For the annual party of Nane Nane, the August 8th 2014 (National Agriculture Exhibition), the director of KIHO, Mr. Kateri Genes Daniel and the European volunteer, Mr. Jerome Alain Faes went to Arusha accompanied with five local farmers from Same district, who aimed at visiting Nane Nane National Agriculture Exhibition to discover the novelties regarding agriculture and relative appropriate technologies.

    This national holiday is the opportunity to bring together motivated farmers from all corners of the country for learning purposes. Surrounding this occasion the participants are privileged to learn different things including:

• different cultures,
• appropriate and modern farming practices and technologies,
• appropriate and modern livestock keeping practices and technologies,
• appropriate and modern technologies in beekeeping and fish farming
• appropriate techniques in agro forestry practices
• appropriate and modern technologies in managing horticulture at small scale/household levels e.g. kitchen gardening
• appropriate and modern technologies in food processing including preserving and packaging of fruits, vegetables and other cereal crops
• success and challenges experienced by different development initiative groups elsewhere within and out side the country
• appropriate management of water drops for productive uses at household

    With stands distributed on several hectares and hundreds of exhibitors, all the horizons and all the types of agriculture are represented; of big and small scale firms exposing multiple successes and challenges to be learned by farmers. The exhibition comes as a home to find new ideas and initiatives to increase yield on agricultural production and significantly a starting point to improve the quality and quantity of what we produce at our own localities.

    For approximately 4 hours, the group went round all the show, in the discovery of new technologies and information, to learn and forecast to increase the agriculture productivity, economic multiple uses of water is deemed as indispensable innovative new practice to be adopted at local villages.

The agriculture was represented in each domain: The field of varieties of vegetable (tomatoes, salad, corn...)

The breeders also showed various techniques of breeding, for example, the hens in series (drum kits), and a system still partially known in Tanzania, but which arouses a big interest.

Knowledgeable farmers, who have access to adequate and availability of running water, would integrate some income generating projects such as poultry, small scale fish farming and organic vegetable gardening. Such integration would ensure households’ food security and increase of optional sources of income and hence, boosting the farmers’ per capital income. Thanks to donors, partners and individuals who may build interests to support our local farmers’ development initiative groups in such projects.
Animal husbandry practices in relation to power energy production

Importance of energy:
(Reference from: An Overview of energy sector in rural Tanzania, Workshop on Innovations in off-grid lighting products and energy services for rural Tanzania, by N.C.X. Mwihava, 8th -9th April 2010)

Energy is a basic need for human development. It is a major input for successful family and for implementation of MKUKUTA and MKUZA, sector policies programs in Tanzania. Biogas is one of the major energy components in Tanzania.

Energy policy in Tanzania:
Energy policy in Tanzania is to provide an input in the development process  by establishing an efficient energy production, promotion of transportation, distribution and end-user systems in an environmentally sound manner and with due regard to gender issues.

Biomass in Tanzania includes animal droppings from 17.5 million cattle, 12.5 million goat and 3.5 million sheep - biogas (1998 census), 15 million tons p.a. of crop residues, 200,000 tons of VS of sisal waste and 1.1 million tons p.a. of forest residues.
Biomass based in Tanzania:

• Sustainable biomass yield per annual is estimated (data in 2010) at 23.3 million M3.
• Annual demand is around 40 million M3 for households.
• Annual deficit is 15.7 M3 that is harvested by causing deforestation (over 392,000 ha cleared at 40M3 /ha.
• Currently total population relying on biomass fuel for cooking are:

            - Fuel wood 26, 108,769 (79%)
            - Charcoal 4,486, 235 (14%)
            - 2 million people currently rely on fire woods for lighting

• Biomass meets 90% of energy needs in Tanzania. 40% cooking needs in Peri-Urban areas. 96% cooking needs of rural population.

Energy consumption in rural Tanzania

• Cooking - >90% wood fuel energy (per capital is 1m3 p.a.) biogas, kerosene, gel fuel (motopoa) etc
• Lighting - ≥2% kerosene, electricity, dry cell batteries, solar PV, biogas, firewood, candles (insignificant) etc
• Agro processing – wood fuel, Solar, electricity (grid & captive generators)
• Space heating – mainly wood fuel
• Water heating – wood fuel & limited solar thermal
• The poor spend  about 35% of their income on energy with the Tanzanian Program of domestic Biogas. Which is already implanted in already 8800 families with 4 years.

This system is used to create a source of energy which will be useful for the needs for the family. The show also showed little expensive ways ready and useful for grounds difficult to cultivate.

Each Pump given to a group is equipped with two pipes (one of 25 meters in length for irrigation and the other one of 10 meters expulsion (discharging water from the shallow well), enough to allow irrigating 2 acres per day; 4rubbers (piston),2 spring wires(as spare parts),as well as the manual book.

  KIHO staffs organizes a “One Day Training Session” to the beneficiary group members before or after delivering of the pumps. However the capacity building trainings to group members are on continuous basis.

The capacity building training sessions (above pictures) are organized for group members. The trainings focus on various beneficial subjects including the following:

• Good governance, accountability and leadership skills ▪ Gender empowerment and development
  
• Skills on preparing successful local fund raising events▪ Appropriate entrepreneurship skills
  
• Climate change and adaptation ▪ Environmental conservation measures
  
• Project ownership/monitoring/evaluation and sustainability
  
• Book keeping and simple financial accounting ▪ Writing of constitution/bylaws of the group
  
• Preparation of short and long term development plans for the group’s activities and initiatives
  
• Appropriate farming techniques of managing run-off waters aiming at promoting sustainable multiple uses of water
  

The director of KIHO, Mr. Kateri Genes Daniel (bellow pictures) giving to the representatives of the local farmers’ development initiative groups, some magazines on agricultural practices and initiatives in Tanzania, “Mkulima Mbunifu Jarida la Kilimo Endelevu Africa Mashariki”

The farmers from Uhai Group (before and after) using Money Maker Pumps while irrigating vegetable gardens at Minyala village. The outcomes of this new technology are quite visible as you can see Mama Sophia Mohamed harvesting Broccoli (Sukuma Wiki) on Saturday 2nd of July 2014 – to be sold at the Sunday’s Market in Same District.

The Executive Director of KIHO (bellow on the right) visiting the farms and holding Pumpkins harvested from the irrigated gardens, using the new technology “Money Maker Pumping System” at Minyala village Uhai Group

In September 2013 KIHO, as one of the most community-oriented NGOs in Same District, received a dairy cows project proposal by the farmers’ community group of Chome ward.

KIHO carefully examined the project and proposed 2 main suggestions to make it as much relevant as possible to its core principles: 1) an integrated approach; 2) gender equality through women’s representation.

An integrated approach, in order to guarantee a more sustainable and long-term development to its community, to be obtained through the combination of the original dairy cows project with two other micro-projects. After a productive debate, the priority micro-projects to be chosen were respectively: environmental conservation (through tree-nurseries and tree-planting), biogas, beekeeping, dry-season gardening and fishkeeping.

Moreover, KIHO not only highly recommended a greater women inclusion in the decision-making process, but also asked the community group to amend its Constitution accordingly.

Indeed, most villages in Tanzania are organized in “community groups”, that is groups of people who spontaneously gather together and, after establishing their core mission, they provide themselves with a Constitution and are officially registered as CBO – “Community Based Organizations”. Examples are: women microfinance group, farmers group, beekeeping group, etc., all animated by a sound solidarity and active involvement in their shared future.


KIHO will cooperate with the farmers’ group to reshape their project before looking for potential donors willing to make a sustainable investment in Chome ward.

Last Thursday KIHO attended a sub-village meeting at Bagamoyo Maasai community, located in the Terite area, near Ruvu village, Same District.

The meeting focused on the severe water scarcity currently faced by the Maasai community of this area which includes 27 sub-villages (the so-called “bomas”), for an estimated total of 700-1,000 people (the number is not accurate, as the Maasai are a nomadic tribe: men are mainly shepherds or cattle-keepers and most of them come back home during the rainy season only).

This community has been suffering from water scarcity for almost 4 years, mainly due to inadequate rainfall and technical problems to the existing borehole.

Their current water source is Pangani river, about 8 km far from their homes. It goes without saying that the quality of this water is very poor, as this river rises from Kilimanjaro mountain (to flow into the Indian Ocean) and, before reaching them, it goes through many other villages which use it for many activities: farming, laundry, body cleansing, etc., therefore it gets more and more polluted along its flow.

The most suffering from this water accessibility problem and struggling for survival are women, as they are the hard-workers in their families. Indeed, fetching water daily is one the most common women’s activities in Maasai tribes, along with building houses and collecting firewood. Sometimes donkeys are used to transport water. One donkey can carry around 60 liters but, as its pace is slower than humans, it may take up to one day to go to the river and come back (around 5-6 hours one-way).

However, most of the time, women first waste hours looking for donkeys as, due to water and grass shortage, they run away. Sometimes women pick the first donkeys they find on their route, that may not belong to them, thus causing tensions between families claiming for their own donkeys. On average, 3 donkeys can carry 180 liters, which must be sufficient for 1 day for more than 40 people within one boma. The water they carry is only used for cooking, cleaning babies and feeding young animals (donkeys, cows, goats).

Should not the women find donkeys, they carry 10/20 liters on their back and, in this case, the water will only be used for cooking and it won’t be enough for all family members.
The water is not used for personal hygiene or laundry, as these activities take place at the riverside.
This activity is highly time and energy-consuming for women, who must also take care of their families and homes.

Water scarcity affects children education also: they often go to school without taking breakfast and, after every few hours, they go home searching for drinking water, but in vain. Neither the school nor home can provide water to them, resulting in severe dehydration.

KIHO will be the spokesperson of their distress and intends to write a grant proposal for a new borehole drilling and a gravity pipeline construction in this area (without then the need of an energy-wasting pump), hoping to make a huge difference for hundreds of people.

We received a kind donation to our office from Donata, our Italian volunteer, and her family.

The stationery donation includes, among others: a webcam, printing paper, notepads, envelopes, folders, a stapler, paper clips, pens, highlighters and stickers.

We are very grateful for this gift, as a simple but practical contribution to our daily administrative and office work, which underpins all our other activities on the field, and reducing our budget costs for writing material.

We hope to receive other donations in the future, both to our office and to our activities, helping KIHO to grow further!

Thank you and feel welcome!

KIHO, in agreement with the District Council and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), decided to shift from a water project to a market access road project in Gonjanza village.

Indeed, the original water and sanitation project could not be implemented due to logistics problems. Therefore, the new project will concern the construction of a village market access road. This is the second implementation phase of the project, whereas the first phase was finished about 10 years ago.

Since the village is currently experiencing a severe food shortage due to insufficient rainfall, KIHO decided to intervene with a different project, rather than deferring the original one and leaving the villagers to struggle for food.

The construction works began last week and are expected to be completed in February 2014.

This road will link Gonjanza village with the main road-Tarmac (connecting Arusha to Dar Es Salaam), shortening the previous track of about 20 km.

Construction works are carried out without machinery, by men and women labor only, who usually spend half-day on the site to complete their assigned piece of work (or “work norm”: a single villager is expected to work at least 6 hours/day, 3 days/week), thus entitling them to receive white maize, palm oil and pulses on the occasion of KIHO food distribution. A 3-month food stock is also distributed to the elders and disabled people who cannot work and hardly receive support from their families.

The first food distribution took place on Christmas Eve and a second one is scheduled at the beginning of January 2014.

Gonjanza villagers work to create asset for their own wellbeing: this market access road will improve food security in the village, facilitating the transport of harvest, manure and other farm products within their village, Same town and the markets, reducing transport costs, decreasing decayed food crops and saving time.

As a local cooperating partner of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), KIHO is constantly coordinating and monitoring its 2013/2014 “Food For Asset Creation” (FFA) projects.

Construction works in all the six villages of Same District in Kilimanjaro Region involved began in August/September 2013, are now halfway and are expected to be concluded within March 2014.

The six “Food for Asset Creation” projects are: four gravity water projects in Chajo, Gonjanza, Malindi and Mwembe and two market access road constructions in Tae-Mongoloma and Minyala-Matongo.

Globally, 970 households are involved, respectively: 169 in Chajo, 165 in Gonjanza, 165 in Malindi, 169 in Mwembe, 177 in Tae-Mongoloma and 125 in Minyala-Matongo, corresponding to an estimated total of 18,169 people.

The villagers are actively employed in the construction works and, in return of the completion of their assigned pieces of work, they receive white maize, beans or pigeons peas and palm oil on the occasion of food distributions.

The food is kindly donated by the United Nations World Food Program, our cooperating and constantly supportive projects partner.

All these activities reflect the ultimate scope of KIHO, aiming to the promotion of a long term sustainable development in its community through food security, water, income-generation and environment-friendly activities, thus reducing community vulnerability to both internal and external factors and assuring an improved quality of life.