HANANG HEALTH AND SANITATION PROJECT II
Project Leaders: Julius Magembe, Eyembe Magina and Carsten Bendix | Region: Manyara | Donor: DANIDA, ADRA Denmark | Budget: USD 3,250,000 | Beneficiaries: 205,000 | 2005-2008
ADRA in Hanang District (Phase I link)
ADRA Tanzania is the only NGO working extensively in Hanang District. We have been implementing our integrated health project there since 2002 when the first phase was initiated, targeting 10 villages. The first phase of intervention ended in March 2005 and focused on provision of clean water, sanitation and health education primarily about hygiene and HIV/AIDS. The results of the first phase have been very positive and Danida therefore decided to support a second phase in order to roll out the activities to the population of the entire District.
The people of Hanang are very grateful for the work that ADRA has been able to do for their community. With the help of donors, over 40,000 people now have access to clean water only minutes from their doorstep. Plans are underway to provide water to another nine communities in the area. Water is such an essential element of life, and with close access to water points the women now have the ability to give more back to the village and their families.
The second phase of the Hanang Project is now targeting the remaining 53 villages in Hanang. The most serious health problems are addressed following a strategy integrating 4 issues which are considered to be the main impediments for an improved health situation:
- health education about HIV/AIDS, malaria and primary health
- improvement of access to quality health facilities
- construction of latrines at 33 primary schools
- provision of clean water to a number of villages
Many people have also benefited from sponsored youth groups who spread AIDS education through drama, song and dance. Established in 2002 there are now youth groups from ten villages who perform in the marketplace, schools and small area communities. This program has been a great success, and the Tanzania government is also interested in using these groups as an example for a nation wide project against AIDS.
Children have been able to attend school for the first time in an ADRA established school. New lavatories are being built at this and several other schools in the area. This addition reemphasizes the health message that ADRA trainers come to present in their classrooms throughout the school year. With improved standards there is an opportunity to lower health risks that are so high in this region.
The general approach of the Project is to establish improved services (water, health service and latrines) and to support these improvements with extensive community education which is actually the main activity. The construction activities are carried out with a high degree of local contribution and participation and the educational activities are based on provision of information and facilitation of discussions rather than lecturing. Health education
The main component of the project is the comprehensive training scheme. 3 training sessions for the general population are carried out on sub-village level. Primary School children are also given three training sessions and all school children are engaged in a lot of different activities (competitions in poster drawing, essay writing, choirs, dancing etc.) all of them with a focus on health and HIV/AIDS. Youth groups are also established and engaged in information spreading activities in the villages.
Some groups of people are particularly important to address if an impact should be achieved, especially in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS. These groups have been identified by the Project as being religious leaders, traditional leaders, village leaders and committee members, school teachers, TBAs (traditional birth attendants), traditional healers and health facility staff. All these groups are targeted separately in workshops and training sessions.
The approach used in the community training is first to make the communities list up the problems as they perceive them. After that, the Project provides some necessary facts about diseases and health problems and from that point of common understanding a community discussion is facilitated about how to prevent the spread of diseases. It is the belief of our Project, that solutions must be found and fully agreed on by the target groups themselves if solutions should be effective and have a long term impact. Health facilities
Construction of latrines
Access to quality health services is a major problem in most of rural Tanzania. Many rural areas are far from health facilities, but even where health facilities are present they are often not fully utilised and often the local population is reluctant to seek care and treatment at the facilities. This is mainly due to lack of good relations between the population and the health personnel and poor communication and attitude from the health facility staff towards the patients. It is also a problem that the traditional and the official health systems are isolated from each other and often considered to be opponents rather than different approaches to better health.
In Hanang we try to address the issue of improved access to quality treatment, not by establishing more health facilities, but by improving the quality and accessibility of the existing ones. A key measure in this effort is to link the local population to the management of the clinics, training of staff and updating of equipment are the key strategic elements in this effort. The Project will also try to facilitate improved communication and a common strategy between traditional healers and the health facilities, as the traditional healers most often are the ones to first meet the patients. Our experience tells us that myths, misunderstandings and lack of exact knowledge about practices of each other is widespread both among health staff and traditional healers. Construction of latrines
Parasitic diseases are consistently causing health problems, particularly for children in Hanang. The level of these diseases can be reduced substantially by improving sanitation by introducing latrines in schools and villages. The construction is carried out by the villagers themselves supported by local tradesmen and supervised by Project staff. Construction of latrines on domestic level is also promoted in the villages.
Provision of safe water
Provision of easy access to safe drinking water has proven to be the single most important health improvement and water schemes have numerous of positive side effects. Children can come to school as they do not have to spend hours daily on carrying water, women can concentrate on income generating or food security related activities, girls are not assaulted and raped when fetching water in remote areas, and the general stress level is dramatically reduced domestically and in the villages at large.
Unfortunately water schemes are costly and labour demanding and furthermore good water sources are few, putting a limit to the possibilities of constructing new water schemes. Within these limitations the Hanang Project will establish gravity water schemes in 6 villages, borehole water systems in 2 villages and rainwater harvesting systems in two schools. The water schemes are supported by the intensive education on hygiene and safe use of water.
- Contact the Hanang Health Project:
- Katesh Office, Hanang: +255 (0)27 253 01 48
- Usa River Office: +255 (0)27 255 3480
- E-mail: hanang@habari.co.tz
Health education
