Country Context:

In the arid areas of Tanzania, people are increasingly living on marginal, poor quality land. Deforestation and soil degradation is accelerating as pressure on the fragile ecosystems of this land increases, and rainfall is low and unpredictable. Small scale farmers face challenges such as new pests attacking their crops, or failure of certain traditional methods due to the changing climate and ecosystem. A lack of appropriate and accessible information and adequate infrastructure to access markets is one of the greatest challenges to the development of small scale agriculture.

Programme Activity Summary:

Renewable World is working with programme partner Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) to expand their network of successful Maarifa Centres (Maarifa means ‘knowledge’ in Swahili). Maarifa centres are community knowledge hubs which provide access to information, resources and peer-to-peer education and training in remote areas of East Africa enabling poor, isolated farming communities to increase their income generating capability through improved agricultural techniques and for families to improve their nutritional status through the variety of local produce available and information about health.

Renewable World will support ALIN to install a hybrid wind-solar system to provide appropriate and affordable power to a very basic Maarifa centre in the village of Nyakasimbi, in the remote and marginalised district Karagwe where only 0.2% of the population have access to grid power.

Renewable World Partner Support:

Along with providing social investment and financing for this programme activity, Renewable World will draw on our unique relationship with the renewable energy industry in the UK to provide a technical expert to support the development of a hybrid wind-solar system and transfer knowledge and expertise to ALIN, ensuring that the centre can run for 10 to 15.

Renewable World will also work with ALIN to support them in developing a sustainable business model for the centre with user tariffs set at an appropriate level which will not only promote the sustainability of the centre but be affordable for users and support enterprise development within the local community.

Implementation:

• The programme will involve the installation of a wind-solar hybrid system to provide power for 5 low energy computers with a satellite uplink to enable access to the internet and the online information and resources that it provides.

• The Maarifa Centre will be run by a field officer, who will assist the communities to access the information they need and teach them computer applications and internet use. They will also liaise with focal groups to ensure that first hand information on new developments quickly reaches farmers and other users.

• Community volunteers will link the Maarifa Centre with the villages in the area through regular outreach, making sure the centre responds to the needs of the whole community.
 

Impacts:

• 250 farmers will benefit from decreasing costs and increasing yields due to access to information on new farming techniques as well as seasonal weather predictions and market prices and conditions, this will not only allow them to save money and grow healthier food (by using non chemical pest control methods) but to get a better price for their produce at market.

• 250 children will benefit from improved educational performance as school age children will be able to use the centre to access the library and other resources and information for homework

• 1000 local community members will benefit from being able to access information, education and community resources at the centre or through outreach such as local women who will be able to access information on family health and nutrition.