cases from tanzania - Sustainet

3 Cases from Tanzania
Establishing these committees was part of a policy change on the environment as a result
of work by HEM and many other organizations working on environmental and rural issues
in Tanzania.
HEM is one of many organizations working on soil and water conservation in Tanzania.
By itself, it cannot have a very large impact. But combined with the efforts of all the other
organizations, the overall impact on farmers’ livelihoods and on government policy can be
substantial.
Networking
HEM cooperates closely with other organizations in the area: NGOs such as TATEDO (an
NGO focusing on energy), the United Nations Development Programme, the Selian Agricultural
Research Institute and the Tanzanian Irrigation Project. TATEDO and the Selian
institute have distributed information about stove-making and improved farming techniques
via HEM technicians and the village extension workers. HEM hosts university students for
practicals. HEM staff have attended training with other organizations in techniques such as
tree grafting, stove-making, biogas production and animal husbandry.
The national and district governments second staff to HEM to assist in the NGO’s programme.
Arrangements vary: for some, the government continues to pay the staff’s salary and
HEM pays an additional allowance and covers operational costs; while for others, HEM may
contribute all or part of the salary. Government staff are motivated by such arrangements:
they earn extra money from their allowances, and their job satisfaction goes up because they
are working with a dynamic organization and have a lot to offer farmers. Secondments may
be full-time or part-time, and may last from 3 months to several years. While they are with
HEM, these staff are already influencing their original working sections, and when they
return, they take with them the approaches and ideas they have learned at HEM.
HEM benefits from this collaboration in various ways. It is a source of new ideas and experiences
from others working in similar or related fields. HEM staff have learned new skills.
HEM works with other organizations on advocacy, for example to promote tree nurseries,
beekeeping, fish farming and improved banana varieties. Seconded staff at HEM strengthen
ties between the government and the NGO, help HEM understand and work with the government,
and facilitate solutions to joint problems.
problems
Marketing Marketing of vegetables is a problem for the farmers: all harvest their crop
of tomatoes or cabbages at the same time, leading to a glut in the market and low prices for
these perishable commodities. Possible solutions include identifying new markets, forming
a marketing group to sell produce to more distant buyers, processing the crop (for example,
drying the tomatoes), switching to other crops with a more reliable price, planting and harvesting
at different times to avoid having to sell at low prices during the peak harvest period,
signing contracts with buyers for a guaranteed price, and so on.
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