Day 12 - Kwamasimba to Magoma

Sorry for the delayed update! It’s been a busy few days here in Korogwe; we’ve been working hard day and night trying to gather as much information as we can while also trying to begin formulating an implementable project(s).

On Thursday we traveled up to Kwamasimba, a small village up in the mountains behind Korogwe. We enjoyed a gut-rattling drive up rock-strewn, nearly vertical dirt roads, enjoying the breathtaking scenery all around us. When we arrived, we found the entire village waiting for us. We got a royal welcome, which was flattering though at times a little awkward. After elaborate introductions led by Father Komba, we proceeded to sit before the village and listen as they voiced the many challenges they faced as a community. These challenges are not insignificant—the village has no medical dispensary, and, as we had learned on the drive up, no easy means of access to facilities in Korogwe. We heard of women in labor having to be carried down on stretchers (a hike of at least several hours) to the hospital to give birth, and other similarly heart-breaking tales.

After listening to villagers elaborate several other similarly daunting challenges, we tried to ease the conversation towards the topic of agriculture. The main point we heard repeated again and again was the need for proper agricultural training. Food security is a major issue, one that will only increase with time as the population grows. The looming crisis was evident from the moment we arrived—there must have been 8 children for every adult gathered before us.

After concluding the town meeting, we slowly made our way down to the village shambas. We enjoyed the company of about 25 children, who eagerly crowded around us, mostly mesmerized by Jesse’s cameras.


The farms themselves were incredible. We saw mostly maize, and a few bean plots, all cultivated along the extremely steep slopes of the mountainside. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to try and harvest. As with so many other areas here, drought was a major issue this year.
The most moving aspect of the day, though, was seeing the incredible unity of the village. It appeared an extremely tight-knit community, and one eager to mobilize to tackle the many challenges it faces now and in the coming future. And man, the kids sure are cute.


On Friday, we spent the day visiting the Anglican Diocese’s main agricultural assets. Within the last 5 years, the diocese has purchased 5 farms in the Tanga region. All the farms are of significant size—the smallest is 41 acres, and the largest, still in the process of being purchased, is 1000 acres. Unfortunately, nothing has been done on the farms since they were purchased. Similarly, several years ago the diocese purchased a 20,000 sq. ft “go-down,” or storage warehouse in Korogwe town. Since its purchase, the go-down, which is large enough to store grain to feed the entire region, has been left empty.


Let’s just say that there’s incredible opportunity to utilize assets (farms, warehouses, etc) already in the diocese's possession.

Inspired by the repeated requests for training we’re hearing—from farmers, diocesan folks, and community leaders alike—we’ve begun formulating potential plans for an agricultural training facility to be located on one of the diocese’s farms. In fact, the diocese had already picked out one of their farms for such use, though as of yet, the plan has not been implemented.

Similarly, as we consider potential solutions for the marketing and distribution challenges farmers face, the go-down is an ideal resource for centralized storage and distribution.

Yesterday, we continued our market visits, spending the day at Kwashemshi market. Kwashemshi was the largest and best organized of all the markets we’ve visited. It’s held every Saturday beside an elementary school, and draws a large, lively crowd. It also appeared to be the wealthiest of all the markets we’ve visited—people seemed to have gathered for more than social purposes, and real transactions were taking place.


Today, we drove to Magoma, a town about 30km away. We got up nice and early to make it to a 7:30am church service. The service was terrific—the youth choir was rocking, complete with electric guitar and bass accompaniment. Each guitar must have been at least 30 years old, and considering they didn’t have an amp for the electric guitar, we don’t know how they put on such a show. After the service, we gathered with about 20 male farmers from the congregation to discuss needs in the community.

We heard many of the same needs reiterated—access to subsidies/loans for expensive high-yield seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, crop failures resulting from drought, and a complete lack of (though great interest in) proper agricultural training. Indeed, none of the farmers had ever been visited by their appointed agricultural extension agent.

In another interesting note, none of the farmers gathered (or, indeed, any that we’ve met so far) are receiving loans. It seems that farmers here (and, I suppose, everywhere) are severely hampered by the inaccessibility of capital. The difference in cost between regular/local and high-yield seeds is 2,000 Tsh. per 2kg bag. That’s about $1.50. Yet this is an insurmountable cost barrier for almost every farmer we’ve encountered. We’ve been inspired by the work that two other NGO’s—Nuru International and the One Acre Fund—are doing to give peasant farmers access to the capital they need to purchase agricultural inputs. Both organizations have seen tremendous gains among those receiving loans—most are doubling their profits. It seems clear that this is an issue that we must consider, and it’s hard not to be excited by the explosion in popularity of microfinance around the world and the measurable impact that similar organizations are having in this region.

After our meeting and a rejuvenating cup of tea in the pastor’s home, we walked up to the Magoma market. The Magoma market is fairly small, and not well organized. The most notable sight was the many women lined up along the side of the road, all selling the same tomatoes. The over-saturation was quite startling, and again highlighted the need for better agricultural planning, training, and distribution.



As the farmers we met with after the service had pointed out, farmers here are generally failing to work together in any meaningful way, which has been the case in most markets we’ve visited. Despite the governments encouragements, farming cooperatives have completely deteriorated in the last two decades – mostly due to political corruption and local distrust. The farmers we have spoken with have repeatedly emphasized the need for better organization, both to facilitate the dissemination of training and information, and to help gain leverage in and access to marketplaces. It appears that it’s truly a matter of good leadership. Again, to us, this is an opportunity!

Well, that’s all for now. If you’ve made it this far, you’re a real all-star. You’re also probably our mothers.

Kwa heri na tuonane,
Sam and Jesse