Blacksmith and the Farmer Rural Manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa

About this book

The author examines the place of rural manufacturing in central African economies, particularly in promoting the agricultural base essential to economic and social development. He argues forcefully against northern patronage, with its inappropriate and often harmful practices and interventions. Using the blacksmith of Manie and others with whom he has himself worked, as an example, the author presents a case for indigenous, self-sustaining and small-scale rural workshops, as crucial to the economic health of developing nations. Foreign imports and large-scale manufacturing, with their need for unavailable foreign exchange, are a misuse of an industrializing nation's resources. Crucial, however, to the development of people-centred development, is the political will of central governments.

Contents

Part 1 Rural industrialization: identifying a strategy for small-scale rural industrialization; in-house shortcomings restraining informal industrialization; resource deficiencies which restrain informal industrialization; rural industrial viability; industrial origins - traditional or implanted? Part 2 Rural workshops: comparative viability of urban and rural informal manufacturing; the significance of innovation; sustainability and growth; the design process in small workshops; form of design input required by primary and secondary workshops; the comparative viability of primary and secondary workshops; categorization of small workshop production in developing countries. Part 3 Relevance and ignorance: the contribution of the small workshop; the relevance of the small workshop within African development; the failure of intervention; perception of success. Part 4 Artisan-orientated intervention: the recognition of indigenous technical knowledge; the control of intervention; respectful collaboration; external agents; clients and targets; success indication. Part 5 The way forward: manner of intervention; approach to training; implications of intervention agents.

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