Study Tour for Farmers on Coping with Climate Change through Livestock - KwaZulu-Natal, Province, South Africa. 26-28th October, 2016

During 2015 and 2016 Southern Africa experienced the driest rainfall season in the last 35 years. FAO (2016) noted that during this period, 634 000 drought-related livestock deaths have occurred in the region, estimated at US$ 220 million. While grain farmers stand to recover in the next season or two, experts believe it will take significantly longer for livestock farmers to recuperate from the drought. In addition to emergency relief measures, efforts to build the resilience of livestock farmers and to learn from one another are increasingly important.

Diversifying farmers livelihoods through livestock and adoption of good practices to manage livestock stock during drought and uncertain weather scenarios are key options to help farmers cope with the effects of climate change. Some good practices are being practised in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa.

The Farmer to Farmer Livestock Field Study Visit is organised by the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in collaboration with the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU), Heifer Project South Africa (HPSA) and Mdukatshani Rural Development Project (MRDP) who are partners in the Goat Agribusiness Project.

The field tour will enable up to 20 smallholder farmers in Southern Africa learn from fellow farmers in KZN. The aim is to strengthen the capacity of farmers towards diversified livelihood option through practical "Farmer-to-Farmer" sharing of knowledge; the specific aim is to learn from on-the-ground actions taken by local farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The farmers in KZN will host their counterparts, accommodate them in their own village for intensive interaction, and identify best management practices for livestock during drought, including the production of nutrient blocks and fabrication of the block-making tools as a job-creation mechanism for youth.

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Celebrating a Milestone: 4 Years of Running Successful Community ICT Projects

I have since 2013 worked as Project Leader for the Community Outreach Project at Youth Skills for Development. In this period, I have hosted and supervised/collaborated with a total of 20 Students from Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands; designed projects in Liaison with the COP Project Office at Radboud University Nijmegen, in collaboration with Student Volunteers from the university and beneficiary schools/community, Supervised Student Volunteers during project implementation, evaluated and reported on these projects. 

The projects have benefited about 1875 pupils and 70 teachers from Chibote Girls Secondary School, Mindolo Secondary School, Chimwemwe Secondary School, Natwange Primary School and Kawama Secondary School; 8 school leavers, 10 young women, 17 Teen Mothers. A total of 1,980 local direct beneficiaries.

Pupils attending ICT lesson at Chibote Girls Secondary School in Kitwe, Zambia, during the 2014 COP Project

This has been made possible by my colleagues at Youth Skills for Development (their brains spin :-) ), the great 20 student Volunteers, the School management at various schools and the COP Project Office at RUN together with partners.

The educational institute for Computing Science and Information Sciences at Radboud University Nijmegen has has been offering the course Community Outreach Project faculty wide since 2006.The Community Outreach Project offers students the opportunity to do a group project in a developing country. Students learn how to successfully execute an (oftentimes) ICT related project in a limited environment. Attention is paid to the effects of cultural differences and how to deal with those. Students also learn how to make sure the solution is sustainable by means of the three-level approach.

For these projects, capacity building is the core priority, which is refined to education, knowledge transfer, and gender issues. A number of projects concerns the structure of knowledge related so-called “tele-centres” and establishing ICT learning programmes, especially in primary schools.

Below is a summary of projects:

2013 - Hosted and supervised 4 Student Volunteers from Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands plus 4 local Volunteers for a period of 21 days. Successfully undertook a project with more than 400 pupils and about 40 Teachers as beneficiaries, providing them with Basic ICT Skills.

2014 - Hosted and supervised 8 Student Volunteers from Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands and 8 Local Volunteers for a period of about 21 days. Successfully implemented a project benefiting about 10 young women with Basic Entrepreneurship and ICT Skills, 8 local Volunteers with Basic ICT Skills, about 30 Teachers with Basic ICT Skills and about 500 pupils with Basic ICT Skills.

2015 - Hosted and supervised 4 Student Volunteers from Radboud University Nijmegen for a period of about 21 days. Implemented a project which benefited about 700 pupils with Basic ICT Skills.

2016 - Hosted and supervised 6 Student Volunteers from Radboud University Nijmegen for a period of 21 days. Implemented a project which benefited 275 pupil with Basic ICT Skills, and 17 Teen Mothers with Basic ICT and Job Search Skills.

This is just the beginning.

Ileelo Kwaciba Umutende Lintu Ba Manenga Aba Mu UPND, Ba Musenge Aba Mu PF Na Ba Mutale Ba Cilalembesha Ukwiminina Pacifulo Cabu Nshimafunde Ku Ncende Yaku Chimwemwe

Ubushiku bwaleelo, pali cibili, inshiku makumi yatatu na cimo, mumwenshi wakapepo akanono, umwak walenga amakana yabili ikumi namutanda, bwiciba ubwansaansa nganshi kuli abo abaiposa mufikansa fyacaalo. Kumacaca, bantu baciba abaipekanya kabili abasangalala, bacilalanga nokusangalala kwabo ukupitila munyimbo shacimwela ishalekanana lekana. Awe kanshi umushi wacibafye uwa pentwa namalangi yapusaana pusana ayaleimininako amabumba yafikansa yapusaka pusana ayafikansa fyacaalo.

Kumfwa mumushi wa Chimwemwe, ku Kitwe mucitungu ca Copperbelt, nako kwine, abantu abengi baciitumpamo muli iyi imilimo yalicilacitika. Intungulushi ishalekana lekana pamo nabantu babo bacipanga imilongo nokuya kulya ku Ishuko Primary School, uko ukwacibela ukulembesha nga abalefwaya ukwiminina pacifulo cabu Shimafunde mu Chimwemwe Constituency.

Pabacifikilisha ukulembesha epali ba Ronald Manenga abaleiminina petiketi lya UPND, ba Mwenya Musenge aba abalebwekeshapo ukwiminina petiketi lya PF, kabili mukulekelesha caciba icakupapusha lintu ba Mwila Mutale aba mwibumba lya PF, baciisa nabantu baabo nokwisa lembesha ukwiminina palwabo. Leelo ba Mwila bacitiila, nelyo baiminina pa lwabo, bacili ba membala bamu PF.

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The struggle is real: Schools need help to deliver ICT education in Zambian schools

My heart bleeds, so this Teacher called me, he narrated how challenging it is for him to teach ICT to hundreds of grade nine students - it is an examination class and he has other subjects to handle, his colleagues are not yet up to the desired level in practical. So the burden is on him. He was trying to find out if we will offer Teaching Support in ICT at their secondary school, this year.

First, I helplessly felt tears running down my cheeks, knowing exactly what he is going through (I cant hold my emotions when it comes to such issues), knowing how eager the children/students are to learn, yet in so difficult circumstances, knowing the struggle the school management embrace to mobilize computers and other essential logistics just to build the future for children in this suburb . I took a deep breath and gave him the good news. "Mr.X, do not worry, things will work as planned earlier. This year, we will assign 2 Teaching Support Volunteers to your school..." I could read across the wires that this is the news this passionate Teacher wanted to hear from me.

Thanks to COP project of Radboud University Nijmegen-The Netherlands, for making it possible. This year, beneficiaries to this project at Kitwe (Youth Skills for Development) will be more than 2000 in total, since 2013. And for 2016, we are thankful and so glad to receive 6 Student Volunteers.

I feel so low today, I have been thinking about how to deliver enhanced ICT education and truly realise it as a catalyst that it is, and influential in the teaching and learning of other subjects. When I look at where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going, the journey is just so thorny... Nevertheless, I remain hopeful.

Pronouncements Made, And Inequality Continues...

They have been praised, wished all sorts of good things, speeches have been read, matching performed and good allowances gotten...and just as I am typing this, the World has continued abusing them... the world has forgotten about them-its normal life. Why I hate one day commitments and prefer life long interventions to transform the way this World looks at and treats women... equality still remain such a luxury for most women. Equal Access to Information and Communication Technologies, education, health services, employment opportunities, equal participation in leadership and civic issues... still remain a struggle. 

Our poor yet loving mothers still continue being scorched in the sun, in their motherly effort to feed the World and in the end be paid peanuts, their struggle of tiling the land continue not to be eased by unequal access to information, education, health services, and many other entitlements...

How is each one of us taking it from today on wards, to truly honor the hard working women of this World? How do we help them to continue giving their love to this World? How do we create an enabling environment and keep the promise? No one is interested in just papers and speeches written and read to appease, and yet no practical steps undertaken to fulfill the pronouncements.

In our various communities, we have been expecting people who do not live with us to come and solve our own problems. People who understand little about the struggles of Women with very little or no literacy, unacceptable health services, lack of access to Information and Communication Technologies, in-conducive environment for them to equally benefit from their sweat as they play different roles across agricultural value chains, and other activities that forms their mainstay.

It is time we walked the talk, we have to honour women through out their life, practically, by empowering them sustainably...

In light of emphasising practical change, most importantly, beginning with our communities, I put my hat off for the female students all the way from Netherlands, who brave the itchy mosquito bites, scorching sun, long hours of teaching, language barriers - just to come and help women and girls learn basic ICT and Entrepreneurship skills... your sacrifice really adds value to the life of our girls and young women in our community, a special, more respectful and sustainable way of honouring them.

We pledge our commitment; we continue being practical, to truly give our women a life time honour by empowering them... As I lay my fingers on the keyboard, I am encouraged to learn that we will have about 20 young women and hundreds of girls empowered with ICT, Entrepreneurship skills and mentorship, this July/August. Let us walk the talk #IWD2016

Photo courtesy: Carsten ten Brink

A Day In The Life Of A Volunteer: An Encounter With The Headteacher

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VOLUNTEER: AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE HEADTEACHER

This is a reflection from my diary based on a a cold day experience while undertaking community work. Some people still do not believe that one can volunteer without necessarily gaining financially. Many more people still do not appreciate the power that lies in Volunteerism. I am one of the people who have spent my few years on this earth believing in this power and clocking 10 years of Volunteer work, this year 2016. We walked out of our office with Ronald Chiteta Chiwaya in preparation of the Community Outreach Project - which we have been undertaking in July/August, since 2013 in selected schools within Kitwe (thanks to Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands, for the Student Volunteers).

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We sat in that office, close to an hour trying to convince the School Manager to allow us to undertake a project that would benefit about 300 pupils and 30 Teachers of that school, with free Basic ICT Skills... We totally had no financial gain in doing so... It has been part of our commitment over the years to ensure that school children gain these skills... It has been an inner conviction that each one of us is responsible for the well being of society- the communities we live in, utilise resources available within our communities to ensure skills development for survival, increased access to information and participation of especially the young people in the civic affairs of the communities they live in...

Sadly, this seemingly UNREASONABLE and ENEMY OF DEVELOPMENT- School Manager mistook us for lukewarm desk and theoretical critics and dreamers of unattainable ideas. Our evidence of the report from previous year activities of a similar nature undertaken at the same school under the leadership of her predecessor was not enough for her... The support from our Focal persons within the school had fallen into deaf ears and unappreciative heart...

I looked into the eyes of my colleague whom I had taken on a learning-the-hard-way experience, and on his face a deep sense of the striking storm was written. His eyebrows straining, blood flowing high in his chest-elevating his posture- feet tightly stamped on the floor, and in a slight tone of the cracking finger muscles, he communicated to me; he had lost patience. For a mentee, well compounded in theoretical Human Rights Advocacy fit for community level work, a deep inculcation of Volunteerism flowing in his young blood, his eyes could tell that he could not hold his usually eloquent debate-filibuster like speeches anymore.

We could not resist inducing the extraction of hidden thoughts and agenda behind such negativity of this School Manager. Swiftly a direct observation of concern was deployed, and boooom - we got it.

In a furious voice she asked what the hell we got out of Volunteering... Claiming its insane for someone to spend time, skills and other resources, when they cannot get any financial benefit from such an activity... In her thoughts, we walked out with heavy pockets every time we conducted Free Basic ICT Skills training for pupils at that school... What a misconception...!

A time to explain to her our stance and inner strength to carry on the mission, she still could not believe it... A cold hour it was. We gave her few statements I believe she still remembers, she could not believe we had such strength and braveness within us... as powerless as we seemed in her eyes... There was no more time for negotiations, but stating of straight facts.

"Madam, thank you so much for spending this unproductive hour with us. Considering your authority at this school, the future of thousands of children lies in your hands, your decisions. It is unfortunate that you are abusing your authority, it is disappointing that the interest of these mainly poor children is not taken consideration into by your negative stance... We wonder who you are serving yet you get paid for sitting in this office. We are taking this opportunity to some similarly deserving children, we pray that your conscience will keep on reminding you that you are not serving the interests of the children who are very much in of these skills. You are denying these children an opportunity simply because we are Volunteers and you can not believe it, as per reason given to us... We shall remain Volunteers and hope that you will one day understand that its out of passion that we serve our community... Good day... we stood up AND we found our way out...

We went to another school, were given a warm welcome and undertook the project at that school benefiting more than 200 pupils and about 35 Teachers with free Basic ICT Skills at that school. In that year, project beneficiaries were about 600.

#VolunteerZambia I am a Volunteer for Life

We need action, not just promises

A sunny, hot Sunday it has been! After a few movements to prepare for the week, I head home, grab a glass of water, pull out my Laptop and try to make myself comfortable. As I lay my hands on the keyboard, I quickly browse through my files, looking for some sounds to up my spirits.

There we go, it is Marky II featuring Exile, with one of those ‘workaholic mood’ beats; Nangu bancinge. Nangu bancinge, talks about a determined person ready to defeat all setbacks until they get to a successful end. The track narrates, in brief, the perseverance sustained and things achieved as source of motivation. Booooom! I am energized, ready for the week ahead.

Various ‘pronouncements’ have been made by stakeholders to raise hopes about how they wish to see the youth engaged in agriculture. Most Job creation policies seem to have put agriculture at the centre of sectors which have been targeted to create jobs for the youth and women in Zambia.

Last week, I spent some good time reflecting on Agriculture and the Youth in Zambia. Where we are coming from, the current situation, where we might be in the next few years, policy, politics, and many other issues that surround the realization of effective engagement of youth in agriculture, had been at the centre of my reflection.

A dozen of reports, statements, policy documents, news items all point to something promising. Looking back to count through the actualization of those pronouncements, gives a sad reading. Where are the projects promised? Where are the youth who have benefited? What are the results and impact? I seem not to come across projects to reflect the ‘pronouncements turned into action’.  Could it be that the institutions undertaking those projects are not interested in sharing their activities and success stories? One would keep wondering why a success story would be put under the desk.

We need action, not just promises. I cannot figure out correctly how a youth out there struggling to be empowered would be interested in promises that do not come to fruition, or even worse, shoddy activities only targeted at few beneficiaries, seemingly just to settle the dust.

Even more worrying, is the exclusion of the youth from adding their voice to policy formulation and project planning related to their engagement in agriculture. We are better positioned to contribute our voice to the policies and projects that are intended to benefit us, otherwise, leaving us out of these processes, will not produce effective solutions and interventions. You could be inventing 'failed project' case studies, if you choose to keep our voices out of policy and planning processes.

We need action from all stakeholders, to practically (not theoretically) engage the youth in agriculture , and sharing of successful as well as failed projects. 

It is time for the youth in Zambia, to once more again show solidarity, and stand up for agriculture. Let us create a strong agricultural movement that will give a strong voice on our engagement in agriculture. A youth in agriculture movement that will keep track of all possible projects from which we can benefit, ensure that we actually benefit, be empowered and share the success.

There are  Opportunities in Agriculture, you would be surprised.