Reflections – November 3, 2010
Lasting change or dependency?
The question above is often raised these days about efforts to help the impoverished in places like Africa. How do we make certain what we do results in “Real Good, not Feel Good” support (this is the title of a very interesting paper by Martin Fisher of KickStart. If you would like a copy we can email one to you.)
WellShare, the organization we have volunteered with in Tanzania (East Africa) the last two years, has had their project evaluated twice by outside parties, and the reports were highly favorable. In addition, the feedback about our efforts the last two trips has led us to understand we have been able to make a real difference. And so, we are returning to Tanzania this coming January.
Our experience over the past 2 years has been very educational. We began preparing for our first trip to Tanzania by reading about the country and culture, including novels. This background gave us some idea of what life would be like there.
Our first two months were spent understanding the project, getting familiar with our new “home” and spending time in remote villages to see the project’s work on the ground. Having lived in Africa most of her adult life, Jolene, the country director, was a wealth of knowledge. We learned a great deal about Africa, Tanzania, development work, culture and government. Our work focused on helping to create income generation skills for young single mothers. We created tools and materials to help educate them on how to run and organize their small ventures.
These first two months helped us understand we needed to learn so much more if we were to have a bigger impact. There were the seeds of some ideas on income generating activities that might work for the young village women, but we needed to do more research to try to determine what might be viable. Another focus was trying to locate other NGOs working in Africa who could share their expertise and perhaps partner with us. While in Tanzania we had started reading about the issues around aid and development. We learned a lot about unintended negative consequences that can result when individuals or organizations try to help solve a village problem. This pursuit continued when we got back. We found that many experts believe that the dependency caused by aid is the reason Africa continues to be so poor. Sustainability is the key to effective aid, and is so often missing.
Aid and good intentions can create lots of problems that are not understood by those of us who have little experience in these countries. Sending cases of some product, say for illustration purposes, soap, seems like a worthwhile endeavor for those in the rich world trying to make life easier for village people. But what is probably not understood is that such a move may put the local soap producer out of business. Local livelihoods are lost and when the soap is gone there is no local producer to provide this product for the village. One must always question the impacts of any action taken with the intention of hoping to solve a village problem. Organizations sometimes come in to provide a solution without working with the villagers to identify problems the locals see and would like solved. In addition to ascertaining what the villagers want, adequate education must go with the solution. Without a sense of ownership and understanding of maintenance requirements, the village may get a new latrine, cistern or well, but no one will know how to maintain it and it will not be used. We were shocked to find out about the many unused wells in Africa despite the tremendous need for water.
As a result, we believed it was very important for these young women to have financial literacy, skills in the specific area of their project, along with marketing and business understanding so they would be empowered and truly prosper. One of the NGOs we met with in California seemed to be a good fit, but it wasn’t clear that they would be willing to work in our Karatu. During our second year in our district, through both purposeful and chance meetings, we were able to find some good connections with NGOs working in Karatu to get this process started. Because of our research, we were clear about how any partner organizations would have to function.
We discovered the importance of flexibility too. When we left here this January we had some ideas of what might be worthwhile projects. But once we got there, asked lots (and lots) of questions, and did the local research, we found that these ideas were just not feasible at this time. We did go with the intention of trying to find local partners and that is the piece that ended up working. We found it was important not to fall in love with our ideas because it is too easy to try to make something work that will not be sustained.
Sustainability
One of the WellShare staff spoke last year of his commitment to the organization. He said he had seen other groups that came and went with not much lasting effect. He felt WellShare was really making a lasting difference in people’s lives because they were thoroughly educating people, improving their health and behaviors, and that knowledge and change would stay with them and their villages long after WellShare was gone. We applied the same criteria. How will our efforts change lives over the long-term? How do we make ourselves unnecessary to these young women? How do we empower them to improve their own lives? When the WellShare project ends and the staff are gone will these women still have improved lives that impact their children and even their villages?
As an example, one type of project we are working to partner with is Farmer Field Schools, which are run by a couple of NGOs in Karatu. These projects provide extensive training in farming but the approach is classic adult education—the individuals in the group, with support from trained farmers, generate ideas or experiments to determine what will or will not work. They also form buying and selling groups to get better prices. So in addition to learning about farming practices to improve yields, they feel empowered, learn how to work together and see the importance of cooperative marketing and purchasing.
These basic life and business skills have been shown to carry over into other areas of village life. The participants have improved lives on many fronts as a result of having participated in this training. We heard of one evaluation that found family violence declined for those participating in this training since half of the group must be women and they now were viewed with respect. Once the NGO leaves, the skills learned and the new ways of working will stay as part of village life and have ongoing impact.
This is the kind of solution we wanted to be able to provide to these young women. And, it appears we are on the way to doing this. We feel very fortunate to have found an organization that has given us so much encouragement to explore efforts not in their original mission.
What about you?
If you are drawn to international volunteering, be clear about what you want to get out of it. For example, there are many wonderful organizations that offer international volunteer experiences whose major purpose is cross-cultural understanding. In evaluating any endeavor where you are looking to have positive impact, you should consider: need to ask: “Is what I am doing something that could be done by local people who need the work, if I just sent the money so they could be hired?”
With Habitat for Humanity the local people are required to put in sweat equity beside the international volunteers, creating a very powerful program. But we were in Peru after the earthquake and saw local men sitting around the square with nothing to do while the international volunteers were rebuilding. Two other important questions: “Will the people be left with any skills or resources that allow them to support themselves, change their lives, etc. without ongoing outside support?” “When the NGO leaves the location, will the benefits be sustainable or will they end?”
Now What?
Well, we are returning to Tanzania this January for 10 weeks to continue our efforts with the young women. We have found out that in four remote villages the microsavings organization we connected with is providing training in financial literacy and the women are saving for their projects, and other successes are blooming as well. There are 48 villages in the district, so there is still a lot of work to do. We will try to find other local groups or individuals who can help these women start and manage viable businesses.
Several people have asked about making a financial contribution. We would like to be able to provide the seed money for farmer trainers, seeds, chickens, etc. For example, we have estimated that it would take about $200-$300 to fund a village’s farmer field school for about 30 people. It seems such a small price to change a village’s life. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, please send it to:
WellShare International
122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite 510
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Please make certain the memo line says: "Tanzania STGs"
If it is easier, our you would rather send the check to us, that is fine also. However, please still make the check to WellShare with the memo line shown. Our address is 2010 Yorkshire Ave. St. Paul, MN 55116.
We will then be able to draw from that account as needed while we are there. In our blog we will write about how and where the money is specifically used. When we get home, pictures will be posted on line and, with luck, we may even be able to mark the locations on Google Earth!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A surprise
It is difficult to say goodbye to our WellShare family. We had a nice dinner Friday night with staff and shared toasts. Staff said we should make this our first home, not our second (it isn’t going to happen). We received beautiful gifts to treasure always. While we miss family and friends, there is also a strong pull to this beautiful country and its wonderful people.
That same day we had an amazing surprise. As you may remember from our last entry, someone squeezed through a window to steal our two iPods, binoculars, and our (fortunately) backup camera.
With a long face, Jolene told us there was a problem getting our police report. Then her expression turned to a grin as she told us why. Culprits broke into the home of a government official here, and he went into high gear to track down his goods. The good news for us is his thieves were our thieves.
The Karatu police recovered our stolen items and returned all but the camera on Friday, and the camera is on the way! We were told by a couple of people the police would find our goods, but we were doubtful. What a nice cap to a wonderful trip!
That same day we had an amazing surprise. As you may remember from our last entry, someone squeezed through a window to steal our two iPods, binoculars, and our (fortunately) backup camera.
With a long face, Jolene told us there was a problem getting our police report. Then her expression turned to a grin as she told us why. Culprits broke into the home of a government official here, and he went into high gear to track down his goods. The good news for us is his thieves were our thieves.
The Karatu police recovered our stolen items and returned all but the camera on Friday, and the camera is on the way! We were told by a couple of people the police would find our goods, but we were doubtful. What a nice cap to a wonderful trip!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Last days in Africa
An ancient place -
We left out of our safari post our stop at Oldupai Gorge which is considered the birthplace or cradle of man. In layers of volcanic deposits 300 feet deep archeologists have peeled back 2 million years of history. In 1959, Mary Leakey found a 1.8 million year old hominoid skull and later at Laetoli south of the gorge, she found hominoid footprints 3.75 million years old. Scholars have traced the probable migration routes from here to populations all over the world through DNA testing.
In our last post, we mentioned a meeting with the Hadzabe tribe, which live in an area south of Karatu. It is the only tribal remnant of ancient Paleolithic times on the continent and believed to be the most ancient tribe in Africa.
Nairobi -
Now, back to this most recent week; in the fall while we were in CA meeting with possible NGO partners we had dinner with Martin Fisher, the CEO of KickStart, an appropriate technology NGO whose main products are irrigation pumps. We have known of them and supported them for a long time, because Aaron did his Stanford MBA internship with them in Nairobi and then went to work for them in San Francisco after he graduated. (Martin has a PhD in engineering from Stanford, hence the connection.) Sharon offered to do volunteer work for them when we return to the US. So after reviewing her resume, Martin and others at KickStart decided that they could use her help with training. We went to Arusha on Friday, spent the night, and took the bus up to Nairobi on Saturday. Because of road construction (by the Chinese) the trip took 7 hours.
We were picked up by Bitenge Ndemo, a friend of Bill Drake and Anne McLaughlin. He went to the U of M and lived in MN for about 11 years. Bill met him through the International Center and helped him get a job at Medtronic. After returning to Kenya he completed a PhD in England. He was a university professor in Kenya when the government picked him as Permanent Minister of Information and Communication. Ndemo is very dedicated to improving the lives of people in the country, especially those in rural areas. He and his wife Pamela were gracious hosts, welcoming us to stay in their beautiful home, and taking us to the oldest country club in the city, dating to 1906 when of course blacks were not allowed. We met other relatives and also got some real exercise for a change, walking on the country club track. Unfortunately, Pamela was not feeling well, but Ndemo played tennis with Ruth, Barak Obama’s step mother, as they do every Sunday. Afterwards, we had a nice discussion with Ruth, who is from Boston but has lived in Kenya for 45 years.
We went to the KickStart guesthouse on Sunday night and had a pretty intense two days. We visited farmers who were using the pumps and described how it had changed their lives. One man was growing herbs on 1/6 of an acre and watering with a bucket. He got a pump and now has ¾ acre and of course more than one crop a year. He can afford to have his three high school children in private schools. Another woman had a nursery and she has expanded greatly since she saw a pump demonstrated and bought one to replace her bucket irrigation. We met a couple of dealers and with several staff people at KickStart. This is a very impressive organization whose employees have a very high level of skills. Sharon is hoping she will be able to provide them with useful tools as they are growing very quickly.
Nairobi was a bit of a culture shock with all the industry, large population (4 million), terrible traffic, diversity of wonderful restaurants, and showers with pressure and hot water!
Back in Karatu -
It was a nice homecoming to Karatu on Wednesday. We made it in time for the 30th birthday party of one of the ex-pats and it was great fun to realize all the friends we have made here. It is a second home.
Rick is back to editing videos and Sharon is orienting our “replacement” volunteer. Ellen moved to Tanzania six months ago intending to spend two years here with another organization. That has not worked out and she has decided to work with WellShare and continue our efforts with the women’s groups. We are thrilled to know there will be someone here to follow up with the partnerships that are coming together and continue to find other avenues to get training and income generation to these women.
It has been a busy and satisfying time here. If things progress as we hope, we can be comfortable knowing that we have indeed made a difference. What a high that is!
We left out of our safari post our stop at Oldupai Gorge which is considered the birthplace or cradle of man. In layers of volcanic deposits 300 feet deep archeologists have peeled back 2 million years of history. In 1959, Mary Leakey found a 1.8 million year old hominoid skull and later at Laetoli south of the gorge, she found hominoid footprints 3.75 million years old. Scholars have traced the probable migration routes from here to populations all over the world through DNA testing.
In our last post, we mentioned a meeting with the Hadzabe tribe, which live in an area south of Karatu. It is the only tribal remnant of ancient Paleolithic times on the continent and believed to be the most ancient tribe in Africa.
Nairobi -
Now, back to this most recent week; in the fall while we were in CA meeting with possible NGO partners we had dinner with Martin Fisher, the CEO of KickStart, an appropriate technology NGO whose main products are irrigation pumps. We have known of them and supported them for a long time, because Aaron did his Stanford MBA internship with them in Nairobi and then went to work for them in San Francisco after he graduated. (Martin has a PhD in engineering from Stanford, hence the connection.) Sharon offered to do volunteer work for them when we return to the US. So after reviewing her resume, Martin and others at KickStart decided that they could use her help with training. We went to Arusha on Friday, spent the night, and took the bus up to Nairobi on Saturday. Because of road construction (by the Chinese) the trip took 7 hours.
We were picked up by Bitenge Ndemo, a friend of Bill Drake and Anne McLaughlin. He went to the U of M and lived in MN for about 11 years. Bill met him through the International Center and helped him get a job at Medtronic. After returning to Kenya he completed a PhD in England. He was a university professor in Kenya when the government picked him as Permanent Minister of Information and Communication. Ndemo is very dedicated to improving the lives of people in the country, especially those in rural areas. He and his wife Pamela were gracious hosts, welcoming us to stay in their beautiful home, and taking us to the oldest country club in the city, dating to 1906 when of course blacks were not allowed. We met other relatives and also got some real exercise for a change, walking on the country club track. Unfortunately, Pamela was not feeling well, but Ndemo played tennis with Ruth, Barak Obama’s step mother, as they do every Sunday. Afterwards, we had a nice discussion with Ruth, who is from Boston but has lived in Kenya for 45 years.
We went to the KickStart guesthouse on Sunday night and had a pretty intense two days. We visited farmers who were using the pumps and described how it had changed their lives. One man was growing herbs on 1/6 of an acre and watering with a bucket. He got a pump and now has ¾ acre and of course more than one crop a year. He can afford to have his three high school children in private schools. Another woman had a nursery and she has expanded greatly since she saw a pump demonstrated and bought one to replace her bucket irrigation. We met a couple of dealers and with several staff people at KickStart. This is a very impressive organization whose employees have a very high level of skills. Sharon is hoping she will be able to provide them with useful tools as they are growing very quickly.
Nairobi was a bit of a culture shock with all the industry, large population (4 million), terrible traffic, diversity of wonderful restaurants, and showers with pressure and hot water!
Back in Karatu -
It was a nice homecoming to Karatu on Wednesday. We made it in time for the 30th birthday party of one of the ex-pats and it was great fun to realize all the friends we have made here. It is a second home.
Rick is back to editing videos and Sharon is orienting our “replacement” volunteer. Ellen moved to Tanzania six months ago intending to spend two years here with another organization. That has not worked out and she has decided to work with WellShare and continue our efforts with the women’s groups. We are thrilled to know there will be someone here to follow up with the partnerships that are coming together and continue to find other avenues to get training and income generation to these women.
It has been a busy and satisfying time here. If things progress as we hope, we can be comfortable knowing that we have indeed made a difference. What a high that is!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Vanishing Tribes
At the end of our trip last year we had the really amazing experience of going to the pre-wedding ceremony for one of the staff. (And now, he and his wife have a baby!)
This year we had another unique experience. On Saturday, there was a meeting of two tribes called by the ward chairman in an effort to address their problems. There were about 160 people there, mostly men. The tribes were the Tatoga, a pastoral tribe similar to the Maasai. They had been forced off their good lands by the Maasai who were more fierce.
The other tribe is the Hadzabe, a very small tribe of 500-2500 people, depending on where you draw the line of ethnic purity. They are the only hunter-gatherer tribe left in Tanzania and as you can see by the numbers they are dying out fast. Hadzabe too have been pushed off good hunting lands and squeezed by farm development and pastoralists until they are left with little land and it is very poor. They are having great difficulty finding enough wildlife to survive and it really shows. While most of the men seem fairly healthy, many of the women are very thin. We were told the men go out to hunt and may find small birds which they eat on the spot. However, they don’t bring a kill home unless it is something big, which is rare, so the women and children suffer. Because of this, many died last year during the drought. Some of the old Tatoga women also were skeletal.
The Tatoga were obviously wealthier with their beads, brass jewelry wrapped up their arms, legs and around their necks, beaded hair (on the men) and cell phones. The Hadzabe men dress in shorts, with fabric or leather tied over one shoulder, carrying their bows and arrows. The meeting was held in Swahili and translated into the tribal languages.
After official presentations, the people spoke, often quite passionately, about their problems and needs. In the past it has been difficult to get the Hadzabe children into school. The children have to attend a boarding school because it is so far away. They talk in terms of the government “taking” their children and worry about losing their culture. It sounded rather similar to the issues of Native American and Australian children. In addition, they have traditionally moved around constantly. However, now their territory is smaller and, as it is more difficult to eek out a living, they see it is critical for their children to have an education as they will have to live a different life. That was their main concern; how to get a school in their area so the children can go home at night. Plus, while primary education is free, uniforms and shoes are expected and they have almost no income to buy such things. If they go to school without them, the children feel embarrassed and are teased by others. The Tatoga also worry about cultural dilution and uniform costs, so both tribes would like a school in their area.
The other issue they raised was health care. The facilities are far away and they lack funds to get there and pay for services. They cited an example of a problem delivery. It took so long for aid to arrive that the baby died and the mother was in grave danger. The Hadzabe had been pretty protected from HIV, but it has begun to show up. Experience with other isolated groups is that it arrives late and then spreads very fast. So there is deep concern about what will happen to these nutritionally compromised people with little access to education that may protect them or to necessary health care.
The tribes decided to make monthly contributions to a fund for a school and health services. However, they are struggling to find a way for the Hadzabe to contribute since they have almost no cash income. Tourists come to visit the tribe or go hunting with them, but while the tourists pay a handsome fee, the tribe only sees 15,000Tsh, about $11, for a whole group of tourists and it must be shared by all the tribal members who participate. In addition, tourism, especially in this area which is a distance from the wildlife parks, is reported to be down. Hopefully, they will organize and demand a better share of the funds!
The needs of these communities are great, and additional funding will have to be found to bring very basic health and education services to them.
Lights! Camera! Action!
Suddenly Rick has become a videographer and editor. WellShare periodically hires a local drama troupe to put on skits and creatively deliver health messages, such as during market days.
They are now developing videos to show during educational meetings. Since most villages have no electricity, using media like this is extremely popular. Last week they recorded a variety of scenes to teach sanitation, with Rick operating the camera. It was an all-morning affair and great fun. This week will be busy editing the material.
As we experienced last year, new tasks we never anticipated come up that help us develop new skills (how does this camera work?), use skills we didn’t expect to need here, and make our time here so interesting. Every day is a new experience.
Rick has also been able to offer lots of help with computer problems. He has been very valuable in the office.
We feel things are coming together. Now, organization leadership will need to make connections so microfinance and farm projects can get started. It looks like some of the women’s groups will soon be able to start training and begin on their path to income generating projects, and hopefully, a better life for themselves and their children.
We have also had our first encounter with the polisi (that wasn’t on the road). We went home for lunch to find our ipods, camera and binoculars missing from our locked house. All the windows except one are barred. The one that is not is in our bedroom and it is an emergency exit. Unfortunately, we have not felt compelled to keep it locked. It is in a secluded place and the dog had probably snuck out of the yard. We could not believe that anyone could get through the little window, but on closer inspection, we could see footprints where someone had landed after jumping out of the window. Today it wasn’t muddy enough to have good footprints! It was probably a kid. He must have climbed the tree outside out window, jumped over our concrete fence topped with iron spikes and been able to scramble back out again. Another lesson in diligence, I guess. Fortunately, we had the good camera and GPS with us and he didn’t take the voice recorder, which we have been using for interviews.
This year we had another unique experience. On Saturday, there was a meeting of two tribes called by the ward chairman in an effort to address their problems. There were about 160 people there, mostly men. The tribes were the Tatoga, a pastoral tribe similar to the Maasai. They had been forced off their good lands by the Maasai who were more fierce.
The other tribe is the Hadzabe, a very small tribe of 500-2500 people, depending on where you draw the line of ethnic purity. They are the only hunter-gatherer tribe left in Tanzania and as you can see by the numbers they are dying out fast. Hadzabe too have been pushed off good hunting lands and squeezed by farm development and pastoralists until they are left with little land and it is very poor. They are having great difficulty finding enough wildlife to survive and it really shows. While most of the men seem fairly healthy, many of the women are very thin. We were told the men go out to hunt and may find small birds which they eat on the spot. However, they don’t bring a kill home unless it is something big, which is rare, so the women and children suffer. Because of this, many died last year during the drought. Some of the old Tatoga women also were skeletal.
The Tatoga were obviously wealthier with their beads, brass jewelry wrapped up their arms, legs and around their necks, beaded hair (on the men) and cell phones. The Hadzabe men dress in shorts, with fabric or leather tied over one shoulder, carrying their bows and arrows. The meeting was held in Swahili and translated into the tribal languages.
After official presentations, the people spoke, often quite passionately, about their problems and needs. In the past it has been difficult to get the Hadzabe children into school. The children have to attend a boarding school because it is so far away. They talk in terms of the government “taking” their children and worry about losing their culture. It sounded rather similar to the issues of Native American and Australian children. In addition, they have traditionally moved around constantly. However, now their territory is smaller and, as it is more difficult to eek out a living, they see it is critical for their children to have an education as they will have to live a different life. That was their main concern; how to get a school in their area so the children can go home at night. Plus, while primary education is free, uniforms and shoes are expected and they have almost no income to buy such things. If they go to school without them, the children feel embarrassed and are teased by others. The Tatoga also worry about cultural dilution and uniform costs, so both tribes would like a school in their area.
The other issue they raised was health care. The facilities are far away and they lack funds to get there and pay for services. They cited an example of a problem delivery. It took so long for aid to arrive that the baby died and the mother was in grave danger. The Hadzabe had been pretty protected from HIV, but it has begun to show up. Experience with other isolated groups is that it arrives late and then spreads very fast. So there is deep concern about what will happen to these nutritionally compromised people with little access to education that may protect them or to necessary health care.
The tribes decided to make monthly contributions to a fund for a school and health services. However, they are struggling to find a way for the Hadzabe to contribute since they have almost no cash income. Tourists come to visit the tribe or go hunting with them, but while the tourists pay a handsome fee, the tribe only sees 15,000Tsh, about $11, for a whole group of tourists and it must be shared by all the tribal members who participate. In addition, tourism, especially in this area which is a distance from the wildlife parks, is reported to be down. Hopefully, they will organize and demand a better share of the funds!
The needs of these communities are great, and additional funding will have to be found to bring very basic health and education services to them.
Lights! Camera! Action!
Suddenly Rick has become a videographer and editor. WellShare periodically hires a local drama troupe to put on skits and creatively deliver health messages, such as during market days.
They are now developing videos to show during educational meetings. Since most villages have no electricity, using media like this is extremely popular. Last week they recorded a variety of scenes to teach sanitation, with Rick operating the camera. It was an all-morning affair and great fun. This week will be busy editing the material.
As we experienced last year, new tasks we never anticipated come up that help us develop new skills (how does this camera work?), use skills we didn’t expect to need here, and make our time here so interesting. Every day is a new experience.
Rick has also been able to offer lots of help with computer problems. He has been very valuable in the office.
We feel things are coming together. Now, organization leadership will need to make connections so microfinance and farm projects can get started. It looks like some of the women’s groups will soon be able to start training and begin on their path to income generating projects, and hopefully, a better life for themselves and their children.
We have also had our first encounter with the polisi (that wasn’t on the road). We went home for lunch to find our ipods, camera and binoculars missing from our locked house. All the windows except one are barred. The one that is not is in our bedroom and it is an emergency exit. Unfortunately, we have not felt compelled to keep it locked. It is in a secluded place and the dog had probably snuck out of the yard. We could not believe that anyone could get through the little window, but on closer inspection, we could see footprints where someone had landed after jumping out of the window. Today it wasn’t muddy enough to have good footprints! It was probably a kid. He must have climbed the tree outside out window, jumped over our concrete fence topped with iron spikes and been able to scramble back out again. Another lesson in diligence, I guess. Fortunately, we had the good camera and GPS with us and he didn’t take the voice recorder, which we have been using for interviews.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Back to work
Back to Work
Back from safari, we are again working on our project. And, that has us reflecting on our circumstances.
First, Minnesota International Health Volunteers (now WellShare International) has been wonderful to work with. They see possibilities. They understand the relationship between health and financial circumstances.
Our two months last year was a chance for us to understand their program, focusing on maternal and child health. We were so impressed with the relationships they had (and have) in the villages. More than that, the impact has been truly impressive. As required by their funder, an independent evaluator came last summer to measure the program goals against accomplishments. The report delivered a glowing assessment.
We developed some thoughts of what we could do beyond our stay in 2009. These ideas were not in the original program goals, but again, the organization saw possibilities. We were encouraged to explore our ideas, meet with other organizations to find out how other programs work, and even if partnerships might be possible. We were hoping to find synergy in the different strengths of two organizations.
We’ve learned a lot, been excited about developments and sad when some failed to materialize, made many mistakes, but are excited about how the work is progressing.
Second, we’ve discovered a special freedom working as volunteers, working for free. After all, what can they do, fire us? (Well, yes they could.) It does require an organization willing to let volunteers use their individual talents, and we have had that opportunity. It makes it enjoyable to go to the office, or get into a vehicle for sometimes challenging drives to be with villagers. It has been fun!
Third, we love Tanzania. We have had phenomenal experiences in one of the best wildlife areas in Africa. The weather has been fantastic. But most important, the people are truly wonderful. There is a strong Tanzanian staff here, and it is so interesting being in the villages, finding out as best we can, how they work. Guidebooks often encourage doing some cultural tourism. We’ve had a special opportunity that most don’t get.
Since our safari we have been very busy meeting with several organizations, exploring if their programs could work with ours. We are seeing some interesting partnership possibilities including: saving and loaning money (microfinance) to help the village women gain financial literacy and funds to start a business, and farmer field schools to develop agricultural or animal husbandry and marketing skills. We are hopeful we can make connections soon and have the project on its way by the time we leave.
In addition, there have been a number of other tasks we have been involved with including helping with computer presentations, brainstorming incentives for behavior change at the village level in the areas of health and sanitation, and fundraising.
We do have a social life, and one night in particular stands out. An American has a get together every couple of weeks with a theme. Last Friday, the day niece Lynnea and Kyle got married in Mexico, she had a burritos and Margarethas night. Perfect timing. Congratulations from all of us Lynnea and Kyle.
Back from safari, we are again working on our project. And, that has us reflecting on our circumstances.
First, Minnesota International Health Volunteers (now WellShare International) has been wonderful to work with. They see possibilities. They understand the relationship between health and financial circumstances.
Our two months last year was a chance for us to understand their program, focusing on maternal and child health. We were so impressed with the relationships they had (and have) in the villages. More than that, the impact has been truly impressive. As required by their funder, an independent evaluator came last summer to measure the program goals against accomplishments. The report delivered a glowing assessment.
We developed some thoughts of what we could do beyond our stay in 2009. These ideas were not in the original program goals, but again, the organization saw possibilities. We were encouraged to explore our ideas, meet with other organizations to find out how other programs work, and even if partnerships might be possible. We were hoping to find synergy in the different strengths of two organizations.
We’ve learned a lot, been excited about developments and sad when some failed to materialize, made many mistakes, but are excited about how the work is progressing.
Second, we’ve discovered a special freedom working as volunteers, working for free. After all, what can they do, fire us? (Well, yes they could.) It does require an organization willing to let volunteers use their individual talents, and we have had that opportunity. It makes it enjoyable to go to the office, or get into a vehicle for sometimes challenging drives to be with villagers. It has been fun!
Third, we love Tanzania. We have had phenomenal experiences in one of the best wildlife areas in Africa. The weather has been fantastic. But most important, the people are truly wonderful. There is a strong Tanzanian staff here, and it is so interesting being in the villages, finding out as best we can, how they work. Guidebooks often encourage doing some cultural tourism. We’ve had a special opportunity that most don’t get.
Since our safari we have been very busy meeting with several organizations, exploring if their programs could work with ours. We are seeing some interesting partnership possibilities including: saving and loaning money (microfinance) to help the village women gain financial literacy and funds to start a business, and farmer field schools to develop agricultural or animal husbandry and marketing skills. We are hopeful we can make connections soon and have the project on its way by the time we leave.
In addition, there have been a number of other tasks we have been involved with including helping with computer presentations, brainstorming incentives for behavior change at the village level in the areas of health and sanitation, and fundraising.
We do have a social life, and one night in particular stands out. An American has a get together every couple of weeks with a theme. Last Friday, the day niece Lynnea and Kyle got married in Mexico, she had a burritos and Margarethas night. Perfect timing. Congratulations from all of us Lynnea and Kyle.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Safari Adventures and Misadventures
Ouch! Oh, sorry. You caught us pinching ourselves again, checking that what we have been experiencing is real. We’ve returned from four days on safari, and to our amazement, it was even more stunning than what we experienced last year.
It started with our first trip to the Serengeti. This vast national park has an amazing diversity of wildlife. The challenge is to be in the right place at the right time. People can drive for hours and see nothing but pretty birds (a worthwhile experience on its own; the Serengeti has more than 530 species of birds). For most people, the goal is to see the most elusive species, including lions, cheetahs and leopards, especially the last two which are often not seen.
The first afternoon we spotted a leopard in a tree. A short time later we saw another prowling in the grass. It was an exciting start. This day and the following we saw elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, several varieties of gazelles, hartebeest, topi, eland, impalas (not the car!), reedbuck, dikdik, crocodile, jackal, hyenas, warthogs, baboons, monkeys, and an amazing variety of birds, including ostriches.
This was a camping trip. Our organization has tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses and the other necessities. We had a guide and cook, making this a bit decadent. The first evening we sipped wine and watched as they set up our equipment. Sharon organized the menu, and we supplied the food to keep the costs low. However, the cook wasn’t used to the choices we made (not surprising, some of you will say who know our tastes), and so Sharon had to do a lot of coaching.
We also had two other travel companions. Dorothy is the finance director for WellShare International, and was visiting to introduce the office here to new accounting procedures. She quickly signed on to the trip. In addition, we brought along Rehema, our invaluable coworker for the village assessments we are doing. She is from a larger city east and south of where we work, had never camped, and had never seen an elephant in the wild, let alone some of the other creatures we saw.
The first evening, a group of elephants wandered by our campsite at dusk, one less than 50 feet from our tents. They got Rehema’s attention, and she didn’t sleep much. That night, with a new moon, clear skies and less atmosphere since we were at about 5,000 feet, the stars were astounding.
The next day was probably the highlight of our trip. We went by a group of six adult female lions and two cubs. They were well hidden in the grass and didn’t seem about to move. So, off we went to see more of the Serengeti.
We were surprised by the diversity of the landscape. From movies and other images, we thought it was a vast, flat savannah, endless grasslands dotted with acacia. It is certainly that, but so much more. There are the remnants of ancient volcanoes, hills, areas of forest, and something called kopjes. The latter are sudden outcroppings of rock that surprised us each time we saw one, looking so out of place poking through the flatlands. The amazing sunlight in this part of the world is even more pronounced in the Serengeti. The film “Out of Africa” captured this caressing, glowing quality of the light very well.
After a couple of hours and of course more views of so many animals, we returned to where the lions had been resting in the grass. We were the only vehicle, and they were now alert. What appeared to be the lead lion was very interested in a herd of cape buffalo (yummy). The lions began to creep forward and it appeared there might be a hunt on. However, the buffalo seemingly sensed danger and nearly all of them fled.
Rather than drive off, our guide decided to wait. After some time, the lions apparently decided hunger was setting in and it was time to act. Instead of waiting for the buffalo to wander closer, they moved forward; much to our surprise it was more like a line, rather than a pack. The lead lion finally made her move, all alone, and the chase was on as the buffalo were off in a cloud of dust.
For whatever reason, when the lion stopped her chase, a number of the buffalo went after her! A new chase was on. Then, the pursuit was reversed, and she was chasing her pursuers. Again, there was a change, and the buffalo chased her. It was fascinating.
Meanwhile, to our curiosity, the rest of the lions had held back. Fortunately, Sharon turned away from the various pursuits and looked back. One buffalo had stayed behind from the pack. We had noticed this and found it curious. Suddenly, another lion went after this loner, and Sharon called our attention to this amazing spectacle. The lion jumped the buffalo, and over time, she brought the victim down. Animal Planet couldn’t have gotten a better view. The rest of the lions joined in and brought the inevitable to a conclusion.
This may sound gruesome, but somehow in that setting it doesn’t seem so; it is simply how life is on the Serengeti.
By now we had been joined by another vehicle, who radioed others, who talked with others, and now there were more than 40 vehicles watching nature unfold. It got crowded.
The next day, we were fortunate enough to see a cheetah. They are elusive and beautiful creatures, and we were very lucky.
Alas, it was time to leave the Serengeti. On the way out, we passed by the site of the kill. In a tree were four of the lions, now with very full bellies. Nearby were two males, yawning but otherwise overseeing the carcass of the buffalo, having done nothing to help with the hunt. Oh my, did the women in the group have something to say about males!
Next, we drove across the area between the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, retracing our steps. Here, there were tens of thousands of animals, truly countless. There were wildebeest, zebras, Thompson gazelles, Grant gazelles, impalas, elephants, giraffe, and thousands of storks. It was an amazing site.
That night we camped on the rim of Ngorongoro crater, with a beautiful view. It is the world’s largest, intact volcanic caldera not filled with water. It was quite cold, and we were decked out in stocking caps and gloves. It is a lovely place.
The next day in the crater (called the Garden of Eden by A Thousand Places to See Before You Die), we were again treated to wondrous sites. Because of the steepness of the caldera along with rich grasslands and available water, there is a rich diversity of wildlife that mostly stays year round. For example, located here is the endangered black rhino, with only 30 in the crater. We saw five! We were fortunate to see another cheetah, along with many thousands of animals. Here we were, again in a zoo, except we were in a cage called a Land Rover, and the animals were free. The whole trip was phenomenal.
And the misadventures? Well, we were doing it on the cheap, and the provider sent along a wonderful guide with a truly awful vehicle. There probably had been no maintenance in a long time. Soon, we found that to start it, we had to push the Land Rover so the driver could pop the clutch. Imagine that in lion country! The list of other problems is long, but there are some funny stories along the way with pictures. If you are curious, we will be happy to ramble on when we see you.
Now, we are back and plunging again into our project. It feels as though we are having an impact, and making progress. But this entry is too long, and so that report will have to wait until our next update.
It started with our first trip to the Serengeti. This vast national park has an amazing diversity of wildlife. The challenge is to be in the right place at the right time. People can drive for hours and see nothing but pretty birds (a worthwhile experience on its own; the Serengeti has more than 530 species of birds). For most people, the goal is to see the most elusive species, including lions, cheetahs and leopards, especially the last two which are often not seen.
The first afternoon we spotted a leopard in a tree. A short time later we saw another prowling in the grass. It was an exciting start. This day and the following we saw elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, several varieties of gazelles, hartebeest, topi, eland, impalas (not the car!), reedbuck, dikdik, crocodile, jackal, hyenas, warthogs, baboons, monkeys, and an amazing variety of birds, including ostriches.
This was a camping trip. Our organization has tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses and the other necessities. We had a guide and cook, making this a bit decadent. The first evening we sipped wine and watched as they set up our equipment. Sharon organized the menu, and we supplied the food to keep the costs low. However, the cook wasn’t used to the choices we made (not surprising, some of you will say who know our tastes), and so Sharon had to do a lot of coaching.
We also had two other travel companions. Dorothy is the finance director for WellShare International, and was visiting to introduce the office here to new accounting procedures. She quickly signed on to the trip. In addition, we brought along Rehema, our invaluable coworker for the village assessments we are doing. She is from a larger city east and south of where we work, had never camped, and had never seen an elephant in the wild, let alone some of the other creatures we saw.
The first evening, a group of elephants wandered by our campsite at dusk, one less than 50 feet from our tents. They got Rehema’s attention, and she didn’t sleep much. That night, with a new moon, clear skies and less atmosphere since we were at about 5,000 feet, the stars were astounding.
The next day was probably the highlight of our trip. We went by a group of six adult female lions and two cubs. They were well hidden in the grass and didn’t seem about to move. So, off we went to see more of the Serengeti.
We were surprised by the diversity of the landscape. From movies and other images, we thought it was a vast, flat savannah, endless grasslands dotted with acacia. It is certainly that, but so much more. There are the remnants of ancient volcanoes, hills, areas of forest, and something called kopjes. The latter are sudden outcroppings of rock that surprised us each time we saw one, looking so out of place poking through the flatlands. The amazing sunlight in this part of the world is even more pronounced in the Serengeti. The film “Out of Africa” captured this caressing, glowing quality of the light very well.
After a couple of hours and of course more views of so many animals, we returned to where the lions had been resting in the grass. We were the only vehicle, and they were now alert. What appeared to be the lead lion was very interested in a herd of cape buffalo (yummy). The lions began to creep forward and it appeared there might be a hunt on. However, the buffalo seemingly sensed danger and nearly all of them fled.
Rather than drive off, our guide decided to wait. After some time, the lions apparently decided hunger was setting in and it was time to act. Instead of waiting for the buffalo to wander closer, they moved forward; much to our surprise it was more like a line, rather than a pack. The lead lion finally made her move, all alone, and the chase was on as the buffalo were off in a cloud of dust.
For whatever reason, when the lion stopped her chase, a number of the buffalo went after her! A new chase was on. Then, the pursuit was reversed, and she was chasing her pursuers. Again, there was a change, and the buffalo chased her. It was fascinating.
Meanwhile, to our curiosity, the rest of the lions had held back. Fortunately, Sharon turned away from the various pursuits and looked back. One buffalo had stayed behind from the pack. We had noticed this and found it curious. Suddenly, another lion went after this loner, and Sharon called our attention to this amazing spectacle. The lion jumped the buffalo, and over time, she brought the victim down. Animal Planet couldn’t have gotten a better view. The rest of the lions joined in and brought the inevitable to a conclusion.
This may sound gruesome, but somehow in that setting it doesn’t seem so; it is simply how life is on the Serengeti.
By now we had been joined by another vehicle, who radioed others, who talked with others, and now there were more than 40 vehicles watching nature unfold. It got crowded.
The next day, we were fortunate enough to see a cheetah. They are elusive and beautiful creatures, and we were very lucky.
Alas, it was time to leave the Serengeti. On the way out, we passed by the site of the kill. In a tree were four of the lions, now with very full bellies. Nearby were two males, yawning but otherwise overseeing the carcass of the buffalo, having done nothing to help with the hunt. Oh my, did the women in the group have something to say about males!
Next, we drove across the area between the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, retracing our steps. Here, there were tens of thousands of animals, truly countless. There were wildebeest, zebras, Thompson gazelles, Grant gazelles, impalas, elephants, giraffe, and thousands of storks. It was an amazing site.
That night we camped on the rim of Ngorongoro crater, with a beautiful view. It is the world’s largest, intact volcanic caldera not filled with water. It was quite cold, and we were decked out in stocking caps and gloves. It is a lovely place.
The next day in the crater (called the Garden of Eden by A Thousand Places to See Before You Die), we were again treated to wondrous sites. Because of the steepness of the caldera along with rich grasslands and available water, there is a rich diversity of wildlife that mostly stays year round. For example, located here is the endangered black rhino, with only 30 in the crater. We saw five! We were fortunate to see another cheetah, along with many thousands of animals. Here we were, again in a zoo, except we were in a cage called a Land Rover, and the animals were free. The whole trip was phenomenal.
And the misadventures? Well, we were doing it on the cheap, and the provider sent along a wonderful guide with a truly awful vehicle. There probably had been no maintenance in a long time. Soon, we found that to start it, we had to push the Land Rover so the driver could pop the clutch. Imagine that in lion country! The list of other problems is long, but there are some funny stories along the way with pictures. If you are curious, we will be happy to ramble on when we see you.
Now, we are back and plunging again into our project. It feels as though we are having an impact, and making progress. But this entry is too long, and so that report will have to wait until our next update.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Talking with villagers
Sunday we visited Karatu market, a bustling, dusty, noisy place full of smoke from rice, sweet potatoes and meat roasting on open fires, hawkers with bullhorns and vendors shouting out their prices. Cows, goats and sheep are traded so there were many Maasai there. A special treat that day was honey being sold by a Maasai woman in robes and beads. To keep the bees away she had a small pile of cattle dung smoldering at her feet.
The major villages have this type of large market once a month. We went to another on Saturday which was smaller but just as noisy and boisterous. Of course, the young men want to sell us jewelry, carved Maasai figures, kangas (fabric), and follow us around hoping we will change our minds. You can also choose from an amazing variety of used clothes and shoes, electronics, kitchen needs, hardware including used bolts and hinges, and so much more all spread out on the ground on plastic tarps. We visited these markets to ask questions of the sellers and buyers in our continuing effort to gather information on how the economic life for villagers in this part of the country works.
Jolene, the country director, calls what we are doing an asset assessment. What do villagers have, how do the seasonal changes affect them, what would they like they don’t have now, what are the challenges, and what are the niches that the women’s groups we are working with can find to generate income?
And so, we created questionnaires to fit a variety of roles villagers perform, in an effort to get a better understanding of their lives. Jolene feels we are getting good and useful information about village life and the economics. But we find when we get back to the office to compile the information, we need to continue modifying our questionnaires. Sometimes it is difficult to convey the intent of the question to our interpreter (who is excellent) due to language or culture differences and sometimes the question apparently does not have much meaning to the village person. It has all been so very interesting.
This past week, we were back again in the villages. Many of these seemed wealthier; in one, most of the farmers had a plow! We visited on the day government food aid was being distributed, as a result of the lack of harvest in the drought last year. As we drove up to one, a meeting of the villagers was going on with many people, mostly men, sitting under the trees and listening to the leaders. It seemed to be a very spirited meeting about who would get the free or low-cost maize and beans.
This village had a spring and the water was piped to some of the fields for irrigation. The spring’s pressure was amazing and the water was carried quite a long distance; we hadn’t seen anything quite like it in Tanzania before. They had also created a lambo, which is a shallow pond. It is an important resource for cattle and goats, some herded long distances to drink since the surrounding areas where they aren’t able to irrigate are very dry. In village after village, water access is a critical issue. This village with its spring was unique in our experience here. Last year, in another area, we saw large irrigated fields, but it seemed only the large farmers had the irrigation.
We have discovered that a few of the villages have an agriculture expert who travels the village and advises farmers on issues of modern seeds, fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide use, and plant diseases. We have also seen field terracing that was taught by an NGO, and demonstration plots led by Farmer Field Schools (Makiko knows all about them) through another NGO here. It has been helpful that Sharon has a family background in farming and Makiko has tried to educate us about the work of FFS. The farmers reading this would be shocked to hear that some get only ½ liter of milk a day from their cows. This surprised us until we realized it is from meat cows, not the diary breed which can give up to 20 liters. The quantity varies dramatically depending on whether it is the dry or rainy season, and if they are grazed, which most of them are. Some of the dairy cows are in zero grazing programs at least some of the time which means they are contained and fed, and their output is higher.
Last week we had a meeting with some of the microfinance providers in the area to learn what has worked and what the challenges are. We are really most interested in finding a way for the women to save money so they can grow their enterprises and have funds for emergency needs once they get started. On Saturday we were out with the District Medical Officer and happened upon a community meeting of just such a group. Thirty people were meeting in the village office as they do once a week to make a contribution to a joint fund which is then used for emergencies or business loans. It looked to be a very cost effective approach and we are looking forward to learning more about how they work, and how the model might be applied to the groups we work with.
Last Saturday we took a long walk up the local hill that sprouts three cell phone towers. It was quite steep; we felt like goats. We generated quite a few stares because we don’t think many wazungu (foreigners) make this trek. It was fun to get out of the town a little and see what goes on in the local “suburbs”. It was a great view despite the haze and we could see Lake Manyara, the heart of a major wildlife park.
We are planning a camping safari to the Serengeti next week. It is migration and birthing season for the Wildebeest, when there are 8,000 births per day. We will probably revisit the Ngorongoro Crater, a wonderful wildlife area. Another volunteer went to the Serengeti a few weeks ago and found out in the morning there had been a pride of lions outside all night. Of course, being such a light sleeper, Sharon would have known about it.
As we mentioned in our last post, it had rained and was very green when we got here. However, it seems we have brought the sun. Although there have been a few night showers, the farmers are again badly in need of rain. The hot wind blows every day. It feels warmer to us this year than last. It has thundered and black clouds loomed, but it seems to have rained everywhere but in Karatu.
The major villages have this type of large market once a month. We went to another on Saturday which was smaller but just as noisy and boisterous. Of course, the young men want to sell us jewelry, carved Maasai figures, kangas (fabric), and follow us around hoping we will change our minds. You can also choose from an amazing variety of used clothes and shoes, electronics, kitchen needs, hardware including used bolts and hinges, and so much more all spread out on the ground on plastic tarps. We visited these markets to ask questions of the sellers and buyers in our continuing effort to gather information on how the economic life for villagers in this part of the country works.
Jolene, the country director, calls what we are doing an asset assessment. What do villagers have, how do the seasonal changes affect them, what would they like they don’t have now, what are the challenges, and what are the niches that the women’s groups we are working with can find to generate income?
And so, we created questionnaires to fit a variety of roles villagers perform, in an effort to get a better understanding of their lives. Jolene feels we are getting good and useful information about village life and the economics. But we find when we get back to the office to compile the information, we need to continue modifying our questionnaires. Sometimes it is difficult to convey the intent of the question to our interpreter (who is excellent) due to language or culture differences and sometimes the question apparently does not have much meaning to the village person. It has all been so very interesting.
This past week, we were back again in the villages. Many of these seemed wealthier; in one, most of the farmers had a plow! We visited on the day government food aid was being distributed, as a result of the lack of harvest in the drought last year. As we drove up to one, a meeting of the villagers was going on with many people, mostly men, sitting under the trees and listening to the leaders. It seemed to be a very spirited meeting about who would get the free or low-cost maize and beans.
This village had a spring and the water was piped to some of the fields for irrigation. The spring’s pressure was amazing and the water was carried quite a long distance; we hadn’t seen anything quite like it in Tanzania before. They had also created a lambo, which is a shallow pond. It is an important resource for cattle and goats, some herded long distances to drink since the surrounding areas where they aren’t able to irrigate are very dry. In village after village, water access is a critical issue. This village with its spring was unique in our experience here. Last year, in another area, we saw large irrigated fields, but it seemed only the large farmers had the irrigation.
We have discovered that a few of the villages have an agriculture expert who travels the village and advises farmers on issues of modern seeds, fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide use, and plant diseases. We have also seen field terracing that was taught by an NGO, and demonstration plots led by Farmer Field Schools (Makiko knows all about them) through another NGO here. It has been helpful that Sharon has a family background in farming and Makiko has tried to educate us about the work of FFS. The farmers reading this would be shocked to hear that some get only ½ liter of milk a day from their cows. This surprised us until we realized it is from meat cows, not the diary breed which can give up to 20 liters. The quantity varies dramatically depending on whether it is the dry or rainy season, and if they are grazed, which most of them are. Some of the dairy cows are in zero grazing programs at least some of the time which means they are contained and fed, and their output is higher.
Last week we had a meeting with some of the microfinance providers in the area to learn what has worked and what the challenges are. We are really most interested in finding a way for the women to save money so they can grow their enterprises and have funds for emergency needs once they get started. On Saturday we were out with the District Medical Officer and happened upon a community meeting of just such a group. Thirty people were meeting in the village office as they do once a week to make a contribution to a joint fund which is then used for emergencies or business loans. It looked to be a very cost effective approach and we are looking forward to learning more about how they work, and how the model might be applied to the groups we work with.
Last Saturday we took a long walk up the local hill that sprouts three cell phone towers. It was quite steep; we felt like goats. We generated quite a few stares because we don’t think many wazungu (foreigners) make this trek. It was fun to get out of the town a little and see what goes on in the local “suburbs”. It was a great view despite the haze and we could see Lake Manyara, the heart of a major wildlife park.
We are planning a camping safari to the Serengeti next week. It is migration and birthing season for the Wildebeest, when there are 8,000 births per day. We will probably revisit the Ngorongoro Crater, a wonderful wildlife area. Another volunteer went to the Serengeti a few weeks ago and found out in the morning there had been a pride of lions outside all night. Of course, being such a light sleeper, Sharon would have known about it.
As we mentioned in our last post, it had rained and was very green when we got here. However, it seems we have brought the sun. Although there have been a few night showers, the farmers are again badly in need of rain. The hot wind blows every day. It feels warmer to us this year than last. It has thundered and black clouds loomed, but it seems to have rained everywhere but in Karatu.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Back in Karatu
It feels like coming home to return here. It was wonderful to see Jolene, the country director, and the staff again and be greeted as familiar friends. It is so beautiful here. It is warm, sunny and breezy; perfect Minnesota days. There has been rain so it is green, unlike last year. The rolling hills and mountains are a wonderful contrast of red and green. Some of the trees are blooming, and of course the birds are amazing.
We plunged right into our project. We had sent the questions we wanted to ask in the villages and Jolene and Innocent had organized them and made some changes. So we started from there, and had it translated by a very talented young woman, Rehema. Her English is excellent and she could quickly translate the documents. She happened to walk into Jolene’s office the week before we arrived looking for work, which was so fortunate for us.
We were eight in the Toyota Land Cruiser going to Endobash where we spent the week in the guest house there. We visited a different village each day, and each village was different.
When you visit a village you sign in with the village officer. We were able to interview these men, several farmers, traditional birth attendants, young single mothers in the Survive and Thrive Groups and some shopkeepers. We saw several schools and visited the wells or pumps. The village people were, as last year, happy to see us and most generous to spend an hour with us answering detailed questions about agriculture, transportation, water issues, family, work and other aspects of village life. Our days were long, but very interesting.
Some of the issues that stand out: schools are generally overcrowded and understaffed and resourced. One primary school we visited has 800 students and 8 teachers. They use benches with attached tables for desks, which is common here but the children were so crowded that I don’t know how they could write. Still there were not enough desks for the 118 students in the room so many had to stand at the back of the room. In one village a TZ NGO had planned to build two classrooms. But the village chairman was very effective and organized village labor so they were able to get three rooms for the cost of two.
In talking with one of the farmers who had good English, he asked how big farms were in America. When I told him several hundred hectares, he said “That is not a farm, that is a plantation!” Some farmers here are lucky enough to be able to plow with bulls, but once the crops are up the fields are full of men and women with hoes working very hard.
The last village we visited was very isolated. They were about 6 kilometers off the road. The village road was clearly washed over during the rains. Several stretches were just rock jumbles. We were one kilometer from the meeting site when the road ended in a drop off into a dry gully. Often the car can drive down into these and up the other side, but it was so steep and deep that we could not cross. So we walked the rest of the way. But this means the village is cut off now, even when it is not raining. How do they get a pregnant woman to a clinic? The houses here were very spread out, so it seemed very sparsely populated. The water source, a spring, was about 3 kilometers from the site of the office and the only one for the whole widespread village. Life there is clearly very hard. Yet this is the place we saw many white butterflies flitting among the flowering shrubs and trees.
We had a new cultural experience. Rick got up Monday morning to find a goat hanging from the tree outside our room in the courtyard of our guesthouse. They proceeded to skin and slaughter it right there. Then on Wednesday, they did it again. Our tree had a crook in the branch at just the right place, I guess.
Another interesting experience: we stopped at a Catholic mission in one village. There were women sitting under trees in groups waiting to have petitions heard. We walked over to one group of about 12 to interview them. Soon, the women were migrating from every direction; I suppose to see what was going on. Soon we had over 60 women and even some men in our group. Some were very outspoken in answer to our questions and clearly wanted to be heard.
We also enjoyed some stimulating after hours discussion with staff about various issues in the country and the challenges they face.
This week we are in the office translating Rehema’s notes, compiling the information to see what we know. Then, it will be out to the field again.
We plunged right into our project. We had sent the questions we wanted to ask in the villages and Jolene and Innocent had organized them and made some changes. So we started from there, and had it translated by a very talented young woman, Rehema. Her English is excellent and she could quickly translate the documents. She happened to walk into Jolene’s office the week before we arrived looking for work, which was so fortunate for us.
We were eight in the Toyota Land Cruiser going to Endobash where we spent the week in the guest house there. We visited a different village each day, and each village was different.
When you visit a village you sign in with the village officer. We were able to interview these men, several farmers, traditional birth attendants, young single mothers in the Survive and Thrive Groups and some shopkeepers. We saw several schools and visited the wells or pumps. The village people were, as last year, happy to see us and most generous to spend an hour with us answering detailed questions about agriculture, transportation, water issues, family, work and other aspects of village life. Our days were long, but very interesting.
Some of the issues that stand out: schools are generally overcrowded and understaffed and resourced. One primary school we visited has 800 students and 8 teachers. They use benches with attached tables for desks, which is common here but the children were so crowded that I don’t know how they could write. Still there were not enough desks for the 118 students in the room so many had to stand at the back of the room. In one village a TZ NGO had planned to build two classrooms. But the village chairman was very effective and organized village labor so they were able to get three rooms for the cost of two.
In talking with one of the farmers who had good English, he asked how big farms were in America. When I told him several hundred hectares, he said “That is not a farm, that is a plantation!” Some farmers here are lucky enough to be able to plow with bulls, but once the crops are up the fields are full of men and women with hoes working very hard.
The last village we visited was very isolated. They were about 6 kilometers off the road. The village road was clearly washed over during the rains. Several stretches were just rock jumbles. We were one kilometer from the meeting site when the road ended in a drop off into a dry gully. Often the car can drive down into these and up the other side, but it was so steep and deep that we could not cross. So we walked the rest of the way. But this means the village is cut off now, even when it is not raining. How do they get a pregnant woman to a clinic? The houses here were very spread out, so it seemed very sparsely populated. The water source, a spring, was about 3 kilometers from the site of the office and the only one for the whole widespread village. Life there is clearly very hard. Yet this is the place we saw many white butterflies flitting among the flowering shrubs and trees.
We had a new cultural experience. Rick got up Monday morning to find a goat hanging from the tree outside our room in the courtyard of our guesthouse. They proceeded to skin and slaughter it right there. Then on Wednesday, they did it again. Our tree had a crook in the branch at just the right place, I guess.
Another interesting experience: we stopped at a Catholic mission in one village. There were women sitting under trees in groups waiting to have petitions heard. We walked over to one group of about 12 to interview them. Soon, the women were migrating from every direction; I suppose to see what was going on. Soon we had over 60 women and even some men in our group. Some were very outspoken in answer to our questions and clearly wanted to be heard.
We also enjoyed some stimulating after hours discussion with staff about various issues in the country and the challenges they face.
This week we are in the office translating Rehema’s notes, compiling the information to see what we know. Then, it will be out to the field again.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Returning to Tanzania
On January 11th we are leaving again for Africa and returning to the US March 23rd. We are excited about the trip and the goals we have set for ourselves.
The organization is WellShare International, formerly known as Minnesota International Health Volunteers. In Tanzania they focus on the health of mothers and their children. Maternal health has long been given poor attention in the developing world, with most organizations concerned about the children. Of course, if there isn’t a mother to care for them, the health of the kids may be in jeopardy.
A part of WellShare’s effort is developing Survive and Thrive Groups (STGs). Here, young mothers learn more about taking care of themselves throughout their pregnancy and after delivery, along with the health of their child. These groups are led by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) who receive education to improve their skills from WellShare.
Our last trip focused on the effort to develop income-generation projects for the STGs, so these women have the financial resources to keep themselves and their child healthy. In addition, time and again across the developing world, and perhaps worldwide, it has been shown that women spend their income wisely on the family and its well being, rather than entertainment, alcohol, and so on.
For several months we have been doing research on what strategies work in assisting women to earn income. This included meeting with several NGOs (non-governmental organizations) here and in CA. It has been a fascinating process and we (hopefully) have learned a great deal about what works and how it might be sustainable. We also looked at specific issues such as water sourcing, clean water and lighting to determine if there might be income opportunities related to them.
During the first month we will meet with various organizations providing services in Tanzania, including agriculture agents and micro-finance projects. We expect to spend a great deal of time in villages, trying to understand as best we can how they function, how their economy works. We developed an extensive questionnaire which WellShare’s staff in Tanzania has been translating. The staff is wonderful, and we know we will learn a lot from spending time with them, along with the village visits.
In mid-February we will take a week or so off for a trip to Kenya. We will be meeting with KickStart, the organization Aaron worked for as an intern and then after graduation from his MBA program. KickStart has a very successful model of selling appropriate technology products, such as irrigation pumps, that have transformed lives as people go from subsistence to profit-making farming. We also expect to meet with an NGO in western Kenya that specializes in helping women develop enterprises in remote villages.
There will be periodic updates to this blog about what we are learning and doing. And, we are always happy to hear from you if you have the notion to send us an email.
The organization is WellShare International, formerly known as Minnesota International Health Volunteers. In Tanzania they focus on the health of mothers and their children. Maternal health has long been given poor attention in the developing world, with most organizations concerned about the children. Of course, if there isn’t a mother to care for them, the health of the kids may be in jeopardy.
A part of WellShare’s effort is developing Survive and Thrive Groups (STGs). Here, young mothers learn more about taking care of themselves throughout their pregnancy and after delivery, along with the health of their child. These groups are led by traditional birth attendants (TBAs) who receive education to improve their skills from WellShare.
Our last trip focused on the effort to develop income-generation projects for the STGs, so these women have the financial resources to keep themselves and their child healthy. In addition, time and again across the developing world, and perhaps worldwide, it has been shown that women spend their income wisely on the family and its well being, rather than entertainment, alcohol, and so on.
For several months we have been doing research on what strategies work in assisting women to earn income. This included meeting with several NGOs (non-governmental organizations) here and in CA. It has been a fascinating process and we (hopefully) have learned a great deal about what works and how it might be sustainable. We also looked at specific issues such as water sourcing, clean water and lighting to determine if there might be income opportunities related to them.
During the first month we will meet with various organizations providing services in Tanzania, including agriculture agents and micro-finance projects. We expect to spend a great deal of time in villages, trying to understand as best we can how they function, how their economy works. We developed an extensive questionnaire which WellShare’s staff in Tanzania has been translating. The staff is wonderful, and we know we will learn a lot from spending time with them, along with the village visits.
In mid-February we will take a week or so off for a trip to Kenya. We will be meeting with KickStart, the organization Aaron worked for as an intern and then after graduation from his MBA program. KickStart has a very successful model of selling appropriate technology products, such as irrigation pumps, that have transformed lives as people go from subsistence to profit-making farming. We also expect to meet with an NGO in western Kenya that specializes in helping women develop enterprises in remote villages.
There will be periodic updates to this blog about what we are learning and doing. And, we are always happy to hear from you if you have the notion to send us an email.
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