Peanut shelling machine

Written Sunday, 28 September 2008

 

 

My village has recently received a peanut shelling machine from a very generous American donor (Thanks, Lanny!).  Up til now, women had to shell peanuts one by one, by hand.  It takes hours.  Most of the time the women do it after lunch, during their "resting time".

 

But now, with the machine, they can just dump the peanuts into it and push the handle back and forth, and voila! the peanuts are shelled.  It still takes a while to do a large batch of peanuts, but since now there is a machine involved in the process, it has suddenly become a much cooler chore and the men and kids are willing to do it.  (It still remains to be seen whether if this will last once the novelty of the machine wears off, though). 

 

But for now, at least, I think it will make a big difference for the women.  Maybe they will even actually be able to rest for a bit during their resting time!  It could be a revolution!

 

Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a little, but I am excited about it, and so are the women.