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Considered as Tanzania's 'inventor's district', the village of Twende is home to the school of innovators in the locality that helps people find solutions to local problems.
Bernard Kiwia entrusted to Olivia Crellin from bbc.com can transform and remodel a bike at will. He became known when he invented a mobile phone charger operated by a bicycle.
Bernard started working as a bicycle mechanic until he realized he could do more at from bicycle spare parts.
He began to invent, and never stopped. "I create technology because I realize it's something that can help my family and the community," says Bernard. But he does not just cling to bicycles.
The washing machine, powered by the windmill, he invented saves time and effort to his family by washing their clothes when the wind rises at night
Today, Bernard's inventions are not only useful at home and in his garden but also through his community. About 800 local innovators used Twende, the inventors' workshop he launched.
He's called "the father of rural innovation" in Tanzania.
"What we want to show people, they have the skills to make their own technology, they can do it, they can repair, they can find the spare parts they need, "says Bernard.
" Local people perceive very little money and the kind of machines you can buy in the shops are not made for the locals because it's expensive, that's why I'm concentrating on the local.
Frank Mollel says his fertilizer distribution cart is a good example of the kind of technological innovation that Africans need every day
Fertilizer Innovations
One of the local innovators is Frank Mollel, who invented the "Fert-Cart", an adapted wheelbarrow, which reduces the time needed for manual spreading of manure and fertilizer in the fields.
Frank's business model includes trolleys that can be rented to farmers who do not have enough land and profits to be able to buy his invention.
Twende ensures that all workers learn good business practices and establish a 'business' plan.
One of Frank's clients said that the use of the machine allowed him to pay for his children's school fees.
"Fert-Cart cuts billions of hours lost in agricultural activities Explains Frank,
"Africa, especially Tanzania, needs new technologies that can help farmers increase the productivity of their plantations and their incomes.
Jesse Oljange's avocado oil press is in its sixth edition at Twende's workshop
Green Gold
Jesse Oljange's avocado oil press is already changing lives of his community. "Twende is a social innovation," says Jesse
"In the same room, there are people doing different projects. So, if you have a problem, you can contact anyone and you will find the solution. "
" Before the oil press, avocados rotted where they fell because farmers could not get a high enough price at the market.
The women of the community use it to extract the oil they sell on the market. Jesse says his involvement in Twende's projects has also allowed him to apply for funding using the workshop as an umbrella organization.
Funding and access to capital are two of the biggest challenges for local innovators like Jesse. To have Bernard as a mentor is an advantage.
The invention of Magreth Omary, who cuts soap, has changed the perspectives of many women
"If you have a problem, a difficulty, tell Bernard, he it will take two minutes to find a solution. We also have a lot of mentoring, "says Jesse.
Soap, a basic invention
The life of Magreth Omary was changed by the machine she created in Twende for the cup of soap. [19659002] This allowed her to start her own soap business and share her machine with widowed women from her city, also giving them an income.
"I'm grateful that my children are no longer being kicked out of school because of unpaid tuition fees, "she says. This is an example of how a simple invention can change many lives.
Lessons for Learning
"My dream for the future is to see Tanzanians use our own products, tools that can help us to help in our daily activities, "says Bernard.
To do this, he invites the schoolchildren of the region to Twende to involve them. The workshop also has a small van that he uses to travel to remote villages with tools and training.
"In Twende, we do creativity that will help the community. So we see the challenge that affects the community and try to overcome it and solve the problem, "says student Lightness Simon Kinisa.
Engaging local schools, Bernard Kiwia hopes to train a new generation of innovators [19659002] In addition to practical skills lessons like welding, Twende's school curriculum also includes workshops on small business management and budgeting.
"Bernard Kiwia is very special," says Issa Kanguni, Tanzanian Consortium of Inventors and Techno-thinkers
"It is very difficult to be an innovator in Africa or Tanzania because those with ideas for innovation can not afford it.
By sharing resources and knowledge in Twende, Kiwia hopes to inspire the local community to continue to innovate and provide solutions for their problems and the world around them.
"Sometimes you fail, then you start again, "he says.
" But in the end, there is something good about it. "
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