tsed newsletter- october issue 1
- 1. TSEDNewsletter Issue 1 | October 2016 In this issue... About TSED Chairman's Foreword Partner with us Editor's note Stories from the volunteers around Zimbabwe Upcoming programs Chairman's Foreword With new pressing challenges cropping out around the world, the world is in need of problem solvers more than ever. TSED is one organisation that has joined the race of providing solutions that ensure sustainable economic growth ofAfrican communities by leveraging one of the most powerful tools which is technology. TSED has been accelerating community growth by ensuring that technology is reaching the right hands in community. This first issue of the newsletter envisions what the organisation hopes to achieveintheAfricancontinent. BensonTereraiChigwende:benson@tsed.org.zw Connect with Us www.tsed.org.zw +263 9 60675 Technology for Sustainable Technology for Sustainable Technology for Sustainable Economic Development Economic Development Economic Development @technoforafrica
- 2. 2 TSED NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 | 2016 Who is TSED? Technology for Sustainable Economic Development (TSED), is a charity trust founded on the premises of wanting to leverage technology for sustainable economic development in Africa. VISION Changing communities, improving lives for a better self-sustaining Africa. MISSION To be a leader in technology acceleration and the provision of innovative solutions to eradicate poverty and build self-sustaining communities. STRATEGIC FOCUS Feed the Nation The feed the nation programme exists to help Technology for Sustainable Economic Development (TSED) in the fulfilment of its objective in eradicating poverty and extreme hunger by ensuring food security, enhancing production and productivity and achieving higher local value addition. At Technology for Sustainable Economic Development (TSED) we believe that change begins at earliest stage of life in a society which is the family unit in the community. So our feed the nation programme is focused on transforming smaller farming families with growth potential and have a measurable positive socio-economic effect on community, employment (particularly for youth and women) and sustained household incomes. Education for All A prosperous and self-sustaining Africa is predicated on the development of Africa’s human resources. Well-functioning and sustainable national education and training systems are key tools in achieving this. Education is an important sector whose performance directly affects the quality and magnitude of Africa’s development. Technology for Sustainable Economic Development in support of Education for all hope to promote the acquisition of life-skills by adolescents and youth and expand adult literacy in areas pertaining technology. Connect the Globe (Internet for All) As part of Internet Global Challenge initiative that catalyses new models of public-private collaboration, with the aim of increasing affordable internet access and relevant adoption, and developing a replicable methodology that can be scaled within and among other countries for the estimated 4 billion people who are not on the internet. TSED initiative will be action oriented with an objective to accelerate the achievement of internet for all, in partnership with the governments involved and under their leadership, and will involve private sector, civil society, experts, and the multilateral/bilateral community. The models developed will aim to serve as a basis for scaling up and replicating “internet for all” in African countries and regions. Clean and Sustainable Energy for All Energy access acts as a catalyst for development, enabling education and local business opportunities, improving health and welfare, and enhancing democratic engagement. Africa is poised for breakneck economic growth in the coming decades because of its rich natural resources, favourable demographics and overall scope for development compared to other parts of the world. But much of that growth will hinge on the availability of the power and electricity needed to ignite industries and enable everyday business activity throughout the continent. Technology for Sustainable Economic Development’s main objective under the banner of Clean Sustainable Energy for all it helps Africa supply the most basic needs of energy to smaller communities with potential of a meaningful social economic development.
- 3. Upcoming Programs Editor’s Note 3TSED NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 | 2016 TSED EmergingLeadersTraining Camp.(TSED E.L.T.C) This program under the auspices for Education for ALL (E.F.A) was designed to train youths in the acquisition of life skills pertaining to technology and engagement in production centred activities .The training camp is held annually in the month of November, during the Training camp special guests are invited toholdthetrainingseminar. Areas oftraining: Ÿ RenewableEnergyTechnologies. Ÿ SocialEntrepreneurship. Ÿ Smart Farming Technologies. Ÿ Reuseand RecycleTechniques.etc. NB: This program is made a success by the generosity of our partners and donors who are dedicated to the sustainable socio andeconomicdevelopmentofAfrica. To donate and partner with us contact us on infor@tsed.org.zw or or +263775931262,+263772298204.benson@tsed.org.zw TSED ReachOut Campaigns. Reach out campaigns are organised in different parts around the continent of Africa under the directive of the Board of Trustees .But currently scheduled campaigns will be focused in Zimbabwe. Their sole purpose is advocacy and engagement of stake holders, donors and volunteers. They help community know who we are, what we do as the TSED thus bringing awarenessinour valuedpartners. To be part of the reach out campaigns please contact infor@tsed.org.zw. Above all else, I am excited to be part of the vigilant team that made the production of this newsletter possible! This is officially the first newsletter to be published by Technology for Sustainable Economic Development (TSED). Our purpose goes beyond tackling issues going on in Zimbabwe, we are proudly aiming for extending our reach throughout the continent of Africa. The amazing thing is our acknowledgement that we cannot do any of this without the help of people like ‘you’. Yes, you! By reading this article alone, you have become a valued contributor of TSED. Of course you can go the extra mile by spreading the word about our work, volunteering your services, taking part in our workshops or donating whatever it is that you can and feel will be of great use to the next person. It is to my greatest hope that you enjoy reading this newsletter and give us feedback through our social networks and contact details provided on the first page. Welcome to the TSED family!
- 4. 4 TSED NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 | 2016 Emergency call in Tavengwa village By Faith Mhandu- Mutsambiri In the sun scotching land of Mwenezi area in Masvingo province lies Tavengwa village. An area where even the grass itself struggles to see the rise of a new dawn. Seeing green natural vegetation is a rare encounter in this semi-arid region. The situation of the natural environment itself signals to a visitor the struggle that locals go through to harvest something worthy a meal. Pastures are dry and tillage fields are thirsty, putting both humans and livestock on the receiving end of hunger and poverty. Tavengwa village falls under the chieftainship of Chief Murovi. Mwenezi lies in natural regions four (4) and five (5) which by geography receives little to no rainfall. By virtue of location, it is prone to drought and inadequate for agricultural activities. With the area also experiencing climate changes, for the past years Tavengwa village has been in perennial food shortages. This has forced Mwenezi farmers to shift from traditionally regular crops into cotton, small grains, and livestock production. However, of late, livestock production has been affected by pastures scarcity due to droughts. This has brought a notable challenge to the villagers since they rely on butter trading their animals to gain mealie meal, the people’s staple food. On the other hand, small grains production is usually stereotyped as for women while farmers have since dumped cotton due to its poor prices. Unlike other villages in Mwenezi that are close to Mwenezi River, Tavengwa village does not benefit from this natural resource. There is just a small irrigation scheme in the area, which can only support vegetables and probably small scale green mealies production. It is not big enough to feed the community for the whole year. With the explanation above, people in Tavengwa village do not have any other sources of income. ! e market for small grains is still small in Zimbabwe as most people prefer maize meal rather than millet, rapoko and sorghum. ! e people of Tavengwa themselves consume it because it is the only production that their dry land can sustain. ! therefore, the need to educate them on the benefits of these small grains to the healthy development of an African citizen. Expanding the area under irrigation is one way of helping people in Tavengwa village, but education and value addition can also play a vital role. Educating villagers as well as the whole nation on the nutritional value of small grains will go a long way in the appreciation of the negatively stereotyped crops. Education is also required in achieving the highest yield per hectare in both small grains and cotton. Teaching farmers to harvest pastures during the peak of the rain season is also vital. Value addition on the other hand, will improve the consumption of small grains while to cotton farmers this would be a stepping stone in poverty alleviation. Obert Jiri, an agronomist and University of Zimbabwe lecture concurred that if farmers mobilise themselves and gin their crop before exporting, they would realise more profits. “What our cotton farmers need especially those who do not grow under the contract system is to be able to gin their own cotton and export it as lint which fetches a better price,” said Jiri. “! is can be achieved by having an independent ginning company, and due to the spread of mobile phones that use internet, our farmers can access international market prices and form groups to export their crop,” he added. Value addition of small grains would also create a wide variety of food choices amongst the villagers and remove boredom and appetite loss caused by eating the same food all the time. As a result, this would create household food security with an added advantage of a nutritional diet. Tavengwa villagers also need assistants in finding markets for their produce once irrigation technologies are set. ! is will help them to trade their crops and manage to acquire more commodities other than their land produce. Moreover, they would need money to inject back into their agricultural activities. In as much as food aids might bring a bright smile to the villagers, this is not the best way to help the struggling communities. Food aids feed them today but tomorrow they are hungry again. Besides, it creates a reliance syndrome while killing self-sustenance. What these locals need is technological innovations and education for self-sustenance. With technology, they can have their local industry of water pumping; irrigation can be a bloomy activity in this area bringing food to everyone’s table. Hungry faces can slowly fade away if water pumping technology is to be installed.
- 5. Water crisis hits Chikomba communal lands 5TSED NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 | 2016 ByTendaiMunhazu It is around mid-day and the sun is blistering tremendously hot. Temperatures are ranging around 35 degreesinadry summer. From down the valley slowly approaches a woman around her mid-30s. She is carrying a 25litre container on her head. Both her hand are hanging with a bucket of water each.As she draws nearer, it becomes visible that a small baby is strapped on her back crying with inexplicable discomfort. The woman is breathing atypically and profusely sweating. She looks exhausted but still going. From a distance follows a young boy, in the primary school going age. He is supposed to be in school but probably this day he had to help her mother in the garden. At the moment he is struggling with two, five liter containers filled with water. His lips are dry, the hair is kinky and his skin is all white with the dust. Despite the sun heated soil, the boy is walking bare footed on this intense hot earth. His name is Takunda and her motherisMary. They need to water their garden and go back to the river, a mile away. Without such determination, they won’t find a meal on their tables enough for themtoseethenextday. Such are the characteristics of the dailystruggles for survivalenvelopingthe people of Manyene communal lands, Chikomba District in Chivhu. Boreholes a few and rivers are far. Everything seems slow in this remote area, from communication to transportation.There is no tared road to link them to their beloved Chivhu town. Now being isolated like that, they are struggling to produce for theirself-sustenance. The woman in the opening paragraphs, Marry Machona described her ordeal as horrible daylight nightmares: “Ndiwo mararamire atinoita kuno, vazhinji havazvizivi. Marwadzo ega ega sehope dzemadzikirira (That’s how we survive here. It is like a heavy nightmare)”. “Hatina zvibhorani saka tinotofamba rwendo kunochera mvura kurukova. Ndomawanire atinotoitawo muriwo wemuGarden (There are no boreholes so we travel long trips to fetch water from the river. That’s how we managetogetvegetables),”shewailed. Most residents have wells on their homes but they have dried up due to the lowering of the water table this hot summer. Now they have no option but to share the water with their few animals. Besides, these are just streams not big enough to self-filter the water. As a result, it is usually muddy after the animals take their turn at the natural resource. Tawanda Machona, the husband to Mary narrated how the situation used tobebetterbuthas sincedeteriorated. “Things used to be better in these communal lands sometimes back. I remember as a young boy my father used to have a bumper harvest. From than he managed to take me to school. GMB (Grain Marketing Board) used to come and buy maize from the local farmers. All this is a thing of the past. Ivhu redu r a n e t a u y e m v u r a h a i c h a n a y i sezvayaisiita (The soil is tired and the rains have deteriorated). Things are getting harder and harder for us,” Said Machona. “It would be better if we manage to get water pumps and fertilizers for our fields. Agriculture is our only means of survival since I am no longer working,” he added. Machona used to be a primary school teacher but left his job in 2008 going to work in South Africa. When his contract ended, Machona came back home but couldn’t get his teaching job back. Now he has to make a living from tilling the dry soil in a communal land whose soil is no longer fertile. Besidesfeedinghiswifeand theirtwochildren,Machonaneeds to take care of his 72 year old mother and his 79 year old father both staying in the same household. They try their best to help in the fields despite their deterioratinghealth. Every now and then, Machona and his wife need to take their parents for health reveal but at times they fail due to limitedfunds. Adding on to the dependency load, there are also other four children; orphans left by Machona’s siblings who died of the raging HIV pandemic. Two of these are in secondary school and two are still in their primary level. All they school fees comes from Machona and his wife. He dresses them, provide food, and make sure they have a roof over their head. Now with the lack of farming equipment, it is becoming more difficult for him. With help from the donor community, these people can be helped to ‘jump-start’ self- sustaining projects like irrigation and animal husbandry. They have the manpower but without the necessary resources, they cannot produceanything.
- 6. 6 TSED NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 | 2016 Partnerwith us Without the support and generosity of our partners, stakeholders ,donors the vision would not be possible so TSED is mobilising individuals and corporate donors that subscribe with our work to help us make our communities better by sendingin donationintheform of · Damaged equipmentor · Workingequipment · Officefurniture · Tools · Industrialmachinery · Renewableenergyequipment · Computers andlaptop. Toour refurbishedcentreweretheyarerecycledforreusetocommunitiesofneed. (Please fillandcut theform) DONATION FORM(Pleasecompleteallthesections) Detailsof donor Title…… Forename(s)…………………………............Surname……………………………… ID number/Passport number……………………………………………………………...........… Address ………………………………………………………………………………….............. ……………………………………………………………………………….............… Postcode…………………………… Emailaddress …………………………………………………………………………................. Description of Donation …………………………………………………………………………....………………........… ……………………………………………………………………………………........………… DonatedTowards …………………………………………………………………...........………. Signature…………………………………………………..................Date……/……/…………. For partnerships, donations and inquiries: Benson Tererai Chigwende +263775931262 benson@tsed.org.zw simba@tsed.org,zwSimbarashe Sharara +263772298204 For further information and support: Secretary and Public Relations Officer Annah Gangararwe +263771051077 infor@tsed.org.zw Where to Find Us: Bulawayo Centre Complex Shop 39 th Along Fort Street Btwn 9&10 Avenue. Infor@tsed.org.zw
- 7. 7TSED NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1 | 2016