Introduction
Indigenous Knowledge is an integral part of the development process of local communities. Sharing knowledge with the poor is most effective when we also solicit knowledge from them about their needs and circumstances. Therefore, development projects, especially those that aim to benefit the poor directly, need to consider indigenous knowledge in the design and implementation stages of the process.
According to the 1998/99 World Development Report, knowledge is the key to sustainable social and economic development. A better understanding of the local conditions, including indigenous knowledge systems and practices could, therefore, help to better integrate global technologies to solve the problems facing local communities in the developing countries. This would in turn help to improve the impact of development assistance given to those countries.
The knowledge systems of the indigenous people are quite varied around many areas in Tanzania, but there are consistent patterns in the way the knowledge is acquired and in the nature of the content of the indigenous knowledge systems. Indigenous knowledge systems are quite different to science-based knowledge systems, but have many aspects that compliment science. For example, indigenous knowledge is intensely local in its factual information, whereas science usually must carry out new studies to gain the same information that is already present in indigenous knowledge systems. Science generally has a short-term base of information that it can use, whereas indigenous knowledge can draw on a very long-term information base. Thus, there is a great advantage to using the two knowledge systems together.
Indigenous institutions, indigenous appropriate technology, and low-cost approaches can increase the efficiency of development programs in rural communities because indigenous knowledge is a locally owned and managed resource. Building on indigenous knowledge can be particularly effective in helping to reach the poor since indigenous knowledge is often the only asset they control, and certainly one which they are very familiar with. Utilizing indigenous knowledge helps to increase the sustainability of development efforts because the indigenous knowledge integration process provides for mutual learning and adaptation, which in turn contributes to the empowerment of local communities. Since efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability are key determinants of the quality of development work, harnessing indigenous knowledge has a clear development business case. (Gorjestani, 2000).
What is Indigenous Knowledge?
Indigenous knowledge (IK) is the local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. Indigenous knowledge contrasts with the international system generated by universities, research institutions and private firms. It is the basis for local-level decision making in agriculture, health care, food preparation, education, natural resource management, and a host of other activities in rural communities. (Warren, 1991).
Flavier et al. (1995:479) defines Indigenous Knowledge as ….. the information base for a society, which facilitates communication and decision-making. Indigenous information systems are dynamic, and continually influenced by internal creativity and experimentation as well as by contact with external systems.
Indigenous knowledge, also referred to as traditional or local knowledge, is embedded in the community and is unique to a given culture, location or society. The term refers to the large body of knowledge and skills that has been developed outside the formal educational system, and that enables communities to survive.
Indigenous knowledge is dynamic, the result of a continuous process of experimentation, innovation, and adaptation. It has the capacity to blend with knowledge based on science and technology, and should therefore be considered complementary to scientific and technological efforts to solve problems in social and economic development.
Characteristics of Indigenous Knowledge
Indigenous knowledge has the following special features that distinguishes it broadly from other knowledge systems: it is generated within communities; indigenous knowledge (IK) is location and culture specific; IK is the basis for decision making and survival strategies; it is not systematically documented; concerns critical issues of human and animal life: primarily production, human and animal life, natural resource management; IK is dynamic and based on innovation, adaptation, and experimentation; and naturally IK is transmitted orally and rural oriented.
The role of indigenous knowledge and its contribution to community development in Tanzania
Indigenous knowledge provides the basis for problem-solving strategies for local communities, especially the poor. It represents an important component of global knowledge on development issues. IK is an underutilized resource in the development process. It has been observed that learning from IK, by investigating first what local communities know and have, can improve understanding of local conditions and provide a productive context for activities designed to help the communities. Understanding IK can increase responsiveness to community in implementation of development projects.
Indigenous knowledge is part of the lives of the rural poor in Tanzania। Their livelihood depends entirely on specific skills and knowledge essential for their survival especially in agriculture. Rural farmers in many regions apply their indigenous knowledge in the production process depending on the nature of their crops. They know when to clear their fields, planting season, weeding, and when to harvest without even developing a scientifically accepted seasonal calendar. The indigenous storage facilities used to keep food crops have proved very useful in many areas in Tanzania especially in the southern highlands of Iringa, Mbeya, Songea and Rukwa. The indigenous storage facilities contribute positively to National Food Security Programme.
Indigenous Knowledge is an integral part of the development process of local communities. Sharing knowledge with the poor is most effective when we also solicit knowledge from them about their needs and circumstances. Therefore, development projects, especially those that aim to benefit the poor directly, need to consider indigenous knowledge in the design and implementation stages of the process.
According to the 1998/99 World Development Report, knowledge is the key to sustainable social and economic development. A better understanding of the local conditions, including indigenous knowledge systems and practices could, therefore, help to better integrate global technologies to solve the problems facing local communities in the developing countries. This would in turn help to improve the impact of development assistance given to those countries.
The knowledge systems of the indigenous people are quite varied around many areas in Tanzania, but there are consistent patterns in the way the knowledge is acquired and in the nature of the content of the indigenous knowledge systems. Indigenous knowledge systems are quite different to science-based knowledge systems, but have many aspects that compliment science. For example, indigenous knowledge is intensely local in its factual information, whereas science usually must carry out new studies to gain the same information that is already present in indigenous knowledge systems. Science generally has a short-term base of information that it can use, whereas indigenous knowledge can draw on a very long-term information base. Thus, there is a great advantage to using the two knowledge systems together.
Indigenous institutions, indigenous appropriate technology, and low-cost approaches can increase the efficiency of development programs in rural communities because indigenous knowledge is a locally owned and managed resource. Building on indigenous knowledge can be particularly effective in helping to reach the poor since indigenous knowledge is often the only asset they control, and certainly one which they are very familiar with. Utilizing indigenous knowledge helps to increase the sustainability of development efforts because the indigenous knowledge integration process provides for mutual learning and adaptation, which in turn contributes to the empowerment of local communities. Since efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability are key determinants of the quality of development work, harnessing indigenous knowledge has a clear development business case. (Gorjestani, 2000).
What is Indigenous Knowledge?
Indigenous knowledge (IK) is the local knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. Indigenous knowledge contrasts with the international system generated by universities, research institutions and private firms. It is the basis for local-level decision making in agriculture, health care, food preparation, education, natural resource management, and a host of other activities in rural communities. (Warren, 1991).
Flavier et al. (1995:479) defines Indigenous Knowledge as ….. the information base for a society, which facilitates communication and decision-making. Indigenous information systems are dynamic, and continually influenced by internal creativity and experimentation as well as by contact with external systems.
Indigenous knowledge, also referred to as traditional or local knowledge, is embedded in the community and is unique to a given culture, location or society. The term refers to the large body of knowledge and skills that has been developed outside the formal educational system, and that enables communities to survive.
Indigenous knowledge is dynamic, the result of a continuous process of experimentation, innovation, and adaptation. It has the capacity to blend with knowledge based on science and technology, and should therefore be considered complementary to scientific and technological efforts to solve problems in social and economic development.
Characteristics of Indigenous Knowledge
Indigenous knowledge has the following special features that distinguishes it broadly from other knowledge systems: it is generated within communities; indigenous knowledge (IK) is location and culture specific; IK is the basis for decision making and survival strategies; it is not systematically documented; concerns critical issues of human and animal life: primarily production, human and animal life, natural resource management; IK is dynamic and based on innovation, adaptation, and experimentation; and naturally IK is transmitted orally and rural oriented.
The role of indigenous knowledge and its contribution to community development in Tanzania
Indigenous knowledge provides the basis for problem-solving strategies for local communities, especially the poor. It represents an important component of global knowledge on development issues. IK is an underutilized resource in the development process. It has been observed that learning from IK, by investigating first what local communities know and have, can improve understanding of local conditions and provide a productive context for activities designed to help the communities. Understanding IK can increase responsiveness to community in implementation of development projects.
Indigenous knowledge is part of the lives of the rural poor in Tanzania। Their livelihood depends entirely on specific skills and knowledge essential for their survival especially in agriculture. Rural farmers in many regions apply their indigenous knowledge in the production process depending on the nature of their crops. They know when to clear their fields, planting season, weeding, and when to harvest without even developing a scientifically accepted seasonal calendar. The indigenous storage facilities used to keep food crops have proved very useful in many areas in Tanzania especially in the southern highlands of Iringa, Mbeya, Songea and Rukwa. The indigenous storage facilities contribute positively to National Food Security Programme.
In Tanzania, it is estimated that over 1000 plant species are used as source of traditional medicine for human ailments. Over 80% of Tanzanians are dependent on traditional phytomedicine to treat various diseases and more than 100 plant species are recorded to treat about 38 different pathological conditions of livestock in northern and central regions of Arusha, Dodoma, Shinyanga and Mwanza. Veterinary use of plants widespread among the pastoralist communities in Tanzania but not restricted to them. The lessons learned from this case is that knowledge of traditional medicine practices has not yet sufficiently inseminated conventional medicinal practices in Tanzania which seem to be a missed opportunity for cost effective treatments.
The exchange of indigenous knowledge
Exchange of IK is the ideal outcome of a successful transfer and dissemination. This importantly a learning process whereby the community where an IK practice originates, the agent who transmits the practice and the community that adopts and adapts the practice all learn during the process.
The National Policies in support for Indigenous Knowledge for Development
Most development policies in Tanzania have not given the needed attention to enhancing indigenous knowledge as an instrument for sustainable development. Most of them typically focus on the adoption of the “Western” practices with a view to modernizing the community and transforming the productive sector with the good terms like “Kilimo cha Kisasa” (meaning modern agriculture). Today, many indigenous knowledge systems are at risk of becoming extinct because of rapidly changing natural environments and fast pacing economic, political, and cultural changes on the global scale that have also been adopted in most of the national development policies.
The Agricultural Sector Development Programme (ASDP) for example, which implements the Agricultural Development Policy and probably the Rural Development Policy, invests heavily onto agriculture production and marketing। However, very little resources are utilized to fund traditional knowledge capacity building amongst the indigenous people.
Conclusion
Indigenous Knowledge is an integral part of the development process of local communities. It is a critical factor for sustainable development. It is also encouraging to observe that, in many parts of Tanzania especially in rural areas, there has been a dramatic increase in interest in the role that indigenous knowledge can play in truly participatory approaches to sustainable development. This interest is reflected in many activities formulated within communities.
Empowerment of local communities is a prerequisite for the integration of IK in the development process. The integration of appropriate IK systems into development programs contribute to efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainable development impact. Indigenous Knowledge, like any other knowledge, needs to be constantly used, challenged, and further adapted to the evolving local contexts. Supporting local networks of traditional practitioners and community exchanges can help to disseminate useful and relevant IK and enable communities to participate more actively in the development process.
All community development projects should therefore, strive to have the broadest possible knowledge base to achieve the best results. Greater efforts should be undertaken by the Government and other stakeholders to strengthen the capacity of local people in rural areas to develop their own knowledge base, design and implement their own activities at the interface of scientific disciplines and indigenous knowledge.
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