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Dyeing Wells

Microfiche Library

Manual of Natural Dyes

In Bolivia there is an age-old tradition of dyeing fabrics with natural dyes. With the introduction of chemical aniline dyes this tradition has been supplanted, above all in the Andean region and in rural centers closer to towns and cities. This is the case in the Altiplano region, where only few natural dyes are still being used.

This manural contains 30 basic recipes for dyes made from plants and cochineal. It also includes a list of getable dyes from the Charazani region, compiled by Louis Girault; a glossary of Andean dyeing taken in "Vokabulario Aymara" by Ludovico Bertonio, and a list of dye plants from different regions of the country.

The book is confined to descriptions of general dyeing procedures d includes a list (not exhaustive) of natural dyes. Both will need to be complemented by people or groups who decide to take up this art.

The majority of the recipes presented are the fruit of months of instigation and experiments carried out by SEMTA. The investigations were conducted for the most part in the Department of La Paz. The recipes were tried out collectively by a group of artisans of Villa Ballivian in El Alto de La Paz (Bolivia) in a short course on natural dyes organized by SEMTA.

This manual is intended primarily for craft weavers and popular artists. Although anonymous, it is they who through their everyday work maintain and disseminate the traditions that are most valulable for the community, thus preserving its cultural identity.

Martha Cajias: "Manual de Tintes Naturales " (Manual of Natural Dyes). 120 pages. Published by SEMTA, Casilla No. 20410, Calle Alfredo Ascarrunz No. 2675, La Paz, Bolivia. The book is only available in Spanish.

Water Well Rehabilitation

The experience gathered by GTZ in the rehabilitation of drilled wells in Tunisia is summed up in a well illustrated eightpage brochure. In 1984 and 1985, a total of 23 wells between 40 and 240 metres deep were rehabilitated. This involved removing chemical deposits, residues from drilling fluid, sand and particles moved along flow paths, as well as foreign bodies which had accidentally fallen into the wells.

The bilingual brochure (French and English) is available from

Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH

Section 331

P. O. Box 5180

6236 Eschborn 1 FRG

The Expanded A.T.

Microfiche Library

Volunteers in Asia, publisher of the Appropriate Technology Source book is now offering its expanded A.T. Microfiche Library. This includes every page of text from 1,000 books and documents reviewed in the new Appropriate Technology Sourcebook, a total of 138,650 pages.

Here, the reader can find information on agricultural tools and techniques, workshop tools and equipment, crop storage systems, water supply systems, forestry, aquaculture, improved cookstoves, solar/ wind/water power, biogas, transportation, health care, science teaching, communications, small industries, small enterprise management, nonformal education techniques, and all other small-scale technology topics.

For people interested in the Microfiche Library, Volunteers in Asia is offering a system package with 1,785microficheswhich includes all 1,000 titles plus a portable microfiche file box and a hard-bound copy of the Appropriate Technology Sourcebook for a total price of US$ 695.00. Suitable microfiche readers are also available from Volunteers in Asia. For further information, contact

A. T. Microfiche Library Volunteers in Asia P.O. Box 4543 Stanford, CA 94305 USA

German Appropriate Technology Exchange Centro Aleman pare Tecnologias Apropiadas Centre allemand d'inter-technologie appropriee Deutsches Zentrum fur Entwicklungstechnologien

GATE is not only the name of this quarterly. It also stands for German Appropriate Technology Exchange, founded in 1978 as a special division (Division 21) of the government-owned Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH (German Agency for Technical Cooperation).

Tasks

GATE is a centre for the dissemination and promotion of appropriate technologies for developing countries.

GATE defines "appropriate technologies" as those which appear particularly apposite in the light of economic, social and cultural criteria. They should contribute to socio-economic development whilst ensuring optimal utilization of resources and minimal detriment to the environment. Depending on the case at hand a traditional, intermediate or highly-developed technology can be the "appropriate" one.

Activities GATE focusses its work on five key areas:

- Technology Exchange: Collecting, processing and disseminating information on technologies appropriate to the needs of the developing countries; ascertaining the technological requirements of Third World countries; support in the form of personnel, material and equipment to promote the development and adaption of technologies for developing countries.

- Research and Development: Conducting and/or promoting research and development work in appropriate technologies.

- Cooperation in Technological Development: Cooperation in the form of joint projects with relevant institutions in developing countries and in the Federal Republic of Germany.

- Environmental Protection: The growing importance of ecology and environmental protection requires better coordination and harmonization of projects. In order to tackle these tasks more effectively, a coordination centre was set up within GATE in 1985.

- Promotion of Women's Participation in Development: A special section established within GATE is responsible for coordinating activities for the promotion of women, with the aim of integrating them into all sectors of the GTZ. This special section has also been assigned the task of implementing pilot projects for the promotion of women.

Service

GATE offers a free information service in appropriate technologies for all public and privet development institutions in countries dealing with the development, adaptation, application and introduction of technologies.

Deutsches Zentrum fur Entwicklungstechnologien Dag-Hammarskjold-Weg 1 D-6236 Eschborn 1 Federal Republic of Germany.