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Lindi, Tanzania
Simple structures in which local women prepare breakfast
Description
The town of Lindi is located at 9°59’49” S and 39°42’52” E. The average rainfall is between 800 and 1,000 mm with most of this falling between November and June. Prone to drought and lacking a major water utility and infrastructure, the city and surrounding area demonstrate a need for Venture Trust products.
The local economy is characterized by subsistence farming; fishing, curio production, as well as small scale lumber operations. It is outside the reach of traditional infrastructure however; close enough to ports and road networks to allow farmers to market their surpluses. Water is currently provided by water truck through distributors, pumped from tube wells, or collected from the Lukuledi River during the rainy season. Situated in Tanzania’s southeastern coastal grassland, Lindi is vulnerable to deforestation and erosion. This unfortunate fact emphasizes the need for solar concentration technology and stabilized earthen construction.
Over 50% of the population of the council region is engaged in farming. Major food crops are cassava, maize, sorghum, while the major cash crops are cashew nuts, sesame, and coconuts. Pastoralism is performed at a very low level. Residents living along the coast rely on fishing for sustenance and income. Dependency on low-tech tools for fishing inhibits the size of catches. Manufacturing does not contribute significantly to the local economy, however there are factories and processing facilities, which are viewed by some as potential opportunities for rejuvenation. Sisal decortications facilities are among these opportunities.Project Scope
SIDO Lindi - Mass Panga with a SIDO employee
Working with the Small Industries Development Organization we plan to establish two ISSB brickworks in Lindi, Tanzania. Furthermore we will install over 1000 square feet of Fixed Focus Solar Concentrators. We aim to increase water storage capacity by the construction of 250 cisterns for a total volume of 2.5 million liters. Additionally we will establish two research programs at partnering Universities to advance ISSB technology as well as Solar Concentrating technology.
Cisterns are constructed specifically for farming households with the aim of helping farmers increase their yields by 200%-500%. If time and resources allow for additional construction, Venture Trust will serve the local school as well.