Saturday, November 12, 2011

Senegal 2.0

Today we travelled an hour outside of Kaolack to the village of Dissiong.  This was a most unusual experience to last year to see not only brick buildings, but also a generator in the village.  Last year, the seven villages we visited were comprised of mud huts arranged in fractal geometric patterns, so this was a noted difference. 

The beginning of the week was full of compromise.  Two of our CTI bags had not arrived until a week later.  Today, 11-11-11, however was different.  While this village was eagerly awaiting our arrival like all the rest, the spark in the eyes of the members, presidents and council, when the technologies were brought out, had them taking immediate control demonstrating, and CTI remained in the background. 
It is imperative that the local farmers work the technology to ensure adoption and diffusion once a Westerner returns to the United States.  Each of the participants took turns trying each piece of the Pearl Millet processing suite, and again and again it proved to be “Paradise,”  especially for the women working under the shaded Baobob tree.  There were little to no loss of the yield, and at the end of the afternoon our CLUSA assistant rationed the milled millet to the farmers for that evening’s meal.

The comments that came from our discussions after the demonstration resonated loudly among us all.  USAID/CLUSA has already purchased the suite, and we have recommended that the suite be utilized within the Dissiong village following the back to back USAID/CLUSA work we have to complete this month.  There are nearly 50 surrounding villages that can currently come to Dissiong to utilize the generator and these villages will also benefit from the efficient use of CTI’s hand operated suite of pearl millet processing equipment.
Ndeye Diallo, President of his council and village described how the CTI suite of technologies will be a huge economic benefit in Senegal. From a household level, farmers would have savings to use to diversify their crops, instead of paying the large processor that sometimes passes through the villages1300CFA to process their millet when or even if it comes through the individual villages, in addition to the 35CFA for flour or 70CFA for fine flour. 

Alternatively, Babear Guey, was a consultant representing two organizations FAPA and PROMER. They promote micro-enterprise/entrepreneurship around millet processing.  He exclaimed in a blissful voice “This is a gift from Heaven, CTI has brought a technology never seen before by his NGO’s that he must find out how to connect with us so he can access the training and equipment necessary to distribute these among his villages, and to learn the CTI way.

Coly Sarr, President “I am amazed at the machine, this is truly a blessing and I wish to see it available and affordable to us all”…he continued, “Please be very cautious with the technology, it is us (the small holder farmer who needs this) not large companies who would likely steal/copy this idea, please allow us to access this…what would take 10 women 4 or more hours, I have witnessed in moments before my very own eyes, Thank you CLUSA and thanks you CTI we are blessed to have you here.”Habiboou Dreme was representing 41 villages and would like to see the suite of technologies in each.  Laity Badione Nguecok, who is a CLUSA extension agent would wish to see “50 suites in the villages this year, and 100 the next year.” 

Ob Hadj Sember Sisse left me, however, with something to ponder.  “Every day at dusk, you will see children walking the dark, dangerous highway to Dissiong because we have a generator to process millet, CTI technologies would save a lot of hardship.”  So logically, to me, It is not only a food safety thing, it is a individual safety thing. 
Now it is a question of diffusing those technologies throughout Senegal and beyond.  Over 500 million people survive on this hard to process crop, and it survives throughout the most arid parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and India.  With your help, we can assure our valued in-country partners on the ground, many of whom will be a part of the Agricultural Symposium CTI is hosting in Dakar on November 16th, facilitates that the next generation can be promised their personal as well as their food safety and security. 

abenevolentmind

Saturday, August 20, 2011

African Exodus

As I mentally and physically prepare for nearly two months in Africa, I am again reminded why I do what I do, and why I wake every morning.

Compatible Technology International was founded 30 years ago this year by former engineers from General Mills, 3M, Land O Lakes, Cargill, University of Minnesota, and soon flourished to include food scientists, agronomists, development workers, economists and conserned philanthropists who recognized a need for thier knowledge to transcend the boundaries of the developing world.  Fast forward 30 years, as I looked to forward my education, and I found my Masters in Human and Development Policy Program with a concentration in sub Saharan Africa, and a volunteer opportunity, and a home as Co-Chair of the  Africa Committee. I soon found an opportunity on behalf of CTI to travel to Africa with a USAID/NCBA Farmer to Farmer program.  Now, I am the Program Manger on staff, oversee over 150 volunteers, am managing the West African efforts, am spearheading a West African Agricultural Symposium in Dakar in November ***that is coming to fruition because I could not sleep one night and I thought it would be a GREAT idea*** of which USAID, Gates, Peace Corps, USDA, MCC, Ministry, NCBA, NGOs, local publicity, Oxfam small holder farmers and the like will all be in attendence.  But this is not why I do what I do.

As I stood in the desolate dusty fields of West Africa, watching the women, I mean 7 year old girls, who will never have a chance at a betterment of life, because 8 hours (minimum) a day in the field processing her crop for the days meal is her everyday, for a lifetime... and then I look at CTIs simple post-harvest technologies and what that can provide her in terms of a future, a micro-enterprise a business, it is mind blowing.  11 year old Roykiya I taught to disassemble, clean, and reassemble our burr-mill-grinder, and we know for a fact they (her whole village) is using it daily in the USAID village we will return to in November.  It is because of that teaching and investment, of a young woman, that there is a future in Africa.  I am happy to report that our most recent post-harvesting devices are producing 10 times the human (woman) power (hand power--as most villages have no electricity) that we will be bringing into the field that USAID has purchased for our Nov/Dec trips and I could not be more excited to be introducing this to the women of tomorrow.

Cheers to a departure and a future of hope for the people of Africa!