When Alice Migwi and her husband bought their one-acre land in Isinya, Kajiado County it was all dry and sulky. It was hard to imagine that 12 years later, it would be this tranquil, with lots of greenery, butterflies and birds, ornamental plants, and Pemba and Kikuyu grass creating a beautiful lawn.
Their labour of love has paid off, she says.
At her home, she has created a beautiful xeriscape, a practice of designing landscapes to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation or constant watering.
She has grown over 25 species of succulent plants. The garden has more than five species of agaves, which have rosettes of succulent leaves used to make tequila. Her garden also has false pineapples, aloe vera, ponytail palms and jade plants.
Alice Migwi tends to her garden in Isinya Kajiado County on May 28, 2024.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Her balcony has potted plants and she has used traditional kettles and cups, giving the space a touch of Africa.
On one side of the garden, there is a colourful array of flowering plants including marigolds and African daisies. She refers to this area as the “pollinator hotspot.”
“My home now attracts a lot of bees and butterflies. I love to see how nature interacts with each other. I also have birds, lizards, frogs, geckos, and even hedgehogs,” says the 48-year-old, adding, “I get to interact with nature despite living in a dry area”.
For many people, the late 40s signals a more relaxed living, perhaps away from the city, but they cannot live far because of the long commute time to work or school. However, Ms Migwi says living in Isinya has worked perfectly for her family and the greenery is now a bonus.
“We have lived in several places, including Uganda, Tanzania and different locations in Nairobi. Now I’m working as a consultant/entrepreneur, so Isinya is a perfect place. As much as it seems rural, it just felt right. Our children are also big enough to cope with living here and we have only one daughter in school whom we drop and pick and it works out quite fine. I also have another brother who lives not too far away and that gives us comfort in its own way,” she says.
Ms Migwi’s love for gardening started when she was young.
“Since I was a child, I have always been fascinated by flowers, especially roses and the mimosa. The little things fascinated me so much and so I always had a love and interest for plants. The more I ventured into it, the more I just fell in love with it,” she recalls.
Her first garden gave her a space to experiment with vegetables and beautiful flowers such as monsteras – the evergreen perennial vines and other flowers that are essential for any plant lover with high expectations of creating beautiful botanical worlds.
“The climate of this area said a lot about how the art would be done. It is so dry and hot. I had the idea of planting beautiful flowers, but the plants died a painful death even when I watered them. They reminded me of the climatic conditions I live in,” Ms Migwi recalls.
She did not give up. She went back to the drawing board.
“Plants will let you down, they will die, and that’s probably every gardener’s first experience. We always have that period where you start and then you say no, this is not for me,” says the mother of three.
Baby sun rose ground cover plants at Alice Migwi’s garden in Isinya Kajiado County on May 28, 2024.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
She has had many such episodes but always comes back stronger.
“Just two years into desert landscaping, my love of working with plants and creating garden spaces has grown far beyond the reach of secateurs or loppers,” says Ms Migwi, adding, ” I’m a creative person at heart. I thought about how I could paint the landscape into a picture that represents who I am, a place that would make me and others feel at home. While most people choose to grow food, I wanted to do something different.”
The art extends into her house. The corridors are lined with potted money plants [Epipremnum aureum, grown to fill the house with prosperity and wealth]. She also has a Hoya, a reliable warm-weather bloomer which thrives in the right soil, plenty of light, and adequate water. She also has multicoloured Aglaonema, which she bought from local vendors.
“Many residents here don’t know about ornamental plants, but they [plants] grow best here. So I thought, if I can show people, they can go and practice it in their homesteads so they can have beauty around them,” she says.
For those looking to pot their flowers, she says “potted plants can become stressed because they are confined to a small space.”
“Plants communicate and thrive when they grow together, sharing nutrients and water. When a plant is alone in a pot, it can become weak and dry up quickly. They may appear unhappy because they are solitary and require more attention,” she says.
Her secret to maintaining a lush garden is to stick to the basics. When planting, she uses compost alone or mixed with soil. Occasionally she feeds the plants to ensure they have nice, healthy-looking leaves, and finally, she adds natural fertiliser. She uses a mixture of black cotton soil and sand.
“The black cotton soil holds a lot of water. The sand is added to drain the excess water because plants don’t thrive in waterlogged conditions. Plants store water in their leaves, taking only what they need and releasing any excess. If you grow them directly in the black cotton soil, they will rot,” she says.
French Marigold at Alice Migwi’s garden in Isinya Kajiado County on May 28, 2024.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
“When trying to improve your space, it’s important to consider your climate. Don’t try to grow something just because you’ve seen it elsewhere and assume it will work for you. When it comes to ornamental plants, soil quality is not a concern. If the climate is suitable, the soil will be too,” she adds.
“As drought-tolerant plants, “I don’t water them at all. Instead, they draw water from the humidity,” she says.
Ms Migwi does not see it as a challenge to look after her plants. “I only do weed.” “If you are a busy person and you want to garden, you can start with ornamental plants. They are easy to maintain, they don’t bother you with diseases, you don’t have to worry when you travel,” she notes.
But for her lawn, what was supposed to be her living space became her drying space. She had to spread 20 tonnes of fertiliser to get her Kikuyu and Pemba grass to stick.
“The rainy season was a blessing for my grass, it gave me the boost I needed,” she says.
Beyond her own garden, Alice extends her passion to the community. As a consultant, she designs outdoor spaces for local families, often creating areas for play and relaxation surrounded by wildlife-friendly and fragrant planting. She is also an author, sharing her knowledge and love for gardening with others.
Alice’s vision as a gardener is to create a community space with native plants where people can interact with nature.
“I enjoy all aspects of gardening, from planting seeds to pruning hedges and clearing branches. Gardening is the best form of exercise, and I’m always surprised by how good my body feels after just a few minutes in the garden,” she says.
Alice Migwi has found joy and peace in xeriscaping, proving that with passion and perseverance, even the driest lands can bloom beautifully.
“The glory of gardening is to have your hands in the dirt, your head in the sun, and your heart in nature,” she reflects on the words of Alfred Austin (English poet).
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Inside Tanzania’s Life-Saving Birthcare Model
Tanzania is winning the battle against maternal and newborn deaths, as the latest numbers reveal a significant decline.
“Tanzania is committed to reducing maternal and newborn mortality and ensuring safe deliveries as part of the national development plan. The Safer Births Bundle of Care is one of the key strategies supporting this effort,” said Dr. Benjamin Kamala, the Senior Research Scientist at Haydom Lutheran Hospital and Principal Investigator for the program, leading its implementation across five regions in Tanzania.
A groundbreaking study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the innovative health program in Tanzania – centered on regular, on-the-job training for healthcare workers – reduced maternal deaths by 75% and early newborn deaths by 40%. The three-year study, conducted across 30 high-burden healthcare facilities in Tanzania, tracked approximately 300,000 mother-baby pairs under the Safer Births Bundle of Care (SBBC) programme. The programme focuses on improving care for mothers and babies during the day of birth, the critical time when a woman goes into labor and delivers her baby.
Maternal health is a key focus of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Target 3.1, which aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Tanzania’s program combines continuous, simulation-based training for frontline healthcare workers alongside innovative clinical tools to improve labour monitoring (fetal heart rate monitoring) and newborn resuscitation.It also uses data to drive ongoing improvements, ensuring that healthcare workers have the skills, confidence, and competence to manage birth-related complications for both mothers and newborns.
“We work closely with healthcare workers, equipping them with the necessary tools to improve the quality of care, ensuring they can effectively manage both mothers and babies during and after childbirth,” Dr. Kamala said, which helps them build on over a decade of innovative research and collaboration to improve care during childbirth.
“To give you a sense of the scale of the burden of maternal and newborn mortality in Tanzania when the Safer Births Bundles of Care program was in early development in 2015/16, there were around 556 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 25 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births,” he said.
The published study demonstrates the “transformative impact” of the Safer Births Bundle of Care program conducted across 30 hospitals in five high-burden regions of Tanzania, where there were about 300,000 mother-baby pairs.
Maternal deaths at the start of the program were recorded at 240 per 100,000 live births, with postpartum hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders being the leading causes of death, he said. Over the 24-month study period, this number dropped to approximately 60 per 100,000 live births, representing a 75% reduction. The number of newborn deaths – which are primarily due to breathing difficulties and complications related to prematurity – declined by 40% – from 7 deaths per 1,000 live births to 4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“These results are remarkable,” Dr. Kamala said.
According to Dr. Kamala, the 75% reduction in maternal deaths was not expected, and a key lesson was the important role of the in-situ team simulations – including for postpartum bleeding – with reflective debriefings that trained facilitators led.
“This seems to be a major part of the success of the program,” he said. “We are delighted by these results and hope that other countries adopt and scale the Safer Births Bundle of Care program… Beyond the numbers, the Safer Births Bundle of Care program has fostered a dramatic culture shift in our healthcare system,” he said. “Healthcare workers are now more confident and better equipped to handle birth-related complications for both mothers and babies.”
Maternal death drop
Dr. Kamala attributed the 60-70% reduction in newborn deaths in Geita and Manyara to several factors.
“Firstly, Manyara was the first site for implementation, giving the region more time to adapt and experience the impact of the program. Most importantly, both regions had a high burden of stillbirths and neonatal deaths, making them ideal targets for focused intervention. As a result, newborn deaths decreased by 60-70%, showcasing a clear positive impact on newborn survival,” he said.
Dr. Kamala said another possible explanation is the differences in the culture of practices, where some health facilities reported inaccurate data due to the fear of blame and shame. However, with the project’s implementation, reporting became more accurate after mplementation. Some regions, such as Tabora, reported an increase in the number of referrals to the study hospitals from other care centers after the program was implemented. These were more likely to be late admissions, which increase the likelihood of poor health outcomes, he said.
After the implementation of the program, there was a 40% decrease in newborn deaths within the first 24 hours after birth, according to the study.
Dr. Kamala said Tanzania’s remarkable progress in reducing maternal mortality by 80% is driven by strategic investments and innovative programs focused on improving maternal and child survival rates.
“Over 2,000 new healthcare facilities have been developed, free health services are being provided to expectant mothers and children under the age of five, and emergency obstetric care – including better transport to hospitals in rural areas are helping to ensure timely, life-saving interventions.
“Most importantly, the Ministry of Health works in collaboration with healthcare workers, hospitals, and development partners to strengthen the skills of frontline healthcare workers, which has been a key factor in driving this progress.
“Political leadership, alongside strategic partnerships and financing, has been crucial in driving progress in maternal and newborn health,” he said.
The program was made possible by the support of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents, Norad, UNICEF, and Laerdal Global Health, as well as the Ministry of Health and Haydom Lutheran Hospital. Their partnership and investment enabled the scaling of the Safer Births Bundle of Care to 30 hospitals and supported the research. “The government has now scaled the program to over 150 sites, and there are plans for further expansion to three regions this year and then nationally,” he said.
Dr. Kamala outlined key policy recommendations for other governments can adopt to prioritize maternal health.
“Firstly, it focuses on cost-effective and relatively simple interventions that are essential to preventing maternal and newborn deaths. For example, stronger primary healthcare that is delivered in the community and a well-trained healthcare workforce are also critical. Additionally, working in close collaboration with national, regional, and local health authorities is key.”
He said Tanzania’s approach, where the Safer Births Bundle of Care program was successfully scaled and sustained by aligning the initiative with national guidelines for obstetrical and newborn care. In addition, the creation of mentorship programs and regular supervision has helped to sustain the results.
Looking ahead
Tanzania now plans to expand to three new regions in 2025, followed by a nationwide rollout.
The success of the program has attracted interest from other countries, with Botswana, Ethiopia, Lesotho, and Namibia expressing interest in adapting the program to their healthcare system. In Nigeria, the program has already been launched in two states, Gombe and Borno, marking a significant step in its scaling.
Source: allafrica.com
