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JOHANNESBURG--Just
imagine what
is like having
to live without
a choice.
Day after
day, from
dawn to dusk,
many women
in sub-Saharan
Africa cross
long distances
to fetch
water, carrying
the heavy
pots on their
heads and
suspended
over their
shoulders.
They pound
and grind
food until
their hands
become sore
and numb.
For girls
and boys
school and
education
take the
back seat,
because they
have to stay
home and
help their
mothers in
carrying
out the time-consuming
tasks. What
happens to
the dreams
and desires
of doing
something
else? Do
these yearnings
die out or
remain secretly
hidden in
the heart?
Nalini
Burns spoke
of the machine
that put the
luxury of choice
back into women
and children's
lives. The
machine, called
Multifunctional
Platform, performs
the time-devouring
activities
at a fraction
of time, giving
women the opportunity
to invest their
time in self-empowerment
and in enriching
their social
lives. Children
finally can
go where they
ought to be
in the first
place-schools.
Burns, who
is an economist
and gender
analyst, joined
the United
Nations Development
Programme to
monitor and
evaluate the
impact of the
machine on
people's lives
and to collect
data on its
economic and
social impact.
She explains
that the machine
has a diesel
engine and
can power different
tools, such
as cereal mill,
husker and
battery charger.
The engine
can also generate
electricity
for lighting
and refrigeration
and to pump
water. With
its many functions,
it is used
for variety
of services
that generate
income for
the operating
group.
"It is
also economically
viable for
the entire
community because
it allows people
to invest their
time in other
activities
that generate
income," Burns
said. Villages
in Mali, Senegal,
Burkina Faso
and Guinea
posse numbers
of these machines
and there is
a high demand
from other
states. The
estimated cost
of the platform
is US$4,000.
Between 30
to 50 percent
of the cost
is financed
by the beneficiaries
and the one-time
subsidy of
US $2,500 is
provided by
the project.
The project
aims at installing
10,000 of these
machines at
a cost of US$
10.5 millions.
Installation
of the platform
is demand-driven.
Women's associations
must request
the installation
with funds
mobilized for
its acquisition.
Villages mobilize
themselves.
Women's associations
mobilized support
from the more
financially
better-off
male association.
They give financial
support because
it is in their
interest too. "The
food will be
ready on time," Burns
said. Before
the platform
is installed,
a social, economical
and technical
feasibility
study is undertaken
to enable users
and purchasers
to make a decision
for purchase
based on informed
choices, the
identification
of partners
for the energy
enterprise
and establishes
a basis against
which results
can be tracked.
Between 65
to 70 percent
of the money
from the program
is spent on
capacity building.
The
project,
conceptualized
by Roman Imboden
and intended
to target women
for the benefit
of the whole
community,
was launched
in 1994. "This
is a practical
working instrument
at village
level that
is reducing
poverty and
giving women
and children
their lives
back," Burns
said. "If
policies can
be directed
to support
the local community,
we would go
a long way.
I would like
to see a time
when there
is no single
woman in Africa
who has to
spend so much
time fetching
water and pounding
manually day
after day."
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