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Community Health Educators



Community Health Educators

Meresiana 2

Mereciana Kenedy, CHE

Judith 2

Judith Mbache, CHE

Sikujua 2

Sikujua Raphael, CHE

Diana 2

Diana Ngukah, CHE

Magdalena 2

Magdalena Nixon, CHE

Hellen 2

Hellen John, CHE

Neema 2

Neema Felician, CHE

Faraja 2

Faraja Randa, CHE

Evaline 2

Evaline Odongo, CHE

Cosmass 2

Cosmas Mkonda, CHE

Boniphace 2

Boniphace Marco Mroni, CHE

Edwin 1

Edwin Odoyo Nashon, CHE

Gaudensia 2

Gaudensia Okech Philipo, CHE

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info@majisafigroup.org

+1 720 273 6503

+255 762 734 724

455 Marine Street
Boulder, CO 80302

Maji Safi Group is a registered international nongovernmental organization (INGO) in the United Republic of Tanzania. 
Maji Safi Group is a registered 501(c)3 in the United States.

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Mereciana Kenedy

CHE

My name is Merciana, and I am a mama from the Masonga village in the Rorya District. I finished my primary education at Masonga in 2000. In 2001, I got married and started working as a farmer and doing housework as a house mama. After five years of marriage, I was able to continue with my secondary education, but I had two boys, and they brought a lot of challenges. It was tough being a mama and a student. After finishing form four grade level, I continued doing my household activities, and I was also able to farm corn and use the harvest as a business. In 2013, I was lucky and got a job with Maji Safi, and it has helped me build my understanding of health and environmental cleanliness. It has given me the ability to protect my family from disease and to build their ability to protect themselves. Maji Safi has plans to continue giving health education within villages that are close and far. This means that the community can leave behind the problems of waterborne diseases.

Judith Mbache

CHE

As a CHE, I love working with children, and for a long time, I worked with the After School Program. This program helped the children develop personally and provided them with information that can keep them healthy and in school. Kids are great observers, especially when it comes to the environment and disease prevention. Working with children helps encourage community understanding because they are fast learners, and it is easy for them to pass information from one child to the next. Now, I am primarily involved in our hotline, outreach activities, and our MHH programming. To be honest, I have faced much adversity in my life. I am both an orphan and a widow. I live in Shirati, so I can raise my granddaughter and make sure that she has a good life.

Sikujua Raphael

CHE

My name is Sikujua, and I am 28 years old and the mother of three children. I have a secondary education. In 2014, I joined the MSG team. I am now an experienced Community Health Educator and certified Street Business School trainer. I am happy to be part of MSG because I continue to learn new things about diseases and other important things. My salary from MSG helps me run my life, and I love working with children in our Menstrual Hygiene Health programs. I am excited to keep working for MSG in the future.

Diana Ngukah

CHE

My name is Diana, and I have lived in Shirati my whole life. After finishing secondary school, I took classes at a local computer school. However, when I heard about Maji Safi Group, I was excited and decided I wanted to join the group. I have now been a CHE with MSG for more than ten years, and I fight the spread of preventable diseases in my community. MSG helps my community understand the importance of improving hygienic and sanitary conditions to prevent disease. Previously, I worked a lot with the children in the Singing and Dance Program. Nowadays, I am the coordinator for our Information Communication Technology (ICT) Program.

Magdalena Nixon

CHE

My name is Magdalena, and I am the sixth child in my family. After graduating from secondary school, I learned how to type and worked in a secretary shop. In March 2015, while working as a typist, I joined the community cleanup group that partners with Maji Safi Group. After volunteering for the group for a year, I joined the MSG team in March 2016, and I am still very happy to be working there.

Hellen John

CHE

My name is Hellen, and I was born at the Shirati KMT Hospital in 1996. I come from the village of Kyariko in Shirati. I started primary school in 2003 at Shirati Primary and finished in 2009. I continued at Katuru Secondary School in 2010, but was not able to finish because of family problems in 2013. After leaving school, I was working at a small business and had my first daughter. In 2016, I succeeded in joining the MSG team, and I am still very happy to be working with them. I really love working for the community, and I am very thankful to have gotten here and want to keep working to reach my goals.

Neema Felician

CHE

My name is Neema Mwita Felician. I was born in the Tarime District on Feb. 2, 1993. I completed my primary education at Komaswa Primary School in the Tarime District in 2008 and subsequently joined Manga Secondary School – also located in Tarime. In 2015, I started at the College of Business Education in Mwanza and received a Certificate of Procurement and Supply. After completing my education, I worked as a laboratory assistant at the Maswangwa Mining Company. After working there for two years until my contract expired, I joined a Tarime company as a storekeeper for one year. In March 2019, I accepted an invitation to join Maji Safi Group as a Community Health Educator trainee. I was trained in all of Maji Safi Group’s lessons and participated in different programs, including health screenings, radio broadcasts, and school programs. I learned how to educate the community on how to protect themselves from waterborne diseases. I am so happy to be part of this team. My community, my family, and I all benefit from Maji Safi Group’s education.

Faraja Randa

CHE

My name is Faraja Johanes Ranca. I was born in Shirati on Jan. 16, 1998. I graduated from Milenia Ya Tatu Primary School in 2012 and started at Musoma Utalii Secondary School in 2016. After completing my secondary education, I joined Akelo Day Care Center as an art coordinator, and I worked as a volunteer teacher for small children from 2017 to March 2019. On March 11, 2019, I joined MAJI SAFI GROUP as a Community Health Educator trainee. I was trained in various health lessons, participated in field activities, and helped with health screenings. On February 14, 2020, Maji Safi Group hired me as a full-time Community Health Educator. I am so happy to be part of the team, so I can help my community through the educational initiatives provided by Maji Safi Group.

Evaline Odongo

CHE

My name is Evaline Odongo. I was born in the Rorya District on May 5, 1995. I completed both my primary and secondary education in the Rorya District. I graduated from Bukwe Primary School in 2008 and continued at Bukwe Secondary School. In 2015, I joined the Shirati College of Allied Science in Shirati and received a Certificate of Community Health Level III. After completing my education, I worked for two years as a shopkeeper at a retail store in Kabwana. In March 2019, I was one of the female candidates selected to join Maji Safi Group as a Community Health Educator trainee. I received training in all of Maji Safi Group’s educational packages, and my skills as a Community Health Worker were an added advantage for me. Maji Safi Group now employs me full-time. I am so glad to be part of the team helping the Rorya community learn about disease prevention. 

Cosmas Mkonda

CHE

My name is Cosmas Ibrahim Mkonda. I was born in Busega in the Simiyu District on May 23, 1995. I went to Milenia Ya Tatu Primary School and graduated from Masonga Secondary School in 2011. In 2012, I started attending Bihawana in the Dodoma Region for A-level education. Afterwards, I joined the Tanzania People’s Defense Force. In 2016, I started attending the University of Dodoma to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, but due to financial problems, my family failed to pay for my school fees. I had to quit college and returned home where I established a vegetable garden and managed to earn enough money to build a small house in my home village. On March 11, 2019, I joined Maji Safi Group as a Community Health Educator trainee. I studied their health lessons, participated in field activities, and helped with health screenings. On Feb. 14, 2020, I became a full-time Community Health Educator for Maji Safi Group. Maji Safi Group’s health education has helped both my community and me as an individual deal with a variety of health issues. 

Boniphace Marco Mroni

CHE

Boniphace Marco Mroni grew up in the Ruhu village in the Rorya District. He completed primary school at Paroma Primary in 2013 and continued his secondary education at Nyansurura Secondary School in the Serengeti District, graduating in 2017 with excellent results. In August 2023, he earned a Diploma in Clinical Medicine from the Rao Health Training Center. Boniphace brings experience in community health education and disease prevention outreach. He joined Maji Safi Group with a commitment to advancing disease prevention and health promotion in rural communities across the Rorya District and beyond.

Edwin Odoyo Nashon

CHE

Edwin Nashon was born in Shirati in the Rorya District on August 8, 1993. He finished primary education at Shirati Primary School in 2008. In 2029, he continued at Katuru Secondary School and graduated in 2012 with good results. From 2013 to 2015, Edwin studied at the Malay Folk Development College where he obtained a Certificate in Agriculture and studied additional courses, including computer applications, entrepreneurship, and life skills. In 2016 and 2017, he volunteered as a senior trainer at Magwanjuki Shamba Darasa, teaching women and men’s groups improved farming techniques, particularly in vegetable cultivation. Edwin later completed a three-month driving course at the Tropical Driving Center and participated in a three-month training on disease prevention education with Maji Safi Group from February to April 2019.

Gaudensia Okech Philipo

CHE

I am a native of the Rorya District. I completed my primary education at Obwere Primary School and graduated from Raranya Secondary School in 2019. In 2020, I joined the Tengeru Institute of Community Development where I earned a Diploma in Community Development, graduating in March 2023. I joined Maji Safi Group (MSG) in March 2024 as a Community Health Educator. This role has helped me develop skills in disease prevention and addressing a variety of health issues. I’m honored to be part of the MSG team, working within my community to promote health education and teach preventive measures that can reduce medical costs.

Rosa Ojala

CHE

HEALTH SCREENINGS

A great public service and a metric to measure disease prevalence amongst current and potential program participants.

Health-Screenings-Maji-Safi

During the years 2015-2019, MSG conducted an annual Health Screening Campaign as a public service and a way to monitor the impact of MSG’s WASH education. Approximately 25,000 participants were tested for amoebas, intestinal worms, schistosomiasis (bilharzia), and malaria – all common water-related diseases. In cooperation with the Rorya District Medical Office and practicum students from the US, MSG screened participants and provided them with appropriate medications and educational flyers. The health screenings helped patients keep track of their well-being and provided an incentive for community members to get involved in MSG’s programs. In addition, the health screening results enabled MSG to compare the disease rates of our program participants to those of community members who had not received our education.

Learn More About Our Programs

Ree Pads

Ree Pads is a supplier of reusable pads to support MSG's Menstrual Hygiene Health programs.

afya plus pad logo

Afya Plus

Afya Plus is a supplier of reusable pads to support MSG's Menstrual Hygiene Health programs.

ReliefPad

ReliefPad supplies reusable pads to support MSG's Menstrual Hygiene Health programs.

Saalt

Saalt is a global company that provides reusable solutions for menstruation. Their products are donated to MSG to support our Menstrual Hygiene Health programs.

Anuflo logo

AnuFlo

AnuFlo is a Tanzania-based social enterprise that manufactures reusable menstrual products. MSG utilizes AnuFlo products in our Menstrual Hygiene Health programs.

Women's Choice Tanzania

Women’s Choice is a social enterprise that manufactures and distributes low cost, affordable menstrual hygiene products – especially, reusable Salama pads.

Street Business School

Street Business School (SBS) empowers women to become thriving entreprenuers, lifting themselves and their families to a more vibrant future by teaching them tools they need to successfully start and grow microbusinesses. Several of MSG's employees are certifies SBS trainers who work with cohorts of women in the Mara region.

Swiss Midwife Project

MSG has been hosting midwifery students from the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland since 2021. The nurses come to learn and help at the Shirati KMT District Hospital’s maternity ward, while also supporting MSG’s Menstrual Hygiene Health program.

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Touro University, Program of Public Health

Touro University California is a non-profit institution of higher learning and professional education with programs in Public Health. In partnership with MSG, Touro is conducting research and mapping in the Rorya District to determine the prevalence of and need for increased services in non-communicable disease treatment and education.

Shirati College of Health Sciences

The Shirati College of Health Science partners with MSG to provide field work and practicum experience to local nurses. Nurses work alongside MSG's Community Health Educators to provide community health education.

Shirati KMT District Hospital

MSG was founded as a pilot program under the Shirati KMT District Hospital in 2012. Since then, the KMT has been a seminal partner with whom MSG continues to grow and share support. Today, the two organizations especially partner on running Disease Prevention Centers and providing nutrition education as well as schistosomiasis prevention and treatment.

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Project C.U.R.E.

Project C.U.R.E. is a US- based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the shortage of medical resources around the world. MSG and Project C.U.R.E. partner to provide critical medical supplies for clinics and hospitals in the Rorya District.

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AllPeopleBeHappy

AllPeopleBeHappy is a US-based foundation which supports projects that address the root causes of poverty and increase prospects for happiness and better livelihoods. MSG partnered with AllPeopleBeHappy to extend female hygiene health education to the Butiama District in 2022.

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mWater

mWater is a women-owned small business provider of data-driven project management. The MSG team uses the mWater platform to track project data collection, monitoring, and evaluation.

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The Center for Affordable Water and Science Technology (CAWST)

The Center for Affordable Water and Science Technology (CAWST) is a Canadian charity and professional engineering consultancy dedicated to teaching people how to bring safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene to their homes, schools, and clinics via simple, affordable technologies. CAWST supports MSG with capacity building in a training-of-trainers model. Together, we are increasing the capacity of MSG’s staff to provide critical WASH education and training across East Africa, including in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia.

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The Roddenberry Foundation

Roddenberry is a global foundation that supports bold ideas. MSG is a proud recipient of the Roddenberry Catalyst grant.

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Rotary Club of Southeast Denver & Rotary Club of Northwest Spirit

Rotary International is a member-driven organization and network made up of over 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change. MSG is fortunate to partner with two Rotary chapters: the Rotary Club of Denver Southeast (US-based) and the Rotary Club of Northwest Spirit (Canada-based). These two chapters have supported MSG's focus in Menstrual Hygiene Health and WASH in Health Care Facilities with multiple grants.

Grow and Know

In 2009, Grow and Know launched the very successful Vipindi vya Maisha, a book about female puberty. The book received positive responses from girls, women, mothers, teachers – even fathers and male peers. MSG’s Community Health Educators use this book as a resource in our Female Hygiene Program.

University of Colorado at Boulder

The University of Colorado is the alma mater of co-founder Bruce Pelz and home to the Mortenson Center in Engineering for Developing Communities. MSG has participated in the Center’s annual WASH Symposium since 2015 and has hosted several CU students in Tanzania. In 2016, MSG hosted professor Beth Osnes; together, we conducted research on the vocal empowerment of women.

Washington University in St. Louis

Since 2013, MSG has partnered with the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis by providing practicum opportunities for graduate students studying Social Work and/or Public Health. In 2017, MSG hosted Professor Carolyn Lesorogol and twelve graduate students focusing on participatory development tools.

Heatherwood Elementary School

MSG started collaborating with Heatherwood Elementary on read-a-thons in 2018. Participants spread awareness and raise contributions for MSG by recruiting sponsors for each book they read. This win-win grassroots partnership with Heatherwood promotes reading and teaches social responsibility and helping others through personal effort. The money raised has benefitted our Tanzanian youth projects and most recently the construction of a school latrine.

Posner Center For International Development

MSG is a member at the Posner Center in Denver, Colorado. The Posner Center convenes, connects and catalyzes the international development community to collaborate for greater impact. In 2018, MSG and the African School Assistance Project (ASAP) received an International Collaboration Grant from the Posner Center.

The Generous View Studio

The Generous View Studio is a privately owned meeting space in Boulder, Colorado, dedicated to spreading awareness of global issues in general and MSG’s work in Tanzania in particular. Through professionally taught art classes and informal gatherings, the studio supports the creative community in Boulder and generates revenue for non-profits.

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Paul Horton Visuals

Paul Horton Visuals is a creative company focused on providing digital and print media solutions. They support MSG with video and media content.

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REACH Shirati

REACH Shirati runs Tina’s Education Center (TEC) for primary school students in Shirati. When MSG started, REACH Shirati was our parent organization. Together, we have made TEC a stronghold for students to learn and grow through our programs. Today, MSG and REACH Shirati collaborate on the Binti na Shule (Girls in School) program, a mentorship program to improve girls’ performance in schools.

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Friends of Tanzania

Friends of Tanzania (FOT) is a non-profit charitable organization that has provided funding to grassroots organizations in Tanzania since 1991. FOT was started by former Peace Corps workers in Tanzania (or Tanganyika at the time). FOT has supported MSG since 2018 and has provided funds for multiple projects, including an Arborloo Toilet pilot project, SAFI toilet construction, and Menstrual Hygiene Health Labs.

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Beyond Our Borders

Beyond Our Borders is a group-advised fund under The Women's Foundation of Colorado. Its mission is to strengthen families and communities, while advancing and amplifying opportunities for women to reach economic self-sufficiency. BOB has supported MSG’s Female Hygiene Program.

LUSH Charity Pot

The LUSH Charity Pot offers grants to grassroots organizations that are in an optimal position to make a difference with limited resources. LUSH has been a committed partner of MSG since 2018, supporting a diversity of programs, including cholera prevention, home health visits, and WASH in health care facilities.

Tanzania Menstrual Hygiene Health Coalition

The Tanzanian Menstrual Hygiene Health Coalition is a network of Tanzanian governmental, non-governmental, and civil society organizations working to improve MHH in Tanzania. MSG was a seminal organizer of the original coalition in 2018. The mission is to increase knowledge sharing between MHH stakeholders and combine efforts to increase policies and services at the national level. Current collaborations include organizing the annual National Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration and increasing awareness of MHH issues.

Tanzania Water and Sanitation Network

TAWASANET is a network of Tanzanian civil society organizations in the water and sanitation sector. MSG has been a member of TAWASANET since 2014 and is the Zonal Coordinator for the Lake Zone. MSG participates in annual general meetings and provides advocacy and leadership in the network.

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School Health Clubs

MSG started its School Health Club programming in 2013 with the mission to improve community health outcomes through hygiene and health education at the student level. To date, MSG partners with 39 schools in the Rorya, Butiama, and Bunda Districts.

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WASH Health Care Facilities

MSG started its WASH in Health Care Facilities focus area in 2021 with the mission to improve community health outcomes through partnership with local health institutions (hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries). To date, MSG partners with 14 HCFs in the Rorya District.

RUWASA

MSG’s partnership with the Tanzania Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) is critical for implementing and growing rural water supply and access across the Rorya District. In 2024, MSG specifically launched a partnership with RUWASA, whereby the MSG WASH Hub supplies water to surrounding communities managed and operated by RUWASA.

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Local Government Authorities (LGAs)

MSG works closely with LGAs to provide services at the village and community level. LGAs are paramount to gaining community access, understanding community priorities, and providing valuable services. All programs are implemented hand-in-hand with community leadership and authorities.

Tanzania Government Logo

WASH Pillar

MSG participates in nationwide update meetings with the Ministry of Health and other WASH stakeholders on a regular basis. These meetings focus on providing updates on progress related to various disease outbreaks and allow stakeholders to share their initiatives.

HEALTH SCREENINGS

A great public service and a metric to measure disease prevalence amongst current and potential program participants.

Health-Screenings-Maji-Safi

During the years 2015-2019, MSG conducted an annual Health Screening Campaign as a public service and a way to monitor the impact of MSG’s WASH education. Approximately 25,000 participants were tested for amoebas, intestinal worms, schistosomiasis (bilharzia), and malaria – all common water-related diseases. In cooperation with the Rorya District Medical Office and practicum students from the US, MSG screened participants and provided them with appropriate medications and educational flyers. The health screenings helped patients keep track of their well-being and provided an incentive for community members to get involved in MSG’s programs. In addition, the health screening results enabled MSG to compare the disease rates of our program participants to those of community members who had not received our education.

SINGING AND DANCE GROUPS

Using cultural customs to teach WASH and empower rural youths
to be change makers in their communities.

Singing-and-Dancing

Over the years, MSG has used these dances, songs, and skits extensively to teach students and spectators how to:

  • avoid water-related diseases,
  • practice proper handwashing,
  • prevent fecal-oral disease transmission, and
  • practice proper menstrual hygiene management.

MSG no longer runs a specific Singing and Dance Program, but this effective way of disseminating knowledge about WASH, behavioral change, Menstrual Hygiene Health, etc. is still widely used in our programming.

RoryasGotTalent

Song and dance are of great cultural importance in Tanzania. They are perhaps the most effective medium for communicating disease prevention to a community. In MSG’s Singing and Dance Group, students learned life-saving lessons in a fun and memorable manner, developed their talents, and became community leaders. Following WASH lessons, students worked together to create songs, dances, and skits to perform for their families, friends, and community members at MSG events.

Sing and Dance

Rorya’s Got Talent

For many years, the Singing and Dance Group held annual auditions for the Roya’s Got Talent competition.

Participants wrote songs and skits and performed choreographed dances to communicate their WASH knowledge to peers and members of the community.

Once the best 10 participants had been chosen, MSG hosted a semifinal event and then a final event, each attracting over 1,500 community members.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

After School Program

CHEs taught WASH and disease prevention lessons in a fun, nurturing environment. Art, games, puzzles, and other activities encouraged students to develop their creative and cognitive skills. This way, the things they needed to learn became things they wanted to learn! In addition, their knowledge trickled down to their families. Over the academic year, students learned about:

  • sanitation,
  • personal hygiene practices,
  • waterborne and water-related diseases,
  • water treatment,
  • the fecal-oral disease cycle,
  • bilharzia, and
  • the benefits of preventing diseases.

To enable proper WASH techniques, MSG provided schools with demonstration ceramic drinking water filters and handwashing stations. At the end of the program, our staff artist painted a large WASH-related mural to serve as a reminder of lessons learned and as an inspiration to future students.

The After School Program was one of MSG’s very first programs, started in 2013. Its purpose was to teach students about water-related disease prevention and proper WASH behaviors, so they could stay healthy and succeed in school. In 2015, the District Education Office approved MSG to teach in all 125 primary schools in the Rorya District.

Over time 6,000+ students attended this program.

After School Program 2
After School Program 3

MAJI SAFI CUPS

Maji Safi Cup 1

Combining disease prevention education and team sports to promote a healthy and cohesive community.

Football (soccer) is a popular pastime in Tanzania. Organized tournaments are a common occurrence, and each game attracts hundreds of spectators. This community tradition affords a unique educational opportunity.

For several years, our CHEs would organize a month-long Maji Safi Cup on a biannual basis. These tournaments also included netball matches for women and girls. Before each football or netball game, teams must attend a one-hour lesson about WASH and disease prevention. Combining athletics and education promotes overall wellness and makes lessons more memorable and thus more effective.

The winners of a Maji Safi Cup were awarded school supplies and WASH products. Although only one team was crowned as champions, all tournament participants benefited from team-building and pre-game lessons!

LEARNING TOOLS

MSG is proud of its creative and original curricula, songs, art, games, outdoor murals, and train-the-trainer programs.

Learning Tools_Mural 3

Maji Safi Group’s unique learning tools have become the catalyst for healthy WASH lifestyles and disease prevention. From education on common water-related diseases and treatments to menstruation and proper handwashing, our learning tools are fun, engaging and specifically designed to accommodate the varying literacy levels among our participants. 

MALE HYGIENE PROGRAM

Teaching young men and boys about male and female anatomy, puberty, adolescent body changes, and personal hygiene.

MaleHygieneProgram
Male-Hygiene_-3

Male Hygiene Groups

The Male Hygiene Program began in 2016. It empowers boys and young men to respect themselves, girls, and women and lead a culture of change. The program also helps young men be part of the movement to break the stigma and silence around menstruation, help girls stay in school, and close the gender inequality gap.

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FEMALE HYGIENE PROGRAM

Menstrual Hygiene Management in Tanzania

Though all residents face WASH issues, it is necessary to look at the situation through the lens of gender in particular. In Tanzania, female hygiene has traditionally been a taboo subject, and most schools lack adequate facilities for young women. Without access to proper sanitary materials and fearing ridicule for bloodstains on their skirts, many girls miss school during menstruation. Lower attendance rates severely limit academic potential and contribute to a cycle of disempowerment. Maji Safi Group, through our work to promote public health, seeks to establish a more comprehensive approach to menstrual hygiene management in Tanzania. We lift the stigma around female hygiene to empower girls and help them reach their full academic potential and become strong leaders.

Menstrual Hygiene Health

Together Women Rise

Influencing Menstrual Hygiene Management in Tanzania (MHM)

Female Hygiene Groups

Young women, ages 11-18, meet with CHEs in after-school groups to learn about female hygiene, health, and puberty. All groups, as well as girls from surrounding communities, are also invited to attend Saturday meetings at MSG’s office. The girls:

  • learn about female health,
  • share stories,
  • seek advice, and
  • engage in peer-to-peer education.

Participants also receive reusable sanitary products to promote proper hygiene and prevent absences from school. MSG strives to offer several different options, such as reusable pads, period panties, and menstrual cups.

Together-Women-Rise

The Decent Girl Competition

Female-Hygiene-Menstrual-Hygiene-Management-in-Tanzania-Maji-Safi--1

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Interacting with the community and spreading WASH awareness to every age group.

Participating in one’s community is crucial to bringing about positive change. To be heard, one must first be seen.

CHEs organize and host activity days to establish a presence and promote change in their community.

Local-Market-Days

Youth Field Days

Community Outreach_Salon

Food Safety

Schistomiasis Education

Government Collaboration

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Local Market Days

People of the Mara Region gather on market days to trade goods. CHEs take advantage of the large crowds by setting up Disease Prevention Awareness booths and selling crucial WASH materials, such as WaterGuard chlorine tablets for water treatment.

Youth-Field-Days

Shops and Salons

Community Outreach_Food Safety

Schistosomiasis Campaigns

Government Collaboration
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Tanzanian Government

MSG works closely with the Tanzanian government at all levels: district, regional, and national. Relevant offices include Community Development Offices (district and regional), Medical Office (district and regional), Education Office (district and regional), Health Office (district and regional), Ministry of Health (national), Ministry of Education (national), and Ministry of Community Development Gender, Women, and Special Groups (national).

HOME VISITS

Homevisit-Program-Page

Community Health Educators

For these reasons, CHEs meet with primarily female heads of households to assess their family’s WASH situation. Lessons are tailored to the specific needs of each family, but general topics include: 

  • the economic benefits of preventing diseases,

  • water treatment and storage,

  • toilet use,

  • handwashing,

  • fecal-oral disease cycle,

  • food preparation and storage,

  • personal hygiene,

  • bilharzia, and

  • other neglected tropical diseases.

Delivering WASH knowledge to doorsteps.

In Tanzania, women are typically in charge of WASH-related activities such as, water fetching, cooking, cleaning, and bathing. This makes them the most crucial stakeholders in disease prevention. Educating women empowers them to become change makers in their homes and leaders in their communities. Our CHEs visit individual families to inspire action and transform communities—one home at a time.

Visits to a home are prioritized based on:

  • interest,
  • family size,
  • number of young children,
  • neighborhood disease rates, and
  • local government input.

Family Meetings

Based on initial assessments and rates of progress, CHEs meet with families three to five times over six to 10 weeks. Within the following year, CHEs will revisit families to ensure that good habits are sustained. Home Visits provide each household with equal attention and access to life-saving information. They also foster personal relationships between CHEs and participants. If residents have any questions following the visits, they know there is a friendly face or hotline ready to help. Building trust, confidence, and community is the way to stop disease from continuing.