This email and report were sent Sept 3, 2003, from Salome (Sally) Kingu, Project Manager of the Hekima Project.

Dear Kris,

Greetings from Hekima Women. We thank God we re all fine and going well with our daily activities. Thank you for your last message which you wanted to know how we are going on with the project. Excuse us for delaying to answer it we were still working on it.

As we know the mission of ELCT is to encourage people to know and depend upon. Almighty God through Jesus Christ and full enjoy and everlasting life. ELCT aims at building a self supportive community which valve peace, love, spiritual and self development.

We thank N.W.Ohio Diocese, women of N.W.Ohio and (LWR) Lutheran World Relief who are helping and supporting us to fulfill our mission.

I’m sending our six month report.

Kris, our main problem is transport as we are implementing in all districts of Dodoma region. LWR have provided us funds to cover the fuel expenses, but our Diocese doesn’t have a vehicle to give us for the project work. We will thank you if you will consider about this problem.

Greetings to everybody and we are looking to see you at our project and see what we are doing in the glory of God and to our dearly Pat who always prayed and encouraged us to stand and do.

With love yours,

Salome.

PROJECT IDENTIFICATION

PARTNER NAME: ELCT DODOMA DIOCESE – HEKIMA WOMEN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.

PROJECT NAME: EMPOWERMENT OF MARGINALIZED WOMEN IN DODOMA .

LWR PROJECT NUMBER: 1811

DATE OF PROJECT AGREEMENT:

START: NOVEMBER 1^ST 2002 .

END: OCTOBER 30^TH 2005 .

PERIOD COVERED BY THIS REPORT SIX MONTHS FROM NOVEMBER 1^ST 2002 - APRIL 30^TH 2003 .

DATE REPORT PREPARED 12^TH MAY 2003 .

The context in which the project is taking place.

The Empowerment of marginalized women project is taking place at Dodoma – Hekima Training Centre. The centre is within Dodoma municipality, the capital city of Tanzania . The Hekima project is working under the umbrella of ELCT Dodoma Diocese and being implementing in Dodoma region ( Dodoma districts urban and rural, Kondoa, Kongwa and Mpwapwa districts)

The situation of HIV/AIDS recently has raised as the statistics indicate that on year 2002 about 4,000 people were effected, reported at Dodoma Government Hospital , this indicates more than half of the other effected people who are dying at homes. Also statistics indicate that the women rate affected by HIV/AIDS is higher than men because of the burden of taking care of the family members living with HIV/AIDS lies more to women.

The majority of girl children and women are faced with serious marginalization as result of culturally, socially, economically and politically as factors.

- CULTURALLY

Women and girls face serious discrimination on basics of gender, rights abuse by the mainstream society, denied the rights to education and not supposed to own or control any property. For this reason the women remain dependent to their male counterpart.

- SOCIALLY

Men always thinks they are superior than women cause the women become voiceless in front of men while men become the overall of the family and controller of everything. By this social distance between men and women can affect the development on society.

- ECONOMICALLY

Women are facing poor economy and difficult to survive for taking care of the dependents society while they do not have education and possess skills that can enable them to generate income to sustain their lives.

- POLITICALLY

There is a bad perception that men are superior and women are inferior. Women can not lead, speak in front of men or assign to do a development activity, which is not true, all people are equal as anybody can be a leader without regarding their sex.

The project is filling the gap by:-

- Empowerment of women and girls in Dodoma region through addressing their basic rights through lobbying and advocacy.

- Uplifting the standards of living of women through initiating income generating activities and training in small business management.

- Training women and girls in Vocational skills to enable them to be economically independent also to support their families.

- In recognition of serious effects of HIV/AIDS to women and girls, the project will initiate a HIV/AIDS campaign that will penetrate to the grass roots.

Effectively it is rising to the challenges by the number of women for attending our workshops and girls attending the vocational training e.g. 8 girls students in Computer class out of 10 and 6 all girls for tailoring.

2.SEMESTER PROGRESS REPORT FOR EMPOWERMENT OF MARGINALIZED

WOMEN IN DODOMA NOVEMBER, 2002 – APRIL, 2003.

[OBJECTIVE 1 - To initiate economic empowerment of women through training and setting up of income generating activities.]

OBJECTIVES AS STATED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED FOR

THE PERIOD

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE PERIOD

SUMMARY OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH EACH OBJECTIVE AND ACTIVITY.

OBJECTIVE 1.

Initiate the economic empowerment of women through training and setting up of income generating activities.

1. Training 660 women

in business

management.

(i) Preparation of

appropriate training

materials on income

generating activities

and business

management.

The training materials were prepared.

The required items and materials for the training such as the needed stationeries were purchased and an appropriate venue for the training was sourced.

(ii) Identification

and mobilization of

120 women (drawn

from Dodoma urban

and rural district) to

participate in the

training.

The women were identified and mobilized.

The project management was able to mobilize the women by using parish workers, women chairpersons and secretaries who motivated the women within our churches to participate in the training.

(iii) Conduct Training at

grassroots level at

least 120 identified

women/beneficiaries.

we taught them how to manage/run their business by being a good business women through:-

- keeping records.

- Keepings time.

- Being creative.

- Handling their customers carefully (knowing the customers needs and keep customers’ promises.)

- Planning their dailly activities.

- To make them be aware on the structure of our revolving loan fund (loan repayment, grace period, interest rates and loan conditions etc)

The training was done to about 287 women .

- the major overshot because of open invitation within our urban parishes around Dodoma municipal because there are less costs, easy communication, big rate of unemployment and poverty.

Three workshops were conducted at the rate of 237 participants from Dodoma municipal at Arusha road venue from 8:00am to 5:00pm and 30 participants from Dodoma rural at Chamwino venue and 21 participants from Dodoma rural at Mvumi.

The facilitator covered various contents including micro enterprise management record keeping and elementary book keeping.

After the workshop participants organized and formed groups of 5 people each and provided the loan according to project instructions by filling the forms getting endorsement from their church leaders.

OBJECTIVES AS STATED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED FOR

THE PERIOD

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE PERIOD

SUMMARY OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH EACH OBJECTIVE AND ACTIVITY.

2. Establish Revolving

loan fund.

(i) Formation of primary

groups with the

identified church

groups to regularize

loan disbursement.

17 primary groups each comprising of 5 persons were formed.

From the already mobilized and trained 287 women the project was able to motivate and facilitate the formation of the 17 primary groups who are to benefit from the Revolving loan fund.

Out of nine parishes which benefited from the loan, formed two groups of 5 members per group. Members should know each other, each member should have 2 referees within the group. All members should attend training and accept the micro-credit guidelines.

(ii) Preparation of appropriate loan processing documents tools and setting of interest rate and repayment modalities

The loan processing documents, tools were prepared and modalities set.

The loan document and tools processed include the setting of loan conditions including application procedures, loan interest rate and other repayment modalities. These were prepared and approved by the project Board before they were used.

Project board is a governing board for the project since the project is still new then, the board is responsible to formulate the project policies in order to build and sustain the project and its resources.

(iii) Disburse the first

batch of loans to at

least 60

beneficiaries.

The first batch of loan was disbursed to about 85 women

An average of Tshs.50,000/= to Tshs.100,000/=(USD 52.456) to 104.912 USD per person was disbursed to about 85 women in Dodoma urban and rural districts. The total loan provided is 6.2 million (USD 6504.00). The repayment will be for six months after two months of grace period

The (beneficiaries) are involved in various small projects of poultry, embroidery, niddle working, dairy cattle, vegetable gardens, buying and selling spices e.g tomatoes, iron, charcoal etc.

3. Conduct vocational

training for computers

tailoring, hotel

management, food

processing, knitting

and embroidery.

(i) Procurement of

training equipments.

The following training equipments were purchased.

Computers
Sewing machines
Furniture and other accessories for training.

The project managed to purchase 10 computers and one printer, 13 sewing machines, classroom furniture (tables and chairs) and training materials in such as black and white boards. The purchased materials are now in use

OBJECTIVES AS STATED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED FOR

THE PERIOD

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE PERIOD

SUMMARY OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH EACH OBJECTIVE AND ACTIVITY.

(ii) Recruitment of trainers (computer, tailoring and

embroidery).

One computer trainer and one tailoring and embroidery trainer have been recruited

To produce competent students.
to prepare students to seek their own employment.
to fight against poverty.
to advise and sustain the project.

The trainers were recruited by the project management and confirmed by the Diocese leadership. Applicants were screened and interviewed before they were recruited.

To employ more competent and trained female staff than men in order to empower them.

Advertisement to enroll students for the vocational training.

Advertisement was done and students were eventually enrolled for the courses.

Majority of them are ladies and few men who are standard seven leavers, form four and form six leavers.

- Especially those who are from poor families.

Advertisement was done through the churches, public notice and brochures currently the project has been able to enroll the following students.

10 for computer course.
6 for tailoring course

This is below the target because the project was late in advertising and in starting the first term.

- 10 weeks for computer basic course.

- 9 months for tailoring course.

- by collecting training fees range from Tshs.60,000/= to 100,000/=(US$63 – US$ 104)

- by selling outputs produced from tailoring class, knitting and embroidery classes.

4. Exchange tours

Not implemented

It is planned to be done in next Semester may 2003 – October, 2003

5. Establish networks for

information sharing.

Not implemented

It is planned to be done in next Semester from May 2003 – October, 2003

[OBJECTIVE 2 To build the capacity and to lobby for the rights of women and girls in five divisions of Dodoma.]

OBJECTIVES AS STATED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED FOR

THE PERIOD

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT DURING THE PERIOD

SUMMARY OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH EACH OBJECTIVE AND ACTIVITY.

OBJECTIVE 2

To build the capacity and lobby for the rights of women and girls in Dodoma Region.

1. Train 80 church

representatives on

lobbying and

advocacy

on women rights.

(i) Conduct baseline

survey on

rights/issues

affecting women and

girls

Not implemented (yet to be done)

This activity was planned to be implemented in this quarter but due to the need of enhancing appropriate strategies to effectively undertake or attain this objective, the activity was postponed and is expected to be done next semester May 2003 - Oct, 2003.

(ii) Conduct baseline

survey on rights

issues affecting

women and

girls in the region.

Not implemented (yet to be done)

-do-

(iii) Identify the

churches in the

region, their

governance and

coverage.

Not implemented (yet to be done)