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Show The Salt Lake Tribune WORLD Sunday, December 26, 1999 Al3 SHOP SPECIAL HOURS TODAY 10 AM TO 6 PM Mali’s ‘Magic Machine’ Propels Poor Country Into New Millennium BY SUSAN LINNEE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BALANFINA, Mali — When the sun sets on the last day of 1999, the inhabitants of this remote West African willeat — its people don’t measure time in ce1 And there are no Y2K worries: Onthe frst day of 2000, “‘masinanga ” — the magic machine — will sputter to life once again and churn out power to grind maize, husk rice, nenbatteries, pump water and solder a broken It’s not thatthe 1,350 vitae don’t care about the storage tank and a better road to the outside world. ‘Thanks to the magic machine — a 10-horsepower motor mounted on a metal begun See ily hee oe en countries in the world. Head miller Djamako Sidibe, , right, operates her maize grinder in Balanfina, Mali, on Dec. 2, 1999. The traditional way of grinding takes an hour, as opposed to seconds with the machine. “Before, the women did everything by hand, and this took a long time. Now,there is more time for other things, and the women can raise crops to sell in the market,”said Kani Sidibe, president of the women’s association that manages the machine. Designed in the early 1990s for the U.N. Industrial and Development Organization, it was deemed not industrial But for Balanfina and 45 other vilge in Ma isjust fe. The machine runs on diesel fuel or oil pressed from the black seeds of the pourghere plants that grow in the region. The simple construction of the iainee motor and the attachments make main- ‘namhisis isn't really a development project in the Cae en neurons eens ote U.N. Devel- pment Program, which runs the program. “It's more ea social change praject. The posse have bo deck whether they wantit, theyhave to decide whatto do with it — and they have to come up with part of the money to pay for it.” The UNDP’s only stipulation is that women run the project — from running the machine to deciding guiding three kinds of maize — yellow, white and toasted — through the green to make ground meal in a matterof seconds. The same process using a heavy wooden pestle and grinding stone takes an hour. She and the other women who have been elected by the village to run the machine have learned to read and do basic arithmetic to keep track of who owes money for using the machine. Omadiaba Bagayoka pays 4 cents a minute for electricity to run his soldering iron. Villagers pay just over a pennyfor 2% gallons ofwater drawn froma a fed es the machine-driven pump. they first discuss what they need, people put ee light at the top of the list,” Cochesaid. “Butin later surveys, it goes down. Everyone finally agrees that clean water is the most important.” Without the aie the women andgirls of Baland thousands other villages across Africa must walk long alesis every day to fetch water that’soften unclean. The magic machine costs $6,000. Villagers must putup atleast $1,500 of that and pay for training. It how much to charge for its services to keeping the books and paying the maintenance men. takes another $5,000 to install a basic water distribution network. Fin Tore Rose,the head of UNDPin Mali,said the spur development for the poor in Africa, the U.N. agency is now concentrating on empowering women to lead the fight against poverty. “Not jot everyone likes the changes. Men have to be encol to see them as positive for the welfare of goal is to have the machines in 500 villages covering 10 percentof the country’s rural population by 2003. NORAD,the Norwegian developmentaid agency, is providing some funds, but for the rest of the $6.8 million in financing, the UNDPis ae for people interested in investing in a village in Mali. ane is working on a Web site — latform.com — that is expected to go online Fet in Felruary with detailed information abot candidate villages. After nearly four decadesoftrying various ways to everyone,” said Nalini Burn, an economist and project const it. For a long time,elders resisted sending girls to iyNew Beet ae eee miller Djamako Sidibe is responsible for Everything you need to create a fabulousface. Makeup 101 Yours for just 18.50 with any Estée Lauder purchase. Worth 100.00 This exclusive collection includes: ° 2 Futurist Lipsticks ¢ 2 Blush and Eyeshadow Compacts * Lucidity Loose Powder © Hairbrush and Comb ° Blue Microfiber Tote Bag Offer good while supplies last. Quantities limined. Learn everything you need to know to have fabulous skin. Meet Your Moisturizer *SKINCARE EVENT® Just stop by the Estée Lauder counter for a skincare consultation and receive a generous sample of the moisturizer that's right for you. Offer good while supplies last. Orme excapleto »cureoane, pause. |
