Arusha, Manyara. In the past years, women in pastoralist communities, especially the Maasai, were not actively involved in income-generating activities or supporting their families with their daily needs. This was acknowledged by women in the districts of Simanjiro and Mombuli when speaking to Mwananchi.
Unlike many areas in the past, in the village of Oloswaki-Simanjiro, despite experiencing moderate drought, indicating a lack of rain for at least three weeks, one house was surrounded by greenery with lush grass and various trees.
This is the home of Vaileth Kadogo. Behind the house lies a garden of about a quarter hectare, cultivated with several mounds of potatoes and other types of vegetables, cassava, and well-standing banana trees.
In that area, there were also short ridges being prepared, indicating that certain seedlings would be planted there soon.
“Those ridges used to be for vegetables, but now I want to prepare them for potatoes because of the rain; it’s still raining,” Ms Vaileth said.
The mother of five children explained that the beds they use for planting are not ordinary; they have various layers that help conserve water. “We dig a hole several feet deep; we put in leaves, manure, and soil in different layers,” she said.
Ms Vaileth noted that the garden significantly supports her family; during the dry season, they sell vegetables, and they use some at home.
“The education we received from stakeholders, especially TACCEI (a non-governmental organisation), on utilising small plots of land and scarce water has been successful. I sell vegetables and earn between Sh2,000 and Sh5,000 a day. I buy notebooks for the children, and I help my husband,” she said.
In another village, Oloswaki, a group of 19 women gather for a meeting. Speaking to them, they said they came from villages such as Terrat, the neighbourhood of Ololulung’a in Engonongoi village, and some from Oloswaki itself.
“This is a meeting of our rotating savings and credit group (Kikoba); we do this at least once a week,” said Nairukoki Tauta, who is the leader of the group.
Ms Nairukoki explained that due to the harsh living conditions resulting from the drought affecting both livestock and farming, leading to a scarcity of grazing land for livestock and difficulties in cultivating crops, they decided to come together as a group of 20 women.
“In the past, we used to stay at home, solely relying on our husbands. But as the situation became tough, we realised the need to actively contribute to our families’ well-being. Hence, we came together and established this rotating savings and credit group,” she said.
“We started by each contributing Sh2,000, and then we gave it to one person, so each person received an average of Sh30,000. We use this money to engage in small businesses such as selling sugar, petrol, snacks, and others,” Nairukoki added. She further mentioned that their businesses were initially affected by the small capital, but later their capital increased after receiving a loan of Sh1,000,000 from TACCEI.
The leader explained that after increasing their capital, they could lend each other more than Sh100,000 with favourable repayment terms, which doubled their capital. They are currently working on repaying the one million they borrowed.
Ms Esupati Tajiri, one of the women in the group, said she uses the money to trade in soap and sugar. “I started with 10 kilogrammes of sugar and 5 kilogrammes of soap. I sell to my neighbours in the town and village, and I can make repayments,” she said.
Another member, Maitapuaki Lukas, who has five children, said, “Now I can even buy school notebooks and uniforms for my children. In the past, we relied solely on my husband. The soap and notebook business has helped me a lot.”
Director of TACCEI, Justin Robert Lukumay, said: “We felt compelled to think of ways to assist our fellow community members because this is our community, and we have all been affected by climate change.” Mr Justin said they provided education and assistance to the women because they had often been left behind.
This sentiment was echoed by the chairman of Terrat Village, Kone Medukenya, who stated that women are more affected and that it is easier for a man to leave his family than for a woman to do so, noting that the establishment of lending groups has been significant for this vital segment of society.
Village Executive Officer (VEO) of Oloswaki, Lairorie Ormemei, said, “We support institutions that aid and endorse our efforts because, as a village government, we have plans to plant at least five trees per household every year. Environmental conservation education should continue because our communities have lagged behind for too long.”
In Esilalei ward, Monduli district, women are in their own grass farm which they have planted and tended to. The grass are expected to be sold during the dry season, and they have already started selling seeds. PHOTO | HALILI LETEA
The situation is not much different for women in Monduli District, Losirwa village in Esilalei ward, where a group of women from a pastoralist community engaged in a grass cultivation project.
“We started this project at the end of last year after the village allocated us an area,” said Grace Narumuta, the leader of the group consisting of 25 women and five men. In an open area or savanna with several trees where the eyes can perceive, there is a distinct fenced-off section surrounded by thorny bushes. This is where the 14-acre garden is located.
The grass inside the fenced area grows taller, reaching knee height or more compared to outside the fence. According to Grace, they are still maintaining the area, and they will begin selling the grass in the dry season. Currently, they are able to collect seeds and sell them for some fully-fledged grasses.
“We harvested over four kilogrammemes of seeds and sold each kilogramme for Sh25,000 on International Women’s Day (March 8) to other groups. This business has shown us a ray of hope,” she said.
Ms Grace also mentioned that, besides the grass project, their group has another project of rotating savings and engaging in small businesses.
She added that “in these groups, we assist each other; for instance, if a student needs money for school, we can provide them with some assistance, and if they are from a group member, we may exempt them from repayment because we have a community fund.”.
Meanwhile, in some houses in Esilalei, there was a certain style of rainwater harvesting, with several water tanks installed. Here I met Dora Kilimbe, who said, “We used to suffer a lot from drought, but we received education on rainwater harvesting, and with the tanks we have, we can store water that can last up to five months for our families and some neighbours.”
They obtained education on water conservation, lending groups, and rainwater harvesting from the Pastoral Women Council (PWC) organization. This prompted me to seek out Stella James, who is the project manager at PWC in Monduli District.
“We sought out experts to provide education to these groups, but we also contribute based on our knowledge. This is our home; we have grown up in these environments and have learned and seen how climate change has affected us,” said Ms Stella.
She added that there are four grass planting groups in the district, with over 44 hectares planted and preserved, while there are 12 groups consisting of 30 members each that are involving themselves in saving and lending activities.
The chairman of Loswira village, Yamat Laizer, said: “The village continues to support these efforts, which is why we provided open areas for groups to cultivate grass. There are still areas available, and we will continue to provide them to others to ensure our area remains safe.”
The government is supporting these groups in various ways.
Speaking about uplifting women in pastoralist communities, the Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) of Arusha, Missaile Musa, mentioned that after the government reinstated the 10 percent loan allocation, which will begin next fiscal year, each council has developed a mobilisation plan for these groups.
“In collaboration with development departments, ward councils, and councillors in each council, we have already started a mobilisation campaign,” he said.
He added that the aim of this campaign is to prepare them so that those who receive the funds can invest them wisely for their benefit.
The District Commissioner of Simanjiro, Faki Lulandala, stated that in their district, many economic activities other than livestock keeping are taking place, and the dependency on livestock keeping is not as significant.
He mentioned activities such as mining, trade, and fishing.
He further explained that they have begun preparing citizens, especially women, regarding the criteria for obtaining these loans and the activities they will engage in.
“They are waiting for the fiscal year, and currently, there are those who have already started applying,” he said.
Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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Tanzania: Samia Hands Over NBC’s 354m/ – Crop Insurance Compensation to Farmers Affected By Hailstorms
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has handed over a cheque of 354m/- from the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) as compensation to tobacco farmers, who were affected by hailstorms during the previous farming season in various regions across the country.
Handing over the cheque in Dodoma, the compensation is part of the crop insurance service provided by NBC in collaboration with the National Insurance Corporation (NIC).
Furthermore, President Samia has also handed over health insurance coverage to members of the Lindi Mwambao Cooperative Union based in Lindi Region, through the Farmers’ Health Insurance service provided by the bank in partnership with Assurance Insurance Company.
While visiting the bank’s pavilion at the Nanenane Agricultural Exhibition and being received and briefed by the bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Theobald Sabi, she said: “This crop insurance is one of the crucial solutions in ensuring farmers have a reliable income, without fear of challenges such as natural disasters, including hailstorms.
“I call upon all farmers in the country to make the best use of this important opportunity by accessing these kinds of insurance services. I also highly commend NBC and all the stakeholders participating in this programme.”
Elaborating further on the crop insurance service, the Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, stated that it will help to recover the loss farmers incurred, especially in various calamities beyond their control.
Citing them as floods, fires, and hailstorms, which have significantly affected the well-being of farmers and caused some to be reluctant to invest in the crucial sector, Mr Bashe added: “However, our President, this step by NBC is just the beginning, as this is the second year since they started offering this service, and the results are already visible.
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“As the government, we promise to continue supporting the wider implementation of this service, with the goal of ensuring that this crop insurance service reaches more farmers.”
ALSO READ: NBC participates in TFF 2023/24 awards, promises to enhance competition
On his part, Mr Sabi said that the farmers who benefited from the compensations are from 23 primary cooperative unions in the regions of Shinyanga, Geita, Tabora, Mbeya, Katavi, and Kigoma.
He added: “In addition to these insurance services, as a bank, through this exhibition, we have continued with our programme of providing financial education and various banking opportunities to farmers, alongside offering them various loans, including loans for agricultural equipment, particularly tractors, to eligible farmers.:
At the NBC booth, President Samia also had the opportunity to be briefed on the various services offered by the bank to the farmers namely crop insurance and health insurance services.
There, the President had the chance to speak with some of the beneficiaries of the services, including the Vice-Chairman of the Lindi Mwambao Primary Cooperative Union, Mr. Hassan Mnumbe, whose union has been provided with a health insurance card from the bank.
Source: allafrica.com
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
Insecurity prompts Zanzibar to review its lucrative island leasing
The Tanzanian central government is planning to boost its security presence in the Zanzibar archipelago. A commission tasked with auditing the country’s security forces was appointed in July by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. It says it is concerned about the situation in the country’s Indian Ocean islands that are under the control of the semi-autonomous Zanzibar local government.Continue Reading
