Made from discarded bicycle parts and gears from old cars, the machine is guaranteed a ready market in rural areas where women have been using archaic and energy-sapping methods to make peanut butter.
Chauke, 41, from Gwabalanda high density suburb said the plight of rural women working hard to eke out a living and persistent power cuts inspired him to design the machine. “I specifically designed this simple bicycle-powered machine for women who have been struggling to produce commercially viable peanut butter due to the high cost of such machines from established dealers. My machine is capable of producing two 375 ml bottles of peanut butter in seven minutes. How much is produced basically depends on one’s endurance to cycle,” said Chauke.
His machine costs $250 while commercial peanut butter–making machines cost between $700 and $2000. Chauke’s machine uses the concept of a gear system. The gears change the motion as well as increasing speed at the same time. “For every one cycle or turn one makes, 10 turns of the blade are generated. What this means is that the faster you turn the pedal, the faster you crush the groundnuts. The machine can also be used for making fruit juices and for physical fitness,” he said. Another advantage is that children can also easily operate it.
Prosper Chauke said the machine had done wonders for her business. “Before I acquired the machine, I used the pestle and mortar method to make peanut butter. The process was tedious and laborious. Now all I need is just to relax and cycle. On a good day especially during weekends when the children are available to help, I can produce 50 bottles of 375 ml of peanut- butter” she said. The money she makes from the venture enables her to pay her children’s school fees.
Hilda Moyo, a coordinator with the African Women’s Initiative In Developing Economies (AWIDE) in Matabeleland, said Chauke’s machine would go a long way in empowering women, especially those in rural areas. Moyo, whose organisation was formed in 2006 to assist women to acquire marketable skills, voiced a willingness to assist with the marketing of the machines.
“With these less costly machines, more women can now venture into businesses such as peanut butter making and fruit juice blending. They can add value to these locally-produced foodstuffs by processing, packaging and marketing them commercially,” she said.
It was when attending Mzingwane High School, that Chauke developed a passion for metal work. On completing his secondary education, he trained at Hillside Teachers College, majoring in History and English. After graduating, he taught at Bungwe high school in Filabusi before being engaged as a metal work teacher at Pumula High School in 1999. He has completed several courses in welding and metal work. He left the teaching profession in 2005 to start his own welding business, which includes the manufacture of electric powered ‘freezit’ and fence–making machines and portable metal ironing boards.
He plans to officially launch his machine next month and will market it nation-wide once he has taken steps to protect his invention. Moyo said her organisation decided to train the women in value addition, processing and marketing of indigenous produce after realising that women and children were starving despite having untapped indigenous resources such as fruits in their areas.
“We have equipped women with skills to harvest their local resources in order to make a living. Jam making and extraction of Marula oil projects are sustaining a lot of families in Matopo and Plumtree districts. The demand for Marula oil, a popular skin product, currently exceeds the supply,” said Moyo.
AWIDE operates in six districts in Matabeleland South – namely, Bulilima, Mangwe, Matopos, Gwanda, Insiza and Umzingwane. The organisation is also active in Harare, Nyanga and other areas in Bulawayo.
Post published in: Gender Equality