Now the hard part. Just like last year we don’t want to leave/we want to be home. Since we can’t be two places at once, we’ll have to get on the plane this Tuesday. Leaving will be hard.
The last two years when we arrived in January, it took us about 15 minutes to feel comfortable here again. Last year when we returned to Minnesota and our wonderful life, it took about a month to adjust. Very curious.
The last two weeks have been very satisfying. We’ve solidified our partnership with Tanzania Agricultural Productivity Program (TAPP). They will deliver the basic agricultural materials our target population wants. These include seeds, fertilizer, and drip irrigation, plus critical education on propagation, uses and eventual sales of high value crops. The centerpiece will be moringa, the remarkable trees we have been investigating.
TAPP is a strong advocate for moringa because of its nutritional value for humans and animals, its ability as a legume to improve soil, the potential for commercial sales and its surprising ability to purify water. Our focus last week was in the southern part of the district (which has a history of cholera outbreaks); villagers are excited about moringa. The enthusiasm for a new crop has surprised us. Although moringa won’t be a substitute for current crops, it is still very difficult for a farmer to risk raising something new (if it fails his/her family may starve). The seeds are known for their traditional medicinal properties, but few know of moringa’s other benefits.
TAPP will at first focus on WellShare’s Survive and Thrive Groups (STGs). As mentioned in previous postings, these consist of young single mothers without adequate educations or income-generating skills. The objective of starting the STGs was to provide health education to improve health through pregnancy, delivery and child rearing as well as improving newborn health. An additional challenge these women face is their financial survival. Karatu is a tourist area with many guest houses, restaurants and bars. Young women often are attracted to town jobs since they usually have no means of support in the village, but the move can lead to prostitution and abandonment of their children (“orphans”). The group members are excited about agricultural techniques that can provide improved nutrition and an opportunity to earn money.
On another trip to the field, Sharon and staff headed out to visit villages that have VICOBA micro savings groups. WellShare created a relationship with this organization after they caught our attention last year. Facilitators deliver comprehensive financial literacy training. The program is for one year, with 16 weekly meetings followed by monthly sessions. Materials are culturally sensitive and allow for language variations and even illiteracy. Most importantly, the program is completely free, and all money stays in the villages.
Unfortunately, true to form, Sharon got her usual village food reaction and had to leave. However, we left the camera and list of questions with the staff and they had wonderful results to report back. Four groups were started and universally the women were thrilled with the program. Each village had saved a remarkable amount of money in only 9 months, and all had taken loans and paid them back. Some had used the money for agriculture, others for opening shops or restaurants. All have made a profit and want to continue once the first year ends.
Others in these villages also want VICOBA groups. (Sharon stopped at one village last week that had a different micro savings program, but they want VICOBA because, as they said, “it works”. They specifically mentioned the extensive, high-quality training.) The women in this area would not have gotten this program without the help of WellShare; VICOBA had no plans to be in this area because of the distances and awful roads.
We take a great deal of satisfaction in having discovered VICOBA, TAPP and moringa; we see how they are transforming lives in this very poor part of Tanzania, and will continue to do so. While there is still much work that needs to be done to expand these programs, we have a very capable staff person who will follow up after we leave. It is easier to depart when we know things will not come to a halt once we get on that plane. Moringa has also become an innovative cornerstone of WellShare’s new grant proposal to USAID for a program in western Tanzania.
We could not have done this work without WellShare’s wonderful support and willingness to let us explore options. And, we have lots of work to do when we return to Minnesota. We would like to see the programs continued in this district after September when the USAID phase of the project officially ends. We are returning full of ideas and data with hopes of successfully submitting some grant requests to other NGOs, foundations and individuals to support continuing this important work. If anyone knows of possible funders, please let us know!
Again, we must say “kwaheri sasa” (goodbye for now) Tanzania. We will miss you!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Safari Njema (a good journey)
This last week we had a wonderful journey, filled with fascinating events and great animal viewing.
Up until recently, most of our time has been filled with the following activities:
•Finding the best agricultural training and resources through partnerships with other organizations for the Survive and Thrive Groups (STGs) WellShare has created.
•Developing proposals for alternative or additional funding to expand the STG program, and address the challenges of the Hadzabe (the last hunting-gathering community in east Africa).
Lately we have added assisting where we can on WellShare’s new proposal to USAID for funding. The current project here in Karatu officially ends September 30. The goals have been met and continued funding here from the U.S. government isn’t possible. (That is the reason we are looking for alternative funding mentioned above; a scaled-back, low-cost effort here in Karatu could build on the successes of the last five years and have a big impact.)
The new USAID proposal is for Bariadi, a district west of Serengeti National Park and near Lake Victoria. Funding is very competitive, so the grant application has to outline innovative programs. The brainstorming sessions and draft writing have been very interesting.
To have credibility, the proposal has to be supported by the local government, and so we headed west with Jolene to find that support. To get there and back we had to go through the Serengeti, an area about the size of Connecticut. The animal viewing was amazing – lions, zebra, cape buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe (two kinds), impala, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, topi, waterbuck, baboon, vervet monkey, elephant, hippo, warthog, vultures, jackal, hartebeest, mongoose, along with ostrich, white stork, hornbill, secretary bird, ground hornbill, and many more birds. We saw tens of thousands of animals!
Throughout the drive Jolene was reminding us she had never seen a cheetah (hard to find) or a leopard (very hard to find). This has been a running joke over the last three years. As we were driving, a cat walked across the road. Because of the lighting, it appeared to be a lion, but when it got to the other side, we could see its spots. It continued to stalk something in the tall grass and was hard to see. There was a nearby tree and Sharon was hoping it would climb it, which it did! Then it proceeded to relax on a limb and stare at us! This was a beautiful leopard, and a thrill to see.
The serious work was revising the presentation, and the meetings with government officials. We were thrilled that the main meeting included all the district leadership, including the district executive officer and the lead officers for health, planning, education and agriculture. They are completely supportive to the ideas Jolene presented. The visits were a complete success. This gives Jolene what she needs to help sell the ideas to Tanzania national government officials.
There are many challenges in this district. It is very hot, being at a lower altitude, and the malaria risk is higher. Many men have 6-10 wives (pastoralists with many animals might have 20!). The average number of births per woman is over 6 (we were told that when women marry, they agree to have a certain number of children, with men wanting large families). Not surprisingly poverty can result, leading to poor education and health. Both last year and this there have been cholera outbreaks (part of our proposal is to use seeds from moringa, the tree we have been investigating, to clarify and dramatically reduce bacteria). We interviewed a few local women and were shocked to learn they have no latrines in their village, people use the river and fields, and they don’t wash their hands. Dealing with these simple issues could dramatically improve the local health. There are precious few trained health workers in the district to address even the most curable problems, and this is where WellShare’s proposal is the most innovative and exciting.
The origination of working in this district came from a meeting between a priest and WellShare back in Minneapolis. Father Paul (79) is originally from Wisconsin but has lived in Africa for 50 years, mostly in Bariadi district. Over the years he has built and staffed an impressive clinical facility complete with an incredible manual file of all of his patients. The latest projects are a larger lab that will include a blood bank, along with housing for doctors/nurses. He is laying the groundwork now for a 150 bed hospital, returning to the U.S. this summer to raise funds. All the buildings are equipped with solar power for lighting and medical refrigerators. (Electricity is even more limited than in Karatu; the town of Bariadi has none between 10AM and 6PM). In addition, Father Paul is a wonderful host. There were comfortable rooms and great meals for us, including perhaps the best popcorn we have ever enjoyed. Father Paul has acted as his own contractor on his projects and has learned by doing along with his workers.
Besides Jolene we had two other travel companions – Kombo, our always-entertaining driver, and Amy, an emergency room doctor and WellShare volunteer. During our time we met a friend of Father Paul’s, Father John. In the “small world” department Amy and Father John discovered they have in common family roots from Dubuque, Iowa. The amazing coincidence is that Father John had dated Amy’s grandmother, including taking her to the high school prom!
Of course, we had to eat elsewhere besides Father Paul’s. We enjoyed wonderful fish dinners several nights, fresh from nearby Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world. We have never seen tilapia so large; it was served in slices and there must have been about five large pieces per fish. Our driver was happy to get his favorite, the head.
Roads in Tanzania can be punishing on vehicles, and especially on 16 year old Land Cruisers. Kombo worked minor miracles on this trip. We found out that when radiators start leaking, Serengeti drivers add tea leaves, which expand and reduce water loss. People here are very innovative.
During the Serengeti we stopped to help another vehicle with two flats, plus a flat spare from a previous incident. During our multiple stops to deal with the radiator, invariably others made certain we were alright before going on. Driving in wild animal country with only one place for repairs in an expanse the size of Connecticut requires everyone to help.
We are having a wonderful time!
Up until recently, most of our time has been filled with the following activities:
•Finding the best agricultural training and resources through partnerships with other organizations for the Survive and Thrive Groups (STGs) WellShare has created.
•Developing proposals for alternative or additional funding to expand the STG program, and address the challenges of the Hadzabe (the last hunting-gathering community in east Africa).
Lately we have added assisting where we can on WellShare’s new proposal to USAID for funding. The current project here in Karatu officially ends September 30. The goals have been met and continued funding here from the U.S. government isn’t possible. (That is the reason we are looking for alternative funding mentioned above; a scaled-back, low-cost effort here in Karatu could build on the successes of the last five years and have a big impact.)
The new USAID proposal is for Bariadi, a district west of Serengeti National Park and near Lake Victoria. Funding is very competitive, so the grant application has to outline innovative programs. The brainstorming sessions and draft writing have been very interesting.
To have credibility, the proposal has to be supported by the local government, and so we headed west with Jolene to find that support. To get there and back we had to go through the Serengeti, an area about the size of Connecticut. The animal viewing was amazing – lions, zebra, cape buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe (two kinds), impala, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, topi, waterbuck, baboon, vervet monkey, elephant, hippo, warthog, vultures, jackal, hartebeest, mongoose, along with ostrich, white stork, hornbill, secretary bird, ground hornbill, and many more birds. We saw tens of thousands of animals!
Throughout the drive Jolene was reminding us she had never seen a cheetah (hard to find) or a leopard (very hard to find). This has been a running joke over the last three years. As we were driving, a cat walked across the road. Because of the lighting, it appeared to be a lion, but when it got to the other side, we could see its spots. It continued to stalk something in the tall grass and was hard to see. There was a nearby tree and Sharon was hoping it would climb it, which it did! Then it proceeded to relax on a limb and stare at us! This was a beautiful leopard, and a thrill to see.
The serious work was revising the presentation, and the meetings with government officials. We were thrilled that the main meeting included all the district leadership, including the district executive officer and the lead officers for health, planning, education and agriculture. They are completely supportive to the ideas Jolene presented. The visits were a complete success. This gives Jolene what she needs to help sell the ideas to Tanzania national government officials.
There are many challenges in this district. It is very hot, being at a lower altitude, and the malaria risk is higher. Many men have 6-10 wives (pastoralists with many animals might have 20!). The average number of births per woman is over 6 (we were told that when women marry, they agree to have a certain number of children, with men wanting large families). Not surprisingly poverty can result, leading to poor education and health. Both last year and this there have been cholera outbreaks (part of our proposal is to use seeds from moringa, the tree we have been investigating, to clarify and dramatically reduce bacteria). We interviewed a few local women and were shocked to learn they have no latrines in their village, people use the river and fields, and they don’t wash their hands. Dealing with these simple issues could dramatically improve the local health. There are precious few trained health workers in the district to address even the most curable problems, and this is where WellShare’s proposal is the most innovative and exciting.
The origination of working in this district came from a meeting between a priest and WellShare back in Minneapolis. Father Paul (79) is originally from Wisconsin but has lived in Africa for 50 years, mostly in Bariadi district. Over the years he has built and staffed an impressive clinical facility complete with an incredible manual file of all of his patients. The latest projects are a larger lab that will include a blood bank, along with housing for doctors/nurses. He is laying the groundwork now for a 150 bed hospital, returning to the U.S. this summer to raise funds. All the buildings are equipped with solar power for lighting and medical refrigerators. (Electricity is even more limited than in Karatu; the town of Bariadi has none between 10AM and 6PM). In addition, Father Paul is a wonderful host. There were comfortable rooms and great meals for us, including perhaps the best popcorn we have ever enjoyed. Father Paul has acted as his own contractor on his projects and has learned by doing along with his workers.
Besides Jolene we had two other travel companions – Kombo, our always-entertaining driver, and Amy, an emergency room doctor and WellShare volunteer. During our time we met a friend of Father Paul’s, Father John. In the “small world” department Amy and Father John discovered they have in common family roots from Dubuque, Iowa. The amazing coincidence is that Father John had dated Amy’s grandmother, including taking her to the high school prom!
Of course, we had to eat elsewhere besides Father Paul’s. We enjoyed wonderful fish dinners several nights, fresh from nearby Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world. We have never seen tilapia so large; it was served in slices and there must have been about five large pieces per fish. Our driver was happy to get his favorite, the head.
Roads in Tanzania can be punishing on vehicles, and especially on 16 year old Land Cruisers. Kombo worked minor miracles on this trip. We found out that when radiators start leaking, Serengeti drivers add tea leaves, which expand and reduce water loss. People here are very innovative.
During the Serengeti we stopped to help another vehicle with two flats, plus a flat spare from a previous incident. During our multiple stops to deal with the radiator, invariably others made certain we were alright before going on. Driving in wild animal country with only one place for repairs in an expanse the size of Connecticut requires everyone to help.
We are having a wonderful time!
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