This is the first of our series of fortnightly updates from the field in which we, the Project Development Officers, aim to provide light hearted but informative updates of our work and aspects of life in Dodoma.
My name is Catherine Smith, and since my arrival in Dodoma, in June 2006, I have worked to maintain the STT Domestic Energy Project with the partners and our technical officer (Justin). Along with this, I researched and wrote my masters dissertation, survived an accident with the STT vehicle unscathed, and have brushed up on my Swahili.
Victoria Forster-Jones, my colleague, arrived in late October and since then she and I have, among other things, worked hard on reorganising the office and introducing new systems of administration in the Dodoma office. We were also preparing for the quarterly partners workshop on ‘Sustainability’, which was held this month and was run by the chair of STT, Sheilah Meikle, and facilitated by the STT Dodoma team.
Sheilah’s stay in Dodoma was brief, however this was made up for by the amount of work we squeezed in: a successful workshop, numerous meetings, and even a well deserved Indian meal at the Dodoma Hotel.
Since the workshop we have been working closely with the partners, DODEA and MIGESADO, to gain a deeper understanding of the project components, with a plan to build on their existing skills in monitoring and evaluation and proposal writing. 
The last two weeks have shown us a particularly changeable side of Dodoma’s weather – oppressive heat, the beginning of the rains and even a minor earthquake! The rain has left behind it a greener town and an expectant atmosphere in the community, while Justin mentioned that the people in his village have started planting for the season.
A car crash in October, involving a lorry which hit us from behind, means that one of my main priorities is to find a replacement vehicle as soon as possible. Our work, and the work of DODEA, depends on reliable transport for village field visits, so hopefully by early in the New Year we will be mobile again. Since Victoria’s arrival, the team has been able to visit four villages in the Kongwa district (east of Dodoma town) with our partner organization MIGESADO, who implement the DEP in this area, among others. We met with the chairwomen of the stovebuilder groups in each village and discussed with them the status of the project and any problems they are experiencing. We observed stoves and ng’angas in each village, with the guidance of the chairwomen. Termites remain a problem in this region, which affect the ng’angas as the hay insulation makes them vulnerable. Stove building continues to provide an income for stove building groups, on top of the benefits felt by the users of the stoves. 
We also visited tree nurseries in four primary schools to discuss with them their progress and identify any training gaps that Justin could fill. The nursery at Ihanda primary school was particularly impressive, as it was being conscientiously managed by a group of Standard 6 children when we arrived.
In addition to the Kongwa visit, Justin and I held a school field trip to the village of Manhumbulu with thirteen Form Four students from the Canon Andreas Mwaka international school here in Dodoma, which unfortunately, Victoria wasn’t able to attend because of illness. The students interviewed stove users, stove builders and the Village Project Coordinator about the benefits of the improved stoves and the effects of traditional stoves on women’s lives. Justin gave a talk about the benefits of the tree planting project and explained the Mycorrhiza inoculation process. The students brought with them a gift of thanks in the form of sugar, tea and biscuits, and we enjoyed the tea (made using the improved stove) and biscuits together at the end of the visit. 
The students were a pleasure to bring to the village, as they were respectful, sensitive and very engaged, and it made for a very positive start to a potential STT-led education programme.
Be sure to check out our next installment of our update from Victoria Forster-Jones!
