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25 Litre Water Wheel |
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2 x 25 Litre Pannier |
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2 x 25 Litre All Terrain Cart |
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25 / 50 Litre Tilt Cart |
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Multipurpose Happy |
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HAPV Harnessing |
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HAPV Wheels |
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HAPV Visibility |
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- Single tyre width : Can negotiate foot paths
- Handlebar option : Can be pushed or pulled
- 25 kg loads : Manageable by young/old
- Recycled material : Affordable
- Foam-filled tyre : Non-deflatable
- ‘Knock-down’ kit : Easy shipping
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One human or animal powered vehicle (HAPV) could benefit a few families in a rural community. A hundred thousand HAPV’s could have a major effect on several million rural inhabitants and South Africa as a whole, impacting positively not only on general health, social structure and nature – but also on empowerment, upliftment, self-reliance and poverty alleviation i.e.
Women
- Empowerment, improved status and independence
- Time for more productive activities
- Better personal and family health
- Improved family and social structures
- Greater availability of essential resources
The Elderly
- Greater mobility and independence
- Better health and status within the community
- Can contribute more and longer to the community
The Disabled
- Greater mobility and independence
- Better health and status within the community
- Can contribute more and longer to the community
Children
- Better health, more time and energy
- All-weather school transport
- Improved education and quality of life
- Can contribute more to the community
Farmers
- Improved crops – can transport water and manure
- Better returns – timeous delivery to markets
- Increased off-set – can travel further a field
Vendors
- Improved returns – can carry more and travel further
Existing Enterprise
- Can improve, expand and diversify with transport
New Enterprise
- Many transport and animal related opportunities
Business Incubator
- Tutors and managers: Income potential
- Learners: Multiple manufacturing skills-training
- Future franchisees: Multiple manufacturing and managerial skills-training
Animal Training Centres
- Tutors and managers: Income potential
- Learners: Acquiring of animal care and training skills
- Future franchisees: Acquiring of animal care and training management skills
Factory & Animal Training Centre Owners
- Empowerment and independence
- Increased income potential
- Improved family life and community status
Existing Enterprise
- Improved reach and distribution of FMCG, commodities, life essentials, medical and general services
- Increased demand for local manufacturing materials
- Increased demand for local tyres
- Opportunities in the creation of relevant infrastructure
- Increased demand for – and value of traction animals
- Increased demand for veterinary products
- Increased demand for feeding – and traction material
Financial Institutions
- Micro business loans
- Animal and ‘wheels’ financing
Agriculture
- Improved yields and more diversified crops – transport for water and manure
- Better returns – timeous market delivery
- Greater produce off-set – further reach
- Increased value of traction animals
- New breeding, training and animal trading opportunities
Correctional services
- Manufacturing skills and animal training facilities could be established within correctional institutions
- HAPV franchises could be established (outside) for the re-integration of offenders into communities
Education
- Improved learner reach, health, energy and concentration
- Removable HAPV canopies could double-up as outdoor classrooms and/or shade areas
- Courses in animal care and training for learners
Environment & Tourism
- Multiple ‘micro’ tourism empowerment opportunities in terms of city, nature reserve and beachfront sight-seeing tours
- Other transport empowerment opportunities in rural resorts
- Availability of HAPV’s could make it possible to banish the travois or sledge throughout South Africa, thus eliminating a (suspected) contributor to soil erosion
- Increased value of traction animals (e.g. donkeys) and animal training could result in better animal and pasture management and lessen the pressure on rural habitat
Health
- Increased water and fresh produce supplies
- Improved hygiene and general health
- Improved reach of medical services and health promotion
- Greater mobility for the disabled, ailing, frail and the aged
Labour (SETAS)
- Multiple (ongoing) manufacturing, management and animal skills-training opportunities at the ‘Business Incubator’ and animal training facility
- Job creation and additional training opportunities at factory franchises
- Possible model for other businesses in the ‘franchising’ of manufacturing – which may give impetus to the creation of a ‘second-tier’ industry
Social Development
- HAPV’s as intermediate means of transport would have a lasting impact at every socio economical and self-reliant level of rural communities i.e.
- Empowerment, liberation and independence of women
- Improvement of general family health and structures
- Independence and mobility of the disabled, frail and aged
- Wellbeing of infants, children and school-going learners
Trade and Industry
- Rural HAPV manufacturing franchises could be extended to include manufacturing of other essentials i.e. school and church furniture; space-saving home furniture; farming and gardening tools; building equipment and hand tools
- All the aforementioned could be exported to other Sub-Saharan African countries, particularly where animal traction is on the increase, but related manufacturing has remained rudimentary
- Serious consideration must be given to the development of the ultimate Afro-centric HAPV wheel i.e. a light-weight wheel of at least one meter in diameter, fitted with a non-deflatable (foam-filled) pneumatic tyre
Transport
- HAPV’s as intermediate means of transport, offer a feasible solution for the transport predicament of rural Africa i.e. it can increase transport capacity and reduce human drudgery, without the high costs associated with large motor vehicles; it can negotiate almost any terrain; requires little or no infrastructure; have high return on investment ratios and low maintenance; can be produced by local artisans for diverse applications; can serve as primary transport or easily integrated as ‘feeder’ transport into greater transport networks
- It constitutes one of the five major components (RTTP) of the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Program (SSATP), managed by the World Bank and supported by at least 14 SSA states (See below)
- The development of HAPV’s should be co-sponsored by the Department – and ultimately subsidized as an integral part of the national transport network.
Water and Forestry
- HAPV’s could make a major contribution to the provision, distribution and application of water in rural areas
- Diverse designs could make sizable water containers easily manageable by the young, old, frail and the ailing
- HAPV’s could provide cost effective transport solutions for mass forestry labour and increase the viability of co-owned plantations
A major benefit for South Africa is that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. HAPV’s have been in use as intermediate means of transport for hundreds of years worldwide – and its use and feasibility for Sub-Saharan Africa well researched and documented. All we have to do is learn from International and Sub-Saharan experience (See websites below).
IFRTD
International Forum for Rural Transport Development
SSATP (World Bank)
Sub-Saharan African Transport Policy Program
RTTP (World Bank)
Road Travel and Transport Program
ATNESA
The Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa
New Agriculturist On-line
Reporting on agriculture for the 21st Century
Publications
www.worldbank.org/afr/ssatp/pubs.htm
www.atnesa.org/atnesapublications.htm
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