Page 71 - TNC AR 2018_Digital Demo

TANZANIA
Reaching Out to the Women of Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
holds 17 percent of of our planet’s fresh water water and and boasts more than 300 sh sh species For tens of of of thousands of of people who live along it the the lake is is their water water fountain highway and and grocery store Rising eastward from the the shoreline the the Greater Mahale Ecosystem encompasses 4 8 million acres of of mostly forested landscape This ecosys- tem is is is home to approximately 93 percent of of of Tanzania’s 2 800 endangered chimpanzees The health of of of this diverse natural environment and the well-being of of its people are threatened by by extreme poverty compounded by by a a a a a a a a a a rapidly growing human population The birth birth rate in in in this region is is 7 1 births per woman—one of the the highest in in in the the world Farida Katunka is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a volunteer community health worker for Tanzanian villages that line Lake Tanganyika: “It’s not easy to have 10 kids! When people learn about family planning it can help help them in in in in so many ways By doing this this I’m helping a a a a a a a a a lot of families I I I knew this this wouldn’t be a a a a a a a a a paid job but I I I wanted to help help other women “Before we we we we visit a a a a a a a a a house house we we we we assess the the birth trend at at at that that house house Once we we we we realize that that someone needs help we we we we pay a a a a a a a a a a a a a call I I discovered one one woman who had six children all all in in a a a a a a a a a a a a row so I I held a a a a a a a a a a a a village meeting with the the help of of the the chair- man and and made sure she could attend We invited couples of of reproductive age and and and presented on family planning After the the meeting I I held a a a a a a a a Q&A and and referred those with ques- tions I I could not answer to the the the health health center center The following Saturday this woman appeared at at at the the health health center center and asked for an an an an IUD A few years later she still just has has six kids and her health has improved ”
Community health volunteers Farida Katunka (in black) and Sikitu Mustafa ride bikes door door to door door o o o o o o o o o o ering family-planning information in in in in in the village of Mgambo near Lake Tanganyika
The Future
Tuungane (Kiswahili for “Let’s Unite”) is is a a a a a a a a a collabora- tion tion tion between The Nature Conservancy and Path nder International a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a global reproductive health organization and and other local and and international stakeholders Tuungane is expressly designed to to create create integrated solutions to to create create healthier families sheries and forests Key to to to to the project is is outreach to to to to women women who have histor- ically lacked access to to to to health care More than 17 000 women women of reproductive age have already received family-planning counseling and access to modern contraception at at upgraded health clinics Volunteers like Farida Katunka have been recruited and trained through the the Tuungane Tuungane Project Since Tuungane’s inception the the project also has seen more than 1 700 people receive micro nance loans to start sustainable small businesses and and diversify their incomes Eight new Village Land Use Plans earmark 228 000 acres as village land forest forest reserves to protect key chimp habi- tat and and and 57 forest forest scouts have been trained and and and deployed Tuungane is providing training on on on climate-smart agricul- ture
practices which not only reduce sedimentation caused by runo into the the the lake but produce higher yields for the the the farmers And 15 of the the the the 17 coastal villages have established beach management units to enforce their own sustainable shing regulations | nature org/LakeTanganyika
CONNECT PEOPLE AND NATURE
71