Big E was well aware that my assignment with Hifadhi was for two years and that time was almost up. I was busy tidying up issues that were Hifadhi projects, some Assistance to Primary Schools projects and some personal ones.
There had been a souring of relations between Big E and the Agency as I had itemized the discrepancies between outcomes of his projects and the funds he had recieved. I will not go into that, suffice to say that it was the common ploy; request funds the highest possible amount, and carry them out (or not at all) at the lowest/shoddiest amount - the remaining goes into the back pocket.
Joshia was w
ell aware of my pending departure and he knew that Hifadhi would not have the funds to employ him on a regular basis.
He requested my advice on the matter, and I suggested that he form his own NGO and added that I would help with the paper work required and perhaps assist in the writing of a funding proposal.
It is somewhat difficult to become registered as a NGO - as it should be - but finally the approval came through from Dar es Salaam and Green Arusha Society (GAS) was born.
I was able to recommend to NZHC a proposal that Joshia and I worked out to assist a women's group at Mateves village and that gave Green Arusha Society the boost it needed.
Today Green Arusha Society is doing well - if struggling for funds - and is highly regarded in Tanzanian environmental circles. The NGO has carried out projects funded by the Tanzania and American governments and Joshia uses many of the techniques we used together and has added his own touches.
I have seen his work and am thrilled with how it has all turned out. From time to time he employs Rosemary, a young woman who will appear in these blogs later.
Mama Ng'ida has established a small school - she is a talented teacher - and they have plans for expansion in that direction.
Our plans c
hanged somewhat due to the Agency conference at Kirumumu Lodge. Not that it was directly to do with the conference but I do have to say the facilities were brilliant and 'living it up' was not what vols generally managed to do.
It was decided that each vol bring a member from their partner organismic - to add meaning to the event, I presumed.
Big E was out of favor and anyway was in Dar es Salaam and I was asked to transport Mr. Kaaya, the General Secretary of DME as the Fish Farming vol was unable to do so. There was something going on there too!
It so happened that I had made a brew of chillies in water and neem oil for Mti Mmoja Primary School because they were having trouble with termites devouring the trees we had supplied to them. So Mr. Kaaya saw what we were doing and must have liked what he saw. During the conference he asked me if I would carry out an environmental programme for DME!
Without too much thought, we agreed that we would extend for one year to work for them.
Mo & Jo were very happy that we were prepared to work for DME and they facilitated the formalities with expertise as well as speed.
We finished with Hifadhi a month early as a protest from the Agency, but with no ill feeling especially between Big E and myself. I fact, I was back in Tanzania 2009 and Big E welcomed me into his home. Mama Baraka had passed away from breast cancer and we had helped her with a prosthesis earlier. He is in poor health and grey.
Nai has grown to a carbon copy of her mother - a lovely person and is confined to the home to care for Big E. I have sadness over this.
I was excited about the new challenge with DME!
There had been a souring of relations between Big E and the Agency as I had itemized the discrepancies between outcomes of his projects and the funds he had recieved. I will not go into that, suffice to say that it was the common ploy; request funds the highest possible amount, and carry them out (or not at all) at the lowest/shoddiest amount - the remaining goes into the back pocket.
Joshia was w
ell aware of my pending departure and he knew that Hifadhi would not have the funds to employ him on a regular basis.He requested my advice on the matter, and I suggested that he form his own NGO and added that I would help with the paper work required and perhaps assist in the writing of a funding proposal.
It is somewhat difficult to become registered as a NGO - as it should be - but finally the approval came through from Dar es Salaam and Green Arusha Society (GAS) was born.
I was able to recommend to NZHC a proposal that Joshia and I worked out to assist a women's group at Mateves village and that gave Green Arusha Society the boost it needed.
Today Green Arusha Society is doing well - if struggling for funds - and is highly regarded in Tanzanian environmental circles. The NGO has carried out projects funded by the Tanzania and American governments and Joshia uses many of the techniques we used together and has added his own touches.
I have seen his work and am thrilled with how it has all turned out. From time to time he employs Rosemary, a young woman who will appear in these blogs later.
Mama Ng'ida has established a small school - she is a talented teacher - and they have plans for expansion in that direction.
Our plans c
hanged somewhat due to the Agency conference at Kirumumu Lodge. Not that it was directly to do with the conference but I do have to say the facilities were brilliant and 'living it up' was not what vols generally managed to do.It was decided that each vol bring a member from their partner organismic - to add meaning to the event, I presumed.
Big E was out of favor and anyway was in Dar es Salaam and I was asked to transport Mr. Kaaya, the General Secretary of DME as the Fish Farming vol was unable to do so. There was something going on there too!
It so happened that I had made a brew of chillies in water and neem oil for Mti Mmoja Primary School because they were having trouble with termites devouring the trees we had supplied to them. So Mr. Kaaya saw what we were doing and must have liked what he saw. During the conference he asked me if I would carry out an environmental programme for DME!
Without too much thought, we agreed that we would extend for one year to work for them.
Mo & Jo were very happy that we were prepared to work for DME and they facilitated the formalities with expertise as well as speed.
We finished with Hifadhi a month early as a protest from the Agency, but with no ill feeling especially between Big E and myself. I fact, I was back in Tanzania 2009 and Big E welcomed me into his home. Mama Baraka had passed away from breast cancer and we had helped her with a prosthesis earlier. He is in poor health and grey.
Nai has grown to a carbon copy of her mother - a lovely person and is confined to the home to care for Big E. I have sadness over this.
I was excited about the new challenge with DME!
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