“I have a closer bond with Tanzania”
Trias board member Anne Van den Bussche left on her own initiative to meet our partners in Tanzania, in order to not only prove her commitment but also to learn to know Trias better.
“The Trias partner organisations truly appreciate its support.”
Anne Van den Bussche visited Longido and Babati, two districts in northern Tanzania where Trias is working together with the Maasai, a nomadic people. We wanted the full story and the Trias board member’s thoughts on her visit.
What was your motivation to leave for Tanzania and observe Trias’ projects?
Anne Van den Bussche: “As a board member I am constantly busy with bills, budgets and strategic planning. It was useful to learn to know the organisation better in the field. It is all so much more alive and it creates a closer bond with those hard-working people in Tanzania.”
Which visits do you carry in your memory?
“In Babati I visited the small business of Theodora Caroli, who cultivates medicinal plants. I also recall the farm of Casmir Tambo. He breeds chickens and gains biological gas thanks to his cows’ manure, of which he even has some left to fertilize his garden. I also had a conversation with the people at Gallopo Farmers SACCOS who grant micro loans. Finally I remember my visit to a small business that sterilizes conditions and trades milk, and a visit to a company that cultivates sunflower oil.”
What did you learn from your visit to the Maasai people in Longido?
“They dispose of relatively dry and very unfertile ground, on which they can only keep their livestock. This livestock is also their sole source of income. Trias introduces these people to new races of livestock that are more immune to diseases. This immunity allows them to grow bigger, which increases their selling price. Furthermore, Trias tries to improve the negotiating force of the Maasai by establishing agricultural associations. Recently, two warehouses were constructed in which to stock the food supply.”
What do you remember from Trias’ partner organisations?
“I remember they really appreciate our support! You must realize that Trias’ contribution is still quite modest in comparison with the huge needs of this country. Tanzania’s political situation has been fairly stable in the past decennia and it does not have to deal with civil wars or terrorist organisations. In that sense, the area offers a good possibility for structural support. Despite all this, the political leaders never really succeeded in leading their country to higher grounds.”
Why, do you think, is that the case?
“First of all, the traces of former president Nyerere’s influence still show in Tanzania. It is unfortunate that his policy never led the country towards growth and development. The population never really took entrepreneurship in with its mother’s milk. What’s more is that there is a kind of reluctance for the cooperative mind. It is not easy to convince the Tanzanians that more can be achieved by working together. This does not mean Tanzanians are unfriendly. And they will find a solution to anything!”