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Post Harvest
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Compatible Technology is Awarded
McKnight Grant
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Malnutrition
is widespread in Malawi and Tanzania,
particularly among children under five whose diet is deficient in protein, oils
and micronutrients. The need is urgent to develop and harvest improved, nutritious
foods using locally available crops such as groundnuts (commonly called
peanuts). Increased groundnut production can significantly improve individual
nutrition as well as economic security.
In
September, Compatible Technology International was awarded a Grant from the
McKnight Foundation to enhance child nutrition using groundnuts in rural Malawi and Tanzania. CTI will lead the
four-year, $673,000 project, which is a partnership with Tanzania's
Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
"This project is essentially
about collaborating with these farm families about the crops growing naturally
in their environments," said CTI's vice president of operations, Bert Rivers. "This collaboration is important,
not only to provide additional nutrition to their families, but to also provide
increased revenue for their households to improve their livelihood. We are also
being educated by the farmers about the realities of their living conditions
and farming systems."
The project
will include 3 primary goals:
1) To develop a nutritious food for
post-weaning children
2) To determine best practices for
processing groundnuts
3) To establish capacity in-country
In the
first component of the project, CTI, its partners, and food scientists, will
research and develop a nutritional foodstuff for young children using
groundnuts and other local staple crops.
Compatible
Technology International's post-harvest processing technology and experience
will be instrumental for the second component of the project, in which CTI will
help determine the best practices for processing groundnuts in rural Tanzania and Malawi. An integral part of this
project will be determining the tools and practices individual farmers need to
get the maximum value from their crops.
A
fundamental aspect of CTI's mission is to give people the tools they need to
feed and support themselves. The final component of the project incorporates
this principle and is essential to the project's ultimate success. CTI and its
partners will be working over the next four years to ensure that they leave
behind the tools necessary for local communities to continue to benefit from
the project.
In late
September, CTI volunteer, Steve Clarke and Vice President of Operations, Bert
Rivers traveled to Tanzania
to kick off the McKnight project. During their trip, they had the opportunity
to travel to Morogoro, the home campus of Sokoine University of Agriculture
(SUA). While at SUA, the CTI travelers were able to meet first hand some more
of their collaborators in the project. These face to face meetings gave them
the opportunity to put into place some concrete action plans for the project.
While in Morogoro they made contact with local fabricators who might become the
agents of our capacity building activities in Tanzania.
CTI volunteer and Technical Advisory Council Member
Steve Clarke inspects the papayas in Tanzania
In the city
of Bagamoyo, Bert
and Steve met for McKnight's Collaborative Crop Research Program (CCRP) for
Southern Africa Annual Grantee Meeting. At the gathering, in addition to each
Grantee presenting the status report for their project, attendees were
introduced to the needs of individual farmers through their participation in the
conference's discussions. McKnight also took the opportunity to present a
powerful team of guest speakers who spoke on improving the quality and the depth of the research being conducted
by the Grantees.
While all
these researchers were present, Bert and Steve had the opportunity to tell CTI's
story, both publically and in one-on-one sessions. It was during these sessions
that Steve and Bert believe that CTI made a major impact upon the attendees.
They were able to show the track record that CTI has established over the years
and the value of CTI technologies for farmers and villagers. Many of the attendees are hungry for what CTI
can bring to their communities. |
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Technology
Meets Generosity
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Recently,
at an international conference of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT),
five University
of Minnesota students,
Wilfredo Dominguez, Eric Hedstrand, Sravanthi Priya Malaypally, Wynnie Margatan
and Heather Taterka won the prestigious Developing
Solutions for Developing Countries Award from the IFT. These students,
under the leadership of long time CTI volunteer, Dr Tonya Schoenfuss presented
their paper entitled "Pushtikor" which in Bengali means "nutritious".
These students' paper won over papers from all Universities in the US and Canada.
The paper
presented how a mix of ground lentils and dried potatoes packed into a
paperboard canister accompanied by a spice mix and dried ground moringa leaves
could be economically delivered to the residents of Bangladesh. The students built
their processing model around CTI technologies for potato processing, dal and
moringa grinding and solar drying. Using an economic model, the students showed
how they would be able to distribute a nutritious, well balanced "soup" to the
residents where these ingredients are grown.
Now comes
the truly rewarding part of this story. There was a small monetary award that
went with the prestige. These students, over the period of their involvement
with CTI's technologies, had come to believe in our Mission. They therefore decided to donate to
CTI a portion of their winnings. WHAT GENEROSITY! We will try to live up to
your faith in us. |
CTI
Awarded Vista Hermosa Grant
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CTI was
recently awarded $15,000 by the Vista Hermosa Foundation for a potato
processing enterprise in India.
This will be a joint project with Hennepin
Avenue United
Methodist Church
in Minneapolis.
The project will be implemented in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
in a community established in 1976 as part of the Gandhi 21 Point Program to
provide livelihoods other than begging. Through the efforts of United Methodist
Church missionaries, Hank and Dorthea
Garwick (of Minnesota),
who are also CTI volunteers, the community established a "weaving Ashram". The
weaving enterprise and support from the Methodist Church
has helped sustain the community since 1976. However, due to global economic
changes there is a current glut of woven fabric and the market for textile
production has dwindled and the community has an immediate need for new income.
CTI will use the Vista Hermosa funds to help establish a potato processing
enterprise that will produce community income.
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Twice
the Gift Store Benefits CTI During the Holidays
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From now through mid-January, CTI is
being featured at Twice the Gift in downtown Minneapolis. Twice the Gift is a unique
seasonal shop that showcases the products and services provided by more than 50
Twin Cities nonprofit organizations including CTI. At Twice the Gift, you can
select a beautiful CTI ShareCard to give as a special, meaningful gift and the
proceeds will help support CTI's mission to help alleviate hunger and poverty.
Consider doing all your holiday shopping at Twice the Gift and be sure to give
out a few hints to friends and family that a CTI ShareCard would be the perfect
gift for them to give you this year. This is truly the gift that will "keep on
giving".
When:
Mid-October through January 9
Where: IDS Center-1 st Floor (80
South 8 th Street, Minneapolis, MN)
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Upcoming CTI Events
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CTI has a number of interesting
events in the coming months, and below we've listed just a few. Please check the new calendar section on our website up-to-date details.
October 27 - Ten Thousand
Villages CTI Benefit Night (5-8PM, 867
Grand Ave., St. Paul)
Now through January 2 - Twice
the Gift Store (10AM-6PM, IDS Center, Minneapolis)
November 1 - CTI speaking at Contemporary Christian Issues class (10am - 11am, Faith
UMC in St. Anthony Village)
November 12 - Peace Coffee Hour at Hamline University (3-5PM, 1536
Hewitt Ave., St. Paul)
November 15 - Eco Justice Forum, CTI Panel at North Como Presbyterian
Church (11AM-12PM, 965 Larpenteur Ave. W., Roseville)
December 9 and December 17 - CTI Days at Twice the Gift (10AM-6PM, IDS
Center, Minneapolis)
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