Hello STT friends and supporters! The STT team would like to apologize for the recent lapse in blogging. We have been hard at work here in Dodoma, and we promise to keep you more regularly updated on our activities.
I have now been in Dodoma for more than 9 months. Being Project Development Officer with STT is a challenge, but it also brings a host of rewards and joys. Each day, as I become increasingly familiar with the people of Dodoma region and the economic, environmental, and social difficulties that they face, I am even more convinced of the necessity and impact of STT’s work.
The past couple of months have been an especially exciting time for STT, with a record amount of stoves having been built. Villages such as Chololo and Nzali are building 50 or 60 stoves a month! The current total of STT stoves is now more than 1100, which is more than double the amount of stoves at the beginning of the year. It is very inspiring to see the builders being so active and enthusiastic about their work, and to visit satisfied customers using their new rocket stoves.
Of course the dramatic increase in stoves has meant much busier and more hectic village visits for the STT team, as we attempt to see all of the stoves. With rainy season approaching, it is very hot in Dodoma, and the sun is especially fierce. Therefore village visits can be very hot, rushed, and sweaty affairs! The team keeps lots of water handy for guzzling, and I’ve taken to carrying a parasol, to protect against the worst of the sun’s rays. But even the tiring weather cannot dampen the enthusiasm and excitement about STT’s work.
Later this week we are having our regular (i.e., held every 4 months) meeting of builders from STT villages, to discuss the stove project. At previous meetings the village representatives have shared and learned from one another—sometimes while fostering a friendly rivalry about who can build the most stoves! I’m looking forward to witnessing even more collaboration among the different villages. The builders certainly will share their own lessons learned and their tips and ideas for increased stove building success.
We’ll also be announcing a target for number of stoves to be built in the first half of next year, and a reward (a mobile phone for the builders’ monitor) for those villages which reach the target. This is a repeat of this past year’s hugely successful target and reward scheme, in which the builders of Nzali, Makoja, and Chololo won bicycles for their stove-building efforts. Just as the bicycles have facilitated travel to new customers around the villages, the mobile phones will improve communication among the builders and STT staff. And, as a prized reward, the mobile phones will hopefully encourage even more record-breaking numbers of stoves built! Stay tuned...Amy
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Sunseed Tanzania Trust works with people in arid lands to improve the quality of their lives and environment and the productivity of their land.
