The four day trip through the Usambara Mountains

A four day trip through the Usambara Mountains

By Andy Wittenwiler and Silvia Bretscherfrom Switzerland

This trip started on a Monday morning from MamboViewPoint on the way to Lushoto, the most important city in the Usambaras. This distance is too far to do in one day, so we did it in three parts.

The first part was about 12 km hill up, hill down through a very nice area. Our first overnight was at the Rangwi Sisters, a kind of catholic convent, led by the sisters. We arrived here at around 3 pm. When we arrived, almost immediately a lunch was served. That was a very nice welcome.

On the terrain there was a guesthouse, where we could stay, it was very lovely and clean. It was a new experience to stay in a convent, this was the first time for all of us. The convent was originally built by German missionaries, in the time when Tanzania was a German colony. In the convent was also a secondary school, the first in the Usambara Mountains.

There was an aesthetic and tranquil garden, so that we could relax and charge our batteries for the next day.

After the very nice dinner we went early to bed, because the next day we had to wake up at 7 am for the second hiking day.

 

 

This second day led to Papa Moze’s Lodge, the second stop on the way to Lushoto and named after the owner. The distance was about 14 km through very nice green and fertile area. This area is also known as the biggest supplier of vegetables for whole Tanzania and abroad, because of the ideal location in the Usambaras. It is not to hot here and it is wet enough for fertile ground. It’s possible to harvest three times a year.

 

Papa Moze is a known Lodge for Backpackers and almost the only one in the area on the road to Lushoto. It was a small and cozy lodge and we were on that moment the only guest. After a nice cool bear we took a shower and dinner was served at 7 pm. cooked by a lovely, talented lady. Papa Moze was joining us for dinner, he is a very funny, nice man.

After dinner he asked proudly, if he could show us his coin collection. A big bag appeared with hundreds of coins from all over the world, which he spread on the table. From almost every coin he knew something to tell. I asked him, if he had already Euro coins, he hadn’t. Luckily I had some in my wallet and I gave it to him. He was very pleased and showed it directly to his son. He thanked by giving a very old Tanzania coin and a red Gemstone.

After dinner we took a nice Konjaki and we went to bed. The walk of today was very tough.

The next morning we went up early and we had a nice breakfast. The sun was shining brightly, that was a nice start of the day. The distance to Lushoto was still too far to do it by foot.

Originally the plan of today was, to take a daladala (local minibus) to the starting point of the day. This was not necessary because Papa Moze gave us a lift in his own car, that was much more comfortable, if you compare it with the daladalas.

The walk itself was shorter than the previous day, that was actually good, because the next and last day would be very tough. In between, we stopped in Mullers Mountain Lodge for lunch. This was a nice, in European style built, lodge with a very nice garden and a known place in the wide surrounding area.

 

After the good lunch we were heading for Lushoto. There we stayed in the Tumaini Lodge, a good address and not expensive.

The 4rd and last day we started by car, 2 ½ hours from Lushoto to the foot of the Mountain where MamboViewPoint is located. The starting point is on 600 m and MamboViewPoint is on 1900 m. So we hat do climb 1300 m in high. We started in the small village Mkundi Mbaro. In the village was a very small local shop, where we bought water. Like often in Tanzania were a lot of children around the shop.

I brought some balloons in my backpack and decided to give them to the children. Suddenly there were many hands to take them. The funny faces of the children were very nice to see. Especially when we started to blow up the balloons. It’s very nice that the children here are happy with something small and simple, something almost unimaginable in Europe.

The walk started flat and we passed a dry riverbed. After that the real job started. It became steeper and steeper. In front of us walked a 10 year old girl in bright colored clothes, carrying a big bag on her head. Our guide told us, that she was from Mambo Village. It was very hard to follow her with the same speed.

Down in the level country, it was very warm and we were swatting a lot, much drinking was necessary. Fortunately for us the sun was not to bright that would make it even more tough. After some short breaks we decided to take lunch after half way. 20 min. later we continued to climb the hill, on our way we passed the mambo Footprints. In a rock along the path you can see some footprints of prehistoric people and animals. Interesting to see and not yet very well known to the big public. Several steps higher, the lodge became into sight and the path became less steep.

 

 

Once we arrived in the Lodge there was a warm welcome and cold drinks.

Thanks for the last days, it was a beautiful walk we really can recommend it to everyone!

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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