Travel stories from Uganda and Tanzania: August 2022

Inspired, impressed, humbled, and motivated! Those are the words I want to use, to sum up, my intense and relatively short work trip to East Africa with Engineers Without Borders Sweden this summer. I'm humbled to finally be able to travel here to learn more about the situation and about the challenges many people are facing in both Tanzania and Uganda. But most importantly, I'm motivated to do more.

In Uganda, I got to meet six young, smart, passionate, and ambitious newly qualified engineers who themselves are trying to improve life for the next generation through humanitarian engineering. Together with the team on-site, we conducted workshops to find out more about their work and how we can collaborate in the matter - very much connected to the research I myself (try to) conduct here in Sweden.  

In Tanzania, the mission was to evaluate and try to improve a digitalization project that was carried out about two years ago in collaboration with Sandvik. A computer room has been installed at a girls-only secondary school with the aim to improve the opportunity for young girls to gain digital literacy. This led to a series of interviews and workshops with both students and teachers.

Before my trip, I was told some 'prejudices' and I had quite some expectations.  Some were true, such as that the people of Uganda and Tanzania are incredibly friendly and that there are many challenges related to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. In conclusion, I´m writing this primarily to raise awareness about EWB-SWE different projects and possibilities to engage and possibly inspire others to get engaged. 

By: Adam Mallalieu, team member Digitalization Project, Engineers Without Borders Sweden

Travel report: Uganda and Tanzania, May 2022

End of May, Marlene (Head of International projects) and Mara (Leader of monitoring and evaluation) traveled to Uganda and Tanzania to visit the EWB East Africa in Kampala and EWB-SWE's established partners Mavuno in Karagwe, Tanzania. 
The purpose of the visit to Uganda was to initiate a collaboration between EWB-SWE and EWB East Africa. A partnership that possibly will lead to creating a more substantial impact in the region. The aim is also to mobilize and strengthen the partnership between other EWB organizations active in the East African region.

In Karagwe, Tanzania, Marlene and Mara participated in a workshop organized by Mavuno, a non-government grassroots organization working to improve the quality of rural lives by addressing community needs in Karagwe, Tanzania. The meeting was about evaluating the last five years of collaboration and setting new directions for the coming years.  It was a five-day-long workshop that included field visits to meet with women and youths to learn about the effect of the project on empowering women. There were also visits with the farmers and their villages, and meetings with various government officials. The workshop was very well planned and had a good participatory and inclusive approach. 

The participating farmers shared their views on what has been successful during the last 5 years, the various challenges they are facing, and what they would like the focus to be in the coming five years. During the visits, many of them showed appreciation for the increased access to water in the schools. They also lifted the increased knowledge they have received through the training on agriculture and nutritious diet that has resulted in both better health and more sustainable agricultural methods. Leading to improved income for the families. Some also expressed that their family relations have improved due to the empowerment of women.

Many government representatives at the workshop expressed intense gratitude for Mavuno and its members' work over the last five years. Mavuno and its members have for example ensured water access to schools and villages, food security, and capacity strengthening of farmers to increase their productivity. 

“I am happy that Mavuno has enabled a better dialogue between the farmers and the government. This is very important for the sustainability of the work as the government is the ultimate rights bearer”, says Paskazia Rweshereka, one of the village's local farmers.

MArlene & MAra with representatives from EWb East africa

Paskazia Rweshereka

Marlene, Head of International projects, summarizes the trip:

"It was really nice to be able to do this field trip to Uganda and Tanzania and participate in this workshop. I'm amazed to see the great participation of farmers, specifically women, during the workshop. It was also great to see how the Mavuno project has ensured participation and inclusiveness in the villages. I am proud of our collaboration with Mavuno and to see how EWB-SWE through the collaboration achieved a great social impact over the last five years. The results Mavuno has achieved are extensive.  They have not only ensured water access in 25 schools and electricity access in 121 schools, many villages refer to the great support in improving the general agriculture in the village. Some women, even referring to themselves as individuals, have strengthened their confidence thanks to the seminars on agriculture the Mavuno project has provided. For me, it's clear that Mavuno has gained a strong trust in the village”.