Amanzi For Food
The Amanzi [Water] for Food project is a leading T-learning project started shortly befor the ISC T-learning research programme (in 2014), working with smallholder farmers, college lecturers and civil society organisations to resolve challenges and contradictions related to water for food in rural areas.
This South African educational project provides access to materials and training on different ways of rainwater harvesting and storage, with the aim to help everyone involved in growing food in South Africa to improve food production and food sovereignty. In a water scarce country like South Africa, there is a pressing need to support everyone involved in farming, at whatever scale, in particular, women farmers, in growing fresh healthy foods to feed their families and communities. Sharing knowledge on the use and conservation of water for food production is therefore essential. Thus, the project provides access to materials on different methods of using rainwater for food production. It also provides education and training in the use of these materials using T-learning approaches. By involving farmers, extension officers, agricultural education and training institutions and agricultural NGOs and CBOs from all over South Africa, Amanzi for Food also contributes to the development and support of Learning Networks. Through networking, people share their experience and new knowledge they are developing, making information on rainwater harvesting more accessible and encouraging the increased use of rainwater harvesting and conservation (RWH&C) activities for food production.
Amanzi for Food has developed six comprehensive digital tools on rainwater use, and a six-month course with a formal education stream and an informal education training benefiting 139 persons who have completed the course since 2021, and more than 14000 users that have visited the website. Participants on this course all complete T-learning change projects in their contexts, and support others to learn together how to bring water to their food gardens. Besides this, the project also pioneered an innovative social skills ecosystem model for skills development with T-learning at the Centre. It has also catalysed a lot of research into this model of social learning.
The project has mainly been funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and implemented by the Environmental Learning Research Centre (ELRC) at Rhodes University in Makhanda, South Africa. All the materials can be found on their website, they are freely accessible and can be easily downloaded and shared with others.
In addition to the above, the Amanzi for Food project also catalysed further research into more responsive, relevant models of Vocational Education and Training in Africa (known as VET 4.0) through a GCRF partnership project. A value creation evaluation study also shares insight into the value that has been created for
Relevant links
Amanzi for food research report
Amanzi for Food Social Learning Strategy, Research and Resources
Value creation evaluation study