Women Project in Tanzania.

VOLUNTEERS ROLE
There is no formal structure (example well structured office or infrastructure) in this women project. There are 18 Maasai women’s groups in 8 different villages of Mt. Meru. These Maasai women’s groups are coordinated by ILKDNGA. You will travel each village to other village (nearly 30-50 minutes) each day and support them. There are many works that you can engage in.

• If you are an artist or professional having skills on crafts, beads, ornament, and handicrafts you can teach
  them the recent techniques/designs so that they can make better products and sell their products in markets.
• If you are non-professional but just want to work and support these Maasai women, then you can work with them learning how to make Maasai crafts, beads, ornaments. It would be a wonderful experience to work with one of the native tribes who respects foreigners.
  •Maasai women’s group also needs volunteers’ help to learn English so that they can talk with tourists and sell their products directly. So, you can also run an informal English language class for Maasai women.
• If you have knowledge and skills about marketing, then you can help Maasai women to develop marketing strategies and help them to sell their products in national and international market.
  Besides women’s group, you can run English language classes for Maasai children and local youth with a little English knowledge Maasai youth can work as tourist guides making additional income for the family.
  Tanzania Home Based Care project in Arusha-Tanzania.

The HBC program is MAASAI LAND EXPLORER core activity that provides cares for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Through the HBC program, which operates in 3 regions of Tanzania, MAASAI LAND EXPLORER currently supports an average of 730 patients at a time and 2,800 of their family members. Using our 110 trained HBC workers to make regular daily visits to the patients, MAASAI LAND EXPLORER provides informed nutritional advice and support, HIV/AIDS education, cleaning and chore assistance, as well as financial support for food, transportation and medicines.

We have noticed a significant improvement in many of our Home Based Care patients. Many are no longer bed ridden and are improving steadily because of improved nutrition and the use of antiretroviral (ARV) medications. Many have joined Village Community Banking (VICOBA) groups within their communities and are able to take part in Income Generating Activities (IGA’s) with the guidance of MAASAI LAND EXPLORER, These activities allow them the opportunity to have a healthy diet and exponentially improve their quality of life.

Village Community Banking (VICOBA) was started with the aim of helping people cope with the numerous responsibilities they face in an increasingly unfavorable socio-economic and religious environment. This is done by training participants in crafts production and other activities that can increase their household incomes. In addition, participants contribute individual savings to a savings and credit fund which, in turn, makes small loans to its members.

FOCUS ON AFRICA promotes local community savings and credit groups that build on the traditional “Tontine” methodology where investors pay a sum into the tontine and receive annual dividends on their capital. While tontines are rigid in their structure and provide limited and inflexible access to accumulated savings.

MAASAI LAND EXPLORER adds innovative twists that make it more flexible and extremely attractive to local participants. The weekly contributions are accumulated, with an end date in mind, for distribution of all or part of the funds to the individual members. This lump sum distribution provides a large amount of money that each member can then apply to his/her own needs.

The members of the community savings and credit groups make use of the funds for long and short-term needs on a continual basis, so the funds are constantly working for them, earning interest and not just sitting idle in the group.

These loans allow the members to meet their small and medium income generating activities, social obligations and emergencies without having to borrow from a money lender, take an expensive supplier advance, or rely on their relatives. This adds a limited credit perspective to the association. Currently, over 575 people utilize MAASAI LAND EXPLORER 25 VICOBA groups in Arusha, Dar es Salaam.

MAASAI LAND EXPLORER works to educate and empower women, children, foster parents and the general community with special priority being given to vulnerable families affected by HIV/ AIDS in Babati district and Arusha Municipal Council. Trained Home Based Care Workers (HBCW’s), field agents and Peer Educators, in collaboration with Maasai International Challenge Africa’s staff, conduct continuous education and women empowerment meetings in six wards of Babati and Arusha.

Identified Community members, female field agents and foster parents can be trained to become quality Village and Community Banking members, trainers of Trainers (TOT’s), HBCW’s, Paralegals and Peer educators. They have continual support through the formation of peer and VICOBA groups and are able to practice paralegal activities dealing with domestic violence, rape, female circumcision, widow inheritance and advocate for general Human Rights.

This promotes good governance, trust and respect within the community and helps alleviate poverty in their areas. This is achieved by increasing economic self-reliance, supporting families affected by HIV/AIDS, establishing village community banking and supplying beneficiaries with food and medical supplies as needed.

Currently, MAASAI LAND EXPLORER has established more than 24 women empowerment groups practicing paralegal activities and administering HIV/AIDS education and Home Based Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS and those with chronic illnesses.

MAASAI LAND EXPLORER beaded jeweler business is its main income generating activity. This program allows us to sustain many of our programs and facilities! There have been other small purchases from guests and volunteers that have passed through MAASAI LAND EXPLORER office. If you know of an outlet to sell necklaces where you live or would like to order some for yourself, please email us at info@Maasailandexplorer.com  and we can export some to you.