‘Wow, this is also a business?'
In Tanzania, around 80 percent of the population is involved in agriculture for their income.
Sadly, many farmers are earning less and less from their crops each year because of increasing unpredictability and variation in rainfall patterns, poor soil fertility, agricultural knowledge that is no longer adequate for the current conditions, and crops that are sold at low prices at harvest time.
For much of the year, these farmers have little to no income as they wait for their next harvest, and their families face hunger and hopelessness.
One way that World Renew is renewing hope for these farmers is by teaching them new livelihoods so that they can earn income from other activities throughout the year. This is supported by a generous contribution from the Canadian government's Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.
Let me share with you some examples of these new livelihood activities that our partners, the Africa Inland Church of Tanzania (AICT) Geita Diocese and AICT Mara/Ukerewe Diocese, have introduced.
Beekeeping
The 21 members of the Amani village savings and lending group in Idoselo have been farming for most of their lives, but now they have added beekeeping to their income-generating activities.
AICT Geita staff offered training to the group members in May about raising bees using modern techniques and using rectangular beehives stored side by side on shelves in a bee shed.
The traditional methods of beekeeping in the area involved a less productive technique using hives made from logs.
Group members learned that they can get seven to 10 more liters of honey per hive using the modern hives, and they can sell this honey throughout the year— especially during the dry season when they don’t have crops to sell.
There is a strong market for honey lately because Tanzanians have discovered its benefits for food, medicine, and beeswax. In fact, the demand for honey in Tanzania is greater than the current supply, and there is much demand in the Idoselo area.
The Amani group has built 10 beehives, filled one of the hives with bees, and is working to populate the other hives as well. In December, they started to harvest the honey.
Moses Kosmos, the chairman of the Amani group, is full of hope about the project. He sees the potential for increasing the group members’ income and income security by combining beekeeping with their other farming practices.
Since this is a new business enterprise for the farmers in the area, they are continuing to build their skills through additional training from AICT Geita, including how to attract more bees and how to harvest the honey.
Tree Planting
“Wow, this is also a business?” That was the reaction of one of the Walemo group members in Kasaguti village after the group received training from AICT Mara/Ukerewe Diocese about starting a tree nursery.
In the past, the group members took the trees in their area for granted, thinking they would always be around. They cut them down for firewood without planting new trees and without thinking about the long-term effect this had on the environment.
During the AICT training in tree planting and environmental stewardship, the Walemo group members learned about the importance of trees in protecting the soil and the environment.
They also learned that planting trees is important for the future health of their village and children. John Issaya, the project officer from AICT Mara/Ukerewe Diocese used Genesis 2:15 as the guiding verse for the training.
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
Trainees came to realize that if their land is going to look like Eden, it should have enough trees to be green throughout the year so they can benefit from the soil-protective properties of the trees in it.
The group was also excited about the business opportunities that are possible from tree growing.
One Walemo group member named Naomi said, “When AICT came to teach us about tree planting and establishing tree nurseries, we learned more about their value as a source of medicine, firewood, charcoal, and building material.
“Our tree-raising efforts are a long-term business investment that needs little or no capital for start-up. And my children help water the trees after they come home from school.”
Another group member named Agnes Masaga said, “The AICT training has equipped us with skills and knowledge about restoring nature and enjoying the fruits of the natural environment that will ensure our survival.
“Among the benefits that were not familiar to us is the ‘business of trees’ -- planting trees as a cash crop. We now understand that we can plant trees and earn a profit that can pay for expenses like sending our children to school and improving our living conditions.
“For example,” Masaga continues, “if a child who is about to start grade one and they plant a tree, by the time they finish primary school, the tree will have grown big enough for them to sell to pay their tuition fee in secondary school and also pay for their other school needs.
She says she has come to realize every part of the tree can be used differently from the roots up to the leaves, which can be used as mulch on their farms.
“We were not utilizing this resource as well as we could to give us everything we need,” she says. “We were only consuming it without ensuring that we can get it tomorrow as well. Now we are changing that behaviour with our new tree farming business.”
