The Luhimba Project:
Report to sponsor, 1997
by Paul and Wendy Temple

Introduction

This report was written following our recent visit to Luhimba.

On arrival in Tanzania, and prior to travelling south to Songea and Luhimba, we stayed with Dr Paul Mosha in Dar es Salaam. He had recently returned from the village and was able to give us up-to-date information regarding every aspect of the project - progress, current needs, etc. We found this to be a very useful preparation to our visit.

When we arrived in Luhimba we were given the warmest of welcomes, and the hospitality was superb throughout our stay in the village.

We lived in the village for five days and during that time we were able to discuss the whole scheme with a wide cross section of the village community. We were also given every opportunity to see physical evidence of developments that have taken place during the past few years.

It was very interesting and encouraging to see all the changes that have taken place in Luhimba since my last visit in July 1992. The village has moved forward in a variety of ways.

Without exception, the response to our questions about the project was extremely positive. The villagers are very appreciative of what is being done, and that it is being done in partnership - all the current projects were started at their request, are in accordance with their own tradition, culture and experience, and are what they themselves want. They feel that their quality of life has improved, certainly in the areas of education, community health, and in the reduced workload of women.

We also noticed a general increase in confidence and self-motivation. The village leaders have a clear vision of the direction in which they are heading, and are fully aware of their short and long-term needs. Their clear aim is to be self-sufficient by the time the current funding ends, and they are making provision for this now. There are, however, a number of needs to fulfill before this can be achieved, as will be evident from the following report.

There is no doubt that the Luhimba Project is a success, and this can be attributed to the combination of a number of factors - the continued support, interest and involvement of Poweraid, Comic Relief, and all those concerned in the UK, plus the huge contribution made by Dr Paul Mosha in terms of time and effort, together with the positive and forward-thinking leadership by the Village Chairman, Mwenyekiti Innocent R Mbawala.

The project is also fortunate to have the involvement of such people as Saidi Ntini who comes from Luhimba and who now runs a construction company in Dar es Salaam. He works closely with Dr Paul Mosha in overseeing the village projects and makes regular visits to Luhimba. Also in the village itself there are individuals who have given so much to make the project a success.

When I first visited Luhimba in 1992 there was one primary school to serve the whole of this widely scattered village. Some children had to walk 3km to and from school, and during the wet season paths were waterlogged and streams flooded.

The fabric of the school building was very poor in 1992 - crumbling plaster, mud floors, leaking roofs, insufficient desks, no storage facilities and minimal resources.

The village and project leaders have recognised the important role education has to play in the future of Luhimba, and the upgrading of Luhimba Primary School, plus the building of another school in Likarangilo to serve the children from the other end of the village, have been priorities.

There are currently about 400 children on roll, aged between 7 and 14 years, with 15 teachers. There is also a recently created nursery class with bout 50 children aged 4+. This class has one teacher, but very little resources and no classroom at present.

Much work has been done on upgrading the main school building. All the classrooms except one have been cemented and plastered. There are new window frames, and most children now have desks. The head teacher is Mr Mbawala and his office has been cemented and fitted with new cupboards and shelves. The staff room is much improved. Interior walls have been removed to create much more space, but the teachers need suitable furniture - tables, chairs and cupboards. These can be made in the village carpenter's shop.

Over the past three years priority has been given to upgrading the school building, and the improvements are remarkable. It is time now to focus attention on teaching equipment and resources, as some of the basic essentials are in short supply. I was given a list of current needs (attached) by the teachers, and I am pleased to report that some funds will shortly be made available to purchase consumable equipment for the school.

Although still very poorly paid, (a teacher's salary is about £30 or $48 per month), the staff are doing an excellent job. Last year six children from the whole area were selected to go to a special school for bright children, and two of these came from Luhimba Primary School.

School fees have increased this year from 200/= to 1000/= per year. 1000/= is equivalent to £1 ($1.60). This has created a problem for some families, especially those with several children. There are still families who do not send their children to school, but this trend is on the decrease.

When we visited the school it was obvious that it is well run and well organised. The children all wore school uniform, were extremely well-behaved and seemed eager to learn. The staff are dedicated, although somewhat frustrated by limited resources. But this problem should be eased over the next year or two as education is to receive priority.

Likarangilo is about 3km from the centre of Luhimba and until the building of the new school, children had to walk this distance every day.

Parents saw a need for a school in this area, and through a self-help scheme, partly funded by the Luhimba Project and partly from other sources including the church, the present building was erected in 1994. For a short period, during the building, an older grass-roofed wooden structure was used.

The school has two buildings - one is partially roofed with grass, and the other entirely with corrugated sheets. The grass roof causes problems and there are plans to replace this with corrugated sheets in the near future.

The head teacher is Paul Komba. He has held this post for a year and lives in a house which has been built adjacent to the school.

Around the buildings are neat and well ordered gardens, and bordering these are several of the saplings grown in Luhimba tree nursery.

At present there are 290 children on roll, including a nursery class.

It is obvious that parents, staff, and school administrators have worked hard together to create an excellent school. Their plans are to improve the existing buildings and to build a further block of three new classrooms.

The head teacher presented me with a report by the School Administrator. This is attached, and lists the current needs of the school.

It is pleasing to see the results of determination and self-motivation bearing such worthwhile fruits.

The general feeling is that money, time and effort invested in both these schools now will have far-reaching effects in the future.

The Heifer Project, which started about three years ago, is well-organised and very successful. The village is fortunate to have the services of Joseph Simsokwe who is the Agricultural Extension Officer. Joseph trained at an agricultural college and now lives in Luhimba. He is employed by the Government. He is very knowledgeable about cattle care and diseases, and is able to offer excellent advice on all agricultural matters. He speaks very good English and spent a great deal of time with us in the village.

This project operates in the following way:

The heifers are bought in calf from Government farms or missionary centres (Hanga, Liganga, Perhamio and Muhukuru) and are brought to Luhimba in a truck. Villagers then make an application to own one of the animals. Each application is considered by a committee which includes the veterinary officer. The applicant needs to satisfy the committee that he is able to build a suitable shelter for the heifer. This consists of a concrete base with wooden uprights and a grass roof. Attached to each shelter is a pen in which the cow is confined should it need any treatment. All food is brought to the heifer ("zero grazing"). They do not go out to graze. They are fed on corn, grass, seedcake and bran.

At present there are 14 heifers, 3 calves and one bull. There is now the need to buy more heifers for milk production. The long-term effect of this will be to improve nutrition and community health.

When a heifer has a calf, this is given to another family when it is 6 months old. If the first calf is a bull, this is kept. If the second is a bull, then it is sold.

Current needs include serum, syringes and needles for the treatment of common diseases (e.g. pneumonia).

We saw several of the heifers and they all looked well cared for and very healthy.

At present the cattle dip operates once a week, on Friday mornings. It is supervised by a young man called Moses Mbuzi and he charges the owners 100/= (10 pence or 16 cents) per cow.

The chemical used is Cethion. 7 litres were recently bought, which is sufficient for 6 months. This is stored by the veterinary officer. Water is carried to the cattle dip by women with buckets on their heads.

The problems of parasites has reduced greatly with the use of the dip. E.C.F. (East Coast Fever) was the most common threatening tick-borne disease, but this has now been eradicated.

The Women's Groups are flourishing in the village. The first group was set up in 1994. This group is called "Mwanzo Mgumi" which means "Starting is difficult". The leader or chairperson of all the groups is a very positive and determined lady called Zainabu Mbawala.

There are currently five groups, each consisting of five members. Each group has a name: Mshikamano (Solidarity), Amani (Peace), Upendo (Love), and Kujitegemea (Self-reliance). Each group also has a leader and a secretary.

Members are chosen by friendship and members usually live near each other. Once the group has been formed, they choose a plot of land, or use land already owned by one of the families. Each group will spend two or three days a week on their land, depending on the season, and work from about 8 a.m. to about 5 p.m. The crops they grow include soya, rice, tobacco, corn, finger millet, sim sim, and sunflowers. Initially they only grew maize, but maize prices are very low at the moment, so they have changed to produce a variety of crops. They grow sufficient for their own use and sell the surplus, especially in this season. At present they are planning to sell produce, especially tobacco, to companies. They produce oil from the sunflowers, using the machines in the village, and they sell this to villagers and to neighbouring villages.

The tools they use include hand hoes, pangas (large knives), axes, sickles, baskets, and bags for maize. These are stored in their own homes. They use fertilizers, and there is a need for insecticides, but they do not have any at present.

We joined one of the groups in their paddy field. They were well-organised, seemed to enjoy working together, and sang the whole time!

I asked them about their plans for the future. They had obviously given this a great deal of thought. Their ultimate aim is to be completely self-supporting, with all the groups working in collaboration, providing mutual support for each other. But before this can be achieved, they need additional equipment to get themselves fully established.

Their needs include oxen (ideally 5 pairs). They said they would use these on their own land and then work for others and charge for this service. Any income would go into the group fund. One pair of oxen can plough 1-2 acres per day. With a hand hoe this takes a week, and the oxen plough to a greater depth. Also, they said that if they had an ox-cart, this could be shared between the groups and be used for carrying firewood, manure for fertilizer etc. They also need a spray pump for insecticides. This would cost 60,000/= (£60 or $95) plus the chemicals. They also now need more fertilizer. The 200,000/= recently allocated was shared between the groups and this has now been used up.

The Women's Groups have made a request to the village council that the maize milling machines be put under their control. They would like to take responsibility for these, charge others for use and share the profits between the groups. The village council is in favour of this, but it would need some structure to ensure that there is adequate provision for repairs and maintenance. At present none of the machines are working and women have to carry maize to a neighbouring village for milling. There is an urgent need to get at least one of the mills working so that the women do not have this burden.

Also, the Women's Groups want to be involved in the running of the village Pombe Shop (Drinking Club). The structure of the building is in need of repair. The women feel that, if they could organise the sale of pombe more efficiently, and perhaps provide food and entertainment, then this would attract more custom, be more profitable, and they would be able to improve the quality of the building.

We asked several members of the Women's Groups how their lives have been affected since the formation of the groups. Their response was unanimous. Their quality of life has improved. They are more independent. They have their own income and are no longer totally dependent on the men. They are happy and obviously very enthusiastic.

As described earlier, none of the diesel engines are in working order at present, so there is no facility in the village for grinding maize. Very few women still use the old fashioned method with a pestle and mortar. Instead the maize is carried to Likarangilo or Mtyangimbole (about 3km) to be milled. This is very time consuming and laborious. There is urgent need to have at least one machine working, more would be preferable. Repairs would be carried out by an engineer from Songea. Funds have been allocated to this, so hopefully the problem will be overcome in the near future.

This scheme has been in operation for three years and is very successful.

There are 4 machines, each with a different function (separating husks, winnowing, crushing, and extraction) plus an oven for frying.

In charge of this operation is Abdul Rahi, and during the busy season (May to Oct/Nov) eight people are employed. It works as follows:

Seeds are supplied to the farmers at low cost. They then grow the sunflowers and grow the seeds to the operators who produce the oil and the sunflower seedcake (for cattle feed) and sell this to villagers and to other villages.

All the machines are hand operated and there are no maintenance problems. A purpose-built brick structure with a corrugated roof was erected to house the machines. This is in the centre of the village, near the Community Hall and the new Dispensary.

All agreed that this venture has been very successful and a good business for the village.

There is no doubt that the new Dispensary is already fulfilling a great need in Luhimba, and when it is fully operational the benefits to the village and surrounding areas will be immense.

The building itself is first class, built of bricks with a corrugated roof, glass in the higher windows and very high standard of carpentry. The solar panels to power a refrigerator and lights in the Dispensary have not yet been installed. They are awaiting transport from Dar es Salaam and this should be arranged in the very near future.

It is situated in the middle of the village and is easily accessible by everyone.

At the front of the building their are 3 rooms - for outpatients, a general treatment room and medicine room. At the back their is a clinic for children, a children's treatment room and maternity room. Furniture consists of tables, chairs, cupboards, beds and benches.

At present the Medical Officer from Mtyangimbole Dispensary comes to Luhimba to provide a service, but the village expects to get a full-time medical officer soon. There are plans to build a house for him next to the dispensary.

The Medical Officer will be employed by the Government, but the villagers will have to pay for medicines. Outside assistance is needed for this. There is a request for the project to help initially, and there is hope that some help could also come from mission hospitals.

Once a month there is a M.C.H. Clinic (Mother and Child Health) at the Dispensary. At these sessions children receive vaccinations and women are given advice and education on matters of childcare, family planning etc.

We asked several women for their opinions on size of families. The general feeling now seems to be that smaller families are preferable, for a variety of reasons - the cost of healthcare, school fees, food, clothing etc. There was also the feeling that with fewer children mothers could give them more individual time and attention, and improve their quality of life.

The feeling amongst village leaders is that community health and education are the major factors contributing to an improved lifestyle in the future, and their investment in these now will have great impact for future generations.

This has been another major factor in the reduction of water-borne diseases.

During my last visit in 1992 there was just one water pump to serve the whole village. Women had to carry heavy buckets of water long distances.

There are now 19 pumps spread out around the village and this has had a tremendous impact on their way of life, and the provision of these pumps is very much appreciated by the whole village.

At present, 18 pumps are working well and one has broken down - a plastic pipe has split below ground level, but the man who maintains the pumps has this in hand and it will soon be working again.

Because of increasing population in Luhimba the villagers have made a request for four more pumps to serve these new areas.

The agroforestry scheme got off to a good start, but progress has been hampered this season by a fire which destroyed most of the saplings in November. We saw evidence of this. However, new seedlings are now growing and these will be transplanted in due course.

In the 1995-6 season we were told that 9,000 seedlings were grown. These came from the Agroforestry Department in Songea.

In the main, two types of trees are grown - ALBESIA, which provides shade and firewood, and MELIA, which provides timber and firewood.

The tree nursery is run by the village council under the supervision of the Chairman. Much of the day-to-day work is done by Lusi Ngailo.

The seedlings we saw were planted in the ground, but we were told they do use plastic containers as well. Water is carried to the nursery by hand during the dry season. Fertilizer is bought and stored under shelter at the nursery. Farmyard manure is also used. The very young seedlings have a grass shelter above, and the nursery itself is in a sheltered spot.

During the first two seasons saplings were given to the villagers and to the primary schools. We saw several of these and they all looked healthy. There were several around Luhimba and Likarangilo Primary Schools and in the neighbouring village of Mtyangimbole.

This season, despite the setback caused by the fire, they plan to sell the saplings at a profit.

This is run by Jumanne Rahi and is housed in the Social Hall.

Mr Rahi and his three assistants make desks, doors, window frames, cupboards etc for the school as well as furniture for the villagers. He also did all the carpentry for the new dispensary. The quality of his work is excellent.

His workshop is neat and tidy with all the tools well maintained. Timber is bought from merchants in neighbouring villages or Songea and stored in the workshop.

He has made a request for some more tools (list attached). These are basic hand tools and not expensive.

Mr Rahi provides an excellent service which fulfils a definite need in the village.

Social Hall

This building is rather run-down. No money has been spent on it for the past two years and it is now in need of some repair. This work will be included in this year's plans.

The hall is used for village meetings and houses the carpenter's shop and the Village Secretary's Office.

The solar panels, refrigerator, and all the accessories have been purchased and are now at the home of Saidi Ntini in Dar es Salaam, awaiting transport to Luhimba. Mr Ntini told me when I visited him that this would be arranged during the following two weeks. He will go to the village and supervise the installation himself.

There are 9 panels, a small refrigerator, plus batteries, strip lights, wires etc. The plan is to install 3 panels on the dispensary roof to run the refrigerator and some lights. The other panels will be installed at the two schools (3 on each) to provide light and some power, as well as serving as educational aids.

* Since our return we have had the excellent news that Saidi Ntini has taken the solar equipment to the village and it has now been installed and is working well.

I discussed with Paul Mosha and with the village leaders in Luhimba how our project might help other villages in the ward, and we visited one of them, Mtyangimbole, to see what conditions were like, and how the villagers there perceived their needs.

At Mtyangimbole we spent some time with the Chairman, and with the head teacher of the primary school, Mwajuma Bwela, who has been head of the school for five years.

They described similar problems to those of Luhimba in the early days of the project, although each village does have some water pumps, and at Mtyangimbole there is some provision for medical care. However, the school buildings are very run-down, and there is an acute shortage of basic teaching resources.

The villagers of Luhimba are keen to share what they have with neighbouring villages, and hopefully this "trickle down" effect will benefit the wider community.

Conclusion

Wherever you go in Luhimba the impact of this project surrounds you.

The success of certain aspects of the scheme can be seen immediately, while others will take years to show effect e.g. the improvements in education, community health, nutrition, personal hygiene etc.

The attitude of the villagers is excellent - they are more relaxed and happy - their physical workload is reducing, and they have more time to socialise.

The desire to become self-sufficient is very evident.

Our feeling at the end of our visit was that Luhimba is very definitely heading in the right direction, and that the villagers have, and are still making the best use of all the support they are receiving to get them there.

Paul and Wendy Temple
January 1997