cases from tanzania - Sustainet

3 Cases from Tanzania
Box 15 cheMA
CHEMA stands for Community Habitat Environmental Management. It is a development arm
of the Catholic Diocese of Rulenge. The Diocese operates in the three districts of Karagwe,
Ngara and Biharamulo, in the Kagera region of northwestern Tanzania.
CHEMA promotes the proper use of natural resources and locally available materials
through:
• Community participatory planning and action
• Training on watershed management, low external-input sustainable agriculture, afforestation,
beekeeping, and seed security for sustainability
• Internal inspections of certified organic farms.
Some farmers had a lot of cattle, which are traditionally considered a sign of wealth. They
kept their animals far away from the village. The smaller-scale farmers could not afford cattle,
but they kept goats and poultry. Free grazing was common, and overgrazing meant that
environmental degradation was severe. Along with regular bush fires, soil erosion, declining
soil fertility and pest and disease attacks, it meant that yields of food crops were falling and
people often did not have enough to eat, especially after the end of the dry season in September
to December, when there was a lot of work to do preparing the land for planting
and sowing crops.
Without enough food or money to feed their families, a lot of the men would leave the area
in search of work. Many families could not afford to send their children to school or their
sick for treatment.
cheMA’s training
CHEMA initiated the sustainable agriculture project in the area in 1997, with financial support
from Misereor. CHEMA already had working relationships with the Mavuno Learning
Assistance Centre, a community organization in Ihanda, and World Vision, a non-government
organization working in Nkwenda. Together with these organizations, CHEMA trained
groups of farmers on low-external-input sustainable agriculture: three groups of 25 farmers
in Ihanda, and two groups of 20 farmers in Nkwenda.
Each training course included several 2-day modules, each consisting of a day of theory and
a day of practice. The modules were spread out to allow farmers to implement what they
had learned before going on to the next one. The modules were:
• Soil fertility, including composting and the use of cover crops to fix nitrogen.
• Integrated pest management This included biological, cultural, physical and sanitary
measures. For example, the biological measures covered the use of neem leaves, hot
pepper, garlic and ash to control pests.
• Soil and water conservation measures, including contour farming.
• Agroforestry, including how to start a tree nursery.
• Crop management, including intercropping, using farmyard manure and compost,
mulching, and double-row planting
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