Impacting the pastoral community: How local pastoral groups gained global recognition

Impacting the pastoral community: How local pastoral groups gained global recognition

Arusha/Manyara. Efforts are yielding success and revealing pathways within the community.

This sentiment suitably describes institutions that have garnered international recognition for their endeavours in assisting communities in the fight against climate change.

Beginning with the Tanzania Conservation and Community Empowerment Initiative (TACCEI), headquartered in Terrat village, Simanjiro district, in the Manyara region, these institutions are making significant strides.

TACCEI has earned acclaim from the Global Landscapes Forum’s (GLFx) network of chapters, specifically through the “Maasai Steppe chapter” programme.

The Citizen recently ventured to Simanjiro and engaged with TACCEI’s director, Justin Lukumay.

He highlighted the organisation’s focus on environmental conservation and community empowerment as crucial elements in combating the effects of climate change.

“In environmental conservation, there is a project involving tree planting within the community, particularly in schools. We provide education to students, and in collaboration with partners, we assist in planting various tree species,” stated Lukumay.

He also mentioned other projects, such as empowering village residents, especially women, to cultivate vegetables at the household level, which helps them earn income and provides vegetables for their families.

A vegetable garden planted by students at Terrat Secondary School, where the students also manage a nursery for indigenous trees with over 8,000 trees already planted and distributed to the communities. PHOTO | HALILI LETEA

At Terrat Secondary School, the headteacher, Julias Maplani, reported that after receiving education, they began tree planting in August 2023.

“We planted over 8000 trees of four different species, including native trees such as Vachellia tortilis (Migunga), Moringa oleifera (Milonge), Leucaena leucocephala (Lukina), and Acacia mellifera (Black thorn – Ngoja Kidogo),” he said.

The headteacher noted that the project is supervised, and trees are provided free to the community.

He added, “At the end of the year, when we closed school, each student was given five trees to plant at their homes.”

Among the tree garden supervisors is Neema Mindeli, a Form 3 student, who stated that the primary reason for planting such trees is because many of them are used as fodder for livestock and can withstand drought conditions.

Another Form 4 student, Toima Sanago, mentioned, “We continue to experiment with tree species that are suitable for our environment. Some of the species we started with didn’t thrive in our environment. The school has water and areas for establishing a tree garden, so this task is easy for us.”

Despite this, the school also boasts a large vegetable garden, which is utilised by students residing in the school dormitories, according to Form 3 student Neng’ida Isaya.

Neng’ida explained that after receiving education on vegetable cultivation, they implemented it.

“We have reduced our reliance on beans. Nowadays, we mix vegetables. We manage the garden ourselves.”

In collaboration with partners, Lukumay said they have expanded their initiatives to other schools in the region (the Maasai Steppe—pastoral lands) and are planning to reach ten schools in 2024.

In vegetable cultivation projects, I met Vailet Kidogo, a mother of five children.

“The knowledge we gained from preparing ridges that conserve water is used to grow vegetables even during the dry season,” she explained.

“I sell vegetables, buy school supplies and buy clothes for my children. I even assist my husband now. We used to only eat sardines and beans in the past, but it’s different now,” she added.

Lukumay stated that these projects are environmentally friendly, health-friendly, and eco-friendly and have assisted the citizens.

Other projects include the establishment of savings and loan groups and teaching entrepreneurial skills for environmentally friendly activities.

Here, we encounter a group of thirty women who are part of a lending group.

“We started with our own contributions of 2000 shillings each week and lending them to one person, but after receiving a capital injection of one million shillings, within four months, we now have two million shillings,” said Naurukoki Tauta, the group leader.

Another participant, Nalepo Saling’o, shared how she has expanded her gasoline-selling business from purchasing five litres to seventy litres per week.

“I also sell exercise books and pens. Now, I have reduced my reliance on my husband and can provide for my children,” she said.

Joshua Laizer, the Finance and Programme Officer of the Maasai Steppe chapter of TACCEI, mentioned that besides empowering women, their projects aim to restore native vegetation in the pastoral communities by increasing seedling nurseries from the existing two to six by the end of this year.

“In addition to providing education on planting native trees and empowering village committees in conservation and restoration efforts, we also educate herders on constructing modern livestock enclosures to reduce conflicts between wildlife and humans,” elaborated Laizer.

Tanzania Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC) Project Manager, Stella James (second from the right, behind the tree), conducts a climate adaptation training session for women in Losirwa village, Monduli district. This training includes water harvesting and conservation as well as the planting of grass for livestock. PHOTO | HALILI LETEA

PWC recognition by GCA

During the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in December 2023, the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) recognized the contributions of the Tanzania Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC).

The GCA awarded its director, Maanda Ngoitiko, in the Women in Leadership category for her efforts in enhancing the leadership capabilities of Indigenous pastoralist women and building their capacity to become decision-makers in pastoralist societies.

According to the GCA, the awards aim to acknowledge exemplary locally led initiatives addressing the impacts of climate change and fostering effective resilience.

PWC, operating in the pastoral lands of Monduli, Longido, and Ngorongoro districts, received the award from among more than 500 submitted applications.

Maanda Ngoitiko, the co-founder and executive director of PWC, stated, “Although both pastoralist men and women face equal exposure to climate shocks and stress, women have fewer opportunities to access and control productive resources.”

The Citizen visited Monduli and met with Stella James, who is the project manager at PWC. She mentioned that despite having numerous projects in the district, they have projects involving women’s groups focused on grass cultivation, lending, and water conservation.

“Our work involves providing education and establishing demonstration farms in collaboration with stakeholders, along with providing equipment based on the specific needs of the areas and the type of project,” she said.

She adds that they provide education on climate change and the environment while also empowering women in basic healthcare and reproductive health, as well as reporting gender-based violence.

Additionally, “we assist in improving access to water in these areas through solutions such as well drilling and rainwater harvesting.”

I met Dora Kilimbe in Monduli, one of the women in a group of 30 individuals engaged in grass cultivation and lending activities.

“We prepared the land provided by the village government. After receiving education, we dug an area in the shape of a crescent moon, which we were told could retain water for a long time,” explained Dora.

She added that since they planted the grass in August 2023 on a 14-hectare area, they have been able to harvest seeds and sell them and they expect to sell the grass during the dry season.

Stella noted that there are four grass cultivation groups in the district, with over 44 hectares planted and preserved.

In another area, I met Grace Issaya, who has a 10,000-litre water tank. “By storing water during the rainy season, it lasts for four to five months. Unlike in previous years, where water scarcity was a significant issue,” she said.

Grace, who is also the leader of the lending and savings group, mentioned that within the group, they lend each other money, and many engage in various entrepreneurial activities such as running shops, selling clothes, and buying food.

Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Tanzania Foreign Investment News
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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit

Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.

While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.

“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher

Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).

“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.

Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.

Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.

The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.

“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.

She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.

“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.

Cross-border transmission

The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.

The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.

Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.

“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”

The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.

The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.

Transparency urged

Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.

“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.

WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.

“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.

The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.

Source: allafrica.com

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