A BRIEF REPORT ON SAWAKA DOCUMENTING BEST PRACTICES
Compiled by Joas M. Kaijage, Research Based Journalist
1.0: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Sawaka is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in Kayanga, a sprawling township located in Karagwe District in the northwestern Tanzania’s region, Kagera. Dedicated to serving for the welfare of the elderly, SAWAKA has been fighting against discrimination of older people and all forms of difficulties endured by those living in desperate poverty conditions.
The 20-year-old organization started with barely 17 founder members in Karagwe but currently it has spread its wings in many parts within and beyond the District where it has over 7,000 members and 80 branches.
Since its inception way back in 1995, SAWAKA has ever strived to see a community without age discrimination, which protects and respects older people and other vulnerable groups such as orphaned children, widows and people with disabilities.
It is understood through various official reports including that of the National Bureau of Statistics 2002 that the number of orphans and children living in vulnerable conditions is increasing. The statistics indicate that Karagwe District alone was estimated to have 25, 326 older people (aged 60 years and above) of which 4,697 cared about 11,434 orphaned children. Karagwe District reports also indicate that four years later in 2006 there were about 14,000 orphans in the district out of whom 13,765 were living in desperate conditions. The number of orphans was increasing at the rate of 0.5 to 1.5 percent as per statistics recorded between 1988 and 2002 population census respectively.
In fostering realization of its great mission, the organization’s core interventions are mainly focusing on lobbying and advocacy as well as strengthening social and economic capacities of the older people in the district whose plight is exacerbated by burden of caring for vulnerable children. Literally, the approach used by SAWAKA to achieve its objectives is helping target beneficiaries to help others.
Some of the interventions that SAWAKA has implemented in the recent past include training sessions on the rights and entitlements of older people, support healthcare provision for older people and economic empowerment programmes through women’s headed village banking groups known as WORTH.
A group of women in Bwera, Igurwa ward, displays Identity Cards that introduce them for medical costs exemption at various health facilities in Karagwe District. IDs for Free Medical Services are being distributed to the elderly people through collaboration of Sawaka and the Health Department at Karagwe District Council.
The overall objective of SAWAKA various interventions was to see to it that through training and awareness raising sessions, older people, widows and women who care for most vulnerable children know their rights and how to pursue them.
The economic empowerment aspect was also among SAWAKA core objectives. Through income generating activities such as crop and animal husbandry, target beneficiaries were expected to earn income and reduce dependency.
It is interesting to note that SAWAKA latterly conducted the exercise to assess performance of these interventions and document the best practices for which a lot of information and testimonies have been collected and compiled in this report.
2.0: TOOLS, METHODOLOGY AND APPROACHES:
In close collaboration with SAWAKA officials, the documentation team identified sites to be visited and prepared a set of questions as guidance during field interviews with respondents. The formulation of questions considered relevant aspects of what implemented interventions were intended to achieve as stated in the background above.
The guiding questions for district officials and health workers sought to know how they were implementing the government policy guidelines on free medical services for older people.
The questions also revolved around how older people eligible for free medical services were being identified and the progress attained so far in distribution of the IDs identifying medical service recipients to health facilities.
From the older people, we wanted to know whether they were receiving free medical services and what were the challenges faced. The documentation team also wanted to know how older people perceived healthcare provision in the wake of acquiring IDs as compared to the situation before.
In WORTH groups the team wanted to know when they started, the aim and their main activities. For documenting best practices, the team also cited a few individuals in these groups and asked them to provide testimonies as credible evidence of how the intervention has contributed in changing their lives.
The team visited two WORTH groups in Chanika, Kituntu and Runyaga sites operating with support from SAWAKA. About 13 women in worth groups gave their testimonies to the documentation team. Visited sites also include Nyakabanga, Bwera, Igurwa and Iteera. Likewise, about 19 respondents spoke to the team including male and female older people who benefit from various interventions SAWAKA has implemented. These included older people who have received IDs for free medical services, recipient of SAWAKA soft loans and goats assistances. About 2 students, 1 teacher and 7 officials including 3 SAWAKA staff, 4 WORTH groups field facilitators and coordinators were also interviewed.
SAWAKA interventions include Income Generating Activities (IGAs). The team was interested to get success stories regarding change in the lives of people who received soft loans and goats.
For awareness and training sessions on the rights and entitlement of older people, the team interviewed especially female respondents pertaining to acquired knowledge on the advantages of writing wills and memory books.
It was also amazing to hear from the horse’s mouth regarding female student testimonies on improved academic performance after construction of a girls’ dormitory at Kayanga secondary school. Lastly but not least, the team interviewed SAWAKA officials on the organization’s vision, mission and future plans.
3.0: FINDINGS:
3.1: Major Implementation Results and Achievements: Outputs and Outcomes-Impacts.
i) Worth groups:
It is worth noting that WORTH groups are among SAWAKA’s great achievements worth their name. The groups are potential kind of innovation in empowering women both socially and economically. The intervention targets women including those caring for orphans and most vulnerable children. The women in these groups contribute the amount of 500/= each in compulsory monthly savings which have generated into significant loan producing village banks. Members in these groups are allowed to make additional remittances on voluntary basis. The amount collected from voluntary remittances is split among members at the end of each cycle. Caregivers use the money to put up small businesses which enable them to improve the care they provide to orphans and most vulnerable children. This includes providing scholastic materials and other basic needs to these kids. WORTH groups are also used as platforms for these women to discuss important issues such as parenting skills, literacy, care for their kids health development as well as supporting their children to avoid sexual exploitation and HIV.
ii) Testimonies:
A WORTH group worth its name
Restuta Nsubirwe is a married woman with 8 children. Three of her children are in different levels of secondary education, the first of whom is in form four. The remaining two children in secondary school are in form two and one respectively.
Despite being married, Restuta has no assistance at all from her husband in caring for these children. She all alone shoulders the responsibility of educating these children including two young kids who were in primary school. The husband cannot assist because of his worse predicament. He fell sick from a mental disease almost two years ago and the responsibilities of caring for the family was left in the hands of a desperate woman.
Due to the circumstances, getting the money she needed for household needs as well as footing school fees and other scholastic expenses for her children was a tall order for Restuta.
However, after several years of desperately fighting for the survival of her family, Restuta finally saw what she literally terms as the beckoning right hand of hope. She joined a WORTH group among 33 women in Chanika ward. The WORTH group she joined is called “Tushirikiane” a Swahili name which literally means lets team up and fight for our own development. Each of the members in this group including Restuta has an amazing story to tell about her humble beginning and successes attained after joining the group that was founded in 2011.
From the money she borrows in a group, Restuta was able to put up small businesses including sale of bananas. One of her son transports bunches of bananas on bicycle and sells them at Kayanga Township, almost 20 kms from their home village in Chanika. The distance is quite long and tedious but what they earn from this business is more rewarding. The business sustains the household revenue so that Restuta has now managed to take care of her family with considerably less hassle. Building a permanent shelter is the great achievement of all the advantages she has got upon joining the WORTH group worth its name. She says the family felt very uncomfortable staying in a poor hygiene ramshackle shelter. Before building a permanent shelter, there was the time they sought refuge in the neighbours houses due to rough weathers especially during rain seasons. For Restuta, staying in a permanent shelter is a credible evidence of the many advantages that you can hear from amazing testimonies by most women in WORTH groups.
Ms Mamelitha Martin of Igurwa is one of the beneficiaries of Sawaka income generating interventions targeting women, older people and their dependants.
Ms Sara Wilbard, a secretary of the WORTH group where Restuta is a member, reveals the secret behind all this achievement. According to Sara, women were now able to borrow as much as up to 800,000/= shillings since the fund has increased from the initial savings of 10,000/= when the group started in 2011, up to more than 4,000,000/= to date.
With the money she borrows, Restuta is running small businesses where she earns an income enough to cater for household needs, school fees and repaying the loans within a period agreed in various guidelines governing the operations of WORTH groups.
A breakthrough in illiteracy dilemma!
In her testimony it sounds like Restuta got an overnight success from what could have been a desperate fate if she had not joined the WORTH group. However, things were not all that smooth. She felt quite embarrassed for one thing even after joining the group and began earning a meaningful income from her businesses.
When she joined the group at her early forties, Restuta could not read and write. All she was able to do was to ask fellow members to assist her in counting the money she borrowed from WORTH group and someone else on her behalf had to sign on the papers authenticating receipt of funds.
“In fact I felt quite unhappy being unable to read and write. It was really embarrassing to ask someone sign on the receipts for the money I borrowed simply because I could not read and write!” said Restuta with a faint smile on her face!
However, it was no sooner than a few months of joining the group that Restuta achieved what she counts as a milestone in her lifetime. She was having a small coaching by a literacy teacher linked to a WORTH group. After a few months of coaching, she was able to make it to a point where she can now write her name and read it correctly.
It goes without saying that WORTH was such a powerful innovation in empowering women. Certain women participating in these groups have gained so much confidence so that some contested various posts against male candidates in the civic elections previously.
In WORTH, groups there are a number of class sessions where women learn on a myriad of issues including literacy and business. This is what makes Restuta a happy woman, her former difficulties notwithstanding!
Reviving hopes!
Idd is aged 42 years. His eyes often roll with tears when he recalls his past miseries. He got an accident 2013 and lost his left limb. Before the road accident, Idd was running a small shop at his home village trading centre as the sole means to make his both ends meet. His shop was full of a variety of household commodities which he sold and earned enough money to cater for his family needs. He is married and blessed with five children.
Under normal circumstances, Idd could not have joined the Older Peoples Group affiliated to Sawaka. He is well below prescribed age of 60 years and above which anyone would consider as a necessary requirement to become a member of a group affiliated to an association for the elderly.
Soon after the accident, he went for orthopedic treatment at Muhimbiri National Referral Hospital. He stayed there for six solid months. The doctors sought the option to cut off his left limb which sustained multiple fractures during the accident. The medical costs incurred almost swallowed his whole capital. In fact, he had to start business right from scratch when he came back to his home village. The shelves in his shop, which were previously full of a variety of commodities, were now empty and yawning!
According to him, this was quite a bitter experience which would hardly fade away from his memory. He lost his limb. He lost hope too. This is because he was totally incapacitated and yet he spent all his business capital in footing the medical bills!
In his area there is a group called Kikundi Cha Kusaidia Wazee Runyaga (KIKUWARU). The Older Peoples group is now the real hope for Idd. A few months after returning home from hospital, he was invited to join the group. Although he was very frustrated and thought he was a useless person due to his disability, the group regarded him as a strong resource. He was amazed when the older people immediately appointed him their treasurer apparently banking on his experience in business and honesty in handling cash.
Growing pineapple is one of lucrative income generating activities which earning older people a meaningful income with support and close coordination by the Older People’s Organization in Karagwe-Sawaka
Apart from working as a treasurer, Idd has been borrowing cash from the group which he invests in his shop business and other income generating activities. Since he joined the group almost two years ago, the feelings of pain and despair of the past were gradually fading away from his mind.
In March this year, Idd employed casual labourers to cultivate a large piece of land near his home where he planted Irish potato. By the time of documenting his testimony, Idd was confident of a huge harvest of potatoes which are currently fetching handsome prices in Kayanga and in big towns and cities elsewhere in the country.
“In fact I would be short of gratitude if I don’t recognize the support from the older peoples group which gave me the support and enabled me to stand back on my own feet. I was completely frustrated and had almost given up but the support I received from the group has brought confidence in me and entirely revived my hope” He said.
Despite his disability, Idd now has the ability to take care of his five children. He is able to pay for their school needs and providing them with the basic care like clothing, medical costs and food.
Sawaka’s Strong Vision
However, the support Idd receives from the Older Peoples group in Runyaga did not fall like manna from heaven. Sawaka has the vision to see a community without age discrimination, which respects and protects vulnerable groups including people with disabilities.
Through execution of its various interventions, Sawaka provides cash subsidies to Older People’s revolving funds from which members can get loans and put up small income generating projects to make their both ends meet. One of these people is Idd Kahanantuki who does not bother about the distance which remains to get back to the point where he was before his misery. For him what matters is to make the first step. Whatever smaller the assistance he has received from the older people’s group, he says it has had significant impact in his entire life. For him the assistance from the older people’s group is a bird in the hand which is worth more than a hundred birds in the bush!
Sawaka fights tooth to nail for older people’s medical costs exemption
The issuance of identity cards has spared older people of the awkward situation they face in accessing free medical services at designated health facilities in Karagwe and Kyerwa Districts.
About 7,138 eligible recipients of these IDs have been identified, breaking through the red tape tendencies in the provision of free medical services to older people.
The issuance of IDs is being implemented as a result of an intervention by the elderly people’s support organization in the area (SAWAKA) to ensure the government policy guidelines for free healthcare provision for older people were observed.
Karagwe District Health Officer Mr Moses Eligawesa said a total of 3,183 older people have been provided with these IDs and photographs for about 3,123 people have been taken pending receipt of their cards in the next few weeks.
Mr Eligawesa said the exercise, which is implemented in close collaboration with SAWAKA has achieved about 45 percent performance and it was continuous to ensure older people eligible for medical costs exemption were identified and provided with these cards.
He said Karagwe District council has contracted the District Designated Hospital regarding provision of free medical services to those possessing the IDs while the medical staff at all government health facilities have received directives to do the same within their respective localities.
Daudi Simeo(64) of Kayungu village in Karagwe displays a hospital discharge certificate he obtained after receiving free medical services using SAWAKA IDs during his recent visit to a health facility in his locality.
Ms Paulina Baijaborobi is linked to one of Sawaka Older Peoples Monitoring Groups (OPMG) in Nyakabanga. She said the issuance of IDs has played significant role in sparing older people of the problems they encountered in the event of falling sick.
She said in the past, older people succumbed to difficult circumstances including deaths since they were deprived of free medical services for which they are otherwise entitled as per existing policy guidelines. She said most elderly people shunned visiting health facilities in the event of falling sick simply because they had no money to foot the medical bills.
Daudi Simeo (64) has welcomed the council programme for older people’s free medical services with a smiling face. He was able to get medical treatment recently at Nyakabanga Dispensary. He said unlike in the past when they were denied treatment unless they paid, it took him no time before the medical staff gave him the care he deserved upon showing his ID.
The issuance of IDs is intended to deal with the awkward situation which older people faced in pursuit of healthcare. Before the ID programme, it was a common phenomenon for older people staying on long queues for hours and required to foot the medical bills against government policy guidelines.
The situation necessitated SAWAKA intervention including preparation of a computerized database system for eligible recipients of free medical services and a proposal for providing older people with the Identity Cards.
Karagwe District Council welcomed the idea and engaged village and ward executive officers throughout the district to participate in the identification process. The District Health Officer Mr Moses Eligawesa said the council was exploring possibilities of setting aside a certain amount of money from own sources which would cater for supply of drugs and other medical consumables needed for older people’s healthcare.
Mr Eligawesa said the identification exercise has covered 12 out of 22 wards of the District. He noted that the issuance of IDs to older people was a continuous process and expected its coverage to be 95 percent by the time of commemorating the international older peoples day in October 1st this year.
4.0: CONCLUSION
Apart from the testimonies above, Sawaka documentation team recoded other testimonies for implemented interventions which have had significant impact in the lives of its direct and indirect beneficiaries. These interventions include goat rearing and growing pineapples where the beneficiaries get substantial income for improving lives. Part of the income obtained from these micro projects is also used for providing the basic needs to orphans and vulnerable children under their guardianship.
In addition to the above projects, SAWAKA has constructed a girls’ hostel at Kayanga Secondary school. According to teachers and students, the construction of the dormitory has spared hosted students from walking long distances to school every day, something that is said to have had adverse consequences to their general academic performances in the past.
According to testimonies, the construction of the dormitory has also reduced widespread pregnancies and vulnerability to HIV infections among girls renting private apartments outside the school premises. The small income obtained from the dormitory rental fees will be injected into activities to sustain SAWAKA operations and programmes meant for the attainment of the organization’s goals and objectives.
SAWAKA believes that a sustainable solution to the problems lies in the hands of the people facing them. In implementing SAWAKA interventions, the community itself has been at the forefront in suggesting possible solutions to the problems they are faced especially those facing older people.
The organization has identified and mobilized groups in Karagwe district and other regions from Tanzania mainland with utmost concern over the interests of older people to lobby for policies and regulations in favor of older people’s lives and livelihoods.
Such efforts include engaging key government policy and decision makers on not only an individual and institutional perspective but also starting from grassroots up to the national level.
It was interesting to hear the testimonies which produce credible evidence of the great impact that Sawaka interventions have had especially noting a number of multiplier effects through WORTH groups. A woman called Sofia Stephen in Kituntu recently got a 4000 litre plastic water tank as a donation from a different organization other than Sawaka. The organization she identifies as Matunda Mali used to buy her produce. This attests indirect benefits of Sawaka interventions in helping older people to help their dependants.
Lastly but not least, SAWAKA extends heartfelt gratitude to partners, HelpAge International ,Help Age Germany and PACT Tanzania for their generous support toward successful implementation of the interventions narrated in this report. Sincerely, without the support from these partners both in kind and cash, it could have been an uphill task for our organization to achieve its ultimate goals of improving the welfare of older people and vulnerable communities.