New Projects

Our newest initiative is forming a partnership with the community development outreach arm (TAKARE) of The Jane Goodall Institute in Kigoma, Tanzania.

Tanzania is located on the east coast of the African continent. Africa is the poorest continent in the world. The U.N. counts Tanzania as one of the ten least developed countries in Africa.


General facts about Tanzania:
  • Tanzania had a population of 38 million people in 2002.
  • Life expectancy at birth is 43 years of age
  • Median age of population is 17 years
  • Only 4% of the people are over 60 years of age
  • 31% of children under the age of 5 are malnourished
  • 1/16 children die before they reach 5 years of age

Map of Africa
Tanzania Income:
  • One of the least developed nations in the world, ranked 154 of 174 nations by the UN in development
  • 64% of the population is rural
  • 70% of the population lives on less than $2/day, mostly in rural areas
  • The average income is $350 year (World Bank 2006)

Health:

  • 64% of HIV infections are in Sub-Sahara Africa where only 11% of the world population live
  • Tanzania is rated among the top 10 for highest infection rate with almost 5% of the population infected.
  • Tanzania has the second highest orphan rate due to HIV infection
  • Over 40% rural population is still without access to an improved water source (Globalis)
  • 28% of children under 5 yrs are protein deficient
  • 32% children under 5 suffer from anemia.
  • Protein deficiency is prevalent
  • Over 16 million people are undernourished generally (over 40%)
Lugufu Refugee Camp

Kigoma

Kigoma:
The Jane Goodall Institute is located on the western border of Tanzania in Kigoma a port town on Lake Tanganyika which also borders the Congo and Burundi. Kigoma serves as the capitol for the Kigoma Region which has a population of 130,000 people. Roads are poor. Access to Kigoma is by plane or by train from Dadoma. The Kigoma region has been the point of entry for thousands of Congolese and Burundi refugees, almost doubling the population in the early 1990’s. Recently, though, more than half of the refugees have been repatriated.

Village Artisans
Our partnership involves

  • Entering into a long term partnership with the women in village community groups organized by JGI TAKARE
  • Working with them to develop products marketable in the US using their skills in palm leaf/grass weaving, embroidery and crochet
  • Providing training in skills for new products
  • Helping them access international markets for their products
  • Goal: A livable/fair wage for products made from renewable resources

Basket weaver

 

Lugufu incubator

 

Roots & Shoots:
Because many refugees suffer from malnutrition and protein deprivation, we want to also support the JGI's Roots & Shoots project within the Lugufu refugee center directed by Shadrach Meshach.

Among other things, this project works to hatch hens for distribution within the camp for both eggs and meat. Each family unit receiving a hen, then also redistributes any hatchlings.