Vision

Technocratic development projects frequently ignore the skills, perspectives and solutions of local actors, despite their proven effectiveness, social embeddedness and often long history. The Mobeka Initiative emerged from research on the transportation practices on the inland waterways of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in particular the wooden “baleinières” rivercraft. The baleinières are notorious for their frequent accidents, which result in heavy losses of life and economic resources. Less well known, however, is the enormous role they play in the food security of the country, especially of river-borne cities including the DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa. Equally little known is the baleinières are part of a complex system of vernacular logistics that has developed without any public intervention: Not only do they rely on and involve a large number of small actors. They also fundamentally reshape the transportation network of water-based mobility across the Congo Basin for millions of local traders and travelers. The research indicates that much can be learned from local practices. We believe that in times of ever greater need — driven by population growth and galloping urbanisation — a well-judged participatory intervention, with the researcher acting as co-actor in the field, can be not only a fruitful method but also a rewarding and necessary way of giving back. As one example, Mobeka is currently planning to develop, together with EBMS / TU Berlin, a safer, more economical, and more ecological propulsion system, building on its research and experience with the dakadaka engines now in use and the mechanics who work on them in the field.