GOVT LAUDS TECH INNOVATIONS AT ARUSHA TECHNICAL COLLEGE

 BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA

The government has lauded the Arusha Technical College (ATC) for the innovations designedby its scholars and students. 

Notable among them are the simple and easy to operate irrigation equipment for use by smallholder farmers.

The Commissioner of Education Dr. Liyagwene Mtahabwa said the innovations would address some challenges in the agricultural sector.

"The equipment designed would surely assist our farmers overcome challenges such as impacts of climate change", he said.

Dr. Mtahabwa made the remarks in Arusha last week when he spoke at a conference on energy and allied technologies.

He said the government appreciated heavy investments made by the college in technical innovations which he believed would revolutionise agriculture.

He said with climate change having affected agricultural production in varying degrees, newly innovated farm inputs can help minimize the impacts. 

Newly designed irrigation equipment, for instance, were likely to be more efficient and cost-effective through frugal use of water.

The conference was organized by ATC in collaboration with two South Korean universities.

Dr.Mtahabwa said the technical colleges were not only encouraged to spur industrialization but also poverty alleviation among the farmers. 

Technical innovations, he explained, would be much more supportive to the youth, many of whom grappling with unemployment.

He said the era of dependency on rain-fed agriculture was gone and that's why the government was passionate about irrigation.

"We have to seek the appropriate irrigation technologies that can assure farmers in the rural and peri-urban areas ample harvests", he pointed out. 

 ATC Rector D. Musa Chacha said the college has invested in innovations that would address challenges facing the surrounding communities.

He added that ATC was ready to share them with other training institutions within and outside the country and also emulate what is done in technologically- advanced countries such as South Korea.

Recently, the Arusha-based college promised to offer  Sh. 12.5 million to the young innovators for this year in an effort to transform technology into entrepreneurship.

This was revealed during an event at the college campus to award the young learners who excelled in innovation by Ms Donata Mwase, the coordinator of Entrepreneurship Centre at  the college.

"After getting skills, they will join the centre where they will not only train others but be exposed to other stakeholders", she said.

Ms Mwase implored on the private sector and other stakeholders to extend loans to the young innovators to actualize their dreams.

"Credits will enable them to boost their respective innovations from a mere idea to tangible useful goods", she pointed out.

Awarding of the winners in the innovation contest was held in coincidence with the Entrepreneurship Week organized annually by the college.

On his  part, the Arusha regional manager of Small Industries Development Organization (Sido) Japhary Donge lauded the initiative by the college.

However, he advised increased efforts to secure markets for the home grown innovations in order to support the industrialization drive.

"Goods made through such innovations must be of good quality to make them competitive in the markets", he explained.'

Mr. Donge said there are at least 24 small and medium industrial processing plants in the Arusha region which are ready to support the initiative.

He added that Sido was keen to assist the youth to achieve their entrepreneurship goals by deploying them to the industries for practical training.

The overall winner in this year's Entrepreneurship Week Prisca Anthony called on support for her and her colleagues so that inventions made can empower them economically.

She said inventions made by the young college students would in the long run support the national industrialization drive.

During a similar event last year, seven innovations were among 108 business ideas that were made by the students ahead of the contest.

The technology innovation programme is financed by the Dutch government under its organization called NUFFIC.

Through the support, a revolving fund of Euro 5,000 has been created to support the young innovators improve their business ideas.

According to ATC Rector Dr.  Chacha, self-training in innovations and skills would turn the young learners into job creators

The initiative is one of the Dutch education sector support projects to Tanzania under the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP).

The five year programme, financed by that country's Foreign Affairs ministry,managed by NUFFIC and rolled out in 52 countries including Tanzania.