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Management of Agriculture Indigenous Knowledge (AIK) for the Uganda’s Agriculture Sector: A Student’s

Perspective.

By

Eric .N. HAUMBA

haumban@gmail.com / enhaumba@yci.ac.ug

Presentation format Introduction (AIK and IK Concepts)

The Problem - the library's traditional approach to supporting AIK

The Library's Key Role in Supporting AIK, in Uganda and Elsewhere

Preferred Skills and Competencies

Strategies Libraries Can Use to Help Staff Support AIK

Case Study: Makerere University / The AgShare Project

Key Findings

Conclusions/Questions

Introduction AIK are forms of knowledge that have originated locally and naturally (Altieri,

1995).

Agricultural Indigenous knowledge (AIK) has been used by local people all over the world to sustain themselves through the maintenance of their cultural identity.

Introduction Cont’d…. IK is linked to the communities that produce it, Hammersmith,

(2007).

Problem Statement

There is a wealth of Indigenous Knowledge (IK).(useful in livestock, crop magn’t, food processing & storage, soil and water management.

Unfortunately, AIK is becoming less visible and insignificant in some communities. IK has remained largely un-documented which poses a threat to its sustained utilization.

Unless ways are found to record and preserve AIK in detail, some communities risk losing major sources of AIK which is useful for the local people.

The Library's specific role in supporting AIK, in Uganda and elsewhere

Provision of training and capacity building for staff,

Provision of technological facilities to manage AIK

Identification of AIK potentials in the communities.

Identification of partners and funders to support the management

of AIK (Bill Gates Foundation/ AgShare)

Provision of necessary and update infrastructure to handle

AIK(Internet, databases)

Library's specific role in supporting AIK, in Uganda and elsewhere

Marketing and advocacy of AIK

Provision of awareness about the existing AIK frameworks

and methodologies (AgShare Methodology)

Identify examples of good knowledge management

practices and success stories

Dissemination of good IK practice through workshops,

radio talk shows, newsletters etc.

Library's specific role in supporting AIK Cont’d….

Set up outreach terminals or kiosks in public places such as shops, markets, schools, and local meeting places.

Skills and competencies library staff need to support AIK?

Social media and mobile technological skills,

Teaching/training: skills and knowledge,

Research support (critical appraisal, statistics),

Customer handling skills (reference interviewing, telephone

skills),

Legislation awareness (copyright issues )

Skills and competencies library staff need to support AIK Cont’d…

IT (for content management, general IT skills for troubleshooting minor

technical queries and using library management systems, including basic

cataloguing and classification)

Librarians should be able to develop specialist skills (e.g. in information

retrieval and dissemination).

Public relations and marketing to market AIK which is sometimes regarded

less significant.

IK collection and analysis

Strategies libraries can use to help their staff learn AIK skills and competencies

Premised on the 3Rs, i.e. Re-Positioning, Re-Designing and Re-structuring:

Libraries should ensure that their staff are oriented towards a scientific sense of information retrieval and access

library and information professionals/institutions to put indigenous knowledge into a cultural context.

information repackaging and dissemination done through various forms for example, popular theatre, drama shows, storytelling and the use of songs. (Re-positioning )

Strategies to help staff learn AIK skills and competencies Cont’d…

Equip staff with modern technology skills

librarians should negotiate with IK holders to have easy and timely

access to this knowledge

libraries need to be proactive and promote community

publishing(communities can, share, document and market their

experiences).

Community libraries & other stakeholders to research, record and

document AIK.

Strengthening synergies between public libraries, agricultural

extension officers and local communities.

Provide space to integrate traditional and formal scientific

knowledge.

Using libraries of all types to promote inter-generational

dialogue relating to knowledge.

Incorporating indigenous knowledge as key component of the

educational curriculum.

Tertiary Education and Industry should collaborate to support

and conduct research on indigenous knowledge in agriculture

(RUFORUM).

Balancing library collections by including print, electronic and

oral forms that provide for indigenous knowledge.

The AgShare Methodology “AgShare” is a short term for Agricultural Sharing, a concept that was

developed with an objective of sharing indigenous agriculturalinformation/ knowledge.

funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation with close supervisionfrom the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE),

College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS) and College ofAgriculture and External Services,(CAES) Makerere University.

The project envisioned to identify communities that were of focus inthe collection of agricultural IK

Keys findingsChallenges of documenting/disseminating AIK

1. Families Ineffective linkages

Poor gender mainstreaming in extension activities

Low productivity of land and labor

2. Communities Communication problems and reservations about innovation

Population growth & migration

Fragmented land holdings & small farm sizes

Keys Findings of the project Cont’d…3.Agricultural researchers

Inadequate trainings

Limited input from farmers

Complexity of research

Poor monitoring and evaluation

4. Government & Extension workers Technical deficiencies

Resource constraints and inefficiency of administration

Conclusions/ Recommendations Salient need for awareness programmes about the value of

IK Need for National IK Systems Resource Centers More documentation and dissemination of AIK should be

undertaken not only in Agriculture but other sectors

Scientific knowledge Vs Indigenous knowledge system

Strategies need to be developed for integrating AIK management and technologies

Collaboration and networking among libraries.

Special Thanks to M/s Vivian Lewis

Visit: http://agshare-ik.mak.ac.ug

haumban@gmail.com/ enhaumba@yci.ac.ug