KARAGWE 2016: Baseline Begins

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Monday is here. Let the baseline begin! Chris Johnstone met with the evaluation team early and went over the directions and game plan for the day. Assa, Horace and Enoch will help Drs. Katabaro and Johnstone with interpretation of items. Assa, Horace and Enoch are employees of ETI's partner, KAD and will be 'instrumental' is interpreting items that have been translated into Swahili by the KAD Team. Today's village for data collection is Nyakahanga - not far from Kayanga or KARUCO. ETI is hoping for 40 villagers to participate in the data collection. But since it is our first time, we do not know what to expect. Our goal is to get a feel for conditions (economic, and in terms of social roles of men and women as well as practices that harm or sustain the environment).

Of course, the hope is to prompt transformation where people can come out of poverty, make decent incomes, and have more freedom than constantly wondering about food security and other necessities. The other hopes are to bring about more balanced social roles so that women and men can share in revenue and responsibilities in life; and to educate people on environmental practices that will allow them to not strip the land of all the trees (for purifying - boiling - water and cooking food among other things). KARUCO is focused on those things and more.

KARUCO - Karagwe University College was founded by Dr. Bagonza and approved by the Evangelical Lutheran Church to inspire people to apply new farming techniques and become job creators - not 'just' job seekers. KARUCO will serve youth from this remote area of Tanzania and others from across the country to build small businesses in Karagwe and elsewhere that will improve incomes, give women a chance to earn money and employ sustainable practices that don't destroy the landscape or natural resources at the current rate.

And it is happening.

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Photos

UMN's Dr. Chris Johnstone
Sharing a seat belt with Per Ole

Drs Katabaro and Bagonza
Thought Leaders Explaining KARUCO