Due to harsh climatic conditions in Siavonga District, the project is intended to enhance resilient enterprise development by using Information Communication Technologies (ICT) through community-based stewardship on neglected and underutilized animal and plant species. The ICT-based promotion of access to, adaptation and effective use of tools and resources will apply bottom-up decision-making process as it will integrate relevant stakeholders.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Siavonga District, Southern Province
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
The target population will be the marginalized poverty stricken that have been devastated by droughts and floods in which crops and livestock have been lost. The project will expose ICT tools to grass-root communities in order to expose and link them to modern farming and marketing techniques that enhance capacity building and raise production and productivity. It will also involve knowledge transfer through exchange visits and networking.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The Project will introduce ICT-based user friendly extension messages to communities in which communities shall use in knowledge acquisition and transfer and in enhancing knowledge management, efficient farming practices and market linkages with a view to inform and transform them. Development of early warning systems through networking on climate changes shall be one of the core media outputs including agro-environmental events promotions.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
The Project involves CEPRON and Save Rural Africa Foundation (SARAF), a foundation established by 287 traditional chiefs in the country with intent to build capacity of resource-poor communities in agriculture, natural resource and rural development. The Project will address ICT access, ownership and control of resources by engaging key decision makers through the Government. Furthermore, the project is grass-root based at chiefdom level.
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
The project will be gender sensitive and intends to draw key participants from the 4 chiefdoms. 50 will be trained in on-line issues covering local resources in the area. Out of 50, 30 are envisaged to be women and 12 youths. Selection of participants and management of ICT equipment will be participatory and will be done by the individual communities taking into account individual abilities as they know each other better than Project Staff.
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
We will need technical support in developing a Website that will host project activities that include climate change, effective early warning services, environment and natural resource management; promoting “bottom-up decision-making schemes” in line with rural development at grass-root level. It will also highlight success stories, events, research and link learning opportunities to local and international partner organisations in the network.
Contact name
Derek Mundia – Projects Coordinator, to be supported by a Rural Development Officer and ICT Facilitator
Organization
CEPRON ZAMBIA