Paprika!

Today at the UMATU building site, Shabani and the guys are fixing the doors, testing the toilets and applying other finishing touches. After much consultation, we finally settled on the colour for the centre -- paprika! We were trying to match the colour of the building with the colour of Karatu soil, and we think we hit it right on! Next will come the water tanks -- one well above ground and one underground -- necessary to manage Karatu's erratic water supply. We will also be constructing the mandatory security wall around the centre. The kids in the photo find the goings on at the site quite entertaining, and they were really interested in the camera.

Pig Training

Over the past few weeks, Nderingo and Deo have been co-facilitating pig training with the Karatu District Livestock officer. We are targeting vulnerable, i.e. low-income, households, particularly focusing on female-headed households and households affected by HIV. The training covers such topics as how to construct a simple piggery structure; prevention and management of diseases; feed formulation; and reproduction. Many people keep free range pigs. We are trying to discourage this practice because pigs are vulnerable to diseases and parasites, and when they are running around freely they tend to destroy crops and have a negative affect on health and hygiene around the household, as you can see in the photo. Pigs are a lucrative income-generating activity in Karatu Distict. Pigs are prolific -- a sow can have on average two litters a year, and one litter can yield 12 piglets -- and a six-month old pig can fetch $80 to $100.

Nyerere Day

Today is Nyerere Day in honour of the first President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere (1922-1999). Known as "Mwalimu" (Teacher), Nyerere made sure that people from different ethnic groups and religions attended school together and thereby grew up together. He successfully united over 120 ethnic groups into one country speaking a common language, Kiswahili.

Although it's a public holiday, the guys are at work at UMATU Centre. It's in the final stages now, with painting underway. Next will come furnishing the bakery, organizing training and launching activities.

Choosing Colours

It's time to paint UMATU Centre, inside and out, so we're talking about colour. Shabani took the liberty of splashing bright pink on the window frames and bars, declaring "ladies like pink", but UMATU and CPAR "ladies" have quickly divested him of that notion. Needless to say, the "pink" is going and will be replaced by "white". Other colours will be chosen to match Karatu's notorious red soil, which oscillates from dust to mud depending on the season.

UMATU Counselling Workshop

UMATU is receiving support from the Stephen Lewis Foundation to conduct outreach education in Karatu District on topics related to HIV&AIDS, including how to live "positively". People find it hard to believe that the UMATU women are living with HIV because they're so dynamic and they look so good! UMATU members recently participated in a counselling training workshop to learn more about effective communication and engaging people in discussions about sensitive issues. This involved a lot of role-playing and sharing personal information, especially about problems experienced with men. Although women tend to be more open about HIV&AIDS issues, men generally are reluctant to go for testing so it's an ongoing challenge for UMATU members to get through to them.