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Brynn Berry and Jessica Gannon are both master-level students from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, an MSG partner since 2013. Jonathan Berry is a graduate of the Mortenson Center for Engineering for Developing Communities at CU at Boulder. Jonathan is providing technical support for the Arborloo Toilet grant Maji Safi Group received from Friends of Tanzania. Brynn and Jessica have contributed greatly to the artistic aspect of MSG’s work with spreading awareness about preventing disease and adopting healthy WASH habits.

My name is Brynn Berry. My friend Jessica and I have been working in Shirati since August and have the privilege of working with Maji Safi Group (MSG) until the end of December. My husband, Jonathan, has also been able to join as a volunteer for MSG’s Arborloo toilet project.

Most of my work at Maji Safi Group consists of editing, curriculum design, and various art projects. However, before elaborating on my work, let me introduce you to someone much more talented than me.

MSG currently employs a local Tanzanian artist named Jacky. Jacky is a brilliant illustrator, succeeding to capture the culture and vision of the community in his work while providing a visual platform for the dissemination of WASH education. Jacky’s work decorates the Maji Safi office, local hospitals, and primary and secondary schools in the area.

MSG aims to complete six more murals before the end of the year. Jessica and I are assisting in the creation of one mural at the local Katuru Secondary School. The mural will serve as a learning tool for students and community members passing by. I also plan to assist Jacky in the planning stages of the creation of additional murals.

The planning process for mural design is structured to allow a variety of stakeholders to voice their ideas. This participatory approach allows for bottom-up inspiration.

Step 1: MSG’s Community Health Educators (CHEs) provide a list of suggested images/values to be painted.

Step 2: Jacky or I create a sketch of what a mural could look like based on the CHE suggestions.

Step 3: Artists invite MSG staff to interpret the mural. This stage reveals any changes that need to be made. This stage was particularly valuable to me as it highlighted several cultural differences that were revealed in my artwork. For example, a common menstrual care product used in Shirati is kitamba (cloth in Swahili) which needs to be included in female hygiene education.

Step 4: Artists edit and revise drawings.

Step 5: CHEs label and narrate mural in Swahili.

Step 6: MSG presents the sketch to school/hospital administrators and choose a wall for the mural.

Step 7:  Artist, mainly Jacky gets to work.

In addition to mural design, I am busy creating educational booklets that will be used for menstrual hygiene management programming. Maji Safi Group is excited to announce that we have received a grant from Dining for Women, a global giving circle that funds grassroots organizations, to introduce menstrual cups (kikombe cha hedhi) to the Mara region. Menstrual cups will be purchased from a local Tanzanian distributor, and booklets will be given to girls receiving the cups. My work involves content development for the booklets and graphic design work to illustrate the pages.

The design process is fun and exciting. It demands a conscious effort to create culturally appropriate images and communicate WASH education in the best way possible.

Thank you for your incredible support and interest in our work here at Maji Safi Group.

Best Regards,

Brynn Berry

Yinran Huang completed her practicum field work for her MSW at Washington University in St. Louis with Maji Safi Group this summer. Yinran was born and raised in China where she received a Bachelor of Marketing and Management from the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics in 2014. After working for several years with different marketing companies in China, Yinran decided that she wanted to focus on social work and began her MSW in 2016. MSG enjoyed welcoming her to Tanzania, and we are excited to bring you her blog reflecting on her experience.

Have you ever wondered how MSG helps normal households gain access to safe drinking water, proper sanitation and hygiene in an affordable way? Well, here come the answers. With the partnership of AfriPads and Population Services International (PSI), MSG has introduced several cost-effective products for program participants and local communities, including WaterGuard, water filters, reusable sanitary pads, and Arborloo toilets (see our previous blog for more information).

In Shirati, lacking financial resources is one of the key barriers to implementing good WASH practices within household settings. Many people still drink untreated water and rely on crude, improvised materials to manage their menstruation because they cannot afford or access proper WASH products. Now, normal households in Shirati have more choices for getting clean water, cheaper sanitation solutions, and female hygiene products.

Let’s begin with water. In Shirati, accessing drinking water can be costly and time-consuming. Surface water sources, such as ponds, rivers and Lake Victoria, are usually free but unimproved/unprotected and often far from dwellings. Groundwater, on the other hand, is a much safer but a more expensive choice due to the cost of drilling the well. So, most people fetch water from surface water sources every day, and the most common way of purifying water is boiling. However, the sustainability of this method is questionable as the cost of firewood/charcoal/gas is high, and people must wait for the water to boil and cool down before use. Thus, WaterGuard and water filters offer normal households a more convenient alternative for water treatment.

WaterGuard

WaterGuard is a chlorine water treatment tablet provided by Population Services International (PSI), Tanzania, and one of MGS’s recommended water treatment methods in Shirati. The chlorine tablets offer an alternative to boiling water. Chlorine is released when a tablet is dissolved to disinfect the water and prevent water-related diseases. Each tablet can treat up to 20 liters of water, which will satisfy a typical household’s minimum daily requirements for clean drinking water. Two tablets are needed if the water is very dirty. After adding the tablet, the water must sit for 30 minutes. WaterGuard is sold either by the strip with 10 individually sealed tablets (500 TSH = $0.25) or in boxes with 12 strips (6,000 TSH = $3). Thus, flexible purchasing choices allow consumers to access safe drinking water with minimal disposable cash on their hands, and WaterGuard is more time- and cost-effective than having to gather firewood or buy charcoal.

Ceramics Water Filters

The Maji Salama Ceramic Water Filter is manufactured and distributed by Safe Water Ceramics of East Africa (SWCEA). The Maji Salama filter tested at a 99.99% microbiological effectiveness rate with a life of at least five years, according to SWCEA’s official website. The clay filter is placed in a food-grade plastic storage bucket with a spigot at the bottom for dispensing the filtered water. With a rate of 1 to 3 liters per hour, depending upon the volume of water in the filter, a single filter can provide enough safe drinking water for up to 6 people. In MSG’s office, several water filters provide a safe, reliable, and convenient drinking water resource for all staff members and program participants.

Female Hygiene Education and AfriPads

MSG noticed that the poor hygiene situation in Shirati is exacerbated by a lack of knowledge about menstruation and the use of poor solutions, like rags, instead of proper feminine hygiene products. In response, MSG’s Female Hygiene Program promotes proper menstrual hygiene management (MHM) education through culturally sensitive communication. The program is active in several primary and secondary schools in the Rorya District, and a small group seminar is held every Saturday afternoon at the MSG office. The classes give adolescent girls the opportunity to discuss female hygiene-related experiences and ask questions in a safe and supportive environment.

By educating adolescents, MSG plays an essential role in also educating adults and the community in general. Children and adolescents serve as agents for change because they take the knowledge and good practices learned from MSG’s Community Health Educators back home. Hygiene education is thus transferred from MSG’s programs to families and communities where many have no other access to formal education about hygiene and sanitation.

Maji Safi Group partners with AfriPads and introduces their reusable sanitary pads in the Female Hygiene Program as an alternative to disposable pads with at least two comparative advantages: affordability and waste reduction. AfriPads is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly choice. With proper care, the AfriPads can last at least 12 months. Instead of using 195 disposable pads, only four reusable sanitary pads can satisfy a girl’s needs for a whole year and thus help her save a significant amount of money.

Given the massive cost associated with healthcare, disease burdens, loss of productivity and labor capital, investing in WASH-related products will not only result in a large range of economic and social benefits but also be more cost-effective in the long run. MSG’s dedicated work gives people easy and affordable access to WASH supplies, resulting in healthier families and communities.

To celebrate Maji Safi Group’s five-year anniversary, we are continuing our series of guest bloggers from the Maji Safi Group (MSG) community. Our second guest is Angelister Mwinuka, matron at Katuru Secondary School in Shirati. MSG has been working with Katuru for several years now, and Angelister Mwinuka has been an extraordinary partner in breaking the silence about menstrual hygiene and bringing awareness to the importance of school attendance. In March this year, MSG opened Female and Male Hygiene Clubs at the school. The clubs will continue the positive changes and the more welcoming school environment MSG’s programs have facilitated.

We hope you enjoy reading about Angelister Mwinuka’s inspiring experience and knowledge.

1. What changes have you seen in students at Katuru Secondary School since partnering with MSG?

Since MSG started, we have seen an increase in attendance rates, and the girls have learned how to keep themselves clean at all times. We now have supplies to stay healthy, like water and soap, and we have extra pads if students need them. Since MSG came, girls are in class more, and fewer girls have asked for permission to leave and go home because of menstruation. I have also noticed that more girls are passing their exams. Additionally, as a school, we have started small income-generating projects, like farming vegetables, to help pay for feminine supplies like pads and soap, so the products are continually available.

2. What changes can MSG bring to schools in Tanzania?

MSG can bring a big change. If people learn about WASH and their bodies, it will help prevent diseases. Students and parents will know more, and they will be able to work better because they are healthy and don’t have to spend money at the hospital or stay home sick.

Healthy students are also able to sit in class for longer, concentrate better and therefore, perform better.

3. In your opinion, what issues have menstruation brought to Katuru students?

During menstruation, female students are not comfortable, and they are embarrassed to be at school around boys. They have pain during their period, which makes them stay home from school. They feel even more uncomfortable when they don’t have the right supplies, and they feel more comfortable at home since there is no place to change their pads at school. If they stay at home because of pain or lack of resources, they miss the lessons. This causes women to have lower passing rates than men.

4. What are the things that schools in Tanzania really need?

There should be enough education about menstruation to explain that it is not a disease and to help young women understand themselves better. Schools should have enough supplies to enable girls to stay in school during their period (pain meds and pads), and schools should have enough water and clean toilets. It is important that the girls have a place to wash their hands and get dressed, so they look nice when they come back to class. There should also be enough education for women and parents and more attention on how to educate girls and keep them protected while they go through puberty. It is often their parents who decide to keep them at home, and then they miss classes. The parents need to help support their children, so they can reach their potential.

5. In your opinion, what are the ways MSG helps people in the Rorya District?

MSG brings new ways to spread education, so the whole community gets the necessary knowledge and makes changes to the environment. When people understand how to prevent disease, they can see opportunities for change all around the community.

It would be great if MSG could also teach outside of the Mara Region because people would live in a healthier environment, and it would help the economy. Hopefully, MSG can go to Tabora and Dodoma and even Dar es Salaam, so people can understand their own health and help build a healthier country.

Maji Safi Group has a lot to do with roots. In 2013, our nonprofit took root in Shirati, Tanzania, to address the root causes of preventable waterborne diseases. Accordingly, our grassroots fundraising in the US started taking root in 2013 as well. Since then, Maji Safi Group has put down deep roots in rural Tanzania, helping tens of thousands of residents understand the importance of personal and household hygiene, public health and the economic advantage of focusing on relatively inexpensive disease prevention instead of costly treatment. Good health is the root of a productive life, and Maji Safi Group still depends on grassroots fundraising for our financial health. Along the Front Range in Colorado and all around the world, we have worked had on developing a group of passionate supporters, so our fundraising efforts could develop roots like perennial flowers, blooming year after year, and we are starting to yield a sizeable annual crop. Throughout the year, our fundraising events support the work we do – work that is rooted in a deep belief that participatory development and empowering communities to address their own health issues will lead to healthier lives!

The Friends of Maji Safi Group

Maji Safi Group has developed an amazing base of about 400 loyal and very generous donors from all around the United States and six continents. Thanks to their continued support, we can trust that our funding will be reliable, and we are starting to see more donors believe in PEP – The Power of Extended Philanthropy. When donors commit to a monthly donation, they enable nonprofits to do strategic planning at a very efficient and constructive level.

 

The Maji Safi Golf-a-thon

On a little bit chilly September morning, 19 women from the 18-hole league at Lake Valley Golf Club and Maji Safi Group’s president, Bruce Pelz, set out to play the third annual Maji Safi Golf-a-thon. When dusk put an end to play, they had played 613 holes and, thanks to our 107 generous donors, raised $57,000. The Maji Safi Golf-a-thon has become a day of amazing camaraderie and intense physical effort to make a difference in the lives of others. It is the backbone of our annual fundraising efforts.

Maji Safi Group at eTown Hall
On Dec. 3, eTown Hall buzzed with happy Maji Safi Group supporters as we ran our second annual fundraising party. The free afternoon show featured juggling, dancing, singing and a wonderful magic show. The evening show featured great food, open bar, live music, and fundraising games. This year, we added a holiday market stocked with authentic Tanzanian art and crafts items, gift certificates and items donated by Boulder restaurants, merchants and artists, and beautiful quilted creations from the Front Range Contemporary Quilters. Throughout the night, the holiday market was teeming with eager buyers looking for holiday gifts for family and friends. After doubling our income from the first year, we have already booked eTown Hall for Dec. 2, 2018 for our third annual fundraising party!

Colorado Gives Day
For the second year in a row, Maji Safi Group received dozens of donations on Colorado Gives Day, enabling us to get part of the one million dollar incentive fund. This year, MSG raised over $30,000 on Colorado Gives Day! The donations we receive this late in the calendar year enable us to enter the new year on very sound financial footing.

 

 

Maji Safi Read-a-thons – Children Helping Children
The Maji Safi Read-a-thon at Whittier International Elementary School in 2013 was our very first fundraising effort and the start of our work with students along the Front Range in Colorado – our ‘young global citizens’. The Maji Safi Read-a-thons are a win-win situation where children improve their reading skills and learn about global issues, social responsibility, and helping others through personal effort, while raising about $8,000 for Maji Safi Group’s After School Program in Tanzania. In 2018, we will run three read-a-thons in Boulder Valley District schools: our sixth annual at Whittier International, our second at Ryan Elementary and our first at Heatherwood Elementary.

Casey Middle School
Maji Safi Group has been working with students in the Leadership Class at Casey Middle School for four years, and it has now become a tradition. After an informative presentation about MSG’s mission and work, the students can choose to do ‘Global Improvement Projects’ (GIPs) with us. The projects typically help spread awareness of WASH issues and MSG’s work – some also raise funds for our work. Each spring, Maji Safi Group is part of Casey’s annual ‘Africa Night’.

 

Maji Safi Women’s Days Out
Maji Safi Women’s Days Out have become a fun way of raising money. Boulder restaurants donate a lunch that is followed by a professionally taught art class. In 2017, we hosted two such days, one at The Kitchen/The Generous View Studio and one at Restaurant 4580/Shelley Goddard’s Private pottery studio. Supporting women in Tanzania while having fun together through creative art projects in Boulder is another win-win situation that is becoming a popular part of Maji Safi Group’s fundraising.

If We Dine Once, They Can Dine Twice
For several years now, a group of Boulder friends have gathered in the spring for a small fundraising dinner. The idea behind ‘If we dine one, they can dine twice’ is to raise money for the Dining for Female Hygiene events in Tanzania where participants in our Female Hygiene Program bring together their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, etc. for dinners that feature food, Menstrual Hygiene Management education and the sharing of stories about the female experience.

 

The Generous View Studio
The Generous View Studio is a privately owned art studio in Boulder with a gorgeous view of the Flatirons. Through art, the studio creates community and encourages generosity as all income from classes and rentals benefit Maji Safi Group.

 

Par-3 Fundraiser at Lake Valley Golf Club
On Sept. 10, we ran our first Par-3 fundraiser in cooperation with the Lake Valley Junior Golfers and raised just under $1000. Together, we invited the golfers to pay $10 to try to win fun prizes by hitting the green in one shot, getting inside 15 feet of the pin, and closest to the pin. We hope to repeat this fun event at Lake Valley in 2018 and find additional golf clubs that will host us.

 

Grants
As a nonprofit passes its infancy and proves programmatic success and sustainability over time, its access to grants increases. In 2017, Maji Safi Group received several grants from US as well as European grantors. We are thrilled to have reached this point in our growth and hope to obtain additional grants in 2018. Grants and donations from family foundations are also valuable in terms of proving our status as a publicly funded nonprofit.

Hopes and Dreams for 2018
In 2018, we hope to add a Maji Safi Walk as a new annual event, and we hope to move into the realm of working more with corporate donors, larger grant makers, major individual donors and crowdfunding. Please support us generously in 2018 to celebrate our fifth year of operations and help us continue to grow! One of the biggest impacts you can make is sharing your interest in Maji Safi Group with friends, colleagues and family members as well as participating in our many entertaining fundraising events. Every time you or a connection sends a donation our way, you can be assured it will improve the health of underserved populations. Maji Safi Group will always stay close to our roots, but in our fifth year and beyond, we will keep growing towards the sky.

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Please contact Erna Maj at [email protected] if you would like to participate in one of our fundraising events, learn more about MSG’s partnership with the Generous View Studio, run a crowdfunding campaign for us, host a dinner party, etc.

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Increased reading speed, vast knowledge, vocabulary expansion, improved memory, increased analytical and critical thinking skills, better writing skills, better imagination, mental stimulation, tranquility and stress reduction, hours of entertainment – the widely claimed benefits of reading are numerous. In this year’s Maji Safi Read-a-thons, 57 Boulder Valley School District students reaped all of them and at the same time learned about global issues, empathy, social responsibility and helping others through personal effort.

The 2017 Maji Safi Read-a-thon at Whittier International Elementary School in Boulder was the fifth annual, and for Ryan Elementary School in Lafayette, it was a first. Staff, donors and many families love this recurring win-win situation that Maji Safi Group brings to the educational setting to encourage students to become excellent readers and ‘young global citizens’. This spring, the 57 participants read 650 books and raised over $8,000 for Maji Safi Group’s After School Program in Tanzania where children receive fun and interactive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) education to learn how to stay healthy and succeed in school. Since July 2012, Maji Safi Group’s Community Health Educators have taught 6000+ students in 10 schools, and in 2015, the District Education Office approved Maji Safi Group to teach WASH education in all 125 primary schools in the Rorya District.

Read-a-thons are especially a great fit for IB schools, like Whittier, with a Primary Years Programme (PYP) whose stated goal is the development of the whole child, preparing students to become active, caring, lifelong learners who demonstrate respect for themselves and others and participate in the world around them. The Wildcat Student Council at Whittier backs the project, and members create momentum by visiting classrooms, making and distributing posters, and making school-wide announcements. At Ryan Elementary, this first Maji Safi Read-a-thon was a fifth-grade project organized by teacher Molly Hayes.

Thanks for organizing such wonderful opportunities for our neighborhood kids to grow up really seeing firsthand how they as individuals have a positive impact on the lives of others.
– Whittier parent –

 

This year, we honored all participants with certificates, thank you cards made by our program participants in Tanzania, ‘young global citizen’ photographs and ice cream coupons donated by Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop, Lindsay’s Boulder Deli and Eats & Sweets. We also had the special honor of recognizing three ‘young global citizens’ at Whittier who have participated all five years: Amanda Kohla, Calder Leland and Sean Lewis.

I have participated in the Maji Safi Read-a-thon for five years now. It has been an amazing experience for me. I chose to do this because I love reading and I love helping people. I have always had enough of everything. Some people in Tanzania don’t. They don’t even have clean water. One of my favorite things is reading. Being able to read and at the same time help children and adults in Tanzania was cool. I have had fun getting to raise money for these people, reading books, and getting to know the people that organize this.
– Amanda Kohla –

This spring also included working with students in the Leadership Class at Casey Middle School in Boulder. Offering the students in this elective to do a ‘Global Improvement project’ with Maji Safi Group has become standard every semester. This time, four students participated in an art project where they made beautiful greeting cards with alcohol ink. The cards were sold at Africa Night in April and brought in well over $100.

 

 

As Whittier graduates continue their education at Casey Middle School, Boulder High School and CU at Boulder, we are hoping to create a ‘young global citizen’ trail through the Boulder Valley School System and beyond. Anyone who is interested in helping young people get involved in empowering the vulnerable groups we work with in rural Tanzania is most welcome to contact Maji Safi Group about opportunities inside or outside school. We are only an email or a phone call away and happy to discuss tailor-made projects suitable for individual families or educational settings. We absolutely love seeing kids helping kids.

A huge thank you to all our readers and their families, their teachers, their donors and our generous ice cream vendors!