We Made It!

After two long flights including a layover in Dubai and then a seven hour journey through Kenya and Northern Tanzania we have arrived in Arusha! We had a warm welcome here at the Kundayo guest house and a short orientation this morning. We look forward to updating all of you on our travels. Baadaye– Until later.

Female Circumcision – Robin and Emma

            We decided to focus our presentation on the practice of Female Genital Cutting, (FGC), as it is a fitting subject for both of us.  Robin is a women studies major and focused her thesis on FGC, and Emma is a sociology major and decided to research FGC for her final project in her gender and social movements class.  We both felt that it would be an interesting experience to compile the different research we have collected and create a presentation for the class that allows us to share what we’ve learned.

            FGC is an ancient tradition in large parts of Africa.  The National Bureau of Statistics and ORD Macro released a report in 2005 that stated that 15% of all women ages 15-49 have experienced FGC in Tanzania.  However, it is difficult to determine whether statistics on the frequency with which FGC is practiced are accurate, as many of the numbers used to create these statistics are either self-reported or based off of clinical estimates.  As of 1997, the practice occurs in 20 of 130 ethnic groups in Tanzania and among Somali immigrants to the country (Center for Reproduction Law and Policy and International Federation of Women Lawyers, 1997).

            The practice, in Tanzania, is performed by a ngariba (“keeper of tradition”), a traditional birth attendant, or by a trained doctor or midwife (Nkoma-Wamuza, et al. 1998; Mabala and Kamazima, 1996).  There have been a number of reported deaths from FGC in Tanzania; in the Tarime district, out of the estimated 5,000 circumcisions performed each year, about 20 girls die from complications of the procedure (Lukaya 1997; Temba 1997).  Again though, it is important to note that these figures are not necessarily accurate.

            The practice, while rooted in cultural traditions, does operate as a source of income for some people.  On one occasion in Tanzania, 73 circumcisers surrendered all their equipment to the Same District Commissioner after being promised by the Network Against Female Genital Mutilation that they would be given loans to start other businesses.  Ultimately, the promise was not followed and they have threatened to go back to performing the practice (Maseke, 2001).

In the past few decades the practice has been on the decline, a trend that can be attributed to both legal steps that have been taken to make the practice illegal, as well as increased awareness about the consequences of the practice (Anti-FGM Network, Christian Council of Tanzania).  For example, The Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act of 1998 made FGC illegal in Tanzania.  Also, efforts put forth by the Tanzanian government and the Anti-Female Genital Mutilation Network and a coalition of anti-FGC NGOs to raise awareness and conduct research on the harmful effects of FGC have reduced the frequency with which FGC is practiced openly.  Also, these groups have trained ngaribas for other occupations, which will provide these women with a different source of income. 

The Kivulini Women’s Rights Organization is an example of a registered NGO based in Mwanza, Tanzania that is working to eradicate the practice.  Kivulini advocates for women’s and girl’s rights in Tanzania by emphasizing the prevention of domestic violence against women and girls.  One of Kivulini’s steps to build women and girl’s rights is to eradication the practice.

While the efforts of NGOs are a good start, it is difficult for these organizations to make any real progress in eliminating the frequency of the practice.  This can be attributed to cultural relativism.  While the NGOs feel that FGC is a practice that violates women’s rights, human rights, reproductive rights, legal rights, etc. many of the women undergoing the practice do not view it as an oppressive experience.  Rather, these women feel that it is an incredibly important cultural tradition that needs to be upheld.  How do we then go about reconciling the agendas of NGOs with those of indigenous people? Many sociologists and anthropologists argue that we must refocus the dialogue of FGC in order to rebuild the relationships of NGOs and indigenous people.  By redefining the agendas and creating a new discourse around the situation, the power relations that define these interactions can be destroyed, and rebuilt in a helpful way.  Only then will it be possible to make significant changes in how FGC is practiced. 

 

 

Works Cited

Boyle, Elizabeth Heger, Fortunata Songora, and Gail Foss. “International Discourse and Local Politics: Anti-Female-Genital-Cutting Laws in Egypt, Tanzania, and the United States.” Social problems 48.4, Special Issue on Globalization and Social Problems (2001): 524-44. Print.

Meena, Ruth, and Marjorie Mbilinyi. “Women’s Research and Documentation Project (Tanzania).” Signs 16.4, Women, Family, State, and Economy in Africa (1991): 852-9. Print.

Msuya, Sia E., et al. “Female Genital Cutting in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: Changing Attitudes?” Tropical Medicine & International Health 7.2 (2002): 159-65. Print.

Obermeyer, Carla Makhlouf. “Female Genital Surgeries: The Known, the Unknown, and the Unknowable.” Medical anthropology quarterly 13.1 (1999): 79-106. Print.

“What’s Culture Got to do with it? Excising the Harmful Tradition of Female Circumcision.” Harvard law review 106.8 (1993): 1944-61. Print.

Education in Tanzania

The Tanzanian educational system is structured in three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary schooling. Primary schooling consists of a possible 2 years of pre-priamry, followed by seven years of primary school. Secondary schooling is divided into junior secondary, which is four years long, and senior secondary, or advanced level, which is two years long. Finally, tertiary schooling refers to higher education. Another distinctive component to education in Tanzania is the bilingual policy: children are required to learn both English and Kiswahili. During primary education, English is a compulsory subject, while Kiswahili is the main medium of instruction, though once a student reaches secondary school, the main language of instruction becomes English.

Just as we discussed in class, the articles reiterated the idea that education is key to the development goals of Tanzania, as well as being essential in reducing poverty and inequality. The national website of the country makes the assertion that, “…it is through quality education Tanzania will be able to create a strong and competitive economy which can effectively cope with the challenges of development.” Therefore, a main focus of both the Tanzania government and donors to the country has been a stronger educational system accessible to all students.

            To facilitate this goal, the Tanzanian government set up a program called the Primary Education Development Program (PEDP), created with World Bank as a partner. Established in 2001, its main goal is to provide greater access to primary education to all children, as well as improving the overall quality of education. Before the program was created, net enrollment in primary schools had remained at around 60% since 1995, though the drop-out rate was also around 6%. Enrollment at secondary school was at a dismal 8%. By 2006, five years after the program was implemented, net enrollment in primary schools was at around 96% and the drop-out rate had fallen to 3.4%. The program, which was financed primarily by a World Bank grant from their International Development Association, was closed officially in 2004, though donors continue to support the drive for increased primary education.

            In 2005, the Tanzanian government outlined their plan for reducing poverty in the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, also known as MKUKUTA. In it, education was labeled the key to creating a more economically equal country. The drive for making education more accessible to all students continues through this governmental initiative, then. As a part of MKUKTA, fees for primary school education were dropped in 2005. This move, along with the PEDP results, have reduced “primary-aged out-of-school population from 3 million to fewer than 150,000 between 1999 and 2006,” according to Unicef. However, while the numbers look good to both the government and to donors, the increased enrollment has meant more students in classrooms with limited resources and not enough teachers. For example, the ratio of students to teachers has risen from 1 to 40 in 1997 to 1 to 53, though the ratio is even worse in rural areas.

            For a more unbiased, less padded look at the real status of education in Tanzania, the Tanzania Education Nework is a good start. It is an umbrella network of CBO’s (community based organizations) and national and international NGO’s concerned with the promotion of education in Tanzania. Its goal is to link together these actors in order to facilitate discussion and generate a collective voice that can influence the government’s policies on education. Particularly, they too are concerned with providing education to all children. But unlike the government or the World Bank, the Tanzania Education Network is demanding more accountability and is less willing to trumpet the success of the new education policies. For instance, the director of the program, Joseph Kisanji, quoted the real enrollment figure of primary-aged students at around 77%, not the 96% the government claims. As a group, the Tanzania Education Network is therefore committed to monitoring the impact of government policies on the ground while maintaining constructive communication between NGO’s, CBO’s, and the government to continue to improve education in Tanzania.

More Information on Education:

The Tanzania Education Network:

http://tenmet.org/public_html/index.php

The Tanzania National Website:

http://www.tanzania.go.tz/educationf.html

The World Bank Website:

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/TANZANIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21273360~menuPK:3949561~pagePK:1497618~piPK:217854~theSitePK:258799,00.html

News Article – The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/10/schools-worldwide-tanzania

 Schools Making A Difference:

Ruaha School

http://www.monafoundation.org/ruaha/ruaha.htm

http://www.onecountry.org/e123/e12304as_Ruaha_School.htm

The School of St. Jude

http://www.schoolofstjude.co.tz/

Hadza Parenting

The Hadzabe people are nomadic hunter-gatherers that reside mostly in the Eyasi Basin area of Tanzania.  They live in small camps of about 30 individuals each and sustain themselves through foraging and hunting for food.  While most caretaking is provided by mothers, family members, such as fathers and grandmothers, and other community members also provide a fair amount of help.

Researchers have studied Hadza parenting styles and patterns to determine how much caretaking is provided by “allomothers” (other helpers) and who these allomothers are, as well as, how much parenting is done by fathers and what motivations are behind why they parent which children.  Research has shown that 31% of the time that Hadza children are held, they are held by allomothers.  Specifically, allomothers are more often female than male, mostly less than 18 years of age and are more often kin than unrelated community members.  Allomothers help in order to learn how to mother and to recieve reciprocal care.  A sense of community and kinship are important qualities that define the Hadzabe – these characteristics permeate ever aspect of their lifestyle from foraging for food to caretaking their young. (Crittenden & Marlowe, 2008)

Researchers have also studied parenting patterns of fathers by comparing efforts of fathers between biological children and stepchildren.  Studies have found that fathers spent more time near, communicated more with and nurtured more biological children than stepchildren.  Biological fathers were also better hunters and brought more meat back to camp than stepfathers.  These results show that parenting for fathers are just as much about mating efforts (gaining sexual access) as about parenting efforts (enhancing the fitness of their offspring). (Marlowe, 1999)

Bibliography
Crittenden, Alyssa, Frank W. Marlowe. “Allomaternal care among the Hadza of Tanzania.” Human Nature 19(3)(2008): 249-262. Print.
Hawkes, K., O’Connoell, J. F., Blurton Jones, N. G. “Hadza Women’s Time Allocation, Offspring Provisioning, and the Evolution of Long Postmenopausal Life Spans.” Current Anthropology, 38(4)(1997): 560-565.  Print.
Marlowe, Frank. “Male care and mating effort among Hadza foragers.” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 46(1)(1999): 57-64. Print.
Marlowe, Frank. “Showoffs or providers? The parenting effort of hadza men.” Evolution and Human Behavior 20(6)(1999): 391-404. Print.

By Michelle Choi

Taking a Look at Street Children in Tanzania

by Jatnna Amador and Linda Lam 

“Look here! My parents are very poor and that is why they did not send me to school. I am sure that if I was educated and had certain skills, I would not be living in this way. I am also sure that if I get some training now, I will be able to manage my own life more easily.”

 

The figure and table below represents the responses from the 200 street children that Lugalla and Mbwambo surveyed. 

Source: Data gathered from “Street Children and Street Life in Urban Tanzania”

 

Source: Image taken from Lugalla and Mbwambo, page 336

 

 

For further information, please visit the following links:

Evans, Ruth. “Poverty, HIV, and barriers to education: street children’s experiences   in Tanzania.” Gender & Development 10.3 (Nov. 2002): 51-62.

                This article discusses education barriers among children because of HIV/AIDS. These education barriers impact orphans and street children the most. At the same time, this article also discusses how many emotional and psychological factors play a role within the street environment. Ultimately, these factors exist because of HIV/AIDS within these children’s environments.

 

Lugalla, Joe L. P., and Jessie Kazeni Mbwambo.. “Street Children and Street Life     in Urban Tanzania: The Culture of Surviving and its Implications for Children’s Health.” International Journal of Urban & Regional Research         

         This article focuses on the root of the problem that results in the increasing number of children living in streets. This study surveys 200 children referred to as “children of the streets”, who live and sleep on the streets and have almost no family contact, in the city of Dar-Es-Salaam. The study examines reasons for the children to leave their homes, how the children meet their basic needs, street life as a cause of sexual vulnerability, street life as a subculture of surviving and suffering, and government actions thus far in dealing with these children. Abuse, domestic violence and family disintegration are the main problems that force these children into streets. The authors recommend that any intervention that occurs, needs to start in the homes of Tanzanians first. A focus on fostering dialogue, maintaining harmony, stability, love and affection is critical in every family.

 

“Amani Children’s Home” 

         Amani Children’s Home has rescued over 150 vulnerable children and has provided them with water, food, shelter, and on site education. There is an informative video that depicts how the Amani staff locate children in need of help and also the daily activities and opportunities available at the Amani Children’s Home. Visitors can also access monthly newsletter for an update and progress report of the Amani Children’s Home.

 

Beck, Julie. “For Children Who Live as ‘Stray Animals’ one man builds a school.” North by Northwestern (19 May 2008). 9 May 2009.

            This article describes the Liwalo na Liwe (What will be, will be) Foundation and what 32 year old Michael Stewart has been doing for this foundation. The foundation is currently focusing on a boarding school for street children in Iringa, Tanzania. This article gives further details into this matter and how the money for the boarding school is being raised.

 

 Wood, Jonathan. “Change a life.” Lawyer 19.49 (19 Dec. 2005): 18-19.

            This article focuses on the Mkombozi Project that was started to feed, house, and educate street children. “Change a Life” delves further into the stories of former street children and how the Mkombozi Project has been in the community, helping those children in need.

Crossroads Radio Program: The Power of Education through Entertainment

After our seminar discussions on the influence of the media in Tanzania in connection with activism and finding one’s voice, both Robyn and I became interested in researching about other ways the media has been utilized to support different causes. While on the Community Media for Development (CMFD) Website, we began to read about their radio program Crossroads and it’s multi-faceted approach to educating women and Africans in general about women’s rights and the AU Protocol.

Simiyu Barasa and Loraine Anyango’s Crossroads is a successful merging of education with creativity. CMFD partnered with FEMNET (African Women’s Development and Communication Network) and FAHAMU (Networks for Social Justice) to create a program that would educate women about the African Union Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. This protocol, which as of 2008, had been signed by 23 countries in Africa, explains women’s rights and their implications in a detailed and organized structure. Unfortunately, this document was only known by those in government, in NGO’s, or in positions of power. The majority of the women that it truly affects were unaware that it existed and had no idea what it meant for their lives. Crossroads does its part to encourage women to explore this document and work with their communities to make changes that support women and women’s rights. Crossroads is one of the three projects working towards the same goals. A Current Affairs Radio Programme, which targets those in power, focuses on the Protocol is a more direct manner. Children’s cartoons are also being made which help to inspire the youth and teach young girls about their rights early on.

Crossroads is exciting to listen to with its dramatic and passion-filled script, yet it carries great purpose. The show was launched in the fall of 2008, and now is heard in four different languages: English, Swahili, French and Portuguese. The show is broadcast throughout the Eastern coast of Africa and is able to target small communities as well as larger cities due to the prevalence of radio broadcasting. Over the six, 20-minute episodes, different storylines play out which focus on various problems within society. The six points from the AU Protocol that are targeted directly are: Women’s rights to peace, freedom from violence, marriage and divorce, political participation, education, and reproductive and sexual health. These different points are carried out through the story’s central characters’ struggles.

Within Crossroads, Mama Bahati is the mother of a missing, widowed girl named Raha, who she is desperate to find. She is also abused and bossed around by her own alcoholic and demeaning husband, Baba Bahati. In her search to find her daughter, Mama Bahati drinks a potion from the intelligent brewer Mama Sweety and faints. When she awakes, she finds herself in the body of the corrupt police chief, Inspector Tumbo. Through this switch, Mama Bahati is able to see the corruption and bribing first hand, along with the oppression of women in the police field when she meets Deputy Sifa. She also learns that Inspector Tumbo has gotten Tausi, Mama Sweety’s niece, pregnant and is now forcing her to have an unsafe, back-alley abortion. Inspector Tumbo, in Mama Bahati’s body, is subjected to all of the abuses that she endures daily. He is made fun of in the market when he is unable to set up and run his stand correctly, he is beaten at night by Baba Bahati’s, and is even raped by him when Baba Bahati comes home drunk with no intention of listening to his protests. This swap of bodies gives the characters and the audience insight into what it is like to see from someone else’s perspective. Crossroads, in its presentation, encourages outside dialogue surrounding these issues. Each radio station that chooses to broadcast Crossroads, also receives a package with information on how to conduct conversations, workshops and activities that relate to these issues. As a program, it is meant to wholly inspire, educate and push for change in the future.

How can we use the media as a tool for education, political agency and community empowerment?

The Crossroads radio drama is so empowering because of its social and political messages on women’s rights. Specifically, the radio program brings education and awareness to the African Union Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. The AU Protocol addresses the reality of many women’s situations around the world. The AU Protocol addresses the rights of refugee women, promotes sexual and reproductive education, and outlines what constitutes physical and sexual abuse. This document is very important in showing the needs of women in African communities. The AU Protocol also demands affirmative action, equal wages and respect for jobs.

In taking on women’s issues and showing the social and political realities and repercussions, the radio program has become a tool for education, political agency and community empowerment. The first episode that was described above sheds light on many of the articles in the AU Protocol including Article 12: Right to Education and Training and Article 8: Access to Justice and Equal Protection before the Law. In the first episode, the new police detective is a woman who is discriminated against because of her sex. She does not have the respect or the permission from the Police Chief to do her job. Also in the first episode, the case of Mama Bahati’s missing daughter is not seen as important enough to pursue by the Police Chief because of his corrupt nature.

The AU Protocol has been ratified in 23 countries, but this number oddly enough does not include Kenya, the site of Crossroads’ original production. This drama engages the listener, causing them to become truly invested in the characters’ struggles. Hopefully the spread of this program across Africa will allow more women to learn about their rights and how the AU Protocol can affect their lives. Furthermore, with its growing popularity and ability to raise awareness, there is hope that Crossroads will be able to hold governments and communities accountable to women and their rights.

Posted By: Robyn Gibson and Megan Frame

Bibliography

Live Radio Recordings

Crossroads Radio Drama Recordings – Community Media for Development Website (CMFD) – http://www.cmfd.org/library.html

Crossroads’ Two Partners:

• Fahamu: Networks for Social Justice Website – http://www.fahamu.org/advocacy/

• The African Women’s Development and Communication Network Website (FEMNET) – http://www.femnet.or.ke/default.asp

Protocol Documents:

• “The African Union Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa” – Community Media for Development Website (CMFD) – http://www.cmfd.org/cmfdprojects/protocolinfo.html

• “Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa” – Adopted by the 2^nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union – Maputo, 11 July 2003 – http://www.achpr.org/english/women/protocolwomen.pdf

Tanzanian Women in Mining: TAWOMA

Tanzania Women Miners- TAWOMA

In this bibliography you can find information about the conditions women miners face not only within the mines, but within their communities as well. Due to the economic disparities between women and men workers, TAWOMA and other governmental and non-governmental organizations have been working with these women to help them gain economic support in order to help their families. While economic capital is important to the well being of these women, social initiatives to develop increased education on health issues, environmental protection, and child labor are being implemented as well.

Websites

• Tanzania Women Miner Association TAWOMA Blog
• World Bank Website-TAWOMA Search
• Tanzania Women Miners Association Progress Report 2004

Articles

• Tanzania: Women in the Mining Sector – Findings, August 2001 (World Bank Publication)
• Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania –
  International Finance Corporation, comp. Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania. Washington DC: International Finance Corporation, 2007.

Books

Gender and Economic Growth in Tanzania Creating Opportunities for Women–

• Ellis, Amanda, Mark Blackden, Jozefina Cutura, Fiona MacCulloch, and Holger Seebens. Gender and Economic Growth in Tanzania Creating Opportunities for Women (Directions in Development) (Directions in Development). Chicago: World Bank Publications, 2007.

Observance Days

• Miner’s Day—May 5 Tanzania Miner’s Day 2007

Compiled by: Alexandria Dotson & Temiwumi Ojo

The Power of Literacy in Tanzania: A Closer Look at CODE

Tanzania is one of the few countries in Africa to achieve near gender equity in primary schools. The abolition of primary school fees removed that impediment to schooling and made the attendance of boys and girls in primary school compulsory. All villages in Tanzania have at least one primary school and girls make up 49.3% of students. As with most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, a girl’s education would be sacrificed first, especially in the cases of those children in lower socio-economic classes.

For us, one of the most interesting aspects of education, specifically in Tanzania are literacy rates and the way in which literacy rates have social and cultural implications. The NGO, CODE, whose motto is “Read. Learn. Live,” is premised on the philosophy that if you can “read and write, you can learn to do, and be, anything.” CODE works to empower children and teach them how to read by supplying libraries and educating teachers and librarians. They also have worked towards developing national and global publishers in Tanzania. The organization helps to bridge the gaps between those of lower socio-economic disadvantages and the access to resources.

CODE was founded in 1959 by Dr. Roby Kidd and it ultimately extrapolated into an overseas book collection and donation project. Its main mission is to sustainably promote literacy throughout Tanzania. This Canadian organization supplemented teachers with pencils, audio/video equipment and typewriters through the 1980s and as the organization gained more credibility and support, they joined forces with the Children’s Book Project (CBP) and The Tanzanian Book Support Trust (TBST). CODE has helped these partners distribute low cost books throughout the country to libraries and schools. Partnership with organizations such as these, has been a crucial point of focus for CODE. As we saw in Hodgson’s Once Intrepid Warriors, partnerships encourage discourse and the exchange of knowledge.

CODE recognizes the importance of cultural preservation and in doing so, they promote books that are translated into Kiswahili so that children can learn to read and write in their local language. CODE also provides the books to students in local libraries and resource centers, so that they can be available to a wider variety of people. CODE has been recognized by the Tanzanian Cultural Trust Fund which collaborates with cultural stakeholders. CODE was the recipient of the Zeze Award which honored their efforts at promoting Tanzania as a cultural center.

Interestingly, CODE is making a direct connection between literacy rates and participation rates in the democratic elections. Considering that Tanzania is a democratic society, it is extremely important that citizens understand their legal rights and responsibility to participate in a democratic election. In CODE’s newsletter, Ngoma, this relationship is discussed: “The connections between a country’s literacy rates and its ability to advance the democratic process are palpable. Accessing and making sense of a world of information requires a foundation of reading and writing skills just as public dialogue and reasoned debate require the related skills of comprehension, critical thinking and independent thought. As with shared prosperity, no country has ever achieved broad democracy on the backs of an illiterate population.” CODE is heavily involved with the election processes by shipping supplies such as ballots, boxes and voting booths to areas where these supplies would not have been available in the past.

CODE is helping to not only promote literacy throughout Tanzania but in doing so they are also aiding the progression of the public health sectors, gender and inequalities, and eradicating poverty. The power of literature lies beyond just being able to read but it acts as a tool of empowerment and a source of ideas. For example, a student was able to bring electricity into his community by reading the book Energy Sources (that CODE had supplied him with) which discussed the building of windmills. He began to construct windmills with whatever materials he could find and in two months he had built a tower and has the hopes of building a windmill company that will provide energy to people across Africa. CODE “thinks globally, but acts locally,” which as we have seen throughout the semester is an incredibly efficient and powerful sentiment.

Posted by: Jamie Bushell and Caroline Davis

Bibliography:

“Great books speak directly to their readers. They can act as mirrors that reflect one’s reality, or as windows that invite the reader into a world of new ideas”
Quote from CODE website

CODE Statistics
-    CODE has published more than 1000 unique titles (mainly for children)
-    CODE has written, illustrated and published in 45 developing countries including Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania.
-    CODE has published 163,760 copies of books/magazines locally
-    CODE has provided schools and libraries with 515,837 new reading materials
-    CODE has equipped 3,215 schools and community libraries with books
-    CODE has promoted reading and learning through 187 reading events
-    CODE has supported 8,000 educators to effectively teach reading and writing
-    CODE has purchased 110,200 books in partner countries
-    CODE has distributed 241, 877 donated books to partners at their request

-    General Literacy Statistics (from EFA Global Monitoring report, 2009)
-    About 16% (776 million) of adults are illiterate in the world. In sub-Saharan  Africa, however, about 79% of people of illiterate.
-    In seven sub-Saharan African countries with low overall adult literacy rates, the literacy gap between the poorest and wealthiest households is more than forty percentage points.
-    The Children’s Book Project was awarded a prestigious UNESCO International Literacy Award for its strong contribution to creating a reading culture in Tanzania. Reading and writing levels in newly supported schools increased from 35% to 90% among grade 1 and 2 students, due largely to the provision of  engaging reading materials teamed with a successful teacher training program.
-    The Tanzania Book Support Trust (TBST) distributed nearly 60,000 English language books to school libraries; giving students the resources they need to excel in the transition from primary to secondary school when the language of instruction changes from Kiswahili to English. TBST’s expertise led to collaboration with the Ministry of Education at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels to assess the value and appropriateness of reading materials in schools

Websites:
-    CODE main webpage: http://www.codecan.org/en/code
-    Link to Issue Based Resources: http://www.codecan.org/en/code/resources/issue-based-resources
-    Project Love: http://www.codecan.org/en/get-involved/project-love

Further Readings:
-    Newsletter: Ngoma, or “Talking Drum” in Swahili, is the official newsletter of CODE

-    Books: Gender and Education in Tanzanian Schools By S.J Bendera Editor & M.W. Mboya, Editor
o    Analyzes education for girls as it relates to gender in Tanzania and the different critical issues that impede girls from seeking education. Focuses on primary schools from 1994-1996. It includes traditional and cultural practices, people and teacher interactions, corporal punishment, curriculum development, the arts and sciences, and gender policy.

-    Hadithi ya Chopekc by Y. Mathumba
A Tanzanian children’s story published by CODE about a boy named Chopeko, who learns a lesson in patience. They have also published Chatu na mbwa, Tabu wa Taire, two other children’s books.

Class Retreat, Hodgson Visit, and Karibu

This past week has been very busy, to say the least. We spent part of the weekend participating in a class retreat, which helped us all fo get to know each other. The pictures from the retreat are in the Photo Gallery. On Tuesday night, we all had dinner with Dorothy Hodgson, a Rutgers professor and author of Once Intrepid Warriors, a book detailing the history and current situation of the Masai within Tanzanian society. She came to our class Wednesday, and we all attended her lecture Wednesday night. We had plenty of opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics with her, from FGM to land rights and grassroots organizing. Hodgson’s visit provided a lot of useful information that will enable us to make the most of our time with the Masai. Wednesday night, several of us prepared a massive amount of chicken and tofu curry and baked desserts for the fundraiser. Last night, we hosted Karibu, an East African dinner with African drumming, dance, and crafts. The event went really well, with about 100 guests, many of whom jumped in on the West African dancing! Thanks again to everyone who supported us in making it such a successful night. It has been a long week, but it has been really fun getting to know each other and counting down the days to Tanzania…40 to go! Check out the Photo Gallery to see pictures from Karibu. Asante Sana, Baadaye!
-Laura

Karibu

Welcome to our Women’s Studies 332 Blog.  We are a group of Hamilton College students who will be spending five weeks during the summer of 2009 in Northern and Eastern Tanzania.  We will be partnering with many grassroots women’s organizations and indigenous communities during our field study.  Although we all have different, individual goals for our field study, together as a class we hope to learn from our partners and work together as a team.  This blog will be updated frequently throughout our stay in Tanzania.  The experiences and opinions expressed in the posts respresent the authors of the posts rather than the class as a whole.  We appreciate comments and questions and will do our best to respond.