Regional fair on farming practices and knowledge in pharmacopoeia
Bukavu (DRCongo), 24-28 June 2002 /Diobass Platform

Introduction

Exchange activities realized by the platform in these recent years or to which its coordination had the privilege to participate, put forward the richness of local knowledge in a general way.

In December 1993, the IKOMA-fair (South-Kivu) allowed to gather interesting information on farming knowledge and practices in the raising of small ruminant in Bushi (diseases, treatment, feeding, farming criteria to choose sires, ) In 1995,farmers involved in the production of sweet potatoes amazed researchers and consumers by practices from experimentations around that crop recently introduced in many villages.

In November 2000, the BWINDI fair (South-Kivu) which focused on survival strategies developed by farmers (women and men) of South-Kivu in this period of war, showed that many initiatives had been undertaken in farming and animal husbandry. Most of the time, those initiatives resorted to local knowledge in pharmacopoeia to stand.

In short: rural populations and even urban ones, for certain categories, with low income or without any, have developed knowledge and practices to ensure their survival. Those practices are dependent on several domains and constitute enormous richness accumulated, acquired and transmitted from one generation to another. The means of transmission are ,after all oral; which increases the risk of deterioration even when we may believe that each human group and according to its time, creates innovations.

The workshop organized in August 2001 by the platform on the following theme "To know how to use our knowledge in pharmacopoeia" was an occasion to notice again that the tank of knowledge gets every time richer than before, and that it needs to be better organized and to grow richer and richer. As we have noticed, to treat animals, some farmers have developed a veterinary pharmacopoeia safe from speculation of pharmaceutic products imported and to which persons earning a pittance have almost no access.

What appears to be important here is that capacity to produce one s own means of life/resources. This ability to introduce changes mostly starts from practical knowledge of an individual or a group of individuals to extend over the community.

To bear fruit, all this knowledge ought to be discussed or, better say, identified and confronted to other practices of the area or the sub-region in order to devote its usefulness in the economical and socio-cultural life of deprived populations. These exchanges will be possible on the occasion of a fair.

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Objective of the fair and results 

The prime objective of this fair is to valorise local knowledge and practices in pharmacopoeia. Results expected from the fair are:

In this context, this fair is at the same time: training, production-exchanges. It is an occasion of awareness and knowledge of potentialities of local capacity to face diverse problems (social, economical, environmental).

It is a time to capitalize resources in existing knowledge and practices, of informing people about richness on the ground.
Timing and organisation.

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Place

Research Centre for Naturals Sciences ( CRSN/Lwiro) near Bukavu in South-Kivu.

Participants

Farmers organizations committed to IK, researchers, NGOs, independents from DRC, Rwanda, Burundi. Other people interested to participate from any country are welcome too.

Focus of the fair

The fair will be organized around the following essential questions:

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Presentations and work languages

Work language will be Mashi (local language), with translation into French and Swahili. The report will, however, be published in French and English. The fair methodology will emphasize the concretisation of the presentations. That is why we will encourage presenters to use posters, demonstration models, and bring specimen if possible ; if not pictures or slides to illustrate their presentations. Please precise the model of presentation that you will use upon confirmation of your participation.

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Transport, accommodation, restauration and other formalities

Due to financial restrictions, the organizers will only take in charge the participants transport during the workshop. Only some invited resource persons from neighbouring regions will be fully taken in charge.

The organizers will provide lodging and restauration to participants from June 24 through June 28, 2002. Participants wishing to spend extra days in the region must foresee 30 $ per day (all fees included). That way they will be able to afford room cost in the different hotels of Bukavu.

Participants from neighbouring countries ( Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania) will obtain visas directly upon their entry, either in Goma or in Bukavu. Those from other regions (countries) will contact us for recommendations related to the organization of their travel.

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Participants will all be lodged at the CRSN Lwiro (Natural Science Research Centre) under simple conditions. All the meals will be served to them there. Those who observe special diet are requested to let us know upon confirmation of their participation.

On the last fair day, an excursion is due to take place on Lake Kivu (with pick-nick). It will also be possible to visit certain interesting sites such us the thermal springs site of MAHYUZA, Idjwi Island, etc.

Participation fees : 10$/ea

Participants have to send a one page summary of what they would like to present at the fair. Deadline for subscription : 20 February 2002.

If you need more information, please contact:
Sylvain MAPATANO 
Organizing committee/ Diobass Platform of Kivu (DRC) 
P.O. Box 274 
Cyangugu, Rwanda.
E-mail : mapatano_s@yahoo.fr or doreemedia@eikmail.com or m.sylvain@wanadoo.be  
Tel: +250 08528187

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