Tanzania project profile

Iselamagazi ADP

Education
In most Iselamagazi villages, education is valued and children willingly enrol at school, even if it is after the official starting age of seven years. Remaining challenges include the rundown condition of school buildings, a shortage of trained teachers and study materials, poor examination results and the low numbers of children progressing to secondary school (there is only one secondary school nearby).

The ADP renovates and constructs classrooms, equips them with furniture and organises refresher training for teachers.

Health
Major health problems in Iselamagazi ADP include malaria, pneumonia, tuberculosis, skin and eye diseases, worm infestations and diarrhoea. Most villages have basic health facilities, although access to surgical treatment in Shinyanga Town is hindered by a lack of readily available transport. One village is 16km from the nearest health centre.

The ADP assists in immunisation of children, trains and equips village health workers and traditional birth attendants, provides health facilities with medical equipment, and teaches the community basic healthcare such as nutrition and the importance of boiling drinking water.

Water
Water is one of the most urgent and critical problems facing Iselamagazi Ward. Throughout the dry season (usually six months), not one river or stream flows through the ward. People traditionally rely on chaco dams, hand-dug pond-like dams that collect rainwater. The dirty water from these unprotected dams is unsafe to drink and if there is a drought, dries up altogether.

World Vision shows the community how to improve water quality by keeping separate dams for animals and people, and planting the banks with grass to retain soil. Planting trees around the dams reduces soil erosion and provides shade.

There is little underground water so, apart from digging a few boreholes, the ADP has focused on installing rainwater tanks in schools and health facilities, and training people to protect and maintain their water sources. Local stone masons learn how to build water tanks.

Environment
ADP tree nurseries provide communities with seedlings to transplant, to reduce erosion and provide a source of firewood, fruit and timber. World Vision helps schools start their own tree nurseries.

Agriculture
Agricultural activities are the primary occupation of most people in Iselamagazi ADP. Land is owned by the villages and is available to anyone who wants to farm it, however farm sizes are limited to between two-and-a-half to four hectares because people cannot afford sufficient seed or develop bigger areas using their traditional, labour-intensive methods. Unreliable weather, lack of capital, seeds, tools and fertiliser, and the inability to transport harvests to market affect productivity and income.

At training workshops, farmers learn improved agricultural methods. They then pass on their new knowledge and skills to other farmers and form support groups in their villages. World Vision subsidises farming supplies and encourages farmers to switch to drought-resistant crops such as millet and sorghum for food and sunflowers for cash.

Leadership development
The ADP is managed by a steering committee of 24 members, each village electing two representatives, one female and one male, to the committee. Subcommittees have specific focus areas such as planning, finance, health, education and water. World Vision trains committee members in management and financial skills.

World Vision and the people of Iselamagazi ADP envisage that by late 2006 the community's development will be at a level that no longer requires World Vision assistance. We will keep you regularly updated on their progress.