"I thought I would lose my customers and waste my time attending this training. But it has been worthwhile for my business and now I can use information technology to help me diagnose poultry illnesses," Mrs Bhoke Mwita, a poultry farmer told Tanzania Library Services Board.

Through the library’s training, Mrs Mwita learnt how to use the internet to search for information about poultry farming, including selection of chicks, poultry accommodation, nutrition, medication and preservation of chickens and eggs.

The service was initiated with grant support from EIFL’s Public Library Innovation Programme (EIFL-PLIP). The training reached 50 farmers, all from Kitunda, a farming area that supplies Tanzania’s capital city, Dar es Salaam, with chicken and eggs. It included business and marketing skills to help the farmers compete with bigger suppliers.

The Poultry Information Service was one of two innovative services implemented by the library with EIFL-PLIP support. Also using computers and the internet, the second service raised awareness of teenagers about sensitive issues related to adolescent sexual development.

Click the link to read more about these two services, and the impact of other innovative library services - http://www.eifl.net/plip-impact#agriculture_2013

Mr and Mrs Mwita - poultry farmers and first-time internet users (Photo - EIFL)