Tanzania project profile

Bukene ADP

Education
There is a shortage of books, desks, teachers and teachers’ houses in Bukene. On average, the teacher:pupil ratio is 1:100. Fewer than 10 per cent of students pass national examinations.

Bukene ADP provides desks and books, arranges practice exams and organises training workshops and conferences for teachers. World Vision also encourages the community to support students and school activities.

Health
The most pressing health issues in Bukene are malaria, high mortality rates for children under five and pregnant women, meningitis, sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS. Immunisation rates are low.

Bukene ADP trains and equips village health workers and traditional birth attendants. It educates the community about malaria prevention and supplies insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Through World Vision trained HIV/AIDS committees, counsellors and peer educators the people learn about HIV/AIDS prevention and care. The ADP also builds dispensaries and accommodation for health staff.

World Vision and the community have started to construct shallow wells and boreholes. Access to clean water will decrease the use of ponds and unprotected wells for drinking water, reducing water-borne disease.

Agriculture
More than 80 per cent of the population is engaged in farming and keeping livestock such as cattle, goats, poultry, sheep and donkeys. The main food crops are maize, rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, sorghum, peanuts and legumes. Cash crops include cotton, tobacco, peanuts, sunflowers and rice. Production has been declining for several years because of reliance on seasonal rainfall and traditional farming methods.

By training local agricultural workers, World Vision introduces improved farming techniques. Farmers learn to use oxen for ploughing, develop irrigation schemes and increase their knowledge of animal husbandry and crop production. The ADP provides farmers with good quality seeds and farm inputs.

Economy
While agriculture is the most important economic activity in the Bukene, it doesn’t sustain families. Women and youths have formed themselves into productive groups for small scale income-generating activities, although they have little access to credit to improve their businesses.

World Vision trains and provides financial assistance for the groups. The formation of a food-processing co-operative will provide employment opportunities and increased profits.

Community leadership
World Vision trains Bukene community leaders in sustainable development and works with them to plan and implement development activities. It facilitates the formation of community-based organisations that will be able to manage development activities in the long term. The ADP encourages women’s participation in leadership and the development process.