Innovations from FSG staff

1. Innovations from FSG staff Presentation at Follow up PID workshop Polokwane, 28 March 2006

2. Process • Introduction to PID • Reflect on relevance for project work • Assignment to identify local innovations and processes • Award: trip to Limpopo • Six submissions, range of innovations • Winner…..

3. Substitute for funeral slaughter • Impact of AIDS in communities: Soaring death rates, funerals &expenditure, decrease in cattle nrs • Buying a whole beast as is tradition enhances HH vulnerability • Families in Msinga Top now buy from butchery parts of beast critical to funeral: head and intestines • Origin not clear; nor uptake; needs further investigation By Maxwell Mudhara

4. Measure for planting in rows • When working as extension worker he had to advice farmers to plant in neat rows • Mr Mbanjwa from Vulindlela designed a device to measure and indicate rows for planting his maize • His first design was made from wood, and later from iron • Not shared with other farmers; documented in field report and thesis By BJ Njokwe

5. Prevent moles from eating plants • A farmer in the Table Mountain area (Pmb) successfully prevented moles from eating sweet potatoes • How: by planting amadumbe (taro) in between rows • FSG staff want to try this out in some of their projects By BJ Njokwe

6. Pulling together By Michael Malinga • In Potshini, seven men have revived and adjusted the practice of “ilimo”, working together on the field • Only two members receive pension, others are unemployed and don’ receive remittances. They own a total of over 60 head of cattle • They formed a group in 2000 and formalized this in 2004: “Isixaxa Mbiji”: Pulling Together in cropping and livestock farming (planting five fields of over 1.5 ha), and buying inputs in bulk • Members pay R100 pm, they have a bank account and three storage rooms. No records were available • They are overwhelmed by request from other community members to assist. The group is now living off farming. They intend to buy a Nguni bull and own their own farm. • Uptake: One group in the areas is trying out the idea • Issues: Patience, mutual respect, give and take. Some family members don’t support the idea of sharing and unity.

7. Food insecurity • A man in Msinga lost his job and didn’t have money to buy food. He had livestock: 32 sheep and lambs, 60 goats and 17 cows. He wanted to keep his status as a man and not slaughter his livestock. He then came up with the idea to cut the sheep’s tail to feed his family • The story was told by a neighbour. The farmer has passed away. It is not known how long the family lived off this, what issues emerged, and uptake • Other staff said that commercial farmers cut of tails of livestock to prevent diseases, and whether this farmer might have observed this By Ncengimpilo Khanyile

8. Sorghum – bird protection • Burn mixture of trees [Msuzwane, Tyre, Melethned] every three days; smoke goes in sorghum and sticks to grain, so birds won’t eat them • New? Did not hear it before • Remark: environmental risk? • Mr. Dlame by Kees Swaans, Msinga - Mkhupula

9. Home garden – HIV-infection • Woman build a small home garden in a river bed, protected by thorn trees against goats/cows. Her 11-year old boy helps her in the garden. • New? Community garden too far; so she took initiative herself (only example I saw) • 26 year old woman by Kees Swaans, Msinga - Mkhupula

10. Funeral donation • In one area, collect 5 R and bread per household to give to affected household (up to 600 R) • New? Before saving scheme (10 R per hh to bank account for hh and two relatives – up to 1000 R for hh, 600 for relatives). But not possible to maintain (why?). • Interesting: various donation/saving schemes • Mkhuphula – Nhlungwane by Kees Swaans, Msinga - Mkhupula

11. Stock-theft protection • People buy/sell a goat/cow with ID in presence of witness (neighbours); anyone walking around with goat/cow can be asked where they bought it. • New? Did not exist in area or neighbouring areas before; Induna had to ask Inkosi for permission to introduce system. • Msinga – Mkhuphula by Kees Swaans, Msinga - Mkhupula

12. Farmer Life School • Stakeholders in health and agriculture get together to improve food security and well-being among HIV/AIDS affected households via farmer learning groups (incl. focus on innovation) • New? Builds on experiences with FFS in Africa; and experience with FLS in Asia (focus on innovation in combination with HIV/AIDS seems new. • Msinga – partnership between FSG, Sinozwelo d.i.c., Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and three support groups by Kees Swaans, Msinga - Mkhupula