Images of greenafrica |
Networking Rural Africa Communities in in Sustainable Development Programs |
Images of Kenya |
|
Images of greenafrica |
Networking Rural Africa Communities in in Sustainable Development Programs |
Images of Kenya |
Prof. Kefa V O Rabah,
Executive Director
BSc Phys, MSc. (Mat. Sc.) (India),
MSc. & Ph.D. (Sem. Device Phys) (Lancaster, England).
Background
GREEN AFRICA (GA) is a relatively new Scientific and Developmental NGO founded in 1996 by myself, Prof. Kefa V O Rabah and Dr. Hellen A Oketch. GA was later registered by the Government of Kenya as an international NGO in December 1997 (see below). Our main area of concern is to carry out sustainable development in rural Africa. Currently both of us also teach, when time permits, at the University of Nairobi; me at the Department of Physics while Hellen is at the Faculty of Pharmacy undertaking research in herbal/plant medicine. She is also serving as the GA’s Director of Programmes. Both of us are Kenyan.As a new organisation, we have very limited funds but would like to join hands with other global developmental organisations, and which we strongly believe, could be of mutual beneficial to our institutions. Most of all, we would appreciate if anybody out there could put us through to some of the organisations that can help us with the implementation of some of our sustainable development programmes. As a priority, our Organisation is very much interested in developing integrated wind/solar energy systems in rural Africa, especially for lighting in rural schools and homes, vaccine refrigeration in rural clinics and water-pumping systems for clean domestic water. Small-scale sustainable agricultural, rural afforestation, rural public healthcare etc.
After coming back to Kenya from our studies, myself in England and Hellen in Denmark, we both realised that there was a glaring need in Kenya and Africa in general, to translate scientific research findings into useable forms for end users, especially in applications of renewable energy systems, better farming methods, integrated rural healthcare programmes and environmental conservation. As such GREEN AFRICA's major goal on the one hand is to create, enhance and facilitate a bridge between the 'hard' science in institutions of higher learning (and the equivalents) and the layman, and on the other hand translate research findings into useable forms, through encouraging and facilitating a close link between our institutions of higher learning and the industries, and also maintain a good working relation with international organisation. All these activities are aimed at sustainable development of Africa, thereby leading to improved quality of life, mainly so, to communities residing in rural country-side and in poor urban areas. Our main rural community development efforts are mainly managed through our network arm, GREEN AFRICA Network (GAN) which is currently based at our Field Station at Oyugis in Rachuonyo District, Nyanza Province, Kenya where we are. At present most of our activities are geared towards tackling enviro-socio-economic issues via eco-friendly community-based sustainable development programmes in rural Africa with initial base in East Africa, Kenya.
GAN’s sister institution, Centre for Policy Studies and Research in Energy and Environment (CREESP) was later established within GAN in mid 1997, to take care of the research and development aspects of our activities. The two Institutions function in a complementary manner, while GAN is involved in Community-based rural development programmes; CREESP functions as the training and research arm and, carries out its programmes of studies at a level equivalent to a postgraduate studies in a university. Due to lack of funds, CREESP currently carries out most of its research jointly with some of the well established institutions in Kenya, like University of Nairobi.
In future, we look forward to be strongly involved in such disciplines as: Science and Technology (S&T), Public policy training and; Research, demonstration and development (RD&D) in energy and environment and their inter-relationships e.g., energy and health, energy and economy etc.; Information technology (IT); Policy on improved healthcare delivery systems; and Infrastructure design, development (ID&D); Biodiversity; Sustainable women development; Youth energy and environment; Improved agricultural programmes including permaculture design and development.
In the energy sector, GREEN AFRICA Network is gearing towards assuming a new leadership in energy resource development in Africa, in order to improve on socio-economic conditions of the region, maintain environmental sustainability and facilitated access to adequate and efficient energy services/resources. The new energy strategy and development will be through the regional energy coordination mechanism based on energy security supply, diversification of energy resources, wider access to, and affordability of energy services. The diversification of energy resources will include the provision for energy services for rural production and household from renewable/alternative energy sources: solar, biomass, wind-power, small hydro-power etc. at the rural community level. It is hoped that the use of alternative energy resources and technologies that can serve the same use and are easily implementable from urban-to-rural community level - will help rural people achieve their aspirations for a better quality of life. Further, it will provide a safe and reliable source of electricity for refrigeration of medications in rural healthcare centres/clinics, and to rural schools (to also serve as community self-study centres). Rural electrification is also expected to promote economic growth and create employment opportunities via small enterprises development – thereby help to stem the rural-to-urban migration which has become a nightmare to Africa's urban centres infrastructures. Other energy resources will include complete integration of wind/solar/biomass/diesel systems for complete decentralized stand-alone community energy supply.
Taking solar/wind electric systems to rural schools, leads to two fold advantages: (i) use of solar lighting systems - solar lanterns - for night preps and (ii) use of modern infrastructural and teaching aid facilities e.g., computers, audio-visual, possible connection to e-mail services etc. The introduction of computer studies in rural school's curriculum - will help rural students gain basic knowledge and skills in information technology (IT), a subject that has become critical in the world of work today. Furthermore, solar lighting of schools will lead to increased study opportunities and promote increase in literacy - especially for the girl-child - who by virtue of the Africa customs and believes, are expected to help their mothers with kitchen etiquette after school, thereby devoting less time to school work.
In the healthcare sector, GREEN AFRICA Network is initiating a programme on sustainable rural healthcare promotion (SRHP), which targets public healthcare and disease prevention in rural and poor urban areas. This initiative will focus on encouraging the local community to make use of improved woodfuel jikos which emit less indoor pollution and solar oven cookers, improved supply of clean water using solar or wind-powered water pumps, and use of traditional medicine. The long term agenda of SRHP will focus on improving healthcare delivery services and sustainability of key interventions in family planning/reproductive health, child survival/nutrition and HIV/AIDS-STI awareness and prevention, and to improve community involvement and use of these programs. Efforts are also being made to install solar/wind electric systems for refrigeration of medications in rural healthcare centres without electricity. Study have shown that the use of solar power has now become an economic option for off-grid medical operations in many rural areas of tropical countries, for example, it has been shown that the cost of vaccine, using PV refrigeration, is 33% cheaper than if kerosene refrigeration is used. Our attention will be further focused on strengthening technical and management systems and building capacities of healthcare centres to enable them provide high quality healthcare services and syndromic treatment services. Some of the above programmes are currently jointly undertaken with Rachuonyo Medical Centre in conjunction with Rachuonyo District Hospital both in Oyugis (Kenya).
To augment the formal healthcare delivery services, GREEN AFRICA Network is currently undertaking a community-based RD&D on Ethnomedicine (traditional medicine) including the development of an ethnomedicinal resources database in South Nyanza districts, with initial studies being carried out in Rachuonyo district (Kenya), later the entire country and finally Africa. The medicinal plants being targeted are those with activity against protozoan parasites namely: malaria and trypanosamiasis; viruses including HIV/AIDS virus and other microbes (fungus and bacteria). These parasites are responsible for most of the diseases causing severe morbidity and high mortality rates in the rural areas of Africa. A study is also being undertaken on the demonstration and databasing of the indigenous African food plant resources to help improve the nutrition level of the local population, especially children. Promote and support the incorporation of useful elements of traditional medicinal/food plants into the National health care systems/food chain, respectively once fully studied. The study will incorporate work in conservation of plants, animals, agricultural and aquatic biodiversity. GREEN AFRICA Network is also currently undertaking a afforestation programme jointly with Jackson Academy School in Rachuonyo District (Kenya). This programme seeks to raise fuelwwod and wood products.
In sustainable women development programme, we at GREEN AFRICA Network believes that there is a need for a fundamental systems-wide Special Initiative (SI), which must seek to recognize and integrate rural women within the frame-work of enviro-socio-economic development of Africa. The special initiative programme envisaged by GAN is linked to women’s indigenous and traditional knowledge, tasks, experiences and concerns about problems and community needs and, which they have been using for many generation, in tackling crucial and critical enviro-socio-economic problems – as essential and as such – must be consolidated via an integrated approach (IA), for future socio-economic development of Africa from rural-to-national level. Indigenous knowledge and practices, often enhances the conservation of biodiversity and, can be used as the basis for rural development. By documenting and adding to their own knowledge, this system of approach (IA) will help rural women integrate into the main stream sustainable rural and national socio-economic development.
GREEN AFRICA: Your Partner in Sustainable Development of Rural Africa
Registered in Kenya as an International NGO [OP 218/051/9767/868]Return to the top of this document
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