Empower Tanzania (ET) is located south east of Arusha in the north central region of Tanzania. It supports its rural communities in their quest for better quality of life. For example, ET is currently focused on farming as a family income source, livestock and horticulture, community-based alternative education programs, irrigation, infrastructure, and access to clean water. Lack of access to health services in rural areas is a difficult challenge to overcome. ET considers it a major deterrent to economic development and resiliency.

This deficiency is compounded by limited and too often, inaccurate information about healthy behaviors. Through the Transform network, ET will be able to address these issues. As well, Transform raised the need for a deeper understanding of regional issues, comprehensive planning, a strategic focus, and capacity development.

Contact ETI or visit our website.

(picture above is the Women’s Support Groups’ participants in a sewing crafts workshop)

www.thars.org

Contacts:

David Niyonzima

THARS was organized by the Director, David Niyonzima, in 2000, while Burundi’s 12-year civil war was still raging. The first programs were reconciliation workshops, between Hutu and Tutsi components of the society and the civil war. While many people were being brought together, in peaceful reconciliation, too many seemed completely stuck and incapable of moving forward in

Women entrepreneurs making biosand filters

their own lives, let alone in peace with their neighbors. This was especially true for many of the village and rural women. 

The THARS staff learned about the debilitating psychological wounds of trauma from violence. Their counsellors received training in identifying signs of trauma and in healing trauma, in one-to-one sessions but much more extensively in groups in “Listening Rooms”, where people who distrusted one another could feel safe and not be forced to speak. over the next several years, THARS trained more than 2,000 trauma healers in east central Africa and treated thousand of clients.

Sustainable Agriculture trainer, female student (and husband) with garden planted 1/2 traditionally and 1/2 the new way

In 2006, a local governor gave a land grant to THARS, to build a training and retreat center. This location is in the mountainous center of the country, near the city of Gitega. A request from David for help in beginning construction, resulted in an April, 2007 cross-cultural work camp of 9 participants from the USA and about 15 from Burundi. The U.S. director of the work camp, John Braun, was later asked, in 2009, to form an international agency to support the work of THARS. This U.S. non-profit is THARS International. Additional cross-cultural work camps were held in 2012 and in 2014.

Currently, THARS staff are located in 11 centers throughout Burundi. Staff include counselors, community organizers, trainers and administrative support persons.The land-locked country of Burundi, bounded by Lake Tanganyika on the west, Tanzania to the east and south, and Rwanda to the north, is itself about the size of Massachusetts or about half the size of Nova Scotia.

As a trustworthy, widely acclaimed organization, THARS has and continues to receive international grants to carry out additional missions:

• organization of Women’s Support Groups, for trauma survivors, to assist one another in training and producing income
• sewing, quilting and crafts workshops for the Women’s Support Groups, taught by a Peace Through Pieces mission from Seattle
• organization of at-risk kids (orphans, abused, street children and former child soldiers) into girls dance troupes and boys drumming circles
• organization of more than 125 village Women’s Self-Help Groups, 20 women per group with a common bank account, to cooperate in producing income
• provide counselors to accompany victims of torture and prepare people for a Truth and Reconciliation process in the nation
• train university students and community leaders in intensive Alternatives to Violence (AVP) workshops
• conduct Healing of Memories workshops to heal deep-seated trauma
• help a women’s support group near the capitol to obtain a cassava four grinder and set up shop in a market area
• partner with Washington State University Extension Services to introduce 4-H programs to several schools
• Establish an exponentially growing Sustaining Agriculture Training program, decentralized to participants’ own gardens and villages
• Introduced “Clean Water Burundi”, with clean water training and Bio-Sand water filter manufacturing for Women’s Self-Help groups and for Batwa (pygmy) villagers

At-Risk Girls’ dance troupe

www.jacana.help

www.smartcentrezambia.com

Contacts:

Dinie Nijssen, Director, Jacana
Rik Haanen: Manager Water Jacana

Since 2015 Jacana supports small scale entrepreneurs in Zambia who want to expand their business, so that they can grow economically and create better living conditions for themselves and their environment.

In 2016 the SMART Training Centre was established and fits perfectly in the goal of Jacana. In the training centre we train and guide two groups of entrepreneurs:

Entrepreneurs for Water & Water for Entrepreneurs (E4W & W4E). 

• E4W: the SMART Centre trains local entrepreneurs in making Simple, Market based, Affordable and Repairable Technologies (SMART), like rope pumps, EMAS pumps, manually drilled boreholes and ground water recharge systems. This creates a local supply chain and profit based sustainability of water infrastructure in the area. Apart from technical training, Jacana provides business training and guidance.
• W4E: next to training Entrepreneurs for Water (E4W), the Jacana SMART Centre also trains and guides small scale entrepreneurs who use water to generate income (W4E). They produce products or services with the SMARTechs to serve their fellow community members. For example water vendors, car wash, vegetables, chicken or cattle farmers etc. Also this group will receive a business training and guidance.

Warri, Delta state, Nigeria
pindfoundation.org/tag/ated

Contact:
Teslim Giwa, ATED Program Manager

John Nwamuo,  WASH Coordinator

PIND works across the 9 states of the Niger Delta in southern Nigeria. It’s ATED (Appropriate Technology Enabled Development) program is focused on how technology in the WASH, agriculture, and energy sectors can enhance development. Located in Warri, Delta State, the ATED Centre features displays, and training programs, along with implementation of projects. The building demonstrates “green” approaches, including adequate insulation, double glazed windows, positioning to catch the wind, rainwater harvesting for toilet flush water and a biodigester that takes all the human waste from the building toilets along with organic waste from the site.

Six foot overhands keep sun off the walls while allowing air to flow up into the roof cavity and out vents at the top. This reduces cooling needs.

A view of the PIND Appropriate technology enabled development center in Warri, Delta state, Nigeria.

The newest member of the Transform network, Aqua Clara Kenya is a social enterprise located in Kisii, southwest Kenya. Their mission is to increase access to safe drinking water in Africa by building local capacity providing effective solutions and implementing sustainable approaches.

ACK works with local communities, schools, and provides entrepreneurship training to local business women and men, seeking market based approaches to solve water, sanitation, and hygiene issues.

ACK website: https://aquaclarakenya.com/

Contact John Nyagwencha, Executive Director