Ukijani Project arouses clout buried in most rural women

THURSDAY February 20, 2025

By Deus Bugaywa 

The Tranquility News Correspondent, Tanzania

When she started her initial training with Ukijani Project, she was timid and shy. Whenever she was asked a question, she quickly response: ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I can’t’. In a nutshell, she lacked confidence.

However, within less than two years of training in various areas, Cherry Mumwi is not only brave but also a co-Director of a company that produces organic fertilizer and owner of a popular restaurant at her village.

Ukijani, a Kiswahili word literally translated as greenish, aims at empowering women to restore their landscapes, become climate resilient, tap into economic opportunities, contribute to their family livelihoods, and participate in decision-making machineries of their communities.

The Helvetas-funded Ukijani Project covers Manyoni, Iramba and Ikungi districts in Singida Region and Bariadi Town Council, Bariadi District Council and Meatu District in Simiyu Region, Tanzania.

This short-term transformation in Cherry’s life illustrates how the Ukijani Project practically shows that, if given opportunities, women can achieve great feats.

Without opportunities, they often stagnate, feeling weak and believing that their circumstances are a God’s will.

In reality, prevailing systems in their societies deny them of opportunities. Yet, when given the chance, they accomplish remarkable things, significantly benefiting their communities.

At the age of 26 years, Cherry is a mother of one child, this resident of Mnang’ana Village in Iramba District is amazed at how capable she is, although she did not realise her potential before she joined the Ukiani Project.

Cherry joined this project a bit late, finding her peers well experienced, which opened a new world for her.

She successfully received various skills, including in handling Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA), organic farming, agroforestry, branding, business planning, and leadership.

The training sessions built her understanding on various concepts, provided her with new ideas, and, most importantly, boosted her self-confidence.

“It was difficult at the beginning; I felt lost and confused. But as I acquired skills, and learnt from others during study visits, I began seeing things from a completely new perspective.

“It was difficult at the beginning; I felt lost and confused. But as I acquired skills, and learnt from others during study visits, I began seeing things from a completely new perspective,” Cherry Mumwi, beneficiary of the Helvetas-funded Ukijani Project.

“I began noticing numerous opportunities that I can honestly admit I had never though of before,” says Cherry in an interview with the author of this article at her tree seedlings nursery.

After she had acquired the skills, she decided to collaborate with her fellow villager, Hussein Ramadhani, 32, who had joined the Ukijani Project earlier than her.

Together, they aimed at making significant progress based on opportunities they saw.

Under the guidance of project officers, Cherry and Hussein combined their strengths to establish a seedlings nursery and began producing organic fertilizer.

Thanks to the skills they acquired, they registered their business name – Kitifui Organic – to identify their organic fertilizer and facilitate access to the market.

“We faced challenges in promoting our fertilizer at various exhibitions within and outside our region. So, we registered the partnership under the name Kitifui Organic, which has immensely helped us in marketing our products easily,” Hussein explains.

Besides the organic fertilizer business, their partnership also established a nursery to sell seedlings to surrounding community members.

This allowed them to achieve two crucial goals at a time: Generating income and actively contributing to environmental conservation.

“In addition to generating income, the nursery maintains and beautifies the environment at my home. I successfully walk the agroforestry rhetoric,” Hussein says.

The surroundings embellished with fruit, shade, and timber trees as well as organically grown vegetables impress every visitor at his place.

“This attracts many people who are now buying our seedlings to improve their own environments,” he elaborates.

Kitifui Organic fertilizer has come to fruition. With a logo adapted to the product, the duo now sells it to various customers outside their ward and even beyond the region.

In addition to generating income, the nursery maintains and beautifies the environment at my home. I successfully walk the agroforestry rhetoric,” Hussein Ramadhan, Ukijani Project beneficiary.

They participate in various agricultural exhibitions to promote themselves and attract new customers.

The achievements recorded in agricultural activities notwithstanding, Cherry saw an opportunity in the food business and opened a restaurant in her village, employing two assistants.

“I have achieved significant success in my life, and I now plan to expand my businesses. I am about to open M-Pesa (mobile money transfer) services right here at my restaurant,” Cherry states.

Counting her blessings, she said her child was enrolled at one of the best schools in Singida, she has purchased a farm, and more importantly, she has an access to organic food.

“Moreover, we are maintaining the environment well and have become a model for our fellow villagers. Most of them are now changing their farming practices and caring for their environments,” Cherry emphasizes.

On his part, Hussein says the skills he acquired have empowered him as a Local Service Provider, enabling him to educate groups working with this project, providing him with exposure and enhancing his knowledge.

“I have a secure job as a co-Director of Kitifui Organic. I have been going to various places to provide training, and my family now has a stable income, enabling me to sustain my life without uncertainty, unlike before I joined the Ukijani Project,” Hussein adds.

The successes they have achieved thus far have empowered both of them, they now dream of acquiring better machinery for processing the organic fertilizer they produce.

“We still need to grow. Currently, we dream of scaling up production of the organic fertilizer to reach out to a larger market, as the demand for our product is enormous,” Cherry notes.

The project manager of the Ukijani Project, Shoma Nangale, says what Hussein and Cherry were doing aligned perfectly with the project’s goals.

“The training we provide is not an end in itself. Our expectation is that beneficiaries return to their villages to live out the project’s missions, first by transforming themselves, and then by becoming catalysts for change in their communities.

Ultimately, the land should be improved, the environment should be preserved, and the community members should engage in sustainable agriculture and other economic activities while caring for the environment,” explained Shoma, adding that this is the essence of the Green ProjectΩ