An encounter with the people of Tanzania

Ever since I returned home from a summer immersion trip to Tanzania with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) , people have asked me about my experiences there. Some are curious about a country and people they know little about; others want to know if the experience had marked or changed me in any way. My immediate response is that the people of Tanzania have left a deep impression in my heart. I went from knowing very little about them to having a profound love and respect for them. Their joy and sense of karibu (welcome) are heartwarming and contagious! Learning to see the world through Tanzanian eyes and accompanying people in their daily journey, even if for a brief period of time, also taught me a lot about us. In the United States we take many things for granted that many people around the world don’t -- such as access to water, food, sanitation and education.  It also made me ponder about the choices I make every day, from the use (and abuse) of natural resources, to global solidarity or even my sources of information.

So, what did I learn?  First, I learned that mothers are mothers, everywhere, no matter what. Of the eight women in our delegation, five of us have children of our own. So, when we visited with young nursing mothers and their children in the Northern region of Mwanza, there was an immediate connection despite the language and cultural barriers. After witnessing their lesson of the day about elements of a balanced nutrition and good hygiene habits, we engaged in an animated dialogue and exchanged advice on raising children. It felt like we were neighbors at a town hall meeting in a close-knit community, or parents at a school meeting discussing matters of concern for the whole community.  In the best V Encuentro fashion, it was a true “encounter” of the kind called for by Pope Francis in the Joy of the Gospel.    The next morning we visited a village miles away, and experienced how effective word of mouth and community organizing can be. A leader who had attended the dialogue the afternoon before, had gathered her neighbors and told them all about our visit. We were astonished to hear another village woman recite back to us advice on the importance of talking to the child while still in the womb that we had shared during the exchange. Apparently, this was an interesting new discovery for them, and we were simply amazed at how fast the news had spread. At a different village, we visited a group holding a health and nutrition training for community leaders. I learned that there are eight steps to washing your hands correctly (and without wasting a single drop of water, a precious commodity in the area.) Washing hands will never be the same after Tanzania! Before leaving, I inquired about the meaning of a beautiful melody the women sang at the conclusion of their meeting. I was told this was a traditional song of the Sukuma tribe that the participating women sang to celebrate their learnings of the day. In beautiful harmony they repeated Kuvyala cha wiza, Kuvyala cha wiza (which means “giving birth to a baby is so good”). At that moment it dawned on me how profoundly pro-life CRS’ work is. This program, called THRIVE, which promotes health and nutrition, is all about celebrating and protecting new life, offering both mother and child an opportunity to have a healthy and dignified chance at it. At a different region in the South, Mbeya, we were surprised to learn that the region known as the “breadbasket” of the country also has one of the highest rates of stunting. This condition refers to children’s lack of physical growth mostly due to malnutrition and poor hygiene habits. It may also affect brain development when it becomes chronic. Surprisingly, this problem is prevalent even in communities that have substantial agricultural production. Beyond poverty, lack of information and education about proper and balanced nutrition can cause severe health problems in entire populations. CRS has been very successful in reducing the prevalence of stunting among children 5 years and younger. They have done so by promoting nutritional education for women and helping them improve the nutritional value of traditional recipes  while using ingredients readily available at home or in their immediate surroundings. CRS teams are on track to meet their goal of reducing stunting from 44% in 2013 to 35% in 2019 (an impressive 3.4% average annual reduction rate!) They currently work in 497 villages located in three different regions of Tanzania: Mbeya, Iringa and Njombe. Wealth creation and economic development are also achieved by assisting local small farmers with crop diversification and the creation of Saving Investing and Lending Communities (SILC). I was impressed with the efficiency, transparency and accountability with which these micro lending communities are run. They have a social fund to help members in emergencies, and a lending fund to promote savings and investment in their mostly agricultural businesses. In the village of Itumpi, members shared with pride the benefits that joining the local SILC had brought them. Mr. Ngaya, said that for the first time he learned to “keep money”. After saving 300 shillings, he used it to buy fertilizer for soya and maize production. And with the money he made with the crops he was able to buy two goats (apparently, an important marker of status). A woman, Lucy, had borrowed from the fund to buy agricultural inputs (seeds) to plant soya and cumin beans. With the benefits from selling her crops, she had managed to increase her savings, buy a mattress (first time she owned one) and contribute to social improvement projects in the village. On the other hand, the social fund has created a safety net for members in their hour of need —such as paying for a funeral, a hospital bill or secondary school fees.  After visiting a number of villages, one could see a definite contrast between those who had SILC communities and those who did not. After two years in existence, this particular SILC had begun to attract young male members as well, encouraged by the women’s apparent progress and success. In the end, I learned why CRS is so good and successful at what it does on our behalf. As an institution, they have mastered the art of applying the principles of Catholic social teaching, in beautiful equilibrium, through the pursuit of an integral human development that always puts people first. They don’t come to the table with a predetermined plan, but always ask local people what their needs are, help them analyze their environment, assets and vulnerabilities, and work with them to come up with goals and strategies to address them. It is community organizing at its best; local people helping one another and taking responsibility for improving their communities. Due to the vibrancy of the local Church about 80% of CRS’ programs in Tanzania are managed through Church institutions, from local parishes to diocesan offices. This has allowed the local Catholic church to shine as a beacon of hope for many.  Yet, even the non-Catholic employees at the central office in Dar es Salaam exhibited great pride in being part of the CRS family. When asked what set CRS apart from other humanitarian and foreign aid agencies, they responded that “faith values inform CRS’ everyday work” and set them apart from other government and non-government groups. Even among the faith-based agencies, the difference, they said, is that CRS helps and welcomes everyone, without distinction of creed or nationality. No one is excluded or asked to convert in order to get help. In the context of the V Encuentro, CRS made it possible for a group of ten Latin@s to have a mission experience that took us to faraway places and out of our comfort zones. As is usually the case, it was us who were encountered and transformed by the beautiful people of Tanzania. Along the way, we made new friends and learned more about the extraordinary work of CRS. And, simply put, we became part of the family! Asante sana, Tanzania! Asante sana CRS! Mungu awa bariki! (Thanks very much Tanzania! Thank you very much CRS! May God bless all of you!) Mar Muñoz