SMART symposium
Simple, Market-based, Affordable, Repairable, Technologies. A practical approach to reach SDG 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8
November 13 to 16, 2018 in Mzuzu, Malawi
SMART stands for Simple, Market-based, Affordable and Repairable Technologies. This practical symposium will train participants in key aspects of the SMART approach and will provide a boost to your WASH activities. It will provide information and discuss aspects like:
- How to training local entrepreneurial champions
- How to create profit-based and sustainable supply chains
- How to improve functionality of systems, shift ownership from community-level to family level
- How to enable and accelerate supported Self-supply systems
We will share 25 years of lessons learnt in rural development during which time over 10 million people have benefited from SMARTechs. After the symposium you will have knowledge of and access to tools and a network necessary to establish a SMART Centre in your country.
In many developing countries challenges are access to sustainable WASH in remote rural areas (“the last mile”), but also water related topics like reduction of rural poverty, food security and youth employment. To reach these SDGs millions of technicians, entrepreneurs, farmers and others need to be trained in the coming decade. With the experience in WASH and rural development, MetaMeta, Aqua for All, Skat, SNV and the SMART Centres will organise a symposium about “the SMART approach” which includes the training and coaching of micro and small entrepreneurs to produce, maintain and market SMARTechs. Examples are manual well drilling, hand and solar pumps, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, irrigation, household water treatment and sanitation. The symposium targets policy makers, development professionals, organisations and others active in water, agriculture and development in general. It will provide a proven and hands-on approach to reach SDG1 (poverty), 2 (food), 3 (health), 6 (WASH) and 8 (employment) simultaneously.
The symposium programme includes:
- Demonstration of over 20 SMARTechs – innovative and mostly locally produced technologies for WASH and agriculture – how to produce, maintain and market them.
- Do’s and don’ts of setting up an income generating WASH training centre, including developing project proposals.
- Overview of impact of and experiences with SMARTechs from countries like Tanzania, Zambia and Nicaragua.
- Discussion on upscaling proven approaches such as Supported Self-supply and Family Based Management, compared to community Based Management in rural water supply.
- Smart Water Solutions for Agriculture, tools and experiences from Kenya.
- Field trips and interactions with businesses and technicians trained by SMARTCentres.
Logistics and application
The symposium will take place in Mzuzu, Malawi from Tuesday 13th to Thursday 15th of November, 2018. There is an optional fourth day on the 16th of November with additional field trips, allowing participants to engage in in-depth discussions with trained and mentored businesses.
The fee for the 3-day symposium is 475 Euros or 550 Euros for the 4-day symposium. This includes: study material, presentations, lunches and local transport in Mzuzu.
Participants are responsible for their own travel to/from Mzuzu and accommodation in Mzuzu. We can provide logistical support for travel from Lilongwe to Mzuzu and support in visa application.
For further information e-mail Reinier Veldman at info@smartcentremalawi.com, call +265996090132.
To allow time for visa, apply before the 15th of October by sending an email to the address above.
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