The Newsletter of ITDG Sudan

Building the Local Capacity For The Manufacturing of Agricultural Tools In

North Darfur

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By : Mohamed Majzoub, Country Director (Sudan)

Issue No. 10 Issue date JUNE 2005

Since 1989 ITDG-Sudan has been working in North Darfur on a programme that involved blacksmith training which managed to train over 200 blacksmiths in the production of traditional agricultural tools.

Since 1989 ITDG-Sudan has been working in North Darfur on a blacksmith training programme which managed to train over 200 blacksmiths in the production of traditional agricultural tools. After the blacksmiths had completed the training programme they formed a community based organization named Blacksmith Society. Its main objectives were to provide equipment and to support the sustainable supply of materials to enhance the market.A few months ago, ICRC approached ITDG to request its support in providing 60,000 assorted pieces of tools for local farmers. ITDG organized over 60 blacksmiths in El Fashir market. Most of them were initially trained by ITDG, but they had fled their villages during the conflict. They manage to successfully complete the task with only a slight delay in the agreed time. The blacksmiths were very happy to have won that contract and meet the challenge of achieving this task. The impact achieved can be summarized as follows:-1- Each individual got an income of SD 360,000 (approximately US$ 1400).2- Five of the young blacksmiths got married immediately after they completed the job and received their final payment.3- All of those who had not completed the payment of government fees for their workshop training have managed to do so, and now they have all acquired work space of 9m² at El Fashir market.4- This income provided good capital for them to buy all the necessary equipment and raw materials to be prepared for the next rainy season.ICRC provided an excellent opportunity for building the capacity of local tools manufacturing. “Before executing this contract, we were sitting in the market doing very little work, mainly sharpening of knives and axes and hardly meeting our family requirements” said Yahia Mogu. The strategy followed by ICRC in acquiring the tools they needed to distribute locally has enhanced local manufacturers' capacities, and also ensured the production of the most appropriate tools. Tools have been made to cope with the variety of soil types and the type of crop to be cultivated. They also took into account the gender and age of the users, for instance in sandy soil, elder males use a weeder known locally as Jeraiyah shaggaga, women use Jeraiya kattala, while children use small version known as Kor and usually go in a group.

It is recommended that those who want to provide tools to farmers, should first sit with farmers and with local blacksmiths to ensure that there is full understanding of the user requirements.

ITDG- Sudan

Invitation for contributions to

Sharing

Sharing would like its readers to contribute articles and share their own practical solutions experiences. Your comments and suggestions

for improvement are also always highly appreciated

Products and Sales

WDA members sold and exhibited the following products from their two stalls, situated at different locations within the Fair:

* Dehydrated fruit, vegetables such as onion slices, as well as garlic powder, cowpea powder, roasted peanuts and watermelon seeds, etc.

* Juices; mainly baobab, tamarind, and doam.

* Homemade sweets and toffees.

* Local handicrafts and needle work.

* Freshly cooked foods, such as lentil soup.

The women were frequently asked by the many visitors to their stalls, where they had sourced their products and of the products availability throughout the year. The enthusiasm was such that the women are now keen to establish links within Khartoum, and lobby the Government to support them in establishing a WDA outlet there.

The experience did show that not all of the products were easily sellable, but products that sold very well were dried vegetables, juices, wild fruits and dehydrated sorghum dough.

Sales were down on last year, but this was attributed to:

* People having just returned from the Eid holidays, and being short of spending money!

* The Fair being in the middle of the month at a time when most people had spent their monthly salaries!

* Students being in the middle of the exams which meant few organized school visits, and families deciding to concentrating on their children’s studies!

Links Established

During the Fair, the WDA representatives managed to establish links with:

* A number of merchants in Khartoum, Umm Durman and Khartoum North who have requested supplies of dried onion and garlic.

* An owner of a restaurant in Saudi Arabia who has also requested supplies of dried onion.

* A number of packaging companies who offered their collaboration in providing the necessary materials and equipment the WDA require, at wholesale prices and on easy terms .

* Similar associations in Khartoum and other States.

* SEGA the wheat milling company whose excellent quality wheat flour is sold all over Sudan has offered free training by their highly qualified technicians to the WDA.

Future Plans

* Planning has begun for next season, focusing on sellable products.

* Plans going ahead for brochures, business cards and a display of panel posters showing the WDA objectives and achievements, which will give the WDA maximum exposure in the main exhibition pavilions of future Fairs.

* Fundraising for better future participation.

Women Venders participated in Khartoum Internationl Fair

By, Najeeb Fidiel-ITDG Sudan

The 22nd cycle of the Khartoum

International Fair was inaugurated on

the 16th –26th February 2005.

Twelve representatives of the

Women’s Development Association

(WDA) supported by ITDG-Sudan

took part ; six from the Darfur Women

Associations Network, two from the

Gedarif Network, two from the Kassala

Umbrella Association and two from

the El Fau Association.

ITDG

-Sudan

Make Poverty historyMake Poverty history

THE WAY TO PEACE IN DARFURTHE WAY TO PEACE IN DARFUR

Umm Bronga is a village located 40 Km west of El Fashir. Administratively it belongs to Taweila Local Council. The area, composed of 12 village councils, has a population of about 45,000 inhabitants.

Mohamed Fadullah- ITDG Sudan

ITDG -Sudan

Numerous“wadis”- Water source - dry riverbeds that only contain water during times of heavy rain - cross the area, and traditionally the people used to pile sand dams across these to assist in the cultivation of tobacco and vegetables. The villagers approached ITDG looking for support in building an improved dam to control the irrigation in the area. The proposed area to be flooded is 4000 feddans. ITDG managed to secure funding from the EU, and the people themselves provided about EURO 6000 and all of the unskilled labour needed for the preparation of building materials such as stones, gravel and sand for the masonry work.

The dam was built in 2003, but was incomplete due to insecurity and the conflict that erupted during the same year. In 2004 the dam was completed and has flooded over 2000 acres.

Over 200 families who acquired land in the flooded area have benefited from the dam. A range of crops can now be cultivated such as snuff tobacco (90%), okra (5%), tomatoes, water melons, pigeon peas and karkhadeh (hibiscus) (5%). About 11,000 people have come from distant villages to settle around the project area providing casual labour at 5-6 workers per acre, in addition to about 1,000 who come daily from Tawila town (7 Km from the area). They earn money and vegetables as well. These seasonal job opportunities last for about 7 months after the rainy season.In spite of the insecurity in the area caused by the attack of the Janjaweed, very few displaced people went to El Fashir. The project managed to provide the minimum needs which people preferred over staying in the IDP camps. The school in the area is the only operating school and that is because the project also provided the“means for its operation”said Mohammed Adam, the Secretary of the Dam Management Committee.He also added that, “These achievements are made in spite of the low rainfall in the area. If the rains were good, the area cultivated would be increased as well”.

The farmers are planning to increase the length of the earth embankment to allow for flooding in more area.This is a one project out of five similar projects ITDV has implemented and there are many others in the pipeline

ITDG is undertaking a rebranding of its name and logo. Very soon, ITDG name will be Practical action and the new logo is as shown below.

ITDG_ Sudan

ApologiseSharing would like to apologies for the delay in the production and distribution of this issue for reasons partially beyond our control and we promise to have the next issue on time.

Tessa Morrod, who used to edit Sharing,has moved on to a new position with GOAL Sudan. On behalf of ITDG Sudan I would like to thank Tessa for the excellent work she did for us and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

The African Baobab is a very long-lived tree with multiple uses. It is thought that some trees are over 1000 years old. In Sudan they grow in a wide belt covering Kordofan, Darfur and the Blue Nile. But as these areas have suffered from drought and desertification the Baobab tree has been affected and become an endangered species. The Baobab Tree

The tree is characterised by its massive size, reaching to a height of 18-25m. The trunk is swollen and stout, generally up to 10m in diameter though some giants can reach a 28m girth.

The fruit measures 10-45 cm and of irregular globular shape. The inner part of dry powdery pulp covering the hard black kidney-shaped seeds.

The local uses of the tree:

Although it is mostly regarded as a fruit-bearing forest tree, it has many other uses:

In western Sudan, the hollowed trunks of large trees can be used to store up to 9000 litres water for use during the dry season.

Once the shell is broken, the powder surrounding the seeds is separated by soaking it in water. The product can then be used as a refreshing cold drink, or when boiled with starch added to it can be used as porridge.

The dried leaves are used as “waika” a traditional Sudanese dish. The green leaves are eaten as salad.

The shade of large trees has made it suitable for socializing - often groups gather here to discuss community issues.

There are many medical applications, for example water extracted from the fruits is used to treat dysentery, stomach pains and diarrhoea. The bark and leaves are also useful in the treatment of fever, and are reported to have anti-inflammatory effect.

Why the Baobab is endangered

Severe droughts of recent years have affected the thorn woodlands of the savannahs and fears have been expressed about the regeneration of plant species.

In Sudan the over-use of multipurpose fruit trees, such as the Baobab, has become a significant problem. There is high year-round demand for fruits, even in cities like Khartoum. With fruit being collected from wild stands of trees, stocks are decreasing and no provision is made for replacing these trees - no plantations have ever been seen in Sudan. In cities seeds are just thrown away as garbage, eliminating any chance of regeneration. There is often a lack of awareness by the local people on the need to plant,

protect and manage under-utilized fruit species.

It is believed that in the past the Baobab fruits were widely eaten by large animals, especially elephants. They dispersed seeds and broke the seed dormancy which encouraged regeneration. With elephants now in danger of extinction because of habitat destruction and illegal killing, the natural regeneration of Baobab has been badly affected.

ITDG realized the importance of organizing a campaign to save the endangered species of this region, especially the Baobab tree.

The Aims of the Campaign:

To conserve the environment by collecting seed and planting more trees

To mobilize all concerned stakeholders to plant as many Baobab trees as possible in the states of Darfur, Kordofan, Blue Nile and Kassala.

To raise people’s awareness of the importance of these trees, and the fact that some of them are endangered.

To use this year’s event as a preparatory task, and as a rehearsal for a wider regional campaign along the Sudan-Sahelian Zone which will be organized next year.

Join the campaign and contribute to saving the Baobab

Siham M. Osman, Programme Assistant

Save The Baobab

IDPs are either collecting wood from far distances or using precious resources to buy it from nearby markets. In some camps, nearby sources are completely depleted leading people (mostly women and children) to travel further for fuel, exposing themselves to insecurity incidents; while in other camps IDPs are starting to dig deep to look for tree roots but this eliminates any chance for natural regeneration.

Alternative fuels and technologies were proposed in response to the concerns expressed by INGOs. Kerosene and gas are the most

likely alternatives but their use is surrounded by a number of limitations such as cost, accessibility and the possible potential hazards. For instance, it costs about US$12million for one month’s supply of kerosene; US$1.6 million to cover the cost of 200,000 kerosene stoves; in addition there is the cost of transporting fuel and stoves; and actually managing the process.Promoting improved woodstoves is considered the most appropriate solution. These stoves are more affordable; their use can be easily disseminated through extension work; and by training trainers there is a multiplier

effect and a mechanism to train as many people as possible on using improved woodstoves a short span of time.

With support from FAO, NCA, Mercy Corps and World vision, ITDG has organized training workshops on “using improved woodstoves” in the three States of Darfur during the period October 2004 – January 2005. There are now 153 trainers trained through these workshops. The training delivered was partly theoretical and partly practical, including extending knowledge on how to organize training for

The huge displacement of people caused by the conflict in Darfur has laid pressure on the environment surrounding the Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps. Shortage of wood fuel

has impacted negatively the IDPs themselves and worsened the environmental damage.

By: Mohamed Majzoub, Country Director

ITDG

-Sudan

Can the use of improved wood burning stoves protect Women from Violence against them?

others. The training was well received by the trainees. Other additional fuel savings skillsTrainees were taught other skills that also hep in saving fuel such as:1. Cutting and splitting firewood2. Using dry wood or drying it saves 20-25% 3. Protecting the fire saves 30-40%4. Control drought (air supply) 5. Simmering food gently saves 50% 6. Putting out fires promptly7. Preparing all ingredient in advance8. Pre-soaking beans - in laboratory test a 40% saving was achieved, however, in the test carried out during the workshop 66% was achieved9. Cutting food small10.Using tenderizers e.g. Bicarbonate of sodium. The locally available type known as (Atroon)11. Using lids, with a weight on top save up to20%12. Adding water during cooking13. Cleaning cooking pots. The practical comparative tests proved the initial claim of a saving of 50-60% of fuel. Other fuel savings skills shown achieved up to 75-82% of time needed for cooking.

Trouble shootingA few weeks after the training monitoring visit to a number of camps revealed that:1. Women who use more than one cooking pot still use the 3-stones stove for the second pot. It is important that they know the need to have a separate stove for each pot. 2. Smoke was observed in a number of cases. The smoke is a result of either use of wet/green wood or the pot rest is placed too deep into the stove wall leaving little space for smoke to escape3. Cracks on the stoves walls - these are mostly due to poor clay kneading or sifting. Coarse sand particles or small pieces of gravel cause cracking. Also rapid drying is another cause of cracking It is recommended that Trouble-Shooting Training should be extended to all trainers so that they can solve problems face in the field. It has also been reported that, incident of violence reduced as a result of reduction of number of trips for wood collection.

“Darfurian Singing”“Darfurian Singing” A Documentary filmed for TVE A Documentary filmed for TVE

ITDG -Sudan

By: El-Nazeer Mohieldin, KIS & Advocacy.Manager

ITDG is working strategically to enhance

indigenous technology and knowledge to

bring about a remarkable change in life

and attitudes of people. ITDG has applied

a number of methods and approaches

to influence environmental practices and

knowledge in affected zone such as Darfur.

Within this context ITDG Sudan coordinated

and facilitated movement of Sapiens

Production team to film “Darfurian Singing”

which focuses on studying impact of drought

and desertification on the conflict in Darfur.

The Film is being produced for TVE .

ITDG Technical briefs

Technical briefs are a great new

addition to the ITDG website.

Available via a link from the

homepage at www.itdg.org , they

cover a range of processes from

rural lighting to making water milon

jam, and can be downloaded free of

charge.

Each fact sheet gives clear

instructions and practical

information, a companied by

diagrams and illustrations for easy

use.

The briefs draw on ITDG’s many

years of research and project

implementation in a wide range of

sectors around the world.

You can also visit and consult the

library and staff at ITDG sudan’s

head office in Khartoum. We have

books and materials with specialist

information on technical solutions in

development and emergency work

as well as more general resources

for research and information .