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Intermediate
Technology Development Group Southern Africa sets its sight on the
region
by Sivukile Mlambo
September 13, 2001
ITDG Southern
Africa, formerly ITDG Zimbabwe before undertaking the Regional Programme,
was established in Zimbabwe in 1989 and is part of an international
non-governmental organisation with offices in Kenya, Sudan, Bangladesh,
Peru, Nepal, Sri Lanka and United Kingdom.
The organisation
has been involved in Technology development and implementation interventions
in a wide range of projects in food production, agro processing,
energy, building materials and shelter, light engineering, transport
and mining.
Due to the popularity
of these interventions with the beneficiaries, the group decided
that the local office be tasked with the responsibility of developing
a programme of work for the Southern Africa region. Following a
period of thorough investigation by a team of officers from ITDG’s
local office, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi were targeted as the
countries to be focused on initially.
The need to
scale up and expand the impact of the projects beyond the small
and the local while not compromising on the quality and professionalism
contributed in the decision for ITDG to take its work beyond the
borders of Zimbabwe. This process puts into play major issues for
the organization like sustainability, institutional strengthening
and linkages. Sustainability in terms of technical expertise, financial
and human resources availability.
This article
looks at the organisation’s regional drive, opportunities for intervention
and work that is already in progress in the region.
MOZAMBIQUE
This remains
one of the World’s poorest nations, with over 90% of Mozambicans
(14 million people) surviving on less than 1 US Dollar per day.1
Of these, 80% are rural dwellers.
The country’s
civil war which ended in 1992 left much of the country’s social
and economic infrastructure destroyed and the floods which hit the
country in the past two years have also contributed in worsening
the standard of living of the Mozambican people.
The Government
of Mozambique‘s Rural Poverty Profile (1998) noted that "The
fundamental cause of rural poverty is the low level of agriculture
development. Limited access to markets, agricultural inputs and
information services are key factors leading to low productivity.
The amount of cultivated land is small owing to shortages of draft
animals and transport".
This opens up
an exciting entry point for ITDG and the range of its technologies
especially in the areas of agriculture, agro processing, Information
Communication Technologies (ICTs), energy and small enterprises
support programmes.
OPPORTUNITIES
The main opportunities
identified for initial entry in Mozambique are as follows:
- Training
in Small Holder Agriculture, especially Micro Irrigation and water
Harvesting;
- Marketing
and Distribution of Agricultural Products;
- Production
of Agricultural Implements and Agro Processing Equipment;
- Training
in Small Scale Mining and
- Technical
Support in Rehabilitation of existing and establishment of new
Micro Hydro Schemes.
MICRO HYDRO
UPGRADING IN MOZAMBIQUE
Micro Hydro
(up to 100kW) is used increasingly to generate small quantities
of power for isolated communities, often for small industrial units
such as mills, mines and workshops.2
The Portuguese
introduced this technology in Mozambique during colonial times,
using technology, which is now considered old and inefficient. ITDG
has collaborated with Kwayedza Simukai Manica (KSM) and some private
individual entrepreneurs in upgrading and repairing these micro
hydro plants in Ndirire (Mozambique).
KSM has extensive
experience working with local communities and community based organizations
in Manica Province in the areas of blacksmithing and rehabilitation
of micro hydro schemes. It is also involved in training in small-scale
gold mining, project management, environment management and charcoal
production.
The Micro Hydro
plants that were upgraded are used for grain and mine milling. These
had become so inefficient that it was taking about 30 minutes instead
of about 5 to 7 minutes to mill a bucket of grain. The upgrading
involved repairing the weir (i.e. the part that diverts the waters
from the stream), and covering the canals by plastic to reduce water
seepage and the advent of silt hitting the turbine blades. Training
on the manufacture of new turbines and repairing existing ones was
also undertaken.
ITDG is also
involved in a World Bank funded project in which it has to come
up with a national strategy for Mozambique for Small Scale Decentralised
Energy Supply Systems. Presently gathering of information for the
compilation of the national strategy is taking place with private
sector and household participation.
The Government
of Mozambique which is the client in this project require a strategy
for the development of small scale energy systems like biogas, micro
hydro and charcoal.
A survey on
charcoal, which sought to identify the supply chain and gender of
producers and consumers, is on the verge of being funded. The targeted
countries of this project are Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The
project will identify the beneficiaries in the distribution chain,
the legislation that currently exists regarding charcoal production,
efficiency of the energy source and the environmental effects and
how they can be corrected.
ITDG is also
part of a pilot group called SAGEN – (Southern Africa Gender and
Energy Network) which is trying to mainstream gender into energy
projects, (from planning, design, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation). The other partners in the Network include Water and
Energy Development Services (WEDS), Biomass Users Network, Department
of Energy and Zimbabwe Energy Research Organisation (ZERO). The
Network is planning to hold a regional training workshop on women
and sustainable energy.
Said Mr. Tinashe
Nhete, the Energy Engineer for ITDG Southern Africa "The Organisation
should now decide how it wants to be recognized officially in Mozambique
and the Region, as a partner to other organizations or by registering
its office and undertaking project work on its own."
Other organizations
targeted in Mozambique include Christian Mission which is an umbrella
organization for churches and has a long history of working with
poor farmers and communities in farming projects and CONCERN, which
is involved in community energy work.
ZAMBIA
Zambia’s economy
has been in serious decline since the mid 1970s resulting in dramatic
deterioration of living standards. In cities and towns, more than
half the population now live below the poverty datum line. Unemployment
is high and the economy remains dangerously over-reliant on copper,
which provides over 90% of its export earnings. However the economy
is showing signs of growth.
ITDG has identified
Zambia as having potential in agriculture, irrigation and urban
livelihoods. These will ideally focus on integrated urban development
and the provision of housing and social services. Other areas that
can be used to develop project work include agro processing, which
has a lot of potential in honey, grains and dairy products.
The number of
enquiries being received from around the region on ITDG’s work clearly
illustrates that a demand for the organisation’s services and technologies
exists and its forays into regional projects should be received
with excitement by beneficiaries and project partners.
The increasing
poverty being caused by natural and man made factors in the region,
makes the work of NGOs all the more important especially those that
offer practical solutions to technological problems like ITDG.
Footnotes
1 DFID, Mozambique
Country Strategy Paper: 1999, p 1
2 D. Hislop, Upgrading Micro Hydro in Sri Lanka. 1986, p. vii
For More Information Please Contact
Sivukile Mlambo, Library Enquiries Officer, ITDG Southern Africa
3rd Floor, Coal House, Cnr Nelson Mandela Ave/Leopold Takawira Street,
Harare, Zimbabwe
P.O. Box 1744, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263-(0)4-780992/5
Fax: +263-(0)4-750880/2
Visit the ITDG fact
sheet
Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.
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