Don't get Lazy - Story, poster & discussion guide
Training materials for raising awareness amongst irrigators
Designs for smallholder irrigation do not usually take into account the preferences of the end-user resulting in laborious and time-consuming tasks. Designs have different impacts on men and women and users may conflict with gender-specific obligations. The suite of training materials comprise a simple story, "Don’t Get Lazy - a story of clever farmers working hard for profit", a discussion guide and a set of four posters.and aims to stimulate farmer groups and extension staff to look at the problems at their own schemes in an analytical way.

Background
Future development of smallholder irrigation in southern Africa will depend on improved returns to investment in irrigation. Subsidy is likely to decrease. It is therefore important that the users of irrigation have the capacity to make profits and to improve livelihoods by choosing the systems best suited to their situations. Women are key actors in irrigation in the region but their needs have not been considered closely in design, nor have they been included among participants in decision-making. The materials comprise a simple story, "Don’t Get Lazy - a story of clever farmers working hard for profit", a discussion guide and a set of four posters.

The Don’t Get Lazy story book & posters
The story was generated to assist awareness raising at field level. The story is easy to read, can be readily memorised, also lends itself to dramatisation. Four posters are available to be used in conjunction with the story and discussion guide. The posters and story are available in Shagaan and Sapedi (South African languages) as well as English.

The discussion guide
The guide provides ideas to encourage and stimulate discussion about the key irrigation and management issues raised in the story and posters. It also provides additional information about irrigation management and marketing in a straightforward style. The guide is designed for use in conjunction with the story booklet and four posters.

 

  What it covers
Discussion sessions are suggested for:

  • Making irrigation work easier
  • Making land preparation easier & more successful Working together to solve problems
  • Raising money for repairs, fencing & other group costs
  • Choosing people to fix and maintain equipment
  • Choosing which crops to grow & when to grow them
  • Why women and men may make different choices
  • Running & managing an irrigation scheme as a group

    Discussion ideas are included for the four posters on:

  • Choosing the best irrigation plan for your village
  • Looking after your equipment and pumps
  • Working together to advertise and sell
  • Making money without transport worries

    The materials can be copied, amended or translated as required without permission from the author, provided the parts are not reproduced for profit. HR Wallingford would be grateful to receive copies of any translations.

    Contributors
    HR Wallingford Ltd, UK; Simplexity Ltd, UK.

    Intended users
    The story book and posters are designed for use in group situations, and are particularly useful amongst farmers with mixed literacy abilities. The discussion guide is intended to assist community leaders, agricultural extension agents and development trainers interested in organising group sessions.
    Biswas-Benbow, I. and Chancellor, F, 2001. “Don’t get lazy”, story, poster and discussion guide. HR Wallingford, UK.

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    • Available at: http://www.dfid-kar-water.net/w5outputs.html
    For a CD ROM or a hard copy contact:
    International Development Group, HR Wallingford Ltd, Howbery Park, Oxon, OX10 8BA, UK
    Tel: +44 (0) 1491 835381, Fax: +44 (0) 1491 826352, E-mail: w5outputs@hrwallingford.co.uk