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PENDING FUNDS. Program expected to commence in 2013.

The following is a brief guide to our program in Moshi, Tanzania. Upon acceptance into the program, CITA Stewards will receive an in-depth packet including orientation and training schedules, online class descriptions and dates, a packing list, and information about home stay and accommodations, food, program pricing, health and safety, and contacts both in the US and abroad.

About the Program

MESA is collaborating with the Kilimanjaro Environmental Development Association (KEDA) to facilitate this exchange opportunity for motivated agrarians. KEDA has been working in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania since 1992, focusing their efforts on agroecology to develop sustainable communities and maintain resilient ecosystems.

CITA Stewards will find themselves engaging with active farmers' organizations and working on community-based research projects. This program accepts participants who are ready to collaborate on a range of conservation efforts including (but not limited to):

• The impact of climate change on local crops
• Environmental education
• Research on new crops which may be more adapted to the changing climate
• Agroecology and Agroforestry systems
• Health education and improving health care, including HIV/AIDS
• Income-raising programs such as livestock distribution
• Animal husbandry and rotational grazing techniques
• Irrigation systems which increase food security
• Post-harvest processing and storage

Who will CITA Stewards be working with?

MESA’s newest Global Partner is in Tanzania, the Kilimanjaro Environmental Development Association (KEDA), which has been working since 1992 to alleviate severe poverty, disease and environmental degradation with the principals and practice of agroecology. Led by a small staff and board, KEDA is a community coalition of professional agrarians, health workers, farmers, educators, and government employees, working together to increase local income and food security by educating the community about organic agriculture.

Please visit KEDA’s website for more information on their successful projects, scope of research, and organizational structure.

 

About Tanzania

Tanzania is situated on the Eastern coast of Africa, between Kenya and Mozambique. Often seen as the iconic African country, Tanzania is home to the famous Serengeti region and Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain on the continent. Off the northeast coast lie the Zanzibar Archipelago, also known as the Spice Islands for their central role in the spice trade. Stunning beaches and breathtaking national parks have generated tourism throughout the country. Tanzania's economy is, however, largely based on agriculture- providing 75% of exports. Of the 43.7 million people, 76% live in rural areas and rely on farming for employment.

Moshi

Moshi is located in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania with a population of around 145,000. Literacy rates are some of the highest in the region due to various academic institutions within the city including medical, business and wildlife management schools. The region's climate is tropical- with highest daytime temperatures between December- February ranging 63-90 degrees (F). Annual rainfall reaches about 40 inches with highest precipitation in March- May. Climate change has greatly affected recent farming with lower region-wide temperatures and sparse rainfall. Coffee and bananas, historically the main export crops, are now being replaced by cinnamon, clove, maize and beans.

 

 

What is a typical day's schedule for a CITA Steward in Tanzania?

During CITA orientation:

* Morning: Wake up to a typical Swahili breakfast of chai and chapattis and enjoy a view of Mt. Kilimanjaro with fellow CITA Stewards.

* Classroom: Absorb yourself in culture and conversation… in Swahili! Four hours of morning language classes are dynamic and will give you the tools you need to live and work with a Tanzanian family.

* Lunch: Taste ugali, the East African staple made from maize flour, while you feast on a catered banquet of typical Tanzanian fare.

* Field Trip: Learn how agricultural traditions have been influenced in East Africa. Visit the typical dwellings of the pastoral Maasai and agrarian Bantu peoples, understand their challenges and triumphs, and discover indigenous foods that can save the African soils.

* Evening: Return to your hostel, where you can relax, take a swim, or study, and visit one of Moshi’s many popular restaurants with your International Agroecology cohort.

During home stay:

            Most of our CITA Stewards will be staying with host families, learning by helping with the day to day task of operating a small-scale farm.  With almost 80% of Tanzanians relying on small-scale agriculture, there is a lot to be learned.  Of course, no two farms, families, or days are alike, but, Tanzanians generally follow a rigorous daily work routine, especially the women.  While the nuances of culturally correct behavior will be covered during the 2-week orientation training, and expectations may differ for men and women, we want to provide you with an idea of what to expect at your home stay.

* Wake-up and help with household chores.  Sweeping and collecting water are generally accomplished before sun-up.

* Wash clothes by hand.

* Light breakfast of sugared tea and Tanzanian doughnuts.

* Farm chores, including cutting animal feed and firewood, tending to animals, milking, etc.

* Project chores, including watering seedlings, cultivating garden beds, or harvesting crops.

* Collect local greens and help prepare lunch.

* The diet on mainland Tanzania is simple, yet plentiful.  Ugali is a filling lunchtime favorite, and can be served with cooked greens and coconut beans.

* Relax, and enjoy a nap, or play with local children (who will be your best Swahili teachers!)

* Back to the shamba, or farm.

* Evening study time, reading assignments, journaling observations, writing a response paper, or practicing Swahili.

* Join the family for a typical Chagga dinner of banana stew.  (Wachagga are the people of the Kilimanjaro region).

 * Evenings may be spent sharing a pint of local brew with the family, reading by electric light, headlamp, or hurricane lamp, or going straight to sleep, exhausted from another day of living and working like a Tanzanian!

 

Topics to be studied in Tanzania's course:

1. Innovative and indigenous approaches to sustainable agriculture in Africa (This course provides a comparative study to Sustainable Agriculture practices in the United States.) 

Specific topics covered:
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Rotational Grazing
- Soil conservation
- Irrigation/Water
- Cover Crops
- Crop/landscape diversity
- Nutrient management
- Agro-forestry
- Business/Marketing

2. The food crisis in Africa and Tanzanian perspectives on global food systems

3. Promising green technologies and local initiatives to resolve poverty, hunger and environmental degradation

4. Indigenous crops and medicinal plants of East Africa

5. Impacts of climate change and agricultural strategies to mitigate risk

6. Impacts of HIV/AIDS, international aid and micro-finance programs

The Moshi Program will commence, pending funding in 2013

 

Become a CITA Steward, train abroad in agroecology!