Getting there....!
Jun 18, 2008
Interim Follow-up
We are approaching our first formal round-table discussion amongst our partners this Saturday, June 23rd, at the Emafini Business Center. It will be attended by all of our moringa partners and interested parties to discuss future plants, expectations, and formalize intentions.
The past 3 weeks has seen us hold positive meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-Operatives, TechnoServe, and PSI (Population Services International) Swaziland.
At the meeting with MOAC, negotiations yielded the number of plots being brought down from 5 to 3 but with an extra plot at the Malkerns Research Station to total 4. However, the 250 plants that were proposed would be distributed among the three plots with an extra 50 planted at Malkerns Research. This was the accepted agreement and they are now running it through their superiors. We'll have a response in about two weeks.
TechnoServe is an internationally established consulting organization that provides numerous services for small and growing enterprises in developing countries. We believe that their experience with the handicraft/trade market would help us greatly as we begin preliminary research on our own handicraft/ income generation venture with a group of skilled artisans. They have been established with 3 handicraft groups for approximately 5 years now, and have essentially reorganized the internal structure of the production scheme, connecting textile manufacturers with producers, finding trade show opportunities, and opening new markets. There were many constructive lessons learnt from that meeting, the main one being: learn about our product. We have to gauge the skill involved in making the bags, the uniqueness of the bag, and whether or not there are other similar competitors our there. The question of what markets are out there for these bags is a very important one. Most importantly, we have to see if there is a demand for such a product. That will determine how far we can go.
PSI is a well respected social marketing organization that has taken an aggressive stance on HIV prevention in Swaziland through a number of successful programs. We approached them to learn more about their micronutrient projects in South America; we wanted to see if they would be interested in doing similar work with us in Swaziland. The response was enthusiastic as they have a Mother and Child Wellness products program. It currently includes promotions for de-worming tablets and water purification tablets. Promotion of moringa would be slotted into that program. However, this is all in the future and we still have many steps before we reach that stage.
The last week and a half has been spent securing our first large shipment of moringa powder for taste trials and nutritional analysis by the Nutrition Council. In addition, we have secured a pathway for seed importation. All these steps are crucial as we get closer to starting groundwork with the Moringa plants. To protect the seedlings we had already planted from the cold winter, we constructed a simple greenhouse north of Piggs Peak, located in the northwest Midveldt region. If the greenhouse works as planned, we can nurture the moringa seeds during winter months for planting in summer time as strong seedlings.
While in Northern Swaziland, we were fortunate to meet with a well-known Moringa advocate based in South Africa. He was encouraged by our progress thus far, and definitely agreed that Moringa implementation in Swaziland is not only feasible, but beneficial for all parties involved, especially those who need it most, the rural communities. His greatest emphasis was on the current presence of moringa powder on the streets of South Africa. Apparently, street vendors are already making a substantial profit, selling two tbsps of Moringa powder for 5 rand. In his own words, they are "selling like hotcakes". This reinforces what we have known, that Moringa demand is growing tremendously.
Interim Brief
May 25, 2008
Interim Brief:
Per expectations, the original plan of action has been evolved to fit
the situation on the ground. While strategy and tactics have changed,
the mission of introducing moringa to general domestic production and
consumption has not.
The stages were set up as 1. run taste trials, 2. propagate among
homesteads, and 3. formation of co-operative for processing and sales.
The stages have been adjusted. The taste trials can be conducted very
quickly at any time; it is now of secondary focus. Propagation has
been switched over to partner NGOs. Formation of income generating
co-operative is sufficiently far in the future that detailed plans now
are unnecessary.
To review, the updated plan of action is as follows; 1. get government
permission, 2. prepare trial / demonstration plots on the grounds of
our partner, 3. propagate among communities of our hosts.
Since moringa is a non-indigenous plant, the most difficult and
time-consuming stage is to receive official permission from Ministry
of Agriculture and Co-Operatives. Incidentally, the country has had a
spat of controversy with invasive or harmful trees; the Australian
wattle, eucalyptus, jacaranda, and the recent jatropha. These issues
in addition to significant government inertia is slowing down
progress.
However, we believe that with the strong reputation of moringa and
constructive (and ginger) negotiations with all stakeholders will
ultimately unlock moringa for general utilization.
While the proposal is being considered by MOAC, we have been securing
land for the trials.
We have opted to place moringa in the hands of organizations and
missions that are already in the communities and have programs in
agriculture. There are 3 important reasons. First, these groups have
already been working within the communities for many years and have
built up important understanding and relationships. Second, these
groups have the organizational infrastructure and resources to monitor
and maintain the trial plots. Third, we believe that their collective
influence and reputation can be leveraged upon the Ministry to get
permits speedily.
swaziAID will support the maintenance of these plots both technically
and financially.
The propagation strategies in the future will vary according to each
organization and community. Generally, our partners have home
gardening / agricultural programs in their activity. Upon the success
of the trials, our partners will slot moringa into their current
programs and workshops. Among the partners, some will harvest and
process the leaves into a powder for a dietary supplement. Through
this and other activities, the perceived value of moringa powder will
be built up. This critical perceived value will be the incentive for
homesteads to try to grow moringa for home use and for sales.
In Swaziland, women typically purchase stocks of fruits and vegetables
from South African whole-salers and re-sell around town (especially
around the bus ranks). Ultimately, the hope is that these women will
be selling the moringa powder as a valued standard commodity in these
markets.
As before, upon excess production of moringa powder within the
country, domestic malnutrition would have been addressed and a moringa
co-operative will be formed to tap into international markets.
In addition to the moringa project, we have been identifying
appropriate projects to be run in parallel. Among these are income
generation for women by way of crafts and supporting a girl's soccer
team. Our other projects will become more clear in about a month or
so.
testing email publishing
Mar 23, 2008
testing testing - ed
testing
Nov 19, 2007
hello fellows, we've been meaning to get an update or newsletter or something. here tis, let me know what you think.