The Impact of Energy Use on Poor Urban Livelihoods in ... - DfID

A study <strong>of</strong> the impact <strong>of</strong> energy use on poor urban livelihoods in Arusha, Tanzania
Nearly every household in Daraja Mbili, and a number in Kaloleni, is involved in some
type <strong>of</strong> business or productive activity. <strong>The</strong>se include guest houses, hair dressing,
dress-making, restaurants, butchers, milling, traditional health centres, and frequently
involve activities related to reproductive tasks, 65 (see Figure 5.6) <strong>The</strong>y are the prime
occupations for some and a source <strong>of</strong> secondary income for others.
Figure 5.5: Reasons for low participation in adult education 66
� Involvement in agricultural activities at a distance from home
� Poor facilities discourages attendance
� Age -people think there is no need to be educated
� Some need reading glasses which are difficult to obtain
� Unmotivated teachers
� No teaching materials provided
� As there is no budget from the Municipality there are no permanent classrooms
available and it is difficult to find suitable accommodation during the wet season
Source: Various key informant interviews
However, the inability to pay for electricity excludes many female-headed households
from engaging in cleaner, income generating activities with potentially higher returns.
One woman in Kaloleni - Magharibi who was unable to pay her electricity bill after her
husband left her was no longer able to make ice-cream She lost both her income
and her fridge which she had kept in a corner <strong>of</strong> her yard covered with a carpet to
use again when she could afford the reconnection charge. <strong>The</strong> fridge is now rotting
away. 67
In addition many households in both wards keep livestock; dairy cattle, goats, sheep,
chickens and ducks, to subsidise their livelihoods. 68
Figure 5.6: Reproductive associated productive activities
� Making ‘bites’ is the most popular small-scale income-generating activity (IGA)
among practically all the women
� Female-headed households in Kaloleni appear to be more economically active than
those in Daraja Mbili
� Making traditional medicines and local brew are only evident in the poorer ward
� <strong>The</strong>re is some differentiation in activity type between non-poor and poor households.
Activities requiring more capital and electricity e.g. making ice-cream, hairdressing
and other type <strong>of</strong> business in town are, as expected, restricted to the non-poor
households. A number <strong>of</strong> activities take place at night and require lighting e.g. selling
chips and sewing 69 .
Source: Interviews and case-studies
5.3 Comparison <strong>of</strong> Daraja Mbili and Kaloleni study samples
5.3.1 <strong>The</strong> six streets
<strong>The</strong> research sample was drawn from six streets, three - Ali Nanya, Sanare and
Jamhuri - from Daraja Mbili and Magharibi and Mashariki (planned) and 200 Meta
(unplanned), in Kaloleni. Figure 5.7 summarises the physical differences between the
two sub-samples. This, again, highlights the inferior position <strong>of</strong> Daraja Mbili
65
See Box D below
66
Ibid 6
67
Semi-structured interview
68
A comparative breakdown for each ward <strong>of</strong> the numbers involved is given in Appendix E2
69
All sewing in the sampled households was done using treadle machines.
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Development Planning Unit, UCL London
Dr. Sheilah Meikle and Patrice North