BT05

Internship at the MSI, Kakinada, India

22nd of August untill the 4th of November 2005

We are four students from the study Human Kinetic Technology (HKT). In the third year of our study we had the opportunity to do an internship in a foreign country. To orientate ourselves we went to several presentations about projects in foreign countries. This led us to a presentation of Esther Blom of the Movendi Foundation. She told us about the projects they had done at the Maharashi Sambamurty Institute in Kakinada, India.

From left till right upper row: Alke van Velen (HKT), Puck Anouk van de Bovenkamp, Ivo Schoemaker
Lower row: Marije Bruggink (HKT), wife of Srinavasa Rao, Willemijn Draijer (HKT), Srinavasa Rao, Eva Essers (HKT)


We were very enthusiastic about these projects of Movendi Foundation and wanted to do comparable projects for our internship. After several meetings with Movendi Foundation we were ready to go!


The old well

We went to the MSI without a specific assignment for our internship. We were supposed to get our assignments our- selves by doing research on the spot and asking people at the MSI what kind of problems they experienced. Esther Blom from Movendi Foundation and Srinavasa Rao, secretary of the MSI where our coaches during our internship.

We did the following projects at the MSI:

  • Designing and making a system to bring up the water out of the well.
  • Evaluating and redesigning the tigertrike (tricycle). We also manufactured this new model.
  • The making of a skirt holder.
  • We thought about a system to make coming up the stairs easier. This project came to an end because there was to little space for adjustments and an elevator would be unreliable with the unpredictable power cuts in Kakinada.
  • The evaluation of the Bandi (a small wheelchair redesigned by former trainees Ivo Schoemaker and Puck Anouk van de Bovenkamp) at the MSI.
  • De door Puck en Ivo gemaakte Bandi geïntroduceerd in het Red Cross House (een school en huis voor jongens die gehandicapt zijn geraakt door polio) en evalueren of deze voor hen ook handig zou kunnen zijn.
  • Redesigning and making 16 pairs of the improved kneecaps for the children who move themselves through crawling.

The new system



We had a really good time in Kakinada at the MSI. It was great to work together with the children and to make adjustments for the children which improved their movements. We learned a lot and want to thank Movendi Foundation and the MSI, especially Esther Blom and sir Srinavasa Rao, for giving us this opportunity!

Alke van Veelen
Willemijn Draijer
Eva Essers
Marije Bruggink