Malawi is located in sub-saharan Africa and shares borders with Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is listed as one of the top 10 lowest GDPs in the world. Many aid efforts have been invested to develop, promote, and disseminate appropriate technology throughout Malawi. This webpage compiles various common local technologies, as well as different organizations, businesses, and institutions that are promoting/that have promoted appropriate technology.
Although technologies have been manufactured and tested across Malawi, still, many are not in use due to unavailability or unfamiliarity with the tools or maintenance and spare parts. More efforts must be made to disseminate not only the technologies, but also the knowledge and techniques regarding proper use, maintenance, and construction. Greater commercial availability of tools in remote areas may spread usage.
Technologies[edit | edit source]
- Common technologies
- Dengu basket
- Winnowing basket
- Nkhokwe
- maize storage
- Plastic bucket: Arkay plastics
- Hand tools
- Needle/awl from bicycle spoke
- Mortar and pestle
- Hand hoe
- Axe
- mallet
- Textiles/woven or fastened fibers
- Traditional cloth (Chitinje)
- Grass mat
- Bamboo mat
- Pottery
- Urns: used for water or other storage
- Tins
- Watering cans
Hand-made tin watering can - Buckets/pails
- Funnels
- Spatulas
- Watering cans
- Bicycle and Transport
- Bicycle racks
- for bicycle taxis
- for firewood/sugarcane/stick-like objects
- for goats and chickens
- cargo tricycles* Mponela, Dowa
- Carts
- ox drawn carts
- hand drawn carts -
- Energy and Fuel
- Agricultural waste/paper briquettes
- Mud stoves
- Portable, mud cookstoves
- Brick
- Architecture/Shelter
- Frames for rammed-earth buildings
- Brick molds
- Brick presses
- Brick kilns
- Agriculture
- Planting
- Harvesting
- Weeding
- Crop Processing
- Crop storage
- Nkhokwe
- Irrigation
- Food
- Food driers
- Gary fryers
- Peelers, chippers, and slicers
- Income Generating Activities
- Beekeeping
- Beehives
- Bee suits
- Fish farming
- Fish ponds
- Oil presssing
- Lever ram press
- Accordion ram press
- Screw press
- Juice pressing
- Mushroom farming
