Is there any hope for Irene's children?

It is 12 noon, and the sun has reached its highest point, beating down on my head as I walk towards a few neighbourhood houses scattered in a remote village.

A delicious smell of cooking is reaching me from some of the homes. However, when I reach Irene’s house, the smell is different; a stale and empty smell come from the little mud house in which she lives.

Irene* is sitting on the ground under a tree outside her one-room mud house. She is not alone; with her is her youngest daughter aged 3. After spending hours looking for water, this is the only time she gets to rest before she starts to prepare the evening meal for her family. “I am so tired; I have been up since 4am to fetch water from a seasonal waterhole. It has taken me almost six hours to fill all my buckets. Because the waterholes are dry most of the year, once there is water, you spend a long time waiting in line,” she explains.

The 38-year-old mother of five is currently raising her children alone after her second husband left her two years ago. Coming from a poor family, she never had an opportunity to go to school because her parents couldn’t afford to pay for her school expenses.

Even though tuition is free in Tanzania her family could not afford the costs for a school uniform, pencil, paper, and books. 

She admits poverty is taking its toll on her children, especially her eldest son. Irene says her son has become a village boy with no future after completing form four (Grade 10 equivalent). There are no jobs and they do not have the money for school fees for him to go to college.

Irene earns about $2 a day selling tomatoes on the side of the street. Most days she can afford to cook two meals a day for her little family but some days, when business is slow, she can only afford to offer her children one meal a day.

Irene sees little hope for her children. She wishes her children will get to finish their education, get a job, and break the poverty cycle in her family. “It’s hard to predict the future. Unless my children finish their education and get good jobs, they will end up like me. No parents wish to see their children live in poverty. Reality is, things are hard, and they keep getting tougher each day,” the struggling mother says.

Last Monday we marked the International Day for Eradicating Poverty. Irene and her children are just one family among thousands of families living in poverty throughout the Nyamatongo Ward, and Tanzania.

If you would like to help us eradicate poverty, you can make your difference here:

https://www.australiaforcedartanzania.org/make-a-difference-australia-for-cedar-tanzania-changing-lives

Thank you.

* Irene is not her real name.

Best Innovation in Corporate Social Responsibility

Australia for Cedar Tanzania received a Highly Commended award for our mushroom project in Tanzania.

This award is part of Australia-Africa Minerals and Energy Group’s (AAMEG) yearly Africa Awards presented as part of the Africa Downunder (ADU) conference.

ADU is the largest mining conference with a focus on Africa held outside Africa, and AAMEG is the peak body representing Australian companies engaged in the development of Africa’s resource industry. 

What is Kilimu Bora | Smart Farming?

Kilimu Bora means Smart Farming in Swahili. All projects under this banner revolve around food security, entrepreneurship, gender equality, climate change, nutritional health, and the environment.

Our first Smart Farming project has been the establishment of mushroom farming. This includes mushroom growth, drying methods, business skills and export agreements.

Mushroom farming as a business is new in Tanzania, and we are one of the leading pioneers in the area.

Through this project we are addressing a range of social, economic, and environmental challenges. We provide skilled training for vulnerable groups such as young women and people with disabilities and their household members.

Participants are offered hands-on of training, in which they are taught both the agricultural and business aspects of operating and managing a mushroom farm. The training includes how to grow and harvest mushrooms, preparing substrate, drying and packaging, how to meet international sterilisation and hygiene standards, quality control, bookkeeping, environmental best practises and compliance, market navigation, and customer service. The participants also learn how to source organic substrate materials locally and how to store this for optimal produce production.

Our high-quality mushrooms can be sold both locally and internationally thanks to our innovative custom-built driers, not using electricity but only the heat from the sun and a clever use of the airflow.

During the selection of participants priority was given to young women and to people with disabilities or their household members.

Gender inequality is prevalent in Tanzania and starts for girls already at a very young age when they often are deprived of the chance of an education in favour of their brothers. Without a good education, many girls and young women will remain both financially and emotionally dependent on parents, partners, or husbands. People with disabilities bear the double burden of poverty and exclusion due to financial, social, and environmental barriers coupled with a high degree of stigma present across Tanzania.

Why Mushrooms? 

90% of the Tanzanian population of 60 million people are living on less than $5.00 PPP. 49% is surviving on less $1.90 PPP per day – the international definition of severe poverty. Of these, the vast majority, 80%, are living in rural areas such as the Nyamatongo Ward.

Choosing mushrooms as the vehicle for agri-business is beneficial for several reasons:

No Land Required

Mushrooms are grown in buckets and indoors, and hence easier allow women and disabled people to become equal participants in their family’s and community’s economic life.

Research shows that fewer women and people with disabilities own land, and that they do not have equal access to manual labour.

Year-Round Crop, Independent of Rainfall

Through careful selection of species and growing conditions, mushrooms can be grown year-round regardless of change in rain patterns.

Climate change has shown irregularities to rainfall in the region with current draught and famine in the Horn of Africa. More specifically, the Mwanza region has experienced persistent irregular rainfall over the last number of years, which can have extensively harmful effects on local agriculture.

Minimal Initial Investment

This allows for economic opportunity even for women and people with disabilitiess with minimal control of their family finances.

Our project encourages collaborative farming and includes financial support and training during the initial set-up period.

Fast Return on Investment

The mushroom growth cycle can be as short as 8-10 weeks, allowing farmers to see profit extremely quickly.

This is important for the ability to establish income and re-investment in next growth cycle.

Not Labour Intensive

Mushrooms can easily be grown by any member of the household without the need to hire additional help. One of the main barriers seen to extensive farming is access to labour and machinery.

No Educational Background Required

After a relatively short training period, participants are ready to begin cultivating mushrooms.

We embrace a hands-on learning process which allows participants to gain the necessary skills no matter previous level of schooling and their academic capabilities.

High Nutritional Value

Mushrooms are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals and provide an excellent nutritional boost in areas that suffer from malnutrition such as the communities in which we are working.

Community Benefits

We encourage all our participants to establish collaborative farms servicing the local community. Collaborative farming minimises investment costs for the participants including cost to transport bio waste, initial purchases of buckets and tools, and a cost-effective solution to house the farm.

A collaborative farm has other advantages too: the strength of the shared knowledge and the ability to support each other in farming duties. This increases the success rate of the farm as well as enhances the quality of the produce.

By giving a preference to women and people with disabilities and their household members we are ensuring the initiative is supporting the most vulnerable groups within the community. Through research, it has been proven that when women are being supported in taking up income generating activities, the financial outcome is then reinvested for the benefit of the entire household i.e., invested in children’s education and health or in long-term and sustainable investments in collective living standards.

Having an increased production of fresh mushrooms will benefit the entire community of more than 35,000 people through access to an additional and affordable crop with high nutritional value.

Stunted growth and development are caused by a combination of malnutrition, prolonged and repeated infections, and untreated worms and parasites. This is common sight as it affects 38% of children under 5 years old in rural Tanzania. Supplementing their diets with oyster mushrooms will assist in combatting stunted growth in children.

 Sustainability

Responsible Cyclic Agriculture and Prevents the Burning of Agricultural Waste

Our mushrooms are grown on agricultural waste, saving expenses, and preventing the common practice of burning waste.

Avoiding burning of agricultural waste ties in with climate change best practises.

No Pesticides or Fertiliser Required

This both saves on expenses while also ensuring no chemical runoff or harmful agricultural practices. Spent substrates can be reused or sold as fertilizer after the mushroom growth is complete.

With the current hike in fertiliser price and scarce availability this makes mushroom farming a very appealing and cost-effective crop. In addition, in rural areas women are often at a significant disadvantage in regard to purchasing quality fertiliser, since access to such products are often prioritized towards male farmers.

Long-Term Financial Growth Potential

There are several ways a farm could expand: Entrepreneurs can expand into more exotic, high-value mushroom strands as their financial stability increases. Alternatively, there is a growing market for medicinal mushrooms.

Further several niche products are being produced such as mushroom leather, mushroom bricks, or to dispose of oil spills and non-degradable waste products.

Part of our long-term project plan is to provide a safety-net option to purchase any surplus production which will be dried and exported as wholesale to the international market.

High Demand on the International Market

Dried mushrooms have a one-year shelf life and can be sold internationally to a wide range of customers. This includes both B2B and B2C customers, wholesaling, distribution, and to businesses for further processing.

We currently have buyers in Singapore and in East Africa for distribution in Europe and in the USA.

Financial Sustainability after Seed-Funding

After initial central set-up and establishment of first round of collaborative farms the project is financially sustainable with income generated from export of central production as well as surplus production from the collaborative farms.

As a not-for-profit, any financial surplus will be re-invested into further strengthening and expansion of the mushroom project or into our healthcare services.

Furthermore, interest has already been shown from international impact investing companies for further scaling and expansion.

Scalability to other areas

Long-term plans include scaling this project to other areas outside of Nyamatongo Ward. Interest for our project has been shown by organisations working in the refugee camps in the Kigoma area housing approximately 250,000 residents.

Additionally, a potential collaboration with companies working with other dried fruit and vegetables could be imagined. Also in this area, interest has been shown from potential partner companies.

What now?

Currently we are actively seeking seed funding for a year-long upscaling after which the project is financially sustainable.

Our goals include creating a permanent production and ongoing teaching centre at our Community Centre. In the first year we are aiming to have successfully trained 200 residents in mushroom farming. We will deliver ongoing support to new farms and provide teaching in business skills and banking.

Wellbeing and nutritional health will improve throughout the area for all its residents. There will be a steady supply of highly nutritious locally sourced produce and indirectly an increase in household income. It will also strengthen women and people with disabilities position in their communities. 

Through an upscaled project we will also be able to safety-net newly established mushroom farms against loss from over-production by setting up procedures to approve and test each farm is in alignment with international requirements allowing their produce to be used for export.

You can of course help us get a head start towards our ambitious AUD $150,000 goal by clicking on the big green button to donate. Even $20 gets us towards this goal.

If you want to know more about the project you can contact Nina here.

 Thank you!

Why should a not-for-profit be a member of a private sector industry group?

Yesterday was my first day as a member of AAMEG. AAMEG stands for Australia-Africa Minerals & Energy Group.

What am I, as the head of a Not-for-profit, doing as a member of a mining and oil & gas industry group?

The thing is, we have successfully collaborated with the private sector on several projects. Many of these private sector companies being from the mining industry. 

AAMEG CEO Roger Staley

How do we collaborate?

To me, a collaboration is not just for a private sector company to hand over a cheque and then be done with their ESG commitments. I like to invite the private sector to actively participate with their knowledge and expertise. This could be sharing technical knowledge, that could improve delivery of a project. Or lend us administrative capacity, that is more efficient than what we have access to. It can be practical assistance with logistics or training workshops. The possibilities are endless.

What can we offer the mineral and energy sector?

Our strength is we work holistically and on many different projects simultaneously. We have great experience in project development and therefore we can align any of our projects to fit in with your company’s core values.

Another strength is our global registrations. With our on-the-ground entity “Cedar Tanzania” being registered in Tanzania as an NGO, Australia for Cedar Tanzania in Australia, and further registrations and offices in Switzerland and Bulgaria, we have many people and networks to draw on. 

Through that, we can also guarantee we are adhering to rules and regulations in whichever country we are working in.

Well, this goes for any private sector we collaborate with. Not only the mineral and energy sector.

Do you want to collaborate too?

We welcome new partners, new ideas, new projects.

Send me an email and let's start the conversation.

6 myths most people believe

Myth #1

Not-for-profits are not supposed to make a profit.

Certainly, not-for-profits should be a profitable entity. The difference lies in how the profit it makes is used.

Just like other businesses, a not-for-profit should be both sustainable and viable. A not-for-profit has to spend its profit according to its mission and vision. It cannot go to the owners as a profit.

I often like to say a not-for-profit is a for-purpose business.

Myth #2

You can see if a Not-for-profit is good by looking at the overheads.

This myth implies that an effective and good not-for-profit only spends a small amount of its expenses on overheads.

The nature of many not-for-profits are that their projects and programmes are delivered by people. People, who often must be paid for their knowledge and expertise. Often this is by far the most costly expense for a not-for-profit. And it is the hardest expense to get funding for.

Having professional leadership, diligent planning and sound measurement of impact is the most cost-effective way to run a not-for-profit.

Myth #3

Not-for-profit vs charity vs NGO – it’s all the same.

These words are often used interchangeably although they are not entirely equal. Here’s some definitions:

Not-for-profit: These are organisation that provide services to a community and does not exist to make a profit for its members, owners, or shareholders. Non-profit is typically the American word and means exactly the same.

Charity: In Australia, a charity is an organisation that is registered the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). All charities are not-for-profits but not all not-for-profits are charities!

NGO: Non-Governmental Organisation. Sometimes NGOs are called Civil Organisations. These are organisations that operate independently of any government. Of course, they adhere to laws and regulations, but they are not led by, or created to fulfill a government policy or programme. They are typically not-for-profits – but not all not-for-profits are NGOs!

Australia for Cedar Tanzania are all three. We are a not-for-profit, a charity and an NGO.

Myth #4

Not-for-profits are not businesses.

Just like not-for-profits should make a profit, not-for profits are also often registered businesses.

A not-for-profit follows the same rules and regulations as normal business and has an ABN and is registered with ASIC.

As a business, they need to report to ATO and have their finances audited. They need to have opening hours and be publicly accessible.

In my opinion, successful not-for-profits are run like any other successful business.

There are a few exceptions such as associations, cooperatives, corporations, and trusts.

Myth #5

People working for a not-for-profit are all volunteers and they are less professional than in other businesses.

Although many not-for-profits are lucky to have dedicated and brilliant volunteers it is often necessary to employ people especially in key positions.

When a not-for-profit grows larger and is able to take on more work, it is often also time to start hiring professional staff as the workload no longer can be expected to be performed by volunteers alone.

Just like other businesses, hiring professional and skilled employees is connected to how successful your business or not-for-profit is going to be.

Of course, many not-for-profits are grateful for the time and efforts given by volunteers and couldn’t function without them.

Myth #6

Not-for-profits are not important for society and the economy.

Many not-for-profits provide important and fundamental services to communities both in Australia and abroad. If these services disappeared overnight, it would cost billions of dollars to the Australian economy – late interventions lead to more costly recoveries for example.

The not-for-profit sector contributed $143 billion to Australia’s GDP in 2018 (source) and employs 11% of the population (1.38 million people). That’s around the same number of people that works in retail (10.0% of people employed) more people than in construction (9.2%), professional, scientific, and technical services (8.6%) and manufacturing (7.2%) industries. Charities employ five times as many people as the mining (2%) industry. (source)

Mushrooms are the answer to…. EVERYTHING!

Poverty alleviation, better nutrition, job creation, equality, health, climate change, sustainability, and long-term funding of al our projects!

It can’t get much better than that, can it?

Please listen to Tzippora explain here:

How does it work?

We are currently teaching the skills of mushroom farming in the rural communities in which we work. Collecting 2 tonnes of harvest waste from the surrounding fields that would otherwise have been burnt. This creates the basis of our substrate in which the mushrooms will grow.

Our mushrooms grows in buckets in which we have drilled holes in sides. We are using a couple of rooms in our newly refurbished community centre to house the mushroom farm.

Once the mushroom are ready, our participants will learn the right technique to harvest the mushrooms.

Fresh mushrooms have a relatively short shelf life and needs to be sold quickly. To help with this potential issue, we are adding a drying process at the end. Custom built driers not using electricity but only the heat from the sun has been developed and will enable us to make a product ready for local distribution and export.

How can mushrooms help fund other projects?

Once we start selling our crop the income will be used to sustain the mushroom farm and any surplus will support any of our other projects like Kamanga Health Centre and our Outreach Team.

How does the participants benefit?

Each participant learns a skill. Mushroom farming is very new in Tanzania and as such we are pioneers in this area.

The participants can use this skill to set up a small scale farm at home for own consumption, or they can set up a collaborative farm producing mushrooms in larger scale.

Any surplus of produce can be sold to us where we dry the mushrooms and package them to international standards and export the end product.

How can YOU help?

Even though we have provided the training for our participants free of charge, and we will provide continuous support to those who chose to continue to grow mushrooms, there is a small initial cost for the participant to get things needed to starting growing.

You can help by sponsoring one of our conveniently packaged bundles that will enable our participants to start growing mushrooms right away.

“Home Growing Kit” consists of everything needed for a participant to take home to start growing for own use, or maybe sell any little extra at the local market. A kit costs AUD $15 (USD $10).

“Farm Bundle” consist of everything needed for a 30 bucket farm. This is a small scale collaborative farm that can produce for own consumption, the local market or for drying and export. A farm bundle has the value of AUD $110 (USD $77).

Want to know more?

You can read more about this project on our website here

Regular updates are also on our social media platforms - click one of the Social Media buttons below and make sure to follow us!

Or contact Nina, our Founding Director and CEO, directly here

Can you combine a holiday with volunteering?

Hi, I’m Sarah! I come from London, in the UK, and I’m currently having a sabbatical, volunteering and travelling across the world. I’ve volunteered in Bangladesh, Ukraine and now Tanzania. I’ve also done some volunteering in the UK with people who are homeless and people with disabilities.

Sarah, what is your role at Cedar Tanzania?

I’m a short-term volunteer in the office, helping out with various office tasks, such as proof-reading the annual report, organising the photo database and creating spreadsheets. It might not sound very glamorous, but it’s very important! I think no organisation can run without this type of support.

What inspired you to take a position at Cedar Tanzania?

I’ve been friends with Claire Michelotti, [then] Cedar Tanzania’s Executive Director, since we were at university together, and so that’s how I found out about Cedar Tanzania and the work they do. One of the things I really like about Cedar Tanzania is how they tackle issues holistically. This is something I learnt while I was volunteering in Bangladesh; attempts to tackle just one issue on its own would often fail. For example, it’s easier to help people set up businesses if they are well-educated; literate people can read health advice; it’s no use running a campaign to encourage people to wash their hands if they don’t have access to clean water. 

Sarah enjoying the fresh air during the ferry crossing to Kamanga

Sarah meeting some of the residents of Nyamatongo Ward

Learning to cook ugali is not as easy at it looks!

How long is your volunteer placement?

Just one month, but I hope to continue after I return home to finish a few of my projects.

What things have you found surprising?

The number of girls in the village who drop out of school because of pregnancy and other reasons. I read the baseline survey about Kamanga, which was commissioned by Cedar Tanzania in 2015. In Nyamatongo Ward, 10 girls in primary school (which runs up until the age of 13) became pregnant and stayed in school, but the report stated that it is difficult to get data on the number of girls who get pregnant and drop out of school, because the families sometimes do not disclose this. The drop-out rate at primary school for girls may be as high as 40%.

What things have you enjoyed?

One of the things that I enjoyed the most was going to visit Kamanga village with Abduli, one of Cedar Tanzania’s Field Officers. In the morning, we went to the port to catch the ferry from Mwanza to Kamanga. I was clutching a take-away coffee, but buying it had made me a little late, so we had to rush to get the boat. I loved the ferry ride: the sunshine, the beautiful scenery, the light reflecting off the water, the huge birds flying overhead, the cooling breeze. It was all very different to my commute when I was living in London, which was an hour and a quarter on an underground train, which offers no views whatsoever. I put on my kanga (local cloth wrapped round the body on top of your clothes, for extra modesty) and we got off the ferry, alongside trucks and people and the occasional chicken.

Abduli and I first went to Kamanga Health Centre, and he kindly showed me round. I was very impressed with how lovely the grounds looked and the high standards to which the health centre had been built. As we were looking round, patients were coming in to take advantage of all the facilities; for example, seeing a doctor, getting medicines, having post-natal check-ups. It was great to see, since I knew that before the Kamanga Health Centre was built, local people had had difficulty accessing healthcare. I had read about it in the annual report, but to see it in person really brought home to me the importance of Cedar Tanzania’s work.

In Kamanga village, Abduli was meeting with the Community Activists, who are local people trained to run sessions on SASA!. It was inspiring to meet people who give up their time to improve their communities. One of them worked in the cluster of restaurants that’s by the ferry port, another in a little market, a third we visited at home. Then for lunch we went back to the local restaurants by the ferry port and had grilled goat meat and ugali (a local staple, a cooked cassava and corn flour dough) with lemon juice, salt and chili. It was delicious!

At the end of the day, we got the ferry back. It was a tiring and hot day, so on the way back I just sat quietly in my seat, rather than running all over the ferry exclaiming as I had done on the journey out. Even though I was sweaty and exhausted, it was my best day at Cedar because it reminded me of what we are working for.

What things have challenged you so far?

I come from a cold country, so the heat can be a bit challenging at times!

Would you recommend this volunteer scheme to others?

Absolutely! It has been an amazing experience, and Cedar Tanzania is a great organisation.

What would you say to anyone who said that they could not volunteer because they do not have a skill to offer?

Volunteering can be intensely rewarding; it is the best thing I have done with my life. So I would say, don’t let negative thoughts like that put you off! Firstly, you almost certainly have more skills than you think. For example, I was really worried when I started at Cedar Tanzania about my lack of skills. But it turned out that my ten years working in a job in the civil service had furnished me with all kinds of skills that I hadn’t previously valued, but that turned out to be unexpectedly useful. For example, my computer skills, and the fact that I have worked on a database project before. Secondly, sometimes larger organisations will provide training. And finally, things that you might not think of as skills, like the ability to listen compassionately to those in trouble, might be just what an organisation needs. So don’t delay, look for a volunteering opportunity today! I promise you won’t regret it.

Can a Tanzanian Law student volunteer?

My name is Kapwani Kavenuke, but I’m more  commonly known as Jasmine. I am 21 years old and have currently finished a Diploma in Law at St. Augustine University, Tanzania and am looking forward to commencing a bachelor’s law degree in November 2018.

Jasmine volunteered with Cedar Tanzania in her university break. Thank you Jasmine!

What inspired you to volunteer with Cedar Tanzania?

After hearing about what Cedar Tanzania is all about from a friend, I was inspired to volunteer with them because I wanted to be a part of such a good cause. The passion that Cedar Tanzania shows towards achieving their goals in helping out the citizens of Kamanga, is absolutely inspiring and I just thought it would be nice to think about other people other than oneself for a while!

What is your role at Cedar Tanzania?

I am volunteering as an assistant project manager; this means I help out in a few projects, for example in the Clean Kamanga project. Right now I am helping out with the planning of Global Hand Washing day which will be on the 15th of October 2018.

How long is your volunteer placement?

I started volunteering with Cedar Tanzania in August 2018 and I shall be with them until the end of October 2018.

What things have you found surprising?

One of the things that really surprised me is the lack of water stations in the village of Kamanga and the fact that around 30 children suffer from diarrhea every month. To me this is a clear indication for the need to help the community in the area of WASH and safe waste management, which hopefully the development of the Clean Kamanga Project will help towards addressing these issues.

What things have you enjoyed?

I have enjoyed a lot of things whilst volunteering with Cedar Tanzania. One of my highlights is getting onto the ferry to Kamanga. If it wasn’t for Cedar Tanzania I guess I would have never got onto the ferry. It was frightening at first but absolutely fun later on. Secondly, I enjoyed my tour of Kamanga village with field officer Abduli. I have enjoyed working with the rest of the Cedar Tanzania team too, they are really friendly and welcoming and ready to help whenever I’ve needed it.

What things have challenged you so far?

I have had some challenges but they were not anything that I couldn’t handle; mostly just trying to remember certain formalities and protocols in the village or in the office was a problem in the beginning, but I soon got used to the new procedures.

Would you recommend this volunteer scheme to others?

I would strongly recommend other people to volunteer with Cedar Tanzania because in my experience I have learnt a lot of things, seen a lot of things and life is all about learning. I have become more competent in skills I already had and I have developed new skills too.

What would you say to anyone who said that they could not volunteer because they didn’t have a skill to offer?

I would say that it shouldn’t really stop anyone from volunteering because when you are a volunteer you become open to any work that might come your way therefore at the end of the process you end up having more skills than you came with. I can say that you will gain much more than you think you will give; which is a win-win for everyone I think!

Can a GP be a volunteer?

Hi everyone.

My name is Sian Ashby, and I am a GP (family doctor) from the UK. I was brought up in the beautiful Scottish borders, studied Medicine at Glasgow University and then completed my GP training in London. I had always wanted to work abroad as a doctor, so after finishing my GP training I chose to study the Diploma of Tropical Medicine in Liverpool, and it was here that I first heard about Cedar Tanzania.

What inspired you to volunteer with Cedar Tanzania? 

I was struck by Cedar Tanzania’s holistic approach to care. On looking at their website, I could see that they understood the importance of health and well-being in a broad sense, rather than being entirely disease-focussed. Cedar Tanzania approaches community well-being from many angles - health, education, female empowerment and entrepreneurship - and understands that tackling all of these factors is crucial if the community is to flourish.

From my research it seemed that Kamanga Health Centre, the health centre jointly run by Cedar Tanzania and the government, was a good fit for a GP, as there were many parallels in the types of patients seen. Of course, I knew that there would also be tropical illnesses which I had never encountered, and I hoped that I might increase my knowledge of tropical medicine by working in Tanzania.

On contacting Cedar Tanzania, I found the staff to be welcoming and accommodating. They were keen and enthusiastic about my voluntary placement and this naturally increased my own excitement!

Sian offering volunteer HIV testing alongside our permanent staff

How long is your volunteer placement?  

6 months provisionally.

What is your role at Cedar Tanzania?

My official title is ‘Volunteer Health Centre Advisor’. It’s a fairly flexible role, but for the most part I am working alongside the Quality Assurance Officer at Kamanga Health Centre, putting policies in place to improve the quality of care. I also work alongside the Tanzanian clinical staff, exchanging knowledge and skills, and I give regular teaching sessions. I hope that as my Swahili improves I will be able to practice medicine independently at the health centre.

Can you mention highlights of some of the activities that you have been involved in whilst you have worked for Cedar?

We have recently set up a teaching program here at Kamanga Health Centre and one of my personal highlights was the neonatal resuscitation training which I ran. We used dolls to role-play and simulate neonatal resuscitation, which was both fun and educational. At the health centre we deliver on average one baby a day (and the numbers are increasing) so it is vitally important that the staff are well trained on how to react if a newborn baby does not breath spontaneously.

Another highlight was the World Aids Day Fair organised by Cedar Tanzania. At the fair there were stalls offering HIV counselling and testing, free condoms, and information about the health centre and Cedar Tanzania projects. There was dancing, drama, and even a ‘catch-the-chicken’ game. But most importantly over 500 people were tested for HIV in a safe and non-judgemental environment.

What things have challenged you so far?

One of the main challenges has been the language barrier. I am currently learning Swahili but it is a slow process... I find it incredibly frustrating not being able to understand the patients, particularly if they are distressed and in need of assistance. I am constantly running around trying to find someone to translate which gets quite exhausting!

The health centre staff do speak English but many are not fluent, so we too have trouble communicating. Getting to the root of an issue is much more difficult when you do not speak the same language! If you are considering coming out to Tanzania, I would advise you to start learning Swahili as early as possible!

The other main challenge which I have noticed is the difference in healthcare economics. Coming from the UK, I am used to the National Health Service (NHS) which provides free healthcare for all UK citizens. Treatment is entirely based on need and not on personal finances. However, here in Tanzania there is a division – those who are exempt and those that have to pay for healthcare. The exempt group includes pregnant women, children under five years old, people over the age of 60 who cannot support themselves and people with chronic diseases like HIV and TB.

Although treatment at Kamanga Health Centre is relatively cheap (government prices), for those not in the exempt group, we still have to make management decisions based partly on the patient’s finances, which is something I find difficult. Sometimes patients cannot follow your advice because they simply cannot afford to. For example, we recently saw a patient with a large abdominal mass who required onward referral to a specialist hospital. However she could not afford to attend the hospital and pay the fee for the necessary imaging and surgery. Instead she returned a week later, the mass having increased in size and the pain having subsequently worsened. This is truly heartbreaking to see, and makes me really value the NHS.

What things have you found enjoyable or surprising about Tanzanian culture either socially or at work?

The Tanzanian people are incredibly welcoming. The health centre staff have been wonderfully accommodating and friendly towards me since my arrival and I have really enjoyed working here thus far.

Socially I love the culture of dancing.  In general Tanzanians seem to have a fantastic sense of rhythm and tend to be incredible dancers! The staff at the health centre have been trying to teach me (without much luck).

Through my work I have noticed that Tanzanian families are much more close-knit than at home. Grandparents usually live together in the house with the parents and children, and they help to care for each other. I think that this is something which has sadly been lost in the UK. I certainly noticed as a GP in London that I visited many elderly people whose children lived thousands of miles away and who were thus unable to care for them. I noticed a huge burden of loneliness, particularly amongst the elderly, but also amongst young people living and working in London - a city with so many people! Perhaps we need to regain the closeness of families and communities in order to reduce the escalating rates of loneliness, anxiety and depression in the UK.

To counter this, I have noticed that here in Tanzania there is very little, if anything, in the way of social support for those without the means to look after themselves. So if, as an elderly or disabled person, you do not have a supportive family then there is no support network to help you survive. We have encountered some difficult cases of disabled patients who have been mistreated or neglected, and this is very challenging work. This is why the work of the Outreach Team (the community-based rehabilitation project  run by Cedar Tanzania) is so important in providing support for those with disabilities.

What would you say to anyone who said that they could not volunteer because they didn't have a skill to offer?

Most people have something to offer. Speak to the Cedar Tanzania team and find out what skills they are looking for! It’s a really rewarding and fun place to work!

If Sian’s experience has whet your appetite to volunteer for Cedar Tanzania then begin the journey with this first step

Can a teacher be a volunteer?

Our team work together across sectors

Immersing yourself in the local community is one of the benefits of volunteering

Dylan occasionally popped in at the office

A classroom in Tanzania

Teachers, in government school, rely on the government to pay their salaries. When there is a teacher shortage at a school, they have to wait for the local authority to allocate them the relevant teacher; if or when governmental funds become available. “Volunteer teachers” are a common feature in schools. These are teachers whose salaries are paid by the monetary contributions of parents from the school community. Often this is the only way that teachers can be secured for such specialty subjects such as the sciences and mathematics. This is why Dylan Parkin’s volunteering at the Nyamatongo Secondary Schools, for free, means so much - because for the first time this year [2020], the secondary students are being taught biology on a regular basis. Dylan’s interactive approach contrasts starkly with the lecture style of teaching and rote learning that is prevalent in most of the other classrooms. Cedar Tanzania is proud to partner with Nyamatongo Secondary School in this way. Here Dylan tells us more about his experience of teaching in a Tanzanian school.

What motivated you to get involved at the local school?

As background information, I was previously teaching biology at a government secondary school in Tanzania for two years.  Upon arriving in Kamanga and visiting Nyamatongo Secondary School, it became obvious to me that volunteering some of my time at the school would be beneficial for all parties involved. First and foremost, the school is understaffed, without me volunteering it would be very likely that the first year students would not be taught biology. Secondly, by me spending time at the school I can help to build up relations between Cedar Tanzania and the local education system. It is my hope to identify a few dedicated educators, and start up some type of collaboration with them to improve the quality of education being offered at Nyamatongo Secondary School. By working along side the teachers, I also believe they may see the techniques I use in the classroom, ask me questions, startup dialogs, and possibly implement new methods of teaching into their own lesson plans. Lastly, I have really missed being in the classroom. I am very happy to be back teaching at a school. So really my motivation was threefold, for the school/students, for Cedar Tanzania, and for myself.

What are the challenges of teaching in a local school?

Whether it be a Westerner or a Tanzanian, the first thing everyone thinks or asks about is the language, and yes, the language barrier does create a challenge. Even though I am fluent in Swahili, there are times when it is difficult to find a good translation (especially in biology class). Also, many people don’t realise, but the medium of communication in secondary school in Tanzania is English. This creates a totally different challenge, when do I use Swahili and when do I refrain from using it. The students need to learn English, but if I only use English they will not understand and if I translate into Swahili, the translation might be the only thing students are capable of remembering two weeks later. I have to talk slow, be wise in my word choice, and make sure when new words are introduced all students understand. Outside of language, the biggest challenge is defiantly the class size. My classes currently range between 50-60 students. As with any class, all of the students have different abilities, personalities, and learning styles. This makes it very difficult to keep everyone focused and learning throughout the entire 80-minute double period.

What do you enjoy most about teaching there?

As cliché as it may sound I really enjoy teaching and seeing people learn. Whether I am teaching a student directly or working with a fellow teacher to help them better their craft, I love to see it when that light-bulb goes off in someone’s head, and they do not just know what has been taught to them, but they understand it. For me personally, I love biology and it is very simple, but I know that is only because I had a very good teacher in high school. The challenge of trying to figure out how to teach the students so they can see and understand the simplicity of biology is the other thing I enjoy the most. Biology was not meant to be learnt as facts being presented in a classroom. It was meant to be seen and understood through many simple observations in our daily lives. Trying to put together a lesson plan which will best help the students to understand a topic is very similar to putting together a puzzle.

What is Cedar Tanzania’s future plans in regards to their collaboration with the school?

This question is very difficult to answer at this point in time as I have only been volunteering at the school for a month now. As with any community development work, it is crucial you find the point when your interests and skills intersect with the community’s interests and needs. This is exactly how I became involved with the school in the first place. They had an interest and a need of getting more biology teachers, and I was both trained and interested in teaching biology at the secondary school. As of now it is too soon to know exactly how Cedar Tanzania will collaborate with the school in the future, because many of these variables are still unknown. Currently there are ideas of what could happen in the future. For example, there is already a dormitory under construction at the school, when completed it could reduce some students’ travel time to and from school by as much as 4 hours. Or maybe teachers would like to receive some refresher training on modern teaching techniques with an emphasis on English being taught as a second language within other subject lessons. Again, this will all depend on what the school and its staff need and are interested in pursuing. There are still more discussions that are needed to be had before Cedar Tanzania will know the best way forward in their collaboration with the Nyamatongo Secondary School. 

Can a nurse be a volunteer?

Hello Everyone!

My name is Lucia Melloni, I’m 26 years old and I’m originally from Italy. I studied nursing in Italy and after graduation, I moved to England to work. I have been living and working in the UK for four years now.  

How long was your volunteer placement?

I worked at Kamanga health Centre for nearly 3 months. From mid-January 2020 till the end of March 2020.

What was your volunteer role at Cedar Tanzania?

I was the first volunteer nurse at Kamanga Health Centre, before me only doctors had volunteered for Cedar Tanzania. During my time at Kamanga Health Centre, I mostly worked side by side with the nurses in the health centre helping improve their everyday practice. 

Please mention a couple of highlights of some of the activities that you were involved in whilst you worked for Cedar?

For three months, I have been working with the staff at Kamanga Health Centre and everyday was a highlight in my opinion.  What I most liked though, was that everyone in Kamanga was grateful for my efforts and time spent to help improving the running of the health centre. 

What things did you find challenging either in your work or living cross culturally?

Lucia Melloni, Volunteer Nurse

Our team 2020

Baby and toddler clinic

Families waiting to get their babies seen by our nurses.

Work and living within another culture can be challenging in many ways. What I found the most challenging was the language barrier. Working in healthcare and being able to communicate with your patient is essential. Not being able to communicate properly with my patients and particularly with the little ones was very frustrating.

What things have you found enjoyable or surprising about Tanzanian culture either socially or at work?

What I like the most of Tanzanian culture is the community living. Since the very first day I was in Tanzania, I felt welcomed. Same thing at the health centre, since the very beginning I have been welcomed as part of their family. I really felt home in Tanzania. 

What would you say to anyone considering a medical volunteer post with Cedar Tanzania?

I think it is a very good experience and a good starting point if you are interested in humanitarian medicine. It is also a chance for professional and personal growth.

How did the corona virus outbreak affect your time at Kamanga Health Centre?

The corona virus outbreak did not affect me that much to be honest because I was meant to come back home anyway. Two of my flights to come back to the UK were cancelled, but I managed to come back home in the end!

Find out more about volunteering with Australia for Cedar Tanzania here

Why should you care?

Why should you care about people in Africa? We have our own problems we need to care about. Isn’t that more important?

What if I tell you caring about people in Africa is caring for your own? 

What if I tell you helping people living in developing countries out of poverty is having a direct influence on your life?

How is that so?

You see, especially in these COVID times, it becomes crystal clear that we do not live in bubbles. That we are all connected. 

The surfacing of the new Omicron variant is putting a hold on travel plans again. Some countries are re-instating masks and people are getting sick even though they are double-vaccinated. Just as it seemed like we could see light at the end of the tunnel it has been taken away from us again.

Most of the sub-Saharan Africa has very low vaccination rates. South Africa is leading the board with 24% of the population being fully vaccinated. In comparison, only 1.4% of Tanzania’s population has received a double dose.

Now, how does that affect you? 

Back to the Omicron variation we are seeing now. Virus mutations happens when it replicates inside an unvaccinated host. When a person is vaccinated the virus doesn’t get a chance to replicate as much and therefore less mutations can happen. Most of these mutations means nothing but now and again it hits jackpot and becomes better at something. Whether it is better at transmitting, more deadly, or becomes or immune to current vaccines is a bit of a lucky dip.

With the extremely low vaccination rates in sub-Saharan Africa the virus has so much more opportunity to mutate, and chances are we are going to see many more variants that will spread and affect us all.

Just send some more vaccines?

If only this was the only hurdle we’d see. 

Just like we see people being hesitant to get vaccinated in the rest of the world we are seeing that in Tanzania too. In fact, we have vaccines available at Kamanga Health Centre for anyone who would like to get a shot.

Hesitancy doesn’t only stem from people being COVID-deniers or believing in conspiracy theories. 

It comes from lack of education. Not knowing how diseases spread. Not knowing how vaccines can protect you. 

It comes from living in severe poverty. Not having money for transport to a hospital. Not being able to afford spending the day walking to a clinic and back. Not having capacity to think any further than how you are going to feed your children and yourself today.

So, what can YOU do?

Support organisations working with healthcare projects poverty alleviation in developing countries just like Australia for Cedar Tanzania.

Enable people living in severe poverty to earn a living. This will allow their children to go to school with full tummies and have capacity to learn. Being able to afford and demand basic healthcare services is essential.

Support organisations in delivering vital healthcare information. Support educational and entrepreneurial project delivered in the poorest areas of the world.

Join us in help making the world a better place.

A place where we can all get vaccinated and have the freedom to travel again.

Donate as little as $10.

Do it once, or make it an automatic monthly donation.

The Bigger Picture

Christmas is magical.

The lights. The smells. The people. The food.

It is one of my favourite times of the year. I love returning to childhood fantasies with the Elf on Shelf doing his naughty things and each family having their own specific traditions.

In the later years another feeling has entered my Christmas too: The Bigger Picture. I am not sure what else to call it. I still want Christmas to be magical time for my children, my family and my friends. But at the same time, I am very much aware of the impact this over-indulgence and over-consumerism has on our planet and its people.

Therefore, I try to be conscientious about the presents I buy, and ask myself a few questions before purchasing an item:

• Will the present be appreciated for days, months, years to come?

• Will it last a long time? (unless it is a box of chocolate or a bottle of wine)

• Will it be used over and over again?

I know, some of the best, and most memorable presents I have received has been of the homemade kind. A jar of homemade chilli-mango sauce. Carefully spiced bath salt. A selection of seeds to grow my own herbs.

Of course, some presents and decorations are bought. But when we buy, why not buy something that really matters?

All our stock at ARTEFACTZ is handmade by artisans in Tanzania. The textiles are woven on large handlooms and hand dyed with natural colours. The baskets are handwoven by a large collaboration of women, although the straws used are traditionally cut by the men. Our bibs a cross stitched with safari motives by young HIV positive single mums to create a living for themselves and their children. Every single item has its story.

By purchasing one (or more!!!) of any ARTEFACTZ item, you are directly supporting the maker. You are directly making sure their children gets fed and gets to go to school.

On top of this, as we are a not-for-profit, all surplus is funding the healthcare services we currently are providing to 35,000 people.

And it gets even better (it’s Christmas after all)! Through our partnership with Action on Poverty we receive an additional 5% on every $$ we raise.

Head over and make this Christmas one to remember.

Neema defies paralysis thanks to Cedar Tanzania

What would you do?

Have you ever imagined what your life would look like if an accident was going to happen to you? Would you have the strength to keep going on?

Neema surely has. Seven years ago, Neema went to one of the larger regional hospitals to get treatment for typhoid. Unfortunately, Neema experienced nerve damage during her treatment and lost most of the mobility in her legs.

Neema is now 31 years old and lives with her parents. She relies on their help for all her basic needs. Neema also has three younger siblings who all still go to school.

Being dependent of her parents has had a huge impact on Neema’s mental health. She has been struggling with depression and feelings of being a burden to her family. As the family already lives in poverty having a member of the family not able to contribute financially is a huge strain. On top of that, there are all Neema’s extra medical bills.

Finding Neema

Our Outreach Team met Neema in 2019 and has since been working in close partnership with her and her family. This free service has provided Neema with a variety of treatment options for both her physical and mental health. 

With the help of our team, Neema has regained some movement in her legs and has literally taken her first few steps towards independence.

It is Neema’s desire to get to a point where she can support herself and contribute to her family. She is grateful to her family, particularly her parents, for the support they have given her through the difficulty times she has encountered. She hopes she one day will be able to return the kindness she has received.

A new beginning

Neema is excited to start our entrepreneurial training.

She says “I have some basic knowledge on sewing. I learnt a while ago before I suffered from paralysis, and I am confident that I can regain some skills if I will get the opportunity to practice again. It is something am interested about and something I am capable of doing”.

According to Neema’s physiotherapist, the tailoring training will help Neema to re-gain her sewing skills and hopefully help her to earn an income. It will empower and strengthen her emotionally, mentally, and physically. Sewing provides an opportunity to rebuild physical strength and this project also provides her with an opportunity to be surrounded by others who are facing similar challenges. 

What is typhoid?

Typhoid is a bacterial disease spread through dirty water and can be life-threatening if not treated. 

The residents of Nyamatongo Ward do not have access to treated water. The only water source is water collected from the lake. With no sewage systems in place, long-drops or open defecation is the norm and is naturally led to the water. Typhoid, and other waterborne diseases are very common in the area.

In fact, diarrhea, which is often caused by typhoid, is the biggest cause of death for children under five.

Can you help Neema and people like her?

Will you give a tax-deductible gift to help Neema and others like her become agents of change in their communities? 

Your gift can pay for training, material and sewing machines to help people with disabilities learn income-generating skills and challenge social stigma.

Changing Lives begins with you. We can’t do it without you.

How a deaf and mute young man learned a trade in 6 months and now supports his mother and 3 siblings.

Today I am going to tell you about Fred and how our Entrepreneur Program has changed his life.

Despite Fred being both deaf and mute from birth, and growing up in a very poor household, he has been determined to learn a trade and become able to provide for his family. 

In this case study I will show you how our Entrepreneur Program makes a real difference for people just like Fred and his family.

Meeting Fred

Fred is a 21-year old young man living in rural Tanzania. Throughout his life Fred has had to rely on his mother for support. Going to school has been particularly hard for Fred as there are not any special education or help available in this poverty-stricken community. Only with the help of his mother he has learned to write and communicate with some simple gestures.

Fred grew up with his single mother and three siblings. It has always been his dream to be able to contribute to the household and to be able to look after his family. Although societies in Tanzania often disregard people with disabilities Fred and his mother never gave up hope.

Reaching Out

Our Outreach Team met Fred and his family on one of their daily rounds in the Nyamatongo Ward where we work. The Outreach Team provide medical healthcare services to people in their own homes for those of the 30,000 residents who are unable to visit our hospital, Kamanga Health Centre. 

Often the team stops and talks to families about life and the problems they are experiencing. They will share knowledge on a variety of healthcare topics such as nutrition, and treatments and services available. Sharing their own stories and speaking to people on a daily basis has made this team a trusted part of our community service.

After meeting Fred and his family our team instantly offered him a spot in our Entrepreneur Program. They couldn’t help but feel Fred’s determination and eagerness to be given a chance to learn a trade and finally give something back to his family and community.

Earning a living

Fred joined our Entrepreneur Program in October 2020 and now 6 months later he is well on his way to opening his own tailoring business. 

The trainer and Fred’s fellow trainees have publicly acknowledged his passion and commitment to the project and his untiring support of others.

With only a limited number of sewing machines available in our program our students must take turns to practice. This means it takes even longer to gain the practical skills needed to finally be able to live independent lives. Fred is now advocating for more support and funding which could allow us to buy more sewing machines so more people with disabilities can join in the future. 

Apart from the practical tailoring skills our program is also teaching the participants simple bookkeeping skills, market research, project planning, and we offer support and help throughout the program.

Living with a disability in Tanzania

In Tanzania, living with a disability has a significant impact on health, education and work possibilities. More than 50% of children suffering from a disability never gets to go to school.

In Tanzania, having a member of the household living with any kind of disability presents a double burden. Just 3% of people with disabilities earn an income from paid employment which means they are extremely vulnerable to abuse and poverty.

This project provides an opportunity for the participants to gain the skills to reach independence and the chance to get a job or to open their own businesses. 

It also demonstrates, both to the people living with a disability themselves and to the community, that a disability is a barrier that can and should be challenged.

It provides people living with a disability with an important and valued role within the society showing they are equal members of their communities.

Tanzania in numbers:

•  There are about 57M people – 68% or nearly 40M people are living in rural areas and most of these are living in poverty. Life expectancy is 65 years.

• In fact, 49% of Tanzanians (26M people) are living on less than $1.90 a day. This is the international definition of severe poverty.

• Most people, 90%, is living on less than $5 a day. That’s about the amount you spent on that take-away coffee earlier today.  
  
  

Can you help people like Fred?

Will you give a tax-deductible gift to help more people like Fred to become agents of change in their communities? 

Your gift can pay for training, material and sewing machines to help people with disabilities learn income-generating skills and challenge social stigma.

"Supporting Globally Impacting Locally" - Nina Hjortlund featured on Wellthy Living

A real and unedited chat between Nina Hjortlund, Founding Director and CEO of Australia for Cedar Tanzania & ARTEFACTZ and Lisa Entwisle, Host and Founder of Wellthy Living.

Lisa and Nina met on Clubhouse, the audio-only platform, and from there the conversation grew. This conversation takes us through large parts of Nina’s journey, why she’s so passionate about Global Development and Tanzania but also talks about her personal life juggling CEO-life with being a single mum.

You can read more about Nina and her journey here: “Going on a 13-year long holiday” and here: “Am I an imposter”

If you want to contact Nina for an interview or as a speaker you can contact her here

Going On A 13-Year Long Holiday

It takes passion, perseverance and pertinacity to change the lives of more than 30,000 people.

Changing Lives Begins With You

This part of my journey started back in 2005. I was turning 30, and like many other women, I felt a need to reflect on my life. All the big existential questions: Am I living my life to the fullest? Is this what I want my life to look like the next 30 years? Am I happy in my life?

A big loud “NO!” to all three questions was bobbling up inside me.

I felt like I was trapped. I felt like I was living someone else’s life. I felt like I was screaming but no one could hear me. Something had to change.

It all started with a holiday. A holiday that took me to Tanzania – a country I had barely heard about. Little did I know it was going to be the beginning to the rest of my life.

What was meant to be a two-week holiday became my home for the next 13 years. I didn’t speak the language, I didn’t know the culture, I had no official education. What could possibly go wrong?

Of course, a lot of things did. It is probably the steepest and harshest learning curve I have ever experienced, but I have learned so much not only about running a business but also about myself.

My many years in Tanzania saw me through a variety of businesses and industries – none of which I had ANY previous experience in. 

I started off buying a restaurant and bar. Only letdown was it actually didn’t have a kitchen. It had to be built. 

Then there was a draught and electricity were rationed. First a few days here and there, then we only had power on Fridays and Sundays, and in the end only on Sundays. The thing is, when there is no power, there is also no water as the pumps needs power. I ended up buying buckets of water from a man on a bicycle. The water came from…. the brewery! This went on for almost a year.

The following year I sold the bar and bought a nightclub and concert venue. This was really interesting! Everything from having crocodiles entering my space, to hosting the presidential wife, driving wealthy and powerful youth home, being arrested, all the while trying to provide a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere in the nightlife.

Taking a new turn in my ‘career’ I got a job as a lodge manager for a rundown fishing lodge (no, I have no idea how to catch a fish) on an uninhabited island. The only people on the island were me, my staff, and a couple of rangers.

Again, no power and no running water. We ran kerosene fridges (when we didn’t run out of kerosene) and had a very very old generator. It had a screwdriver wedged in as the ‘start button’.

Elephants, hippos and crocodiles came to our camp near daily and we had resident colubus monkeys, bushbuck and lots of other animals. It was spectacular.

Coming back to the mainland I found myself in first junior exploration and then on the mines. A very different world to where I had been so far.

By a few more turns I landed in the not-for-profit sector.

All these twists and turns has formed my knowledge and expertise but also shown me how it is in everyone’s power to change a life.

The Australian Connection

I met the man that became father to our two girls in Tanzania. An Aussie guy working in the mines. Although Emily and Sofia were both born here in Australia, they grew up in Tanzania until they were 5 and 7 years old. They were only a few weeks old when they went on their first long haul flight and on their first trips to Serengeti.

In August 2018 we decided time had come to make the move across the ocean and settle in Fremantle. 

The move hasn’t been entirely smooth and since our arrival we have learned that both our girls are living with ADHD, and the oldest also has severe anxiety and OCD tendencies. In fact, she was ‘suicidal without a plan’ at age 7. That was incredibly hard to witness.

My relationship with the girl’s father ended last year and the following month he returned to his work in Africa. 

I am now solo parenting 24/7 while also working full time as Founding Director and CEO. 

Some days it is a tough gig, but we are finding our groove. Eating dinner together at the dining table every evening is sacred to me. This is the time we check in with each other, solve problems and make plans. Walks on the beach are good for the soul and we go as often as possible.

I had no doubts about what I was going to do when I came here to Australia. Two months later, on October 5th 2018, Australia for Cedar Tanzania was a reality and I was ready to continue the work we had started in Tanzania.

‘Cedar Tanzania’ is our registered on-the-ground organisation in Tanzania, and we have a well-established and dedicated local team carrying out our day-to-day activities in the field.

We pride ourselves of taking a holistic approach to create positive sustainable change.

My daily work, even before the pandemic, included a lot of meetings on Skype and Zoom. Leading the team in Tanzania – nearly 10,000km away and with a 5-hour time difference – means I often work evenings after the kids are in bed. I am grateful for being able to work from home. I can flex my time around my children’s schedule and take them to all their activities without having to miss out.

When the pandemic hit last year, it was clear international aid (especially to Africa) was going to take a blow.

ARTEFACTZ, a new retail part of Australia for Cedar Tanzania, launched in March 2020 to ensure a sustainable income to support our projects.

Every carefully curated item supports and sustains the culture and livelihood of artisans across East Africa – many of whom are women who has lost the opportunity to sell their high-quality crafts as tourism has come to standstill.

You don’t need to go on a 13-year holiday or work across three continents to start Changing Lives. 

I cannot achieve my goals alone. Please join me.

This is how Changing Lives Begins with You.

Featured in Business Chicks March 2021

FACTZ & ACTz

FACTZ

Seeing poverty on a daily basis cannot but leave an impact. 

Of Tanzania’s 57 million people, 49% (26 million people – the same as Australia’s population) are living on less than $1.90 a day. This is the international definition of severe poverty.

Most Tanzanians, 90% of the population (more than 51 million people), are living on less than $5 a day. 

That’s about the amount you spend on a take-away coffee.

When you are poor, education is an expensive investment. Research shows us that often families chose to focus that investment into one child.

That one child is most often a boy. Since he is the one you have betted on, he is likely to be the one who gets to eat first. This is an important fact as 38% of children under 5 in rural areas are stunted[1] due to malnutrition, prolonged and repeated infections, and untreated worms and parasites. Children, who doesn’t get enough food to grow, and who has to share this scarce nutrition with worms and parasites, are not likely to be able to focus on learning and schoolwork.

More than 90% of Tanzanians rely on ‘unimproved sanitation facilities’. That means no access to a bathroom or a toilet but a hole in the ground or nothing at all. ‘Doing your business’ behind a bush or in a lake is therefore not uncommon. This is the main reason we see continuous infections of worms, parasites and other waterborne diseases such as typhoid. In fact, something as simple as diarrhea is the biggest killer of children under 5.

Tanzania has a law banning teenage girls from continuing education should she fall pregnant. This rule remains also after she has given birth. Teachers will lose their jobs if they are found teaching pregnant girls leading to compulsory pregnancy tests at school. 

Abortion is also illegal and therefore not an option. Even so, 42% of girls aged 15-19 living in poverty have already had a live birth or are currently pregnant.

On top of that, 11,000 Tanzanian mothers die during childbirth every year. That is one woman every 50 minutes.

ACTz

Australia for Cedar Tanzania is creating sustainable positive change for the residents of Nyamatongo Ward.

We built a hospital from scratch. 

We bought the land, we constructed the buildings, we sourced the medical equipment needed and now we run the day-to-day management and quality assurance. 

We service 30,000 residents and tend to over 1,200 patients every month. Every month we vaccinate and give free health checks to 200 children and babies under 5. A baby is born at our hospital every day.

To be able to deliver healthcare to every single person in our area we taught a group of medical professionals to ride off-road motorbikes. Our mobile medical team are focusing on people with disabilities, children and community education.

Through educating and engaging community activists speaking to fellow residents about the benefits of equality and equity we have seen a decrease in violence against women and in new HIV cases in married women.

We teach local members of the community to deliver our youth project. Through soccer we are giving teenagers, both girls and boys, a space where they can discuss subjects like sex, puberty and gender roles freely. At the same time provide education on HIV prevention and offer free voluntary testing.

As I mentioned before, young women who fall pregnant can no longer go to school. They are caught in a poverty trap and often also ostracized by their families. We are providing them with basic skills such as sewing, basic business management and market research. This gives them an opportunity to earn a living and to have a social network in each other.

Actually, “we” didn’t do all of this.

YOU did. YOU made all of this possible. YOU changed lives. YOU built a hospital. YOU are delivering mobile healthcare. YOU are making sure women are safe in their own homes. YOU are teaching teens about HIV/AIDS. YOU are helping young women to support themselves.

YOU can make sure these projects continue and getting many more projects off the ground in 2021.

This is how Changing Lives Begins with You.

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[1] Stunting is when a child has a low height for their age, usually due to malnutrition, repeated infections, and/or poor social stimulation. The World Health Organization categorizes children who are stunted as those whose height is lower than average for their age, and at least two standard deviations below the WHO’s Child Growth Standards Median. 

The real-world impacts of stunting ripple well beyond linear growth. A stunted child may also have a poorer immune system, brain function, and organ development. Performing below average in these areas may also limit their future productivity and threaten the health of their future children.

Stunting cannot be reversed but can be prevented! 

https://www.concernusa.org/story/what-is-stunting/

The Story Of A Basket

Many people may recognize these handwoven Iringa baskets. They originate from Southern highlands of Tanzania, Iringa, which has given them their name.

Traditionally, they are woven by women of the Hehe and Bena tribes from Milulu grass, a reed-like swamp grass growing in this area.

This extraordinary skill is passed down from woman to woman through generations, and today it is an important empowering skill enabling Tanzanian women to gain independence and ability to sustain her own, and her children’s, lives. 

The baskets has played a big role in the heritage of especially the Hehe and Bena tribes and has through the times been used for numerous purposes.

Even now with their contemporary and multi-usage design they are decorative and useful in any home. Use them for your indoor plants, blankets, magazines, toys, paper basket in your office - you name it!

You can purchase your own through ARTEACTZ here

The New Man Holding The Reins...

…is Amani George, Cedar Tanzania’s new Project Manager.

We asked him to introduce himself:

Am I an imposter?

I have just written an article for Women and Leadership Australia but since it is behind a membership wall I want to share it with you here.

Seeing myself as a leader didn’t come easy to me.

I still clearly remember the day I felt confident enough to sign my email with “Founding Director and CEO”. With my heart in my throat and fingers shaking I pressed send. Of course, no one noticed, and no one commented on it. They already saw me as the leader I am, and it was only a natural addition to my signature.

How come it was so hard for me to realise I was a leader? Had I fallen victim to the infamous imposter syndrome?

To feel like an imposter, you must first believe you are in a position you are not qualified for or that you haven’t earned (whether it is true or not). I never felt like an imposter; I never felt I was pretending to be something that I wasn’t.

That same week I had been at a gathering hosted by a very dear friend of mine. A rather relaxed affair and although I knew most of the people there were a few people I hadn’t met before. As I am an extrovert with a capital E and find no better way to soak up some energy, I was in my element.

My friend was introducing me to one of the other guests - and suddenly something clicked! He was using words that I had never thought of using to describe myself. Like “Entrepreneur”, “Leader” and “Founding Director”. Only then did I realise 'that is was what I am.'

Through this experience, I am now taking my leadership skills much more seriously. Evaluating my skills, identifying my strengths and weaknesses, becoming much clearer in my leadership.

To really extend my knowledge and to sharpen my skill set as a leader I have chosen to take a MicroMasters through the University of Queensland in Leadership in Global Development.

To continue to expand my knowledge and to actively participate in continued learning is important to drive and grow my business.

Doing business across continents and in developing countries definitely has its challenges but one of my greatest strengths is that I see it as just that: challenges. Challenges can be overcome and there is always a solution to be found.

My definition of success is when all the parts fits the puzzle.

When we see positive changes in the lives of our beneficiaries, when our team is performing at their best and is happy to come to work every day, and when our CSR partnerships benefit everyone involved.

That is also what drives my passion and why I wake up excited to work. This is what brings me joy. It also makes me happy to be a positive role model for my children. To show them that women can be leaders and entrepreneurs too.

Nina Hjortlund delivers with great insight and knowledge, the reasons why Africa matters and why Global Development has an impact on you and your business. Dedication, passion and enthusiasm drive her entrepreneurial personality, and she is a firm believer in creating opportunities rather than waiting for them.

Through her many years in Africa, and in Tanzania in particular, she has developed an understanding of the multifaceted issues people are facing on a daily basis in the developing world. Believing in continuous learning she is currently undertaking a MicroMasters at Queensland University in Leadership in Global Development. Nina is mother to four children of which two still are living at home. Her two eldest children are currently studying in Denmark.