Nova_production

A vast number of people in South Africa are excluded from the main or formal economy. The household is often the last refuge to those who are marginalised by the larger institutional networks dictating the economical mechanisms of society. This makes the household environment a potential space for economic activity to those discarded from the formal economy.

Traditionally the African household has been the centre of production.

The first challenge is to attain and transfer technology, skills and knowledge that would enable illiterate and semi-literate people to sustain their families through household-based production, in a sustainable, profitable, socially beneficial and desirable way. Such technologies would require the functional integration of technical, economical, socio-cultural and ecological factors.

RURAL FOOD SECURITY

The Infield Rainwaterharvesting Project (IRWH)

The IRWH technique was developed by the South African Agricultural Research Council (ARC) as a method to increase production on land in arid or semi-arid regions. It is especially suitable for production on small scale in grounds with high clay content.

In 2001, Nova, together with IMER and local churches, started to do research in Letsitele, a rural area in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Different techniques were tried to increase production until finally a breakthrough came with the introduction of the IRWH technique.

The IRWH technique makes it possible to collect water run-off after rain showers in a collection zone next to which the crops are planted. This gives better yields and lower risks, and is comparable to irrigation but on un-irrigated land. Because no ploughing is done, the carbon content of the soil is preserved. The rainwater harvesting technique is well suited to be used together with other conservation agriculture approaches like mulching, crop-rotation and integrated pest management.

Future planning: The results in Letsitele merit the repetition of this project in similar communities. Nova is currently working with churches and community members to increase the number of households that implement the IRWH technique. About 100 households have participated in trials in the Lebowakgomo area in the Limpopo Province. Plans are to extend the application of the technique to larger areas (croplands) and to more households on a household scale.

From the picture it is evident that this technique can improve the yield of crops if applied correctly.

URBAN ECONOMY

Nova is currently cooperating with the Witnessing Forum of Mamelodi/Lusaka in Pretoria in two urban production projects namely the Thusano Mahaeng Project and the Phahameng Sewing Project:

Thusano Mahaeng Soap Production Project

The aim of the Thusano Mahaeng (Working Together at Homes) Soap Production Project is to support and assist in the generating of income by members of the Mamelodi and Lusaka congregations through the production and marketing of products in the homes of these members.

Nova started experimenting with household-based production of consumer goods in Mamelodi and eMbalenhle in 2001 in collaboration with a number of local churches.

How does it actually function?

Step 1: Congregation and community members are invited to attend an information session where the aim and objectives of Thusano Mahaeng are explained.
Step 2: Aspirant household based entrepreneurs are invited to participate in group activities designed to make a significant contribution to their emotional, spiritual and economical empowerment. The other group members are encouraged to adhere to the values and goals of the team, such as hard work, respect, honesty, punctuality and transparency.
Step 3: Each household based entrepreneur that has proven over a course of time that he or she can mix a high quality product can buy raw chemicals to produce 20 litres of dishwashing liquid at home.
Step 4: The entrepreneur mixes and sells the product from his or her home and comes back to weekly meetings to give feedback and receive support.
Step 5: Once a batch of liquid soap is almost finished, the entrepreneur can buy more raw material at the weekly group meeting.

The project is technically and even economically viable: It is quite possible to make the soap, sell it at a profit, and have clients coming back to buy again. Further research is, however, needed to find ways in which the level of production can be increased to such an extent that it can compete with having a job in the formal economy.

Phahameng Sewing Project

The Phahameng Sewing Project has both a particular and universal goal. The particular goal of the project is to establish a self-sufficient and prosperous local textile business in Mamelodi. The universal goal is to develop a model which could be implemented in various similar contexts with the same results.

The PSP was implemented according to insights gained from the Thusano Mahaeng Soap Production Project as well as a project to encourage economical development through urban agriculture in Soshanguve.

On the basis of the research in Soshanguve we decided to develop the Mamelodi Empowerment Project within the context of the textile industry. The textile industry offers various opportunities for overcoming the main obstacles that inhibits the success of urban agriculture

COOPERATION

We would like to acknowledge the following collaborators to the projects under Economy:

Dutch Reformed Church of Letsitele
Uniting Reformed Church Letitaba
Congregations of the Witness Forum of Mamelodi / Lusaka (especially Lux Mundi and Mamelodi/Phahameng)
Functional Household Programme
South African Agricultural Research Council (ARC)