This is an archive of the Dadamac.net website, as it was in 2015, it is no longer being updated.

nikki's Blog

Phones and Fantsuam

Submitted by nikki on 19 November 2009 - 9:27am
Yesterday's online UK/Nigeria meeting saw several exciting developments. First and foremost was the news that Fantsuam has reached agreement to broadcast its radio signal through the communication towers of Nigerian Telecoms company NITEL. Because these towers are much bigger and higher than those currently used, Fantsuam will now be able to serve a far wider area! In fact ,Fantsuam will be able to mount it's equipment on masts in Kafanchan and Zonkwa which will enable them to reach distances of up to 70kms. Also as a result of the meeting between these organisations, the telecoms company has asked Zittnet to...

Post BarCampAfrica

Submitted by nikki on 12 November 2009 - 9:44am
Participants at this week's UK/Nigeria online meeting were eager to share feedback following Dadamac's successful 5th anniversary celebrations of Teachers Teachers from BarCampAfrica . It was agreed by both teams that the day had proved both enjoyable and productive. Our friends in Nigeria expressed their delight at the quality of the contacts that they made and already plans are being discussed to move forward the debates about open software and equipment for the new Community Communication Centre. In fact it was online at BarCampAfrica that John Dada was able to tell us the exciting news that their CCC had just...

Stoves and Juicers: protecting the environment and livelihoods

Submitted by nikki on 4 November 2009 - 12:34pm
Most meals in rural Nigeria are cooked over open wood fires. This is simple and familiar. Traditionally fuel has been cheap and fairly easy to find. However demand for firewood has increased in line with population growth. As trees are cut down the environment suffers from deforestation, soil loss and eventual desertification. There is also increasing awareness of the damage to health caused by wood smoke, especially when cooking takes place indoors. Efficient wood fuel stoves cook food more quickly and use less fuel. So if the stoves can be provided cheaply to local families everyone wins, right? Not quite!...

Stoves and Juicers: protecting the environment and livelihoods

Submitted by nikki on 4 November 2009 - 12:34pm
Most meals in rural Nigeria are cooked over open wood fires. This is simple and familiar. Traditionally fuel has been cheap and fairly easy to find. However demand for firewood has increased in line with population growth. As trees are cut down the environment suffers from deforestation, soil loss and eventual desertification. There is also increasing awareness of the damage to health caused by wood smoke, especially when cooking takes place indoors. Efficient wood fuel stoves cook food more quickly and use less fuel. So if the stoves can be provided cheaply to local families everyone wins, right? Not quite!...

A 'Juicy' Story!

Submitted by nikki on 3 November 2009 - 11:40pm
The need to find alternative livelihoods for local Nigerian women has become a recurring theme in recent online/Nigeria meetings. In particular, concerns have been expressed about the issue of those who collect firewood to sell. This practice is unsustainable and is contributing to de-forestation. The women themselves recognise this but cannot afford to stop until they have an alternative source of income. Initially the team believed that the purchase of efficient wood stoves would be benificial. But they are very expensive and it was felt that this would not be feasible until a new stream of income is in place...

Farming at Fantsuam

Submitted by nikki on 26 October 2009 - 1:52pm
THIS week's UK/Nigeria meeting provided another fascinating and informative hour, covering subjects as diverse as the training of local Nigerian instructors, crayfish and sms credit! And all this despite an intermittent problem with time delay, which served as a gentle reminder that connectivity is still a considerable problem for most rural communities. What particularly caught my attention was Fantsuam's ability to identify and respond to their communities' local needs. They are concerned, for instance, that their women farmers - comprising of around 1,500 of their microfinance clients - have difficulty affording fertiliser. This of course affects their productivity and ability...

Farming at Fantsuam

Submitted by nikki on 26 October 2009 - 1:52pm
THIS week's UK/Nigeria meeting provided another fascinating and informative hour, covering subjects as diverse as the training of local Nigerian instructors, crayfish and sms credit! And all this despite an intermittent problem with time delay, which served as a gentle reminder that connectivity is still a considerable problem for most rural communities. What particularly caught my attention was Fantsuam's ability to identify and respond to their communities' local needs. They are concerned, for instance, that their women farmers - comprising of around 1,500 of their microfinance clients - have difficulty affording fertiliser. This of course affects their productivity and ability...

Wednesday's meeting from Nikki

Submitted by nikki on 15 October 2009 - 11:34am
I need to remind myself not to become blasé about today's extraordinary and productive meeting, how privileged I am to be part of such a fantastic and innovative team . . . and just how much we managed to achieve in the space of a single hour! It was our usual Wednesday online meeting.

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