Improving rural livelihoods and environement by rainwater harvesting in Mwanga

See photo gallery of the project

Project concept and links to technical info

Improving livelihoods and environment by rainwater harvesting in Mwanga, Tanzania

Jan 2009- Dec 2011 (Phase I)

This project was designed to address the following problems in the western lowlands of the Mwanga district:

- Lack of clean water close to home

- Inadequate water for crop diversification and agroforestry

- Fetching water and firewood consumes women's and children's time and energy

- Farmers' lack of capital to improve one's livelihood

- Lack of awareness of rainwater harvesting and drip irrigation

- Lack of action to address environmental degradation of the natural bushlands.

The overall objective of the project is improved livelihoods, particularly of women and children, through availability of water within homesteads, and drip irrigation enabling more diversified crop options and tree growing for firewood and fruits and environmental conservation.

The project works with fourteen farmer groups, i.e. 141 members. With an average of 6 people in a household we assist about 780 persons

What has been done so far? (read from bottom up)

Tumaini group started their tank on the 14th December. This is the 54th tank in the project.
Kiumamki tank was built at the beginning of December (53rd tank). Mkombozi fundis from Kiruru Lwami village graduated by this tank. Ndanu inspected them, like usual.
Faraja B started their tank building on the 30th November. This is the 52nd tank in the project.
18th November, Inka Lilja from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs visited both or our Mwanga projects.
16th, Umoja started thier tank. This is the 51st tank in the project. In addition to Kilimanjaro project, we visited Kisangiro's Vumwe group and thier tank building site.
On the 15th November McKnight Foundation consultant Prudence Kaijage visited Mwanga rainwater harvesting project. This is because we have applied half of 2012 funding from them.
On the 14th November, Vumwe started building their tank. Two fundis, Ernest Mbehongwa and Mussa Msafiri of Kisangiro graduated by building this tank as their final demonstration of skills. Ndanu, our long-term fundi from the Kilimanjaro project inspected them by looking on during the entire building of the tank.
Oct 9-14. Ngujiri, our original gutter trainer came to train in making gutters without soldering. Training took place in Mgagao and Lembeni. It has been an inconvenience to always get soldering sticks all the way from Moshi. Now the fundis know how to make gutters by just folding the seams. Three graduated gutter fundis and four tank builders took part. The three graduated fundis are ready to continue independently, the other four need more training. The best of the remaining fundis was taken by Ngunjiri for further training on the 6-8 December.
At the beginning of November, on the 2nd and 3rd, Neema and Umoja ni nguvu groups built thier tanks. These are the 49th and 50th tanks.
The project is following up group members tree planting. Each group submitted their report on how many trees and which species each member has planted or conserved (wildlings protected from animals). Most of the groups are doing relatively well with about 80-100 trees planted per group (meaning each member has planted about 8-10 trees so far). The few badly doing groups will have a break in their tank building till we count the trees again, while good groups continue with full force.
24th October was a tree planting day for all groups. Everyone bought an Acacia tortilis and Acacia gerrardii seedling from the project and planted them. The project aims at providing indigenous trees to the group members as its difficult to get them from local nurseries.
On the 18th Kimale and on the 19th Lukundo started thier tank building. These are 47th and 48th tanks.
In October 4th Umoja ni nguvu started its fourth tank, and 5th Tumaini started its third tank. These are the 45th and 46th group tanks.
In September 11 three tanks were built: Mwangaza's 3rd tank 5th Sept, Mkombozi's 3rd tank 6th Sept and Umoja's 3rd tank 20th Sept. These are the 42nd, 43rd and 44th group tanks.
24th August Faraja B started to build their third tank. This is the 41st group tank in the project.
23rd August Umoja ni Nguvu started building their third tank. This is the 40th group tank in the project.
10th August Neema started building thier third tank. This is the 39th group tank in the project.
9th August Vumwe built thier fourth tank. This is the 38th group tank in the project.
13rd July Ujirani Mwema group started building thier tank. This is the 37th group tank in the project.
12 July Kimale started to build its tank. Ndanu took part in the training as an inspector head fundi to see if the three Lembeni fundis can start building independently. This is the 36th tank in the project.
29th June Faraja A started building their tank. This is the 35th tank in the project.
28th June Kitchen garden training was offered to Vumwe group in Kisangiro. Shangwe did this training alone.
18th June Upesi stoves were sold to 21? people in Mgagao without subsidy. They were picked from Jipe earlier that day. That day also a new gutter fundi Apendaeli in Mgagao graduated to work independently. His work is of hight quality.
15 June Lukundo started to build their tank. This is the 34th tank in the project.
11th, 13th and 14th June, Kitchen garden training organised in Kiruru Ibwe Ijewa, Lembeni and Mgagao. Only those who had enrolled on the training took part. Kiruru IbweIjewa had problems with people not coming on time, only finally only 5 women took part. In Lembeni people came early and 22 farmers attended. In Mgagao also 21 attended. In the latter two places people were very interested in the activity. 9 people in Mgagao placed on order immediately to get a drip kit. Hassan Mndiga was the trainer horticulturalist during the first two training days. For the third day we failed to get anyone from Tengeru and the training was conducted by Eija and Shangwe.
1 June Ndanu, January and Moshy got together to build drip kits in Ndanu's home. They did this amongst themselves. 10 kits were built (Ndanu had earlier gone to Arusha to buy drip line) and the project bought them from Ndanu in order to use them in the trainings and to sell on a half-cost basis to the farmers.
23rd May Umoja group started building a tank. This is the 33rd tank in the project.
24th May Seedbed prepared with Vumwe group in Kisangiro.
10th May Tumaini started to build their second tank. This is the 32nd tank in the project.
9th-10th May Seedbeds are prepared for the coming kitchen garden training in Mgagao, Lembeni and Kiruru Ibwe Ijewa
5th May. Most groups were met in meetings for planning (kitchen gardens, seedbeds) and follow-up of activities (nurseries, tree planting, building and buying stoves). Groups were reminded again about the deal we have made with them.
2 May Kirewaha started to build their second tank. This is the 31st tank in the project.
20 April Faraja started building thier second tank. This is the 30th tank in the project.
7 April Mwangaza started building thier second tank. This is the 29th tank in the project.
28 March Neema started building thier second tank. This is the 28th tank in the project.
24 March Mkombozi started building their second tank. This is the 27th tank in the project.
10 March. Vita stoves are tanken to Mgagao for groups to buy.
Umoja ni nguvu started building thier 2nd tank on the 9th of March. This is the 26th group tank in the project (in addition to five demo tanks in public places).
Training in suitable fruit trees for drylands and nursery establishment was given to all groups in all five villages. Fruit tree training was received with enthusiasm and lots of farmers made plans with the trainer Suleiman Mpingama from Tengeru horticultural collage to get seeds for improved varieties or to grow root stock and get them grafted later on. Species selected for this training were dryland varieties of banana, mango and papai and topetope. Tumaini, Lukundo, Faraja A and Ujirani mwema got trained on the 3rd of Feb, Vumwe, Kimale and Umoja ni nguvu on the 4th Feb, Kiumamki, Kirewaha and Mkombozi on the 8th of Feb and Faraja B, Umoja, Neema and Mwangaza on the 9th of Feb. The fruit tree training was followed by nursery establishment training. Groups had earlier attended training in dryland trees for firewood and now planted Acacia tortilis, Faitherbia albida and Leucaena leucocephala. Due to water scarcity we did not establish a central nursery for each village or each group. Each member took home his/her 10 polythen bags, three tortilis, 3 albidas and 4 leucaenas (naturally 2-4 seeds in one bag). 59 women and 37 men took part in this training and established their 10 tree nurseries, i.e. 960 polythen bags got filled.
Vumwe group built thier 3rd tank in Feb starting on the 7th.
17-19 Jan, and 24-27 Jan 2011 Groups were taken to Tengeru Horticultural Institute for a 2-day course in horticulture. Training includes: Farming as a business, Organic farming (benefits; fertility and pest management), Compost making, Seedbed making, A visit to see a very successful vegetable farmer in Tengeru, Nutrition, Hygiene in cooking, New recipes for vegetables (cooking), Tomato preservation by making relish, jam, ketchup etc. Groups trained were: Kirewaha, Umoja ni Nguvu, Mkombozi, Tumani, Lukundo, Faraja B, Umoja, Neema and Mwangaza. 56 women and 25 took part in this training.
5 Jan Vita stoves are taken to Lembeni and Kiruru Ibwe Ijewa for members who ordered them.
More Gliricidia sepium cuttings obtained from Muheza were planted by the group members. 145 cuttings were planted in the Mwanga rainwater harvesting project. Group members who already have tanks planted most of them.
1 - 12 December 2010 Brick Lorena courses taught farmer groups to build stoves using burned bricks and termite soil. Two courses were held in Mgagao village and one course in Kiruru Lwami.
Training was offered (by Shangwe and Eija) in firewood-saving stoves (main types of stoves, efficient cooking, measurements for all mud stoves, how to build Lorena 2-pot stove, Vita stove, Kiruru-2 stove and Upesi stove). Groups trained were: Lukundo (3men, 4women), Faraja B (3men, 5 women), Mwangaza (3men, 4 women), Neema 5men, 4 women), Tumaini (4men, 5 women), Umoja (2men, 3 women), Kirewaha (3men, 5 women), Umoja ni nguvu 1 man, 7 women), Mkombozi (1 man, 5women).
More tanks have been built: Faraja A group built starting on 10th November, Kimale and Ujirani Mwema started on the 24th of November and Kiumamki started on the 15th December. The Kiumamki tank is the 24th group tank in the project.
27.9.-2.10. Training was offered (by Msangi and Eija) about suitable tree species for the area, specifically for firewood, but also for fodder and timber. The following groups were trained: Faraja B (2men, 8 women), Lukundo (3men, 8 women), Upendo (2 women), Umoja 4men, 5women), Ujirani Mwema (3men, 5 women), Tumaini (2 men, 7women), Faraja (3men, 4 women), Mwangaza (5 men, 4 women), Neema (8men, 2 women), Kirewaha (3men, 2 women), Vumwe 2men, 4 women). Selected tree species were Faitherbia albida, Gliricidia sepium, Markhamia obtusifolia, Azadirachta indica, Grevillea, Casuarina equisetifolia, Melia volkensii, Balanites aegyptiaca, Leucaena leucocephala. Training included also informed selection of planting sites (borders, scattered in the field, woodlot and contours), and which species is suitable where, what spacing is suitable, and how to establish contours. Other suitable tree species (all indigenous) were suggested by the group members. At the end of the training each member made a plan what species s/he will plant in his/her farm.
Kirewaha group started building their first tank on the 24th August, Lukundo started their first tank on the 26th August. These are the nineteenth and twentieth group tanks in the project.
Umoja (1st tank) and Tumaini (1st tank) in Mgagao built tanks 17-30 June and 17-26 June respectively. These are the seventeenth and eighteenth tanks in the project. the group member where the tank was built wanted a bigger tank of 20m3 so she bought 16 extra bags of cement plus 10 pieces of wire mesh. Also the Tumaini group member wanted a bigger tank of 15m3, so he bought 5 more bags of cement and 4 extra pieces of wire mesh.
May 2010 Faraja B in Mgagao built their first tank. This is the sixteenth tank in the project. These were guttered by a newly trained gutter fundi January Mahimbo. January is also a tank fundi.
April 2010 Mwangaza and Neema built their first group tanks 26.3-5.4. and 25.3.-2.4.2010 respectively. These are the fourteenth and fifteenth tanks in the project. These two tanks were guttered in May 2010. Edwin Maleo allowed January Mahimbo to work indepently. He did a good job and thus we have one more gutter fundi trained to work for the project.
19th April 2010 Faitherbia albida seedlings were delivered to two group members 5 each.
April 7th 2010 Kiumaumki group bought Vita stoves, four stoves with a chimney and 2 without a chimney.
April 7th 2010 Gliricidia sepium cuttings were given to all those in Kimale, Umoja ni Nguvu and Mkombozi groups who have already tanks in their homesteads. Each of these group members got 7 cuttings to start with. In addition Markhamia zanzibarica seedlings were delivered to all group members in Kimale, Umoja ni Nguvu and Mkombozi with tanks, two each.
April 7th a three-day course on building Lorena mud stoves started in Lembeni. Six female and one male member took part from Kimale group. Six stoves were built. Two women came to attend from Kiruru Ibwe Ijewa and after the course finished in Lembeni built stoves in their homes with the teacher.
22, 23, 24 March To the groups that have already built a tank or tanks, training was offered in suitable tree species for firewood. Kimale, Umoja ni Nguvu, Kiumamki and Mkombozi got trained and will plant their first trees this rainy season. All those who have tanks planned where to plant and which trees to plant. Training for Vumwe, Faraja, Ujirani Mwema and Upendo groups was cancelled as less than half of the groups came roughly on time. This affected our following activities as only those groups that attended training could take part in the stoves training and received trees.
Vumwe group second tank was guttered from 26th March to 1st April 2010 (by Edwin Maleo)
4th March Mkombozi group started building their first group tank. This is the thirteenth group tank in the project.
8 Feb 2010 Umoja group started building their first tank. This is the twelfth group tank in the project.
14-15 Jan Kimale group (5 women, 5 men) took part in a horticultural 2-day course at AVRDC (World Vegetable Centre) together with Imani group from the Kilimanjaro project. 18-19 Jan Kiumaumki (7 women) and Vumve (2 men, 8 women) groups took part in the same training. Faraja, Upendo and Ujirani Mwema groups (21 farmers) participated on the 27-28 January. That is, 54 farmers got trainer. In addition three district council facilitators took part in the courses.
15 Dec 2009 Vumwe group has started building their second tanks. This is the eleventh group tank in the project.
8-12 Dec 2009 Ujirani Mwema group built their second tank. This is the tenth group tank in the project.
Before end of November two more groups joined the project. These are Tumaini and Neema in Mgagao village. In total 15 groups have joined the project, six groups in Mgagao (Faraja, Ujirani mwema, Upendo, Lukundo, Mwangaza, Faraja B, Tumaini and Neema), three in Lembeni (Kimale, Motomoto, Tuamke), two in Kiruru Ibwe Ijewa (Kirewaha and Kiumamki), one in Kiruru Lwami (Mkombozi) and one in Kisangiro-Mforo (Vumve group).
Nov 2009 Training was offered in firewood-saving stoves. This training introduced 12 different stove models. Four of these are mud stoves (Jiko Sanifu, Lorena2, Kilakala, Nyungu), four burned clay or brick stoves (Upesi, Upesi with a table, two locally available brick models from Himo and Kiruru), one stone and cement stove (model from Himo) and three metal stoves (Vita, Turbo and Kisangani Smiths groups stove). 10 out of 12 were voted by the farmers to remain in the project for further building and usage training for adoption. Groups trained are: Kimale, Vumwe, Kiumamki, Faraja, Ujirani Mwema and Upendo.
26 November 2009 Kiumaumki group in Lembeni started their 3rd group tank. This is the ninth group tank in the project.
Mr. January Bakari one of tanks fundi students at Mgagao has taken up learning guttering. He has built together with the trainer all gutters since Faraja first group tank in early September.
19 Oct 2009 Building of a group tank for Kimale group in Lembeni started. This is the eight group tank.
16 Oct 2009 Second group tank building for Upendo group at Mgagao started. This is the seventh group tank. This tank was built independently by the newly graduated three fundis in this village. There are two skilled fundis (January and Apendaeli) and one semi-skilled (Elia).
23 Sept 2009 Vumwe group in Kisangiro-Mforo built their first tank. This is the sixth group tank. Fundi training is progressing well.
15 -26 Sept 2009 Kiumaumki group built their second tank. This is the fifth group tank. This village has problems with fundi training. We have not obtained reliable students to learn the skill.
Sept 09 Eija is currently investigating on the different firewood-saving stove models that the project will introduce to the farmer groups. Our first metal stove prototype was constructed locally in Moshi by a local metal fundi Proches Martin Njau. Its a VITA stove designed by Samuel Baldwin of Princeton University.
3 Sept 2009 Faraja group started building their first group tank. This group member bought two more bags of cement and a piece of wire mesh so his tank is 12.7m3. This is the fourth group tank in the project.
22nd August 2009 Ujirani mwema in Mgagao started to build their first group tank. This is the third group tank in the project.
18th August 2009 Kiumamki group of Kirua Ibwe Ijewa has started to build their first group tank. This is the second group tank in the project. She asked to buy more materials to get 20m3 tank. This was accepted. She has a big garden already and she keeps poultry.
The first group, Upendo group in Mgagao started building their first group tank on the 3rd of August. Two other groups are ready and qualified to start any time: They have leadership, constitution and a work plan.
July 20th 2009 Building of the fifth demonstration tank started. This is in Kisangiro-Mforo at the Primary School. This completes the building of a demonstration tank to each five villages.
By 30th June 2009 10 groups have started working with the project: Kirewaha and Kumamki in Kirua Ibwe Ijewa, Faraja, Ujirani mwema and Upendo groups in Mgagao, Kimale, Motomoto and Tuamke groups in Lembeni, Mkombozi in Kiruru Lwami, and Vumwe group in Kisangiro-Mforo. There are 80 people within these new or existing groups. They will all build water tanks, plant woodlots and use firewood-saving stoves. Vegetable growing by drip irrigation will be optional and only part of the group members are planning to start it.
June 29th Building of the fourth demonstration tank started. This tank was built at the village dispensary. Three fundi students took part in building training.
June 24th Third demonstrating tank was completed. This was for the Kiruru Lwami Primary School. Two fundi students took part in building training.
June 2009 Second demonstration tank was completed. This was for the Kirua Ibwe Ijewa Primary School. Two fundi students took part in building training.
14th May 2009 First demonstration tank in the project was completed. This was for the Lembeni Primary School. Three fundi students took part in tank building training. One student took part in guttering training. We use the same trainer fundi as in our Kilimanjaro project, Kassim Salehe, for tank building training. Edwin Maleo, our newly trained fundi from Kilimanjaro project teaches guttering. Fundi students filled application forms. Selection interviews were conducted by rainwater harvesting committees and two project advisors based on criteria written beforehand. Several existing farmer or women's groups have expressed their interest to the committees to work with the project. Groups start getting advise on how to modify/compile their constitutions and to write work plans to accommodate new activities.
24th March - 4th April First committee meetings arranged. The committee organises demonstration tank building (material collection, fundi lunches and accommodations, agreements with the schools and the dispensary concerning the tank). It also facilitates the fundi trainees' application and selection process. Groups and emerging groups that would like to work with the project contact the committee to organise a meeting in order to introduce themselves and their needs for advice on constitution compilation/modification and work plans.
11, 12, 16, 17, 18 March Second village meetings held. Content of the first meetings was recapped. Study tour participants reported on what they learned and saw on the trips. Location for the demonstration tanks was selected (Primary Schools in Kiruru ibwe ijewa, Lembeni, Kiruru lwami, Kisangiro & Mforo, and Health centre in Mgagao). Rainwater harvesting committee was selected for each village. Attendance was from 15 to 65 persons on average about half men half women.
24th and 25th of February Study tours for eight participants from each five village were organised to Liana Kilimanjaro project sites and to RELMA-Sokoine University project site in Makanya. Forty people in total were taken to see rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation and group work in practice.
10th - 18th of February 2009 First awareness raising village meetings were held in five villages, Mgagao, Lembeni, Kiruru lwami, Kisangiro & Mforo, and Kiruru ibwe ijewa. Presentations on rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, existing projects in Makanya and Kilimanjaro, group work, avoiding environmental destruction by tree planting and using firewood-saving stoves. Participants selected for study tours. Attendance 28 to 122 persons on average about half men half women.