Participants being welcomed to the training at the SMART Centre
The SMART Centre joined forces with Clean Water Healthy Village and Rainwater Harvesting Association of Malawi, and facilitated a training on building Calabash Tanks. A low-cost, easy to make, sturdy cement tank that can be used for rainwater harvesting.
Training during corona-times
During the spread of CoVID-19, smaller versions of the regular Calabash Tank are a great addition to make washing your hands available for all. We implemented all necessary measures against the spread of the coronavirus during the training. Social distancing was in place, and our participants wore masks.
At the SMART Centre we value business skills as much as practical skills. As we aim for sustainability, we want our entrepreneurs to have a company they can manage on their own. Someone who is able to drill a borehole but doesn’t know how to make a quotation, will most definitely struggle with entrepreneurship. To refresh everyone’s knowledge, it was about time to organize another Business Training at the Centre.
Don’t fear, Lexah is here!
What do you do when trained entrepreneurs mention they lack the ability to manage their funds? When they are unsure of how much they are worth, and struggle with managing their profits in a sustainable way? You could lend them money, or provide them with equipment. But you could also invite Mrs. Lexah and organize a training with her.
Business Training
We have organized similar trainings in the past, and had very good experiences with Mrs. Lexah. She knows her stuff, and has an interactive way of teaching entrepreneurs how to manage their business. We invited her to the Centre in Luwinga and had 12 of our entrepreneurs attend the training. Besides various financial courses, she covered topics such as bookkeeping, market research and customer care.
The participants brainstorming business ideas.
Sustainability
These ten days of full-time training have provided the trainees with extensive knowledge on how to handle their business. This contributed greatly towards our aim for sustainability.
An eye opener
I am really appreciative of the training, as it was an eye-opener to improve the way I am doing my business. I am now interested in a drilling training, I have a market for that and I want to become SMART Centre’s first female driller.
Shelli Huma, trained and certified civil worker who attended the training.
SimoneBusiness skills, as important as practical skills
The CCAP SMART Centre Malawi, in collaboration with the SMART Centre Group, is organizing a short course on low-cost Water and Sanitation Technologies with a focus on Self-supply.
The course
The training will be given by specialists with 5 to 30 years of experience in rural water supply including Mr. Mzumala, who has drilled over 300 wells and Henk Holtslag, senior advisor of the SMART Centre Group. The training will include the demonstration of technologies like the SHIPO, Mzuzu and EMAS drilling, a range of 8 different hand and solar pumps, household water filters, latrines and the production of various parts.
For who?
The training is for WASH advisors of NGOs, Government Officials and those with general interest in learning more about technologies and approaches that can help to reach SDG 6 and other water related SDGs like poverty, food security & employment. The focus will be on solutions for households, farmers and small communities. Please note that the number of trainees is limited to 15.
The objectives
Create awareness on SMARTechs. Simple, Market-based, Affordable, Repairable Technologies for Water and Sanitation.
Create awareness on the existence and experiences of innovative approaches like supported Self-supply, Well Clubs and Faith & Waterthat can help in rural development.
Discuss ideas on how to scale supply chains of low-cost water technologies, which are applicable for families, small scale irrigation and communal supply in remote rural communities.
When: Monday 8 June – Friday 12 June 2020
Where: SMART Centre Malawi, Luwinga, Mzuzu
Want to know more?
Click below for more information, such as the training fees and the modules.
Please note the Short Course on Self-supply Technologies has been postponed until further notice, due to the spreading of COVID-19. Thank you for understanding. If you’re interested in the course and would like to stay up-to-date on when the course will be held, please contact us. We will then message you in the future when further information is available.
SimonePostponed until further notice – Short course on Self-supply Technologies
Spreading awareness by training rural Malawi the importance of WASH.
One of our longest running projects is our Faith and Water training. It fits perfectly within our organization, as it is focused on rural Malawi and consist of giving training to local people. First piloted in 2017, our staff members are getting better at making these trainings a success. That’s why, when funding became available to the Centre for training purposes, the choice to continue with Faith and Water sessions was quickly made. This time we went to four regions, visiting two communities in each.
Focussing on WASH
The Faith
and Water trainings are focused on clean and safe water, sanitation, and
hygiene; WASH in short. The benefits are explained to local church in their
local language. With help of games, visual aspects and case studies, it is for
example explained how bacteria spreads, or how a water filter can prevent
diseases. For instance: to give them a better perspective on contaminated water,
we show two bottles filled with water. To one, salt is added. Both look
identical, but after a taste test the difference between the two are made
clear. This goes to show contaminated water can look as clear as any water, but
may still be filled with bacteria.
Linking WASH to Bible verses
We
emphasize the training is not a lecture, but a dialogue. As this training is
provided to church leaders and their congregations, we link safe and clean
water and sanitation to verses from the Bible. In many verses, God teaches the
benefits that come with taking proper care of yourself. This way, we try to get
the people following the training involved and enthusiastic about sharing their
knowledge to their communities after the training is finished. After some time,
we do a follow-up visit to see how things are going and whether the techniques
they learned during our training are still being used, and whether knowledge
has been shared with community members.
Posters about contamination.
Medass showing how spreading of bacteria works by shaking hands covered in oil and flour with attendees.
Through a taste test we show contaminated water can still be clear.
A team effort
Our staff
members were excited to help, and put a lot of effort into the trainings. Medass
Mhone is our office assistant, and visited the communities to help spread
awareness:
Due to my educational background I’m interested in communities. I studied about community health. If community members are not happy and healthy, communities cannot develop. The same goes for a healthy community.
Especially in Malawi, our economics come mostly from farming. If someone is sick, this person is unable to work in the field and therefore cannot provide for the community or their family. I want to help create awareness about good sanitation in order to help preventing diseases. A nice addition about this training is that I’m able to learn about different cultures and the way of lives in rural communities
