.
Why Vodafone?
For USAID and TechnoServe, engaging the private sector in program is a way to ensure long-term sustainability. The work that CFA is doing in developing and scaling products will continue after the program ends, as the commercial products will be embedded in our local Vodafone partners where they will receive continued focus and investment. As for why Vodafone specifically, they're really committed to agriculture, and understand the value of working with stakeholders like NGOs and the public sector. They're making a significant investment in this space, and are bringing the managerial focus required for us to be successful. In addition, we get to leverage the M-Pesa system, a mobile money platform that Vodafone pioneered and is now leveraging for interesting and innovate uses.
How are you going to gauge the success of the CFA program?
Well, there are two main success criteria. First, the products we develop must be launched and commercially supported in the market by Vodafone and their local partners. This will prove our business model, and ideally crowd-in other players in the mobile agriculture space. Secondly, we would like to engage half a million farmers through our products by the end of the program.
What projects are Kellogg-CRTI Fellows involved with at TechnoServe for the summer?
Nirav is engaged in designing two mobile financial services that will address the unique needs of women farmers. Women do a large proportion of work on the farms but have a lower degree of control over the production. He has been conducting field and desk research and holding focus groups of women to inform potential solutions. At present he's identified two potential products and is building out the business case and pitch deck that will enable us to find a home for these products.
Preeza is identifying ways that a local tech incubator can better support entrepreneurs looking to develop Value-Added Services (VAS) for agriculture. She has developed a suite of services and events towards this end, and is embedding these within Safaricom, TechnoServe and the incubator itself.
Greetings From Mumbai!
Greetings from Mumbai! It's amazing that it's almost the end of summer (and, sadly, the end of the CRTI Fellowship), but it's been an action-packed last couple of months out here in India.
Unlike the rest of this year's CRTI Fellows, I opted to head to India, and have spent my summer working with fellow CRTI-alum Bryan Lee's company, Krishi Star. Getting here proved to be a little difficult, with a longer-than-usual visa turnaround process, and then a stressful few days trying to find proper housing, but I quickly settled into the city and the job.
On the work front, I'm working for Krishi Star, whose mission it is to improve the lives of impoverished rural farmers in India. We're doing this right now by partnering with farmer-owned small businesses (food processing units, in particular), and utilizing their excess capacity to process whole peeled tomatoes, which are then marketed and sold under the Krishi Star brand.
The company has already done a few production runs of the whole peeled tomatoes, and we're looking to ramp up production again in a few weeks once tomato prices stabilize (it has felt like the biggest news ever here at Krishi Star, but in case you've not seen in the rest of the world, Indian tomato prices have gone a little crazy lately).
Just as importantly, though, the company is also looking to expand into new products and new markets, which has been the focus of my Fellowship this summer.
As we grow the business and prove out the front-end model of working with farmer-owned processing units and marketing under the Krishi Star brand, we're actively looking to identify the next important product or crop. The entire team has been focused around identifying what that next product/crop will be, what market channel we're going to focus on, how we're going to connect the back-end to get it produced, and how we're going to drive it to as many customers and consumers as possible. My main focus for the summer has been leading this process, guiding the other interns (some local, some from other US schools) and FTEs through market research and business strategy.
Outside of work, Mumbai has been an amazing experience, and certainly one I wouldn't have been able to fully appreciate without the opportunity provided by the CRTI Fellowship. I've seen as much of the city as possible (a tall task in a metro area of over 20 million people), and have assimilated into the local forms of transportation, taking trains, buses, and rickshaws everywhere I need to go.
With one week left on the clock, I've got a fair bit to finish up, but all-in-all things have come together pretty well this summer. It's an exciting time for the company, with a number of big things on the immediate horizon, and it's been a great privilege to have been a part in shaping our future.
This final weekend will be an amazing culmination of the summer, with a team trip out to the rural areas of Gujarat, visiting farmers, farmer-owned producer companies, and a few other key contacts that will help to grow the business.
I didn't know what to expect from this summer when I finally landed in Mumbai (which makes it easy to say that it's exceeded my expectations), but looking back, I can say that there's nothing I would have changed. The ups and the not-so-ups; the work and the outside-of-work; the commuting and the exploring. All of it made for an unforgettable CRTI Fellowship.
All the best from Mumbai!


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We were recently sent a "Test Drive" set of cloth wipes which included (1) 8x8 & (2) 6x4.5 sized cloth wipes.
Here is a bit of info about the wipes from Jessica {Owner/designer}
Each double-sided wipe is made from pre-washed and pre-shrunk 100% cotton flannel ( or a mix of 100% cotton with 100% cotton flannel on the back ). I lovingly cut them on my kitchen counter and they are stitched together on our dining room table. Who says you need a sewing room ?? As much as I would love a "space all my own", we don't have it, so we improvise. After they are stitched, I tie off all threads and finally run the lint roller over them to remove any fluffies that don't belong, then package them and send them to their new homes.
Caring for your wipes is quite simple. Being that they are made out of 100% Cotton and/or 100% Cotton Flannel, they do best when washed cool and dried on low. The more gently you wash them, the longer they will last and stay looking pretty. Having said that, I usually wash mine in hot water along with my cloth diapers,and dry on low, and they are still sturdy and soft as ever.
I keep the wipes in an empty disposable wipes container and spray them as needed with home made wipe solution. I prefer the larger wipe that was included in the pack, the smaller ones just don't get it all, then I just spray them with the diaper sprayer and toss in the pail, they get washed with the diapers, and hung to dry.
Jessica suggests the following for care and cleaning;
To maintain their absorbancy, avoid fabric softeners, which can cause build-up.
To maintain their gorgeous colours, avoid chlorine bleaches.Some people choose to rinse the wipes out with their diaper sprayer when they're spraying their diapers, some just leave them inside the diaper and toss them in the wash all together, both work well.
Jessica has offered one lucky winner a "test drive" set of their own in boy,girl, or neutral prints.
To enter its easy...
1- Follow this blog
2- "like" Comfy Buns on facebook
Both are mandatory but equal 1 entry each.
Please leave your email address in one comment.
Giveaway will end on tuesday sept 6 at midnight, winner chosen using random.org
I was sent the above product in exchange for this post *Thanks Jessica*... these are my honest opinions, there was no monetary compensation.


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As a tweenager, I was somewhat obsessed with all things magic. I am part of the original Harry Potter generation after all. As well as Harry Potter though, there were others. Patricia C. Wrede's enchanted forest chronicles, Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness quartet but also Orson Scott Card's Enchantment. It was during this phase of my life that I discovered my favourite book of all time - Ender's Game (see the video below for the movie trailer). If you are going to surround yourself with magic and science fiction, and then mix in a very overactive imagination, there is really only one way things will end... A grown up who still believes in magic. The magic isn't so much fairies and dragons anymore though...
Take for example the incredible things shared on www.iflscience.com on a daily basis. On their home page right now is an article about a recently discovered earth size planet in a habitable zone and another about some super massive black holes that were discovered. On the BBC's science page you can find some wonder in the scientist who made an exceptional discovery using a kitchen blender, dishwashing liquid and pencils. It seems there really is magic in the world, and it is found in science.
As a science teacher, I often feel that I have two main goals. The first, is to introduce and expand students' knowledge and curiosity of the marvels, the magic, the unusual and the unexpected in science. The second is to teach them that with great power, comes great responsibility (yes that is a quote from Spiderman, but I think it's from Voltaire originally which gives it a bit more street credit).
With these two goals in mind, think about my term one module called glow in the dark cats. The magic and marvel part is obvious, glow in the dark animals! This then leads you to learn about genes and genetic engineering. And then next thing you know, Voltaire and Spiderman with their idea of great responsibility turn up. Is it ethical to produce glow in the dark animals? Would be it be ethical to apply this technology in other places? Is it ethical to genetically engineer humans?
With great power comes great responsibility, and I hope that all teachers take this to heart. We are able to install wonder, awe and engagement in many of our students. But we can also take it away. How are you hoping to install wonder, awe and curiosity in your students? But also, how are you educating them about the risks and dangers? Energy crisis, future food shortages, over population?