Browsing by Author "Michael I Mwenda"

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CEREAL BANK AS A NECESSARY RURAL LIVELIHOOD INSTITUTE IN ARID LAND, MAKOJA VILLAGE, DODOMA-TANZANIA
(Asian Economic and Financial Review, 2013) Mark M Msaki; Michael I Mwenda; Irene J Regnard
In 2012, the study was carried at Makoja Village, in Semi-Arid region of Dodoma. The aim of the conducted study was to assess the importance of Cereal Bank to livelihood of farming households. A total of 80 respondents were interviewed. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 computer program. The major findings of the study revealed that, almost all of the households (96.2 %) were poor, while more than a half of the sampled population was chronically food insecure. Income and expenditure analysis revealed that households had no opportunity to manage savings. Further analysis on expenditure revealed that despite being farming households, the later spent large proportion of their income in purchasing food for households. Cereal bank has been potential to provide food at the time of less, storage facility, seed stocking facility and a business opportunity. Cereal banks should be purposively promoted to improve livelihood and assure food security in the rural areas.
Cereal Banks or Seed Banks? An Experience from Makoja Arid Village, Dodoma, Tanzania
(International Knowledge sharing, 2015) Mark M Msaki; Irene Regnard; Michael I Mwenda
Cereal Banks, though important, have failed to become sustainable. The banks have always been requiring close monitoring support or subsidies from an outside agency, but collapse when outside monitoring and subsidies end. Such trend has brought worries and made Cereal Banks labeled negative. Failing to become self-sustaining has called for an inventory to analyze the Cereal Bank benefits realized by the communities. In 2012, a cross section study was done involving 80 households in Makoja Village, Dodoma Region. Makoja Village communities are poor, living in arid land and are chronically food insecure. Surprisingly, significant proportion (89 %) of the respondents acknowledges the Community Cereal Bank as the source of seeds to next season. Poor Makoja Community views the Cereal Bank as the Seed Bank to ensure availability of seeds hence food availability. Cereal banks are essentially not failed attempts but rather require continuing support to ensure production and food security of engaged community. The international development community should explore various outputs realised as benefits by engaged communties before terming them unsuccessful. However, there is a need to increase a pace to promote Community Seed Production Systems to assure improved crop production and household food security.