The Centre for Coordination of Agriculture Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) jointly successfully officially launched its information portal packed with agricultural information and research across the region. CCARDESA is mandated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states to coordinate regional cooperation in agricultural research and development. In line with this mandate, the organisation endeavours to become a regional knowledge hub and a broker for the sharing of agricultural information and research across the SADC region. This website was developed in line with the organization’s thematic Area 3 on developing an Information Communication and Knowledge Management (ICKM) System.
The launch took place at the Regional Policy Dialogue in Maputo, Mozambique. Prior to the official launch, there was a plenary session on regional knowledge sharing for agricultural transformation which was moderated by the Acting Executive Director of CCARDESA, Dr. Simon Mwale who stressed the importance of the new CCARDESA website. The vice-Chair of the CCARDESA Professor Dlamini was on hand to give official remarks on the launch of the website. He indicated the relevance of the documents that are on CCARDESA website to participants. He further highlighted how the information found therein can inform agriculture based decision making as it is evidence based.
Dr. Wiebke Förch, GIZ’s ACCRA Programme Advisor who supported the development of the website expressed excitement aboutthe official launch of the website. She encouraged participants who wanted to learn more about it to visit the CCARDESA stall which was exhibiting at the Regional Policy Dialogue.
Mr. Rudi Hitnermeister from Hatfield Consultants Africa, the firm engaged by CCARDESA and GIZ ACCRA to help develop the new CCARDESA Information, Communication and Knowledge Management System (ICKM) provided an overview of the system to the participants.
Mr. Hintermeister navigated through the features of the system which houses immeasurable agricultural information in Portuguese, French and English. Mr. Hitnermeister was quick to state the need for SADC countries to each nominate 2 National focal point persons from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Research Centres who would support the populating of the CARDESSA website with country specific information.
The presentation session was followed later in the evening by a llaunch ceremony at which the physical official launch of the website took place. The Board Chair Dr Catherine Mungomba officially unveiled the website by cutting the ribbon which literally signified that the CCARDESA website was accessible to the member states. The ceremony of cutting the ribbon was flavoured with traditional music entertainment by the local musical group which was followed by tossing of the bottle of champagne.
The colourful event heralded the navigating of the website by some of the participants who appreciated its functionality and content.
To view the full event, please follow this link. https://www.facebook.com/ccardesa/videos/1924955094225981/
For more information and comments, contact the following:
Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA)
Dr. Simon Mwale
The Acting Executive Director
Ground Floor, Red Brick Building,
Plot 4701 Station Exit Road
Private Bag 00357
Gaborone, Botswana
+267 3914997 Ext 211
smwale@ccardesa.org cc: bpodisi@ccardesa.org
“A food secure and prosperous Southern African region with vibrant rural livelihoods.”
