Community Documentation of Indigenous Knowledge

KAWG identified and invited community resource persons to train women at a six-day seminar so that they, in turn, could train other community groups to carry out the project in their respective areas. KAWG also organised four seminars in different communities in Kitui. (Training materials from these efforts, which include documented information and techniques acquired during the project activities, have subsequently been used at national and international workshops and presentations made by the KAWG members).

Kitete knowledge, experience, and collections are then shared among KAWG members and persons in the community through a resource centre in the Kyanika village. Here, recorded materials, documents, and a collection of Kitete samples and seeds are available for use by members of the local community and others. Other activies include storytelling by elders; sharing myths, songs, dances, riddles, poems, and drama; listening to taped materials, looking at photographs, watching videos, and reading written reports (in the local Kikamba language); and displaying materials at seed/fruit fairs and Indigenous Knowledge (IK) competitions.

As a follow-up activity, the group has initiated income-generating, content-based activities such as selling decorated or carved Kitetes, making and selling Kitete ornaments, promoting the sale of T-shirts on the Kitete subject, and selling rare and popular types of seeds and fruits to the visitors of KAWG.

Agriculture, Cultural Development, Women.

To the Kamba people of Kitui District in Kenya, the Kitete is important; however, programme organisers have noted that very little information on this gourd has been documented and preserved (most of the information had been passed on verbally, and is available only to the local communities). The Kamba people generally like telling stories or exchanging and sharing local news at social gatherings. However, modern Information Communication Technology (ICT) enables the saving, documenting, and improving upon traditional knowledge for use by present community members and future generations. Even basic ICT tools like the tape recorder can facilitate the transfer of oral traditions and traditional knowledge of plants and their uses.