ICA Zimbabwe was founded in 2000 by local nationals with a vision of maintaining high standards of quality related to Technology of
| |
 |
| |
An ICA Zimbabwe staff member leading a ToP session |
Participation (ToP™) as a provider of services in training, facilitation and programs to more target groups in Zimbabwe and beyond involved in facilitation and organizational development in order to achieve client satisfaction and empowerment.
Technology of Participation builds effectiveness, efficiency, ownership and commitment through:
- Active and inclusive participation
- Respect for differences
- Access and opportunity to basic needs’ resources
- Community empowerment and broad-based positive responsibility
- Providing a framework for an ongoing creative process
Technology of Participation ToP™ consistently brings people – who want to improve their quality of life – to consensus, collaboration and commitment. ICA Zimbabwe considers itself a capacity builder that believes in fighting the various forms of ‘dependency’ that exist in Zimbabwe – dependency expressed in terms of financial and mental self-sufficiency – through capacity enhancement.
Participatory approaches and facilitation have been used increasingly in the fields of agriculture and renewable energy. In agriculture this has expanded the idea of experiential learning between farmers and
farmer-to-farmer exchanges, it has enabled farmers to co-operate more effectively in the upkeep and maintenance of shared equipment or resources, in joint storage, marketing and selling of products, in joint design of machinery and other equipment. In renewable energy the involvement of local people has highlighted design issues in relation to the local culture, leading to changes in design and greater uptake of the technology, and peer-to-peer education has enabled a wider spread and impact more quickly.
ICA Zimbabwe recognises the significant work being carried out in the agriculture and renewable energy sector in Zimbabwe and based on success stories recorded within ICA network in Japan, Kenya, Zambia and India we believe ICA can contribute to the development process of agriculture and renewable energy in Zimbabwe.
|
|
Some of our global work involving sustainable agriculture and renewable energy include:
- ICA Zambia/OPAD work with farmers groups since 1990/91, first through the SAVE (Sustainable Agriculture Village Educators) programme and subsequent variations.
- ICA Kenya’s work with KIOF ( Kenya Institute of organic farming, working with farmers in various programmes since mid 1990s
- ICA Kenya’s work with solar-powered cookers
- Conferences with farmers in fear of losing their farms
- Strategic planning with various government Agricultural Departments
- Major conference on Innovation in Agriculture for a University
- Major government conference on Geospatial Technology which is about online maps and land use.
- Various clients who are into fertilizer and chemicals.
- Renewable Energy
- Facilitated government advisory groups on wind energy
- Strategic planning with non-profits promoting solar and wind energy in cities
- Planning sessions with several energy related non-profits
- Facilitated events with government power generation corporations.
- 3000 Town campaign meetings done in America,
- Peer to peer training in Spiritual Agriculture/Permaculture
- Contextual Strategic Planning workshops that go to the action planning steps
We see facilitative approach to development using ToP™ as a never-ending process of improving, changing and
| |
 |
| |
A community planning event using ToP methods in Zimbabwe |
developing an organisation and individual. In our endeavour to become what we’ve set out to be – a provider of facilitative services in Zimbabwe we are seeking partners in order to deliver our services. The basis for this partnership will be based on mutual learning. This process will provide ICA Zimbabwe opportunities for structured learning through joint reflection, preparation and planning and also provision of outside expertise within ICA Network
|
