STT VISIT NURU CHOIR OF ANGLICAN CHURCH IN MAKOJA

Nuru is an Anglican Church choir in Makoja parish within the Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT). The group have other different kinds of activities apart from singing spiritual songs, they compose songs to make the community aware of outstanding matters concerning their day to day life e.g. Environment, Aids etc. (after receiving their request STT trained them on the production and use of mycorrhizae for tree planting). On the 14th of August 2008 STT team received an invitation from Nuru choir to visit them at their church. Among the people who visited was Mama Kevin (my wife), Christowaja (Gideon’s wife), Lillian and Elifuraha Elisha a friend of the team from TAFORI (Tanzania Forest Research Insistute). Elisha was very impressed by the choir’s Environment song and promised to go back with a video camera to film it. We were given some work to do during the service I led the service, Gideon preached, Christowaja (Gideon’s wife) and Lilian read the first and second readings. In the end of the service Rev.Silla the pastor of the Parish introduced us to the congregation, we gave brief information about our work then the pastor encouraged them to go and have lunch quickly so that they can come on time to hear more about the information we have come to share with them. In the afternoon the leader of the St.Peters Church Mr. John Saigwa explained that they appreciate our work and said that we need to work together to accomplish our goals. Then he invited me to explain about STT and our work in general, before speaking I gave opportunity to my colleagues to say whatever they want to tell the congregation and share their experience. Mr.Elisha explained why all people need to take care of Environment and told them that God needs us to do so that’s why he created garden before he created man. Then it was my turn to speak. I spoke about different environmental changes and asked them if they are aware of any changes in their Village, I asked them if they know the meaning of the name of their village (Makoja-Shells). And asked an old man to tell us how he compared the number and size of freshwater shells found in Makoja in the 20-30 past years and now. He said in 30 years time the number and size of shells have dramatically declined when I asked why he thinks this have happened he said destruction of forests have caused the weather to become unpredictable. Before finishing my speech I related our work to what the Bible says about environment. Bible verses: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose hope is in the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river. And will not fear when heat comes; but her leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruits” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Dry and unproductive land is like a cursed land and productive land is blessed that means people make the land blessed or cursed by the way they handle it, if they use it carelessly they pay the prise by it being cursed and unproductive. But if is looked after well then people get the reward of it being blessed and productive. STT is trying to reduce the habits that damage environment by introducing fuel efficient stoves and replacing the land that have been depleted of trees, with trees inoculated with mycorrhizae to make them more resistant to drought. “Thus says the Lord God, I will take also one of the highest branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will clop off from the highest topmost of its young twigs tender one and will plant it, on a high and prominent mountain. On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruits and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort: In the shadow of its branches they will dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree and, dried up a green tree and made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and done it” (Ezekiel 17:22-24). Planting trees is a blessed work God wants us to do it that is why there are many examples of trees being given in the Bible. NB: Tanzanian government is urging people to plant at least 10 tree seedlings per year for every household. Let us keep doing the blessed work for the well being of our world and our future generations. I wish you all the best. Justin.

During the Nane Nane exhibition

It is 5km from Dodoma town to the Nane Nane ground where an exhibition took place in Nzuguni village. It was an amazing day for me with the crowds entering and leaving from pavilion to pavilion both built temporarily and permanently within the Nane Nane area. The brown dust raised by the crowd leapt and danced among the bushes that grew near the ground. However, the dust also caused me suffering from flue, headache and malaria the next day.

We displayed STT’s posters inside the Vice Presidents’ office pavilion among other NGO’s. I was among the STT staff giving explanations to people passing around inside the pavilion. It was so exciting for me to give an explanation for two Ministers, ie the Deputy Minister for natural resources and the Minister for Vice Presidents’ Office. Both of them asked a lot of questions including about the challenges facing our implementation. While a few visitors were asking joke questions, the reality was a busy day for me gaining experience of answering on the spot questions about STT and our activities. The most memorable event for me is when the President of Republic of Tanzania Hon. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete visited our pavilion and shook hands with us. It was a big surprise to ever happen to me, to get in touch with the president during Nane Nane rather than watching him on the Television.

Gideon

Photo: Justin and Gideon in a stall at the Nane Nane

Community Mapping Exercise

It’s been a while since I last wrote and a lot has been happening. STT has been pleased to have a few visitors over the last month or so. Mike and Bridget Bridgewater (some of our trustees from the UK) have been here and we’ve got four students from the Institute of Rural development Planning in Dodoma doing a six week placement with STT. Everyone has been involved in a big monitoring and evaluation exercise we’ve been running in two of our older villages Membe and Chamwino. The Bridgewaters have been a fantastic help and I hope I have half as much energy as they do when I get to their age as they’ve put us all to shame!

The students have also been put through their paces. They’ve been doing a fairly intense program of participatory rural appraisal techniques in both villages for our monitoring and evaluation and I think they’ve been knocked off their feet a little bit. They assure me however that they’re learning a lot and I hope it will help them to complete their studies next year and become a new generation of fantastic development professionals!

The last two weeks the STT team and the students stayed some nights in Membe to complete the research, which was a nice experience for me as I haven’t had the chance to stay in the village in Tanzania yet. It should have been a very peaceful experience, being away from the noise of the city and being able to see the stars, but I was lucky enough to have Gideon with me, who loves to tell stories and jokes so we were entertained the whole night as we sat by the fire waiting for our evening meal to cook. He literally had half the community in stitches.

For now we’re looking forward to working out the results from the monitoring and evaluation and focusing on intense sensitization activities in the villages. Also next week we’re going to be part of a big agricultural/environmental show for a national holiday ‘nane nane’. It looks like the pace is set to continue for a while yet.

Anna

Photo: Community mapping exercise led by IRDP students

The Road to Progress

I have now been living in Dodoma for just over a year. A milestone marked by a much needed break to the UK to see friends and family, appreciate all the home comforts (especially the hot showers) and plenty of salsa dancing and strawberries.

One year on means that we are now back in the dry season, which makes for easier off-road driving though the visit to Nzali last week proved it is still possible to get stuck in mud as we crossed the river. Fortunately this time we could reverse out of the ditch and avoid getting very wet! It has been a good year for rain and it has been good to see all the sunflowers and greenness, which is in complete contrast to the dry and dusty landscape of the dry season.

Over the last year, there have been several changes in town – street lights, litter bins and seemingly endless road repairs (causing chaos in the process with no one quite sure where to drive). On our last visit to Nzali it was encouraging to see some of the worst rural roads under repair, which should make a big difference to the long drives.

STT has also progressed. We have now trained stove builders in seven villages in the Dodoma region and the team is responding well to the challenges. A recent assessment of the project showed that many people were not using the new stove with the knock on effect that no one else gets to see the benefits so demand for the stoves stagnates. The lack of use of the stove generally reflects lack of knowledge or confidence about how to use it or because there was a problem with the way the stove was built.

Thus we have rethought the project to be better able to support builders and other community members. Innovations to the chimney design, in order to ensure wind does not blow smoke back inside the kitchen, have so far proved effective. Our work is continuing through cooking, demonstrating and further training for builders on how to use and market the stoves. Cooking demonstrations so far are encouraging with the benefits clearly seen to those taking part. There is a long way to go but the team is working hard to ensure the stoves are high quality and work well for those buying them.

Lesley

Photo top: Preparing food for a cooking demonstration;

Photo bottom: Extending the chimney outside has proved effective at shielding the stove from the wind

Precious moment – May 2008

The four months I have spent with the STT team in Dodoma since February this year have been exciting and meaningful to me. Being part of the team that is committed to improving the livelihoods of the rural community has given me courage to move on with the job.

The activities I am involved with in STT include stove building training done in Chamwino, Nzali, Nzuguni and Chinangali 1. I have participated in mycorrhiza training session at Chamwino Primary School as well as facilitating marketing research and focus group workshop with Nianjema at the STT office. I am currently assisting the film crew in translating the promotional film to English.

I am impressed with the positive response of the community to the stove project delivered in the villages of Nzali, Nzuguni and Chamwino. STT has a unique approach that creates a sense of belonging and ownership to the community which eases the delivery and implementation processes of both stove and tree projects to villages. Village leaders, stove builders and recipients are free to discuss various matters on the rocket stoves with STT team and thus increase interaction.

Seeing the commitment of community groups and the trust they have built with STT makes me feel good and value my job. For instance, Nianjema Group in Chamwino Ward had a bad image of NGOs however through the participatory approach of STT, the group gained faith to work with STT in the wonder basket urban project as their income generating activity. What a precious moment with STT!

Lilian

Photo: Lillian conducting a cooking demonstration

Living in Harmony with other Organisms - Being Environmentally Friendly May 2008

Hello everyone, this is my first blog. I have a mixture of stories to share with you all. Firstly, I have to say thanks to God and Mother Nature for providing all things that surround us which we enjoy. This is a harvest time so people are busy harvesting at the same time having ripe fruits from the forest (wild fruits e.g. baobab, black plums e.t.c.). In the last month we (STT team) have been busy doing sensitisation in Nzuguni village which was not very successful. This was caused by the poor organisation of the village. The audience on that day was represented by seventy villagers from four neighbourhoods (leaders decided to arrange three meetings) in different locations which is good… but they didn’t inform us.

Sensitisation in Membe started poorly, we had to go around the village to collect dancers of the Sayari group ( group of traditional dancers) to attract the attention of the villagers. Then other dance groups came from the Anglican church in the Village so in the end the meeting was successful and many people turned out.

Gideon and I conducted mycorrhiza training at Makoja primary school, Chinangali 1 primary school, and Mahata primary school, as well as being involved with training of stove builders, in Chinangali 1.

On another occasion we had a meeting with stove builders at Chinangali 1 during which we enjoyed the presence of two Agama lizards (Agama agama - seen below) and one Nile monitor (Varunus niloticus) in the village office. Some people were scared of them but after I explained that they are harmless and how important they are for the environment, people seemed to understand and they were relaxed.

Gideon and I went to Membe to monitor stoves and had a meeting with stove builders, after visiting the stove owners’ households we sat at Philemon’s house to discuss problems. The stove builders pointed out several problems but the main problem is that during the rainy season until harvest time most people stay in their fields. After planting, crops need to be looked after to stop wild animals from destroying them and they have to be guarded against Baboons (Papio anubis), Vervet Monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) and Wild pigs (Phacochoerus aetiopicus). Wild pigs cause a lot of damage to crops in the night, while baboons and monkeys can destroy an acre of crops in less than fifteen minutes! The stove builders asked us not to worry because people are harvesting crops and soon they will be retuning to their houses. They expect to have more orders from recipients in the coming weeks.

Lastly, but not least, is the challenging task of driving an old and problematic Toyota hyrax car! But it still takes us to our destinations even if means a real challenge.

I wish you all the best.

Justin.

Photo: Agama agama lizard

Film Crew Visits Dodoma Office

The arrival of a film crew to Dodoma in March was by far the most enjoyable part of volunteering for Sunseed. Before their arrival I had drawn up a storyboard for a promotional video to demonstrate Sunseed’s work in the region. The purpose of this film is to achieve further funding for STT by presenting it to businesses in the U.K.

It was non-stop work for the two weeks in which the film crew were here. And the majority of it went according to plan! We were able to film stove testing in Chamwino village, where everyone was more than happy to participate in the filming. We also got some great interviews with two local stove builders.

The Sunseed team were filmed at work in both the villages and the office. We were also able to get great footage of Justin teaching mychorizza and rocket stove theory in the classroom.

The footage taken of Sunseed’s urban project (wonderbaskets) was specifically desgined so that those women producing the baskets (the Nianjema Group) can use the same material to advertise their work.

Unfortunately on our last day of filming, due to heavy rains, we were unable to pass the river to Membe village. This was disappointing not only for ourselves, but also for the villagers there, who had gone to great lengths to organise singing and dancing, as well as more interviews. Last minute change is the nature of filming, however, and the team thought quickly on their feet. We headed back to trusty Chamwino village where everybody was extremely helpful in ensuring we got the footage that we were missing.

I would like to thank everybody who participated with such enthusiasm in the filming: the villagers, members of the Sunseed team, district forestry officer and the film crew themselves. All that is left to do now is complete the editing in the U.K. and prepare for the funding that will (hopefully) ensue.

Louise

Photo: Film crew in Dodoma

2008 - A new year and a new face of STT

I can hardly believe that this is my sixth month here already. I arrived last October and I still feel like I’m learning new things everyday. I’ve been working hard on learning Swahili and improved stove construction. I love Swahili, but stove construction involves a bit of jumping around in mud so it comes out on top.

STT has undergone a real transformation since I’ve been here. After being dumped into the deep end with a tumultuous visit from Sheilah in November, STT decided to go it alone. Since then we’ve got new staff, a new office, a new car and some brand spanking new villages to work in. I’d like to welcome our new Tanzanian colleagues Lilian Nysenge and Gideon Massaka to the team and also Louise Ashley a volunteer from the UK whose been helping us with the adjustment and will be with us until the end of March. Dodoma has also undergone a transformation. The rainy season has made what once was a dry, dusty dessert into a lush jungle. I can hardly believe the change in the villages and amongst the people too. It’s meant the stove project has been a bit more challenging though! Good rains mean that people are out on the farms all day and the roads to our more distant villages have become a serious driving adventure! Lilian and I have been busy taking the urban project forward. This week we will be continuing research started by Victoria by visiting a Wonderbasket project run by World Vision in Mpwapwa. World Vision runs many projects along similar lines to STT and we think they’re many opportunities for us to learn from each other. This month we’ve got a film crew from Falmouth University coming to visit us. They’re comparing the impact of environmental/development work in Tanzania and the UK. They should also be squeezing in some time to shoot a promotional video for STT. Louise, who’s got a background in communication and development, has been a valuable asset in helping us organize it. So as you can see STT has started 2008 with a bang. I seriously doubt that the next few months will be any different. That’s it from me for now, keep in touch.

Anna

Photo: Anna and Amos in Chamwino preparing mud for stove building