Across the Maasai Steppe

"I'm wide awake and so alive. Ringing like a bell. Tell me this is paradise and not someplace I fell, 'cause I keep on fallin' down. I wanna feel the car crash. I wanna feel the capsize. I wanna feel the bomb drop, the earth stop 'til I'm satisfied. I wanna let go and know that I'll be alright, alright." -Matt Nathanson

What is UP? I apologize for the lack of entries lately! I've been busy! I've actually finally gotten a few things up and running in my village with much more in the works. I started teaching Life Skills to the 7th graders and my first lesson went excellently! I continue that and start with my Peer Education/Health Club at the secondary school this week. I also have had several meetings about my orphans' chicken-keeping project and my goal is to have the grant submitted before I come to America (in just 2 weeks). Once I submit it it's up to Peace Corps how long it takes for them to post it online to be open for donations but I'll definitely update on here when it's up. Should be less than $2000 to start a sustainable project so kids can keep going to school! I also went to Iringa for a PEPFAR-sponsored HIV/AIDS training and got some good ideas there while having fun with the other PCVs. After that Bill (an Environment volunteer friend) traveled back to my village with me to help me start a tree nursery in my village. It went awesomely...we prepared an area, built a fence, gathered tons of dirt/sand/manure, prepared planting tubes, and planted 500 seeds in 3 days thanks to help from my school teachers and free child labor! That's how you get things done around here! I have awesome pictures of all the kids working away and hopefully in a few months we'll have a lot of seedlings. Doing that made me feel really great, it was awesome to finally SEE something I helped create happen in my village, even though it was really all Bill! We also are culinary masters and made calzones, enchiladas, french toast, chili and corn bread, Asian coleslaw, carrot cake, and many other things. Several included spinach from my garden which actually is growing! It DOES give you a weird hillbilly sense of pride to eat food you grew yourself. So also this week I'm going to hopefully teach permaculture gardening with my counterpart for some People Living w/ HIV, some Mamas, really anyone who wants to learn! And maybe finally get around to building a solar stove to see how it works and if I can start teaching that.

I just got back from a work trip to Arusha in the Kilimanjaro region with Keith and Heather. We went to visit with a couple NGOs that we had made contact with in order to find out about possible collaboration. Arusha was amazing but getting there was quite interesting. We got to our banking town, Kibaya, thinking that there was an afternoon bus we could take that day to continue on the journey. Of course it had crashed earlier that week so was no longer running. So after getting distracted in town by beer and soap operas for a few hours, we set out kind of late on an attempt to hitchhike. We walked about an hour outside of town and started sticking our thumbs out (actually in TZ it's this other weird arm motion). Of course, no luck, the few trucks that do pass us aren't going as far as we need to go. So we head back to Kibaya for a night and get up at 4:30 am the next morning to catch the bus to Arusha. We'd never been there before so we didn't know the route. Well, apparently there is a road directly from Kibaya to Arusha that goes right through the Maasai Steppe, pretty much the most wild and remote area in Tanzania. The bus was a piece of crap, of course, and the road was HORRIBLE. There was no way to sleep because we were bouncing all over the place for 8 hours. My arm was banging into the window so much I bruised my shoulder. But we were LUCKY because we had seats. The aisle was also packed full of standing people of course. Just to maximize casualties should there be a crash. At one point we got stuck in a pothole and had to get pulled out w/ chains attached to another truck while we almost tipped over. That's travel in Tanzania. But it was awesome in some ways because we saw SO MANY zebras!!!!!!!!! We were basically in the middle of nowhere with only tiny Maasai villages- just clusters of tiny dung huts out on the plains. So there were herds of zebras everywhere really close to the road. We also glimpsed giraffes, baboons, and dikdiks. And at no time were we in a national park. It was really cool. I love zebras. And of course we did eventually get there and met some awesome expats doing amazing work for this NGO called The Flying Medical Service. Definitely some possibilities for them to come do work in our villages, which means Keith and I might get free wine delivered via airplane and free rides in these prop planes if we feel like hopping in w/ the pilot/paramedics who fly into villages in our region to do free clinics. It's gonna be awesome. Arusha was also a really cool city although I was severely disappointed by the 12,500 shilling "Kilimanjaro nachos" which were huge but lacking adequate cheese. So REAL nachos are def on the list for my foodfest in America in just 2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!! So, I am super excited for OHIO, the wedding, food, friends, and everything! But things are looking up here so I will definitely be back for more Peace Corps....8 months down, 18 to go.
See ya soon (some of you!)

for your development-nerd pleasure...

Village Situation Analysis

Carrie Hoffman, Health Education Volunteer, 2009-2011

Dosidosi Village, Kiteto District, Manyara Region

Introduction

Purpose: The purpose of the Village Situation Analysis (VSA) is to gather information about the village of Dosidosi and then to analyze that information to identify resources, needs, and potential projects for the Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV). The VSA process also is intended to help the PCV gain knowledge and understanding of the community and vice versa for the community to understand the purpose and intentions of the PCV.

Information Collection: The information contained in this VSA was collected using a variety of methods. A total of ten formal house-to-house surveys were conducted in four different sub-villages. The interviewees were of both genders ranging in age from 31-49, and of varying economic status. Three Participatory Analysis for Community Action (PACA) were held and attended by men and women, a majority of whom were under the age of 30, although villagers of all ages were invited. Questionnaires and surveys were also answered by the Village Executive Officer (VEO), local nurses, and primary school teachers. Meetings of the village government and several village committees and groups were attended. Numerous questions were also answered through informal conversations with community leaders and villagers. Village historical background was provided by elder Kiondo Maguruko. Outstanding assistance with conducting house-to-house surveys and PACA meetings was provided by Hadija Omari.

Information Sharing: The completed VSA will be provided in both English and Swahili to the Peace Corps office, Kiteto district officials, Dosidosi village officials, and any other committees, organizations, or leaders who might find the information helpful.

Community Profile

General Information: The village of Dosidosi is located in Kiteto district just inside the southern border of Manyara region. Dosidosi is made up of mostly Wagogo, Mnguo, and Maasai tribes. In 1948 while Tanzania was still a British colony many Wagogo people began settling in the area to open businesses and establish farms. The first man to open a shop in the area was Ismael Ibrahim. Dosidosi officially became a village in 1976 after Tanzania gained independence from Great Britain. The village name comes from a Maasai word for the particular type of soil found in the area.

Community Characteristics: Dosidosi is located on the main road south from Kiteto-town, about 40 kilometers south of Kiteto (also called Kibaya.) Dosidosi consists of six different sub-villages spread over 3420 acres. The main sub-village of Dosidosi Madukani contains the government office and most businesses. Each other sub-village varies in distance from two to six kilometers away from the village center. The village is rural, dry, and semi-arid. It stands at an average elevation of 1000 meters and is surrounded by several small mountains. The weather is cool during the dry season and hot during the rainy season with consistent strong winds. There are no nearby lakes or rivers and lack of rain several months of the year poses challenges for agriculture and basic survival.

Transportation, Communication, and Basic Services: There are no buses originating in Dosidosi, however coasters and buses pass through three times a day in either direction to go to Kibaya (two hour trip) or Dodoma (three hour trip). All roads in the surrounding area are completely dirt and thus can be difficult to traverse during the rainy season. Transportation to other parts of Tanzania can be boarded in Matui (15 kilometers away) or Kibaya. There are also many motorcycles in the village which people hire for transportation. The majority of villagers, however, travel by bicycle or on foot.

There are no power lines in the village. Only a few private homes have electricity powered by generators or solar panels. There are no land telephone lines and until recently was no reliable cell phone service. A new Vodacom tower opened in November, providing coverage for the few villagers who have cell phones.

Population: The population of Dosidosi is 2752, approximately 62% female and 48% male. 43% of the total population is under 18. There are 12 identified single-parent households and nine completely orphaned children.

Population Breakdown by Age

Age (Years)	Population
0-2	156
3-5	167
6-13	593
14-18	268
19-44	1486
45-60	43
61+	24

These numbers indicate that Dosidosi may expect to encounter shortages of farm space and work in the near future when the currently under-18 population reaches adulthood.

Education: There are two primary schools in Dosidosi- one in Dosidosi Madukani and one in the sub-village Mguli. There is one secondary school which was opened in 2008 so as of now only has Form 1 and Form 2 students. The costs for schooling are for uniforms, shoes, notebooks, pens, and other fees. For primary school the total expense for one year of schooling ranges from 38,400 shillings to 59,700 shillings depending on the grade level. For secondary school the total expenses for one year range from 176,000 shillings to 313,000 shillings depending on the student’s form and whether they are a boarder.

Student and Teacher Population

School	Number of Students	Number of Teachers
Dosidosi Primary School	502	8
Mguli Primary School	224	5
Dosidosi Secondary School	180	11
School Leavers	284	--

All three schools suffer from lack of resources such as more teachers, desks, supplies and equipment. The secondary school is lacking teachers’ housing and dormitories. A few students do leave the community to attend other secondary schools. There is a very high population of school leavers. The majority of these leave school after Standard 7 due to failing their exams or being unable to afford secondary school. Most school leavers continue to live at home and help with their parents’ farms. There are currently no alternative education or vocational training programs in the village for school leavers. Lack of work for the out-of-school youth is a huge problem that villagers agree needs to be addressed. Each school also has a farm on which the students work. The products are then sold for income, with a small amount being used for the provided meals at the secondary school. At both primary schools students return home for chai break and lunch. The secondary school also has several organized sports and clubs for students. 31% of the secondary school students are from other villages and thus live in dormitories.

Economic and Agricultural Assessment: There are no major employers in Dosidosi. There are a few small family-run shops, vegetable stands, cafes, and one bar. A few people make money delivering water, charcoal, or firewood door-to-door. There are also a few skilled laborers such as carpenters, tailors, and mechanics.

Land is used mostly for subsistence agriculture. The average farm size per family is 3-10 acres. Most families’ farms are located 1-3 kilometers outside the village in the surrounding area. The main crops are corn, pigeon-peas, and sunflowers, with a few people also growing potatoes or cow-peas. Very few families plant vegetable gardens. Most families consume the majority of their harvest and sell any excess on the road or at the twice-monthly market in the village. Villagers must go to Kibaya to buy seeds although variety is limited. Most do not use any fertilizer and the few who do use cow manure. Villagers reported they are unable to afford chemical fertilizer or advanced farming equipment. All family members assist with farming by hand.

The main types of livestock in the village are chickens, goats, and cows, with a few donkeys and pigs. Many Maasai keep large herds of cows and/or goats as their main subsistence activity. A fish farm is in the planning stages however as a collaborative project between the Environment Committee and the PCV. A few people are involved in apiculture. In addition to the Environment Committee, there are several economic committees/Non-Governmental Organizations involved in farming activities.

Environmental Assessment: The environment of Dosidosi consists of farm and grazing land with many lightly wooded hills. There are no nearby lakes, rivers, or protected or tourist areas. Many villagers cut down nearby trees and shrubs for use as firewood. This practice may possibly have a harmful effect on the ecosystem. Wild animals in the area include snakes, lizards, meercats, and monkeys. There are currently no projects to preserve the environment taking place.

Villagers get water for drinking, bathing, and cooking from a large reservoir during the rainy season and from small hand-dug wells during the dry season. The primary school also has one water catchment tank connected to a tap which is full during the rainy season. There are no water taps in the village so people are forced to walk long distances to the wells to carry water. During the dry season wells frequently dry up and new ones must be dug. Due to the water shortage during this season, villagers must pay 100 shillings per bucket for water. The water available is not sanitary for drinking and often not clean, however most villagers do not boil their drinking water. This likely contributes to the frequency of gastro-intestinal illnesses among villagers.

The majority of households in Dosidosi have hand-dug dirt pit latrines. Often several families share one latrine and some households lack one completely. All trash is disposed of by being burned in small pits outside homes. There is no organized waste management system and currently no regulations requiring households to have latrines. Villagers also lack knowledge of basic hygiene practices such as hand-washing.

Health and Well-Being Assessment: The most common non-communicable diseases in the village are malaria and pneumonia. These especially affect children. In January of 2010 the village government plans to begin distributing free bed nets to children under five years old to help prevent malaria. The most common communicable diseases are typhoid, eye diseases such as trachoma and conjunctivitis, stomach problems and diarrhea, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Children are especially affected by eye diseases which villagers believe is due to the dusty environment. Most villagers only admit to STDs being a problem among the youth, although they are likely much more widespread. According the village officials, there are 25 people in the village who have tested positive for HIV. The number of infected people who have not been tested is likely much higher. A recent baseline survey of HIV/AIDS knowledge showed that a majority of villagers know what HIV/AIDS is but lack understanding about how it is transmitted. There is a People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) group in the community but it is unable to be very active due to lack of funding and poor attendance. A majority of villagers also feel that the nutritional status of their families is inadequate due to lack of food diversity available most of the year.

Dosidosi has one private clinic, one government clinic, and one drug store. The private clinic has one doctor and a laboratory for diagnostics. It provides outpatient treatment for common diseases and testing only for HIV. However testing and treatment at this clinic is too expensive for most villagers. The government clinic has two nurses on staff who treat all types of illnesses and injuries. Most health services are available at a low cost and pregnant woman and children receive malaria prophylaxis and many other services for free. HIV/AIDS testing is available in the village, however for patients to test their CD4 counts they must travel to Kibaya and to receive Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs) they must travel six kilometers to the village of Engusero. Thus the cost and inconvenience of transportation prevents many HIV/AIDS patients from acquiring ARVs. HIV is largely a taboo subject to villagers and their unwillingness to discuss the problem likely perpetuates ignorance about prevention and treatment.

Community Resources/Assets: There are many committees and groups present in Dosidosi. These include environment, health, economy, safety, schools, and livestock committees, a PLWHA group, and an elder’s group. There are also several different organizations working to improve agriculture and provide small loans to farmers. The government also plans to open a product bank where villagers can pay a small fee for storage of their harvested products while they wait for the price to go up to sell them. These are mostly run and participated in by women. There is one sports field behind the primary school which is enjoyed by children and adults. There are several traditional healers in the community treating all types of health problems. About half the villagers believe in the ability of the traditional healers and half do not. The NGO FINCA has a microfinance program in the village providing loans for small businesses to men and women. The World Food Program has promised to begin school feeding programs at both the primary and secondary schools but the facilities are still under construction. Other NGOs present include Kinapaa Development, AMCOS, and Pukamaudo. These groups are working on development of health, education, and community, although their exact strength and impact in the village is not yet known. Almost everyone in Dosidosi Madukani is Muslim and there are two mosques in the village. There are no churches in the main area of the village but a few Christians attend Anglican or Catholic churches in other nearby sub-villages or villages.

Analysis

Dosidosi faces many challenges which need to be addressed in order to improve life for the inhabitants. The following are the main problems determined by the PCV and community members.

Water: Lack of water during the dry season is a huge problem for Dosidosi. During this season water is only available from distant wells which constantly dry up due to heavy usage, causing new ones to need to be dug. Villagers must also pay on average 100 shillings per bucket of water during this time. The long walks to carry water are a particular drain on the time and energy of women in the village, leading to decreased productivity in other activities. Solving the water problem would give villagers more money and time to spend on things like education and income generation. Solving the problem is difficult, however, because it would likely require installation of a central mechanical well with a storage tank. Such an undertaking would require large amounts of money, labor, and maintenance training for certain villagers to prepare for inevitable repair needs.

Agriculture: As mentioned, most villagers are farming on a mere subsistence level and struggling to feed their families. Recent drought has had a degenerative effect on harvest yields and put even further strain on the village’s economy. Villagers recognize that lack of agricultural progress is a huge problem but believe that acquiring expensive modern equipment, such as tractors, power tillers and more farming tools, is the solution. More realistically, agriculture could be improved through educating villagers in permaculture techniques to improve crop yields, since permaculture requires no specialized equipment. Farmers could also benefit from practicing crop diversification to improve both soil quality and nutritional status of their families, who consume a majority of the products.

Education: Lack of basic equipment in the schools is a huge issue for the students of Dosidosi. The primary school has desks for only three out of the five classrooms and lacks other basic supplies. The secondary school needs to complete construction on several classrooms, dorms for boarders, and housing for teachers. Currently both boarding students and teachers are sharing extremely crowded houses near the primary school. The secondary school also needs equipment such as a laboratory for improving science education.

Work for Youth: Due to the thigh rate of students leaving school after completing primary school, there are many young adults in the village without jobs or any viable job options for the future. The lack of activities for these youth contributes to the problems of alcoholism, drug abuse, crime, and spread of STDs. This problem could be addressed by finding funding for interested school-leavers to attend agricultural or vocational training programs in other towns and by setting up apprenticeship/mentorship programs partnering interested youth with local tradesmen.

Health: Dosidosi’s health problems stem from two main sources – a lack of resources and a lack of knowledge. The local clinics are understaffed and overburdened. They lack basic supplies such as functioning scales, diagnostic testing equipment, vaccine storage, and many other items. Although the nurses reach out regularly to local mothers with health education information, many other villagers lack basic information about disease prevention and transmission. This problem can be addressed by initiating further health education programs in the schools and community groups. The enveloping problem of nutrition in Dosidosi could be addressed by teaching permaculture and encouraging villagers to grow vegetable gardens, something which almost no one does. The PLWHAs also face problems in regards to nutrition, lack of income, access to ARVs, and stigmatization. These problems could be addressed through engaging in income-generating activities to allow money to be available for better food and transport for getting ARVs.

Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs): The 21 orphans and many other vulnerable children in the village, including the children of PLWHAs, face challenges in regards to getting adequate care at home, finances to stay in school, and emotional support. These problems could be addressed by setting up a sponsorship program to assist with OVCs’ school fees, and a support club to teach skills such as gardening, basic health, and engage in income-generating activities.

Possible Projects

In the face of the numerous and complex needs of Dosidosi, narrowing down project options is very difficult. The following are projects which at this time seem most achievable within two years and which have the most possibility to create sustainable development which will continue after the PCV leaves.

Education:

1. Life Skills Education: Due to the lack of health knowledge in the general community, the PCV feels that reaching out to youth will have the most future impact. Weekly Life Skills lessons for the upper levels of the primary school will offer a fun and interactive way to impart knowledge of sex education, HIV/AIDS prevention, and positive decision-making to youth. This requires no funding.
2. Peer Education: To reach out to secondary school students, the PCV feels that a partially student-run, interactive Peer Education Club will be most effective. The PCV will first focus on teaching selected Peer Educators about health knowledge and Life Skills with an emphasis on girls’ empowerment, and then to train them to similarly educate their peers. This group could include activities such as weekly meetings, guest speakers, and possibly group field trips, which would require outside funding.

Health:

1. Clinic Data Management Support: The nurses at the government clinic in Dosidosi are doing an excellent job with the resources they have but need more assistance. The PCV will offer assistance two times per week at the clinic during mother and child clinic day and pregnancy clinic day. The PCV will help by recording data during clinics and supporting education sessions as requested. Securing outside funding to purchase some of the equipment the clinic is lacking would also greatly improve the function of the clinic.
2. PLWHA Assistance: Due to the poor nutritional status of HIV/AIDS patients, the PCV hopes to assist the village PLWHA group in planting a community vegetable garden, implementing permaculture techniques. The products will help to improve nutrition of the PLWHA and any excess can be sold for group income. Additionally, the PLWHA group is interested in starting income-generating activities. The first proposed project is a bicycle-rental business. The group will acquire 20 bicycles and then charge villagers a fee for daily rental. There is a demand for a service like this in the village due to many people traveling long distances on foot to their farms or to visit neighboring villages. Part of the income from this project will go into a fund for bicycle repairs when needed. This project will require outside start-up funds for purchasing the bicycles.
3. Care Groups: The PCV plans to work with one of the nurses at the government clinic to form a Mama’s group for health-related peer education. The Mother Leaders will be chosen by the nurse and meet once a month to learn about various health issues such as nutrition, HIV/AIDS, communicable diseases and sanitation, and prenatal health. They will then be responsible for teaching the other Mamas in their neighborhoods. The PCV also plans to place a health question box at the clinic for anonymous questions and answers to improve adult health knowledge.

Youth Development:

1. OVC Support: Since many OVCs struggle to pay school fees, the PCV has begun developing a PCPP grant to start a chicken-raising project. The OVCs at the primary school will learn to raise and care for chickens and also manage a small business. The profit made from selling eggs and chickens will pay for their school fees and possibly also a portion of the secondary school OVC’s school fees. Additionally, the PCV is seeking to start an OVC support group. The first goal of the group will be to identify the main problems faced by the children on a day-to-day basis. These will then be addressed, possibly by teaching skills like permaculture or engaging in other income-generating activities.

Environment:

1. Mamas’ Garden: A group of 25 Mamas have already secured an area of land and several types of seeds to plant a communal vegetable garden. This garden will improve nutrition and provide an income-generation opportunity. Also, the PCV and counterpart plan to teach and help implement permaculture techniques in making this garden so that it may serve as an example to villagers of the benefits of permaculture.

Conclusion

It is the hope of the PCV that through implementation of these projects the lives of Dosidosi villagers will begin to improve through a process of sustainable change.