Anthropological research in Mambo

Anthropological research in Mambo

by  Mark de Waard, friend of Mambo

A couple of days after the start of the year 2013, I arrived at Mambo to do a research for MamboViewPoint in combination with my study. At this moment, I am a master’s student in Social & Cultural Anthropology at the Free University in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. My aim for this research was to find out more about the perceptions of the people in Mambo village towards the development projects facilitated, and how this would influence their behavior. The contribution I would make to MamboViewPoint with this research was that they could improve their communication with the villagers. My duration of stay was almost three months. If I did not had to return to finish writing a thesis, I would have definitely stayed longer at this amazing place…

The arrival

At the moment I arrived, I experienced a beautiful place in the Usambara Mountains: A stunning view over Tanzania and Kenya while I sometimes could catch a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro. Before this time, I have been in Tanzania three times for holidays and an internship, but that I missed this place felt as a missing for my previous trips to Tanzania.

Before I arrived at this place, I had some serious doubts about how I would experience these three months. First of all, I am really a person who loves cities and busyness around himself: My internship for my former study was mainly in Arusha. During this internship, I went for a program towards a very remote area for one week, and at the end of that week I really felt ‘homesick’ to the big city. Now I was going to stay at a remote area for three months, which is way longer than this one week during my former internship.

Another point which I was a bit worried about was my level of Kiswahili. Before arrival, I spoke a bit of Kiswahili, but this was on such a level that it was not really useful to work with. Despite of these worries, I also looked forward to this adventure: This would become a personal challenge for me, and I would try as much as possible to contribute useful anthropological knowledge to MamboViewPoint.

The worries I had at the beginning quickly disappeared after my arrival. I noticed that Mambo and MamboViewPoint is a nice place with a friendliness of people, which I did not experience that much as during my travels around the world. Herman, Marion, and the rest of the staff gave me a very warm welcome, and because of them, I knew I arrived at a good place.

The start

Since almost one year before my departure to Tanzania, I have already started reading literature and scientific articles about this topic. At the moment I arrived, it was time to assess all this knowledge in ‘the field’. I started with just observing what was going on. Luckily for me, shortly after my arrival I was brought by one of the staff members, Kipimo, to a general village meeting. He really took care of me, and could explain me good what was going on. Together with Ndege, the local manager, I discussed in the first week how to come in contact with the people. He had some very good ideas which helped me to present myself more to the people of Mambo. Another staff member, Amiri, brought me into contact with the younger generation of the village. He is one of the members of the local football team ‘Dogodogo Stars’, and since the first week I also became a member of this football team. Also Herman and Marion helped me a lot during some brainstorms about what is going on in the area, and provided me a clear picture of Mambo by telling about important and less important happenings.

The process

Like always, the start is the most difficult part of a research, and in the beginning I was worried about how to start. In the first two weeks, I conducted interviews with only two villagers. These two were staff members of MamboViewPoint, so I could not be satisfied. However, I also put a lot of effort in the beginning by just talking with people, participating in development projects or social activities. It turned out that by doing this, I built the foundation for a large numbers of interviews in a later phase of the research.

In the beginning I was struggling with finding translators. The guides of MamboViewPoint were did a good job, but they were very busy with trips for tourists which made it difficult to make appointments with people. I was very lucky that I met Hoza, who became my research assistant. I already knew him, because he was participating in a tree nursery project. It turned out that his level of English was satisfying to me, and he had good ideas on how he could help me. After his first time translating for me, I was convinced that he was the right person who was going to help me making this research a success. Thanks to him, I adjusted my goal of 25 interviews towards 30 interviews, which became in the end 33 interviews!

During my talks with the people in Mambo village and surroundings, I realized that people really enjoyed my visit. Most people experienced the interviews not only as being a passive research subject, but also as sharing knowledge in two directions. Just visiting people at their home and listen to what they think made people very happy, which get symbolized by the disappointed reactions by some people if I did not interviewed them yet. Additionally, of all the people whom I have interviewed, there was only one person who was not willing to be interviewed.

The interviews and participating in meetings and social activities resulted that it was for me not possible anymore to walk in the village without meeting people. While I left for walking to the village, I heard my nickname ‘Maliki’ called by many people shouted. In the beginning of my stay I was always 10 minutes too early for an appointment, while at the end I was always 5 minutes too late for an appointment. This was because I had to greet so many people on my way.

The importance of anthropology is that the researcher is his own research tool. This means that I had to come closer to my research subjects by talking and participating in their lives. This will open doors to achieve more results by making use of my senses. I feel like I really achieved this in more ways. People opened themselves a lot to me. First of all, the people in this area are very open and friendly by themselves, and show a lot of hospitality. However, I think I increased their openness by really showing interest towards their lives. I talked with them, stopped for a greeting while walking in the village, hang out with the people in the village center, and participated a few times in voluntary village works. Also my Kiswahili at the end of my stay really improved. Whereas I could only say ‘Hello, how are you?’ at the beginning, at the end I could introduce myself and present the aim of my interview fully by myself. This was partly because I have spent many hours sitting with the MamboViewPoint staff and just talking in Kiswahili.

The end

I already knew it a bit, but after this research I discovered I am studying the best study there is: doing research by communicating with as much as possible with people. Fortunately, the people I researched in this case also turned out to be amazing friendly people. This also resulted to me that I felt very sad in the days before my departure. Despite of this, because I was almost leaving, I knew I had to enjoy every moment of being here even more.

But with the coming of the end of this research, it is also time to analyze my findings of this research:

First of all, anthropologists always have the tendency to argue the good things bad, and the bad things good. However, Herman and Marion made it very difficult for me to criticize their projects they are implementing. The reactions of the people in the village made me realize how much the people appreciate MamboViewPoint. During my conversations, it turned out that many people saw MamboViewPoint as a new alternative to bring more development in this area. This is because the ones who are supposed to facilitate development, the local leaders, are experienced as being not reliable. The people in the village experience MamboViewPoint as much more reliable in facilitating development, so people depend more on them. However, this could be a disadvantage, because in the end it are the people themselves who should develop the area. Still, people are very happy with certain developments on which they had to wait for many years, but are brought by MamboViewPoint very fast.

Another very important thing I found out during my stay here is that the willingness of people to participate in development project is very high. However, they put some restrictions on their participation: As long as the project is transparent and the facilitators can show what the benefits are, the people in Mambo are very willing to contribute their efforts to a development project.

These are some of the main findings during my stay here. But at the moment I arrive back in The Netherlands, I have to analyze all my collected data and start writing my thesis. This means that I am going to spend my time for three months in the university library. While analyzing and writing, I will constantly think back of this great time here: In this period, I noticed how much I love this country and its people, and how much I want to come back to the place where I had one of the best periods of my life!

For Dutch blogs written during my time in Mambo, visit http://markintanzania.waarbenjij.nu or http://vamosbien.nl/?page_id=398

Starting a tree nursery in Mambo

STARTING A TREE NURSERY IN MAMBO VILLAGE IN THE USAMBARA MOUNTAINS, TANZANIA

by Sally Christensen, friend of Mambo

March, 2013

Aim

One of the ideas form the projects in Mambo is to have a tree nursery. Tourists who are coming to Mambo can buy one or more trees to compensate there CO2 use. The trees will be planted with the 10 primary schools in and around Mambo to make the villages more green.

In January 2013 our returning volunteer Sally Christensen who had some experience working  on a tree project in Bagamoyo, came with her green hands to start the project.

Read below about her experiences:

Background

During  2012 Ndgege, the Manager of Mambo View Point,  had managed to negotiate   with the Chief and elders   the use of a piece of land just outside Mambo Village which could be  cleared and then  planted as a Tree Nursery for the village.

The elevation of the land is approx 1900m. Many trees around Mambo village  had been cut down over the years but in other valleys there were  ago carpus and  grevillea, old pear and plum trees (planted years ago by Germans now  in great need of pruning), a few avocadoes, guava and loquat. Eucalyptus had also  been planted by Germans.  There were acres of cultivated pine forests and much land has been taken over by wattle which gives nothing back to the soil and soil erosion is visible everywhere.

I arrived on Friday,  January 4 and over that weekend visited the 1 acre plot of land which was very over grown indeed.  At a first meeting it was agreed that we would try and find volunteers to help clear the land.  Also, it was agreed that  sending out saplings to farmers in the area was not practical as it would be extremely difficult and time consuming to monitor the care and growth of these trees.  It was therefore decided that I  would do a study of the 10 primary schools in Sunga Ward to ascertain the sustainability of planting fruit and shade trees in the grounds and to instigate the idea of parents and teachers getting together rotas for watering and nurturing the trees. The schools were very interested, two sadly had no access to water, but it should be feasible over the next 5 years to provide 8 schools with 10 trees each.    Mr. Hoza, from the fertile and productive valley of Nkukai, was invited to help me with translation and to impart his  local knowledge of existing trees, making terraces, seed beds etc. He would take over when I left and finish the planting of the  stock orchard and then the distribution and monitoring of the trees for the primary schools.

Clearing the Land

Under the expert and enthusiastic guidance of Juma, the head gardener at Mambo View Point, and his equally enthusiastic and hard working   ladies, the clearing of the land was started.  It was discovered that there had been a nursery there before and very quickly four  of  the old tumbled down terraces were built up again. There were about 25 mature trees  there already creating shade and the Lusina trees kept the banks solid and were putting nitrogen back into the earth.  The soil  was excellent.  The lads from the Dogo Dogo Stars football team (average age 17)  were also invited to help with the heavy cutting down of shrubs. In return they would get a new football. When they turned up they were terrific.  They loved to slash but were less keen on removing the debris. Paths had to be made to carry the debris away to a pile.

Two lads were hacking their way through from different directions and then saw each .  I cried out “Dr Livingstone, I presume”  but sadly no one understood the reference. A young Dutch anthropologist, Mark, who played in the  football   team  was a great help over these days particularly when no one turned up and he would say “this is really interesting.. there must be a reason.”  And I would be champing at the bit and not find it interesting at all that no one had turned up.  We discovered from the neighbour (always good to be friendly with the neighbours) that there used to be a well so a new one was dug by him and  now we had water on the property.  (photo)  Volunteering is not a concept that known or loved  by Tanzanians  so it was terrific having all these people come .(see photos)

Seed Beds

Together with Mr Hoza  we visited a few small nurseries in the area all run by ladies.  Sadly, they only grew pine seedlings but it is hoped that this year they will be encouraged to become more adventurous and grow other trees. 

The Jipe Moyo (Give Heart) ladies were invited to the  nursery and they showed our volunteers how to mix up forest leaves, manure and sand into a wonderful compost, and then  to create the seed beds and  make covers of small timbers laying  bracken on top to protect the seeds from birds, neighbours chickens ( now banned) and hot sun.  (see photo)

Stock Orchard

Together with Ndege I went twice to an excellent nursery in the town of Lushoto (3 hours away on a bumpy road) and bought 2, 3 and 4 year old fruit trees such as avocadoes, plums, apples, pears, macademia, guava, fig and loquat. We discovered that  avocadoes can be   grown directly from the stones (young lads were employed to pick them up after the Mambo market)  and then in a few years grafting can occur. Other fruit trees are propagated through grafting. The manager, Johnny,  is an expert on this and has been invited up to MVP to give a seminar and demonstration so that  the ladies  can then use these skills both at Mambo nursery and in their own shambas (small holdings).   Seeds for shade trees such as  mshai and casuarinas were purchased and will be planted right away.  They will be repotted in ecyclable banana

Leaf pots made by the Jipe Moyo and Youth Club and can be brought on or sold.

A neighbour (the one who owns the chickens) has been employed to water and to be a security guard.

Mr Hoza and I visited  several old  fruit orchards close to Mambo and took cuttings of many fruit trees and Juma at MVP is looking after them carefully.  At the end of March or early April, just before the rains, the  saplings and cuttings will  all be moved down to the new nursery and planted according to the plan that Sally has made.  In a few years this stock orchard will be producing cuttings for planting and grafting.

Involving the Youth Club

A  gorgeous Dutch couple had set up a Youth Club so I invited the children to design a sign for the nursery to be placed on the road and entrance to the land. 

Capacity Building and Sustainability

Growing fruit and shade trees by seed, by cuttings and grafting  in Mambo Village Nursery is a challenge and it is hard to predict, over the next say 10 years, how many trees will  be propagated and how many will survive both in the Mambo nursery and in the primary schools.  In my humble opinion , the sheer fact that people from Mambo and the surrounding areas  will learn how to make seed beds,  to take cuttings and to graft and later to prune;  that the existing small nurseries will be bold and grow different seedlings like fruit trees  and find a market for them; that teachers, children and parents in the schools will learn how to nurture and grow young trees  and  hopefully, in the not too distant future,  will  enjoy the produce, is worth this challenge.

Funding the ongoing project

I had raised some funds which covered the initial costs of young trees, seeds, timber, tools, pots, small salaries.  These are now spent. A donation of $15 will buy 2 trees and will on-going costs of nurturing and looking after the orchard, salaries of Mr Hoza and security guard,  transport of trees to schools and much more. 

 To keep this project going guests at Mambo View Point will be given literature about the project and invited to visit the nursery.  They can choose the trees and if it is for a family member or in memory of a friend or  family member   for another $10 they can have a memorial plaque made.  Planting trees helps your carbon footprint.  (Herman please put a sentence or two in here  on your statistics. 

We also hope that you who read this blog might donate

www.MamboSteunPunt.org/Projects/TreeNursery/Index.htm

Forest conservation in the Rainbow season

Forest conservation in the Rainbow season

By Florentine van Noppen en Jessica van der Wal

November 2012

To avoid the rainy, windy, Dutch autumn and postpone job-hunting Jessica and I, freshly graduated biologists, packed our bags for Tanzania. I had never been to Tanzania, or Africa, before, so after the warnings about diseases, robberies and scary animals from my parents, grandparents and the vaccination centre, I left home a bit anxious. However, when we arrived at the stunningly beautiful MamboViewPoint my worries vanished instantly. I could get used to this magnificent view, the people we met were very welcoming, and we were assured that scary animals were far away; even mosquitos are completely absent up there.

  

Our first days we were given the chance to get to know the area. We discovered that it was the rainbow season. Occasionally a bit of rain, but lots of rainbows! Local guides showed us the village and Herman told us everything (that is what we thought, but every week we discovered more) about the many projects that are being carried out or planned. Because of the local approach, all the projects fit very well in the community and are set up in a sustainable way. Water pumps, a doctor’s post, a road, and lots more are already in place thanks to their efforts. It was great to see all this, but it was also time to start getting our hands to work.

Together with Herman and Marion, we decided to make an overarching project proposal for the conservation of the Shagayu forest and a kid’s route. The proposal is made up out of nine projects that include and stimulated people of the community in different ways (education, alternatives, and workshops) to the conservation of the forest. The kid’s route consists of ten signs in Swahili and English about the surrounding nature, culture, the view, the weather and some history. For the route, we worked together with Moddy, an artist from the village, who made the illustrations. This all may sound like hard work, but it was eased by lovely, ever changing views that we had from the top of the mountain, and the birds that just kept being pretty in front of my camera, our good friend the chameleon, chats with the guards, the kooks, the guides and the cleaning ladies. Actually, it is a miracle that the projects got finished.

Off course we had to know what we were writing about and went on an excursion to the Shagayu forest. The first time we went there it was raining, so after our discussion on whether to call it a cloud- or a rain forest, we decided that that day, it was definitely a rain forest. Despite the rain, we had a great day; I was impressed with the enormous trees and the huge biodiversity. Some of the staff came along with us to see what the guests of the lodge actually did all day. They were joking to the people we met on the way: look at us, we are tourists! 

During our stay we were invited to come and drink tea at the homes of our new friends. We got to drink nice teas with cinnamon or ginger and a lot of sugar. We were also invited to attend a healing ceremony in the village. This was very special and different from anything I had ever seen. Liquids were prepared, drumming, singing, incense, and at one point someone had a life chicken on his head. I hope he got well soon..

As you can imagine, our time at Mambo flew by. We are very grateful that we were given this opportunity and the experience was eye opening, inspiring and simply great. When the five weeks were over, it was hard to say goodbye. So let’s say: see you later!

Florentine

Below a summary of the findings from Jessica and Floor

Abstract

Intense population growth, causing increasing pressure on natural resources in the West Usambara Mountains in Tanzania, has resulted in large-scale land degradation. Shagayu forest in the Sunga Ward is an important forest that is subject to rapid deforestation. As a result, erosion is evident and negatively affecting agricultural practices. There is a crying need for effective conservation measures. Since the communities living around the forest strongly depend on its resources (mainly for firewood), it is essential to involve these communities in forest conservation efforts, by offering education, alternative sources of income, fuel sources and increasing fuel efficiency. Based on previous efforts and information about the region, nine projects have been developed to tackle these problems. Another overarching goal is to initiate participatory forest management in the area, so that people can contribute to the conservation and share in the benefits. Although there will probably barriers to overcome, accurate implementation of the projects plans will benefit the forest and improve life in the Sunga ward.

Integration of projects and conclusion

A proposal is presented on nine, cohesive projects that will help provide incentives to preserve the Shagayu forest, creating awareness on its conservation, introducing non-destructive income options and develop alternatives for wood sources currently used. Together, the cohesive projects can reduce the pressure on the forest and erosion rates. The projects are: (1) Environmental education; (2) Erosion prevention workshop; (3) Tree nursery and tree planting; (4) Sawdust bricks; (5) Biogas; (6) Stove efficiency improvements; (7) Butterfly farm; (8) Beekeeping and (9) Mushroom farming. Although all projects described above are expected to be feasible, all require additional background research before they can be initiated. Thorough preparation and planning is essential. This, and a business plan, is needed before funds can be addressed. For each of the projects, committees or project leaders have to be appointed. This needs to be done with care, and considering the stakeholder analysis, so that it does not cause (unnecessary) conflicts and maximize the chance of success concerning implementation and sustainability. Also, for the selection of participants, equitable methods need to be found that take into account disadvantaged groups as well other stakeholders and their relations. Furthermore, it is important to realize that the writing of applications for funds and grants is time-consuming and might require experts.

The projects are designed to strengthen one another. It is hereby important to pay attention to the space and time the projects are to be executed, and in what order preferably. First, environmental education is key in developing an initial interest, respect and appreciation for the forest. Then, projects that have relatively easy to meet requirements and generate immediate results, like beekeeping and the erosion prevention workshop, should be implemented. This will give participants an insight in what ways the forest is important, and will help create incentives to encourage its conservation. The biogas project should also be continued as soon as possible, because otherwise previous efforts are wasted and trust in the project will probably decrease. Alternative stoves can be introduced as soon as they are available. the need to carry out a pilot study on the use, realised benefits and demand is stressed. Implementation of the sawdust bricks project can be done as soon as a working combination of substrates is found.

If some of the relatively little demanding projects are successful, interest and trust are expected to increase for projects that consume more time and resources. Butterfly farming and mushroom farming can then be initiated. These projects require more time and investments, but are also expected to have higher revenue. By this time, a start can be made to arrange participatory management of the forest, as the people are expected to have developed a sense of pride, responsibility of ownership. Additional education on environmental issues is needed to enable an environmental committee to contribute to forest management and fully implement community based participatory forest management. Also, from the other side, incentives to help preserve forest, like the butterfly farm, can have far more impact when people are actually empowered to contribute to forest management. The ultimate goal for all projects is that they all eventually become independent from aid and funds, and self-supporting.

Due to increased population pressure in the West Usambara Mountains, the Shagayu forest is declining at a worrying pace. Measures are needed to discourage cutting of trees for fire wood and agricultural grounds. To achieve this, apt community based forest management measures need to be designed and implemented. This proposal presents an overview of nine, realistic projects that, together, provide a stepping stone to a flourishing forest and community.