Zanzibar: "Drop by drop an ocean is made"

Location:	Tumbatu Island, Tanzania
Category:	Infrastructure & Economic Development
Published:	06 July 2008
Progress:	100% funded
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Rating:	131 Ratings

„Together it works better", the women of Tumbatu - an off coast island near Tanzania - thought and decided to become independent from the middlemen broker of their fish selling. In the future they want to trade their fish directly on the mainland or at the marketplace on Zanzibar Island. Therefore they need a boat. 8 women cooperatives, lead by the biggest one Acheni, joint together for this to better their living conditions.
The women, mainly from the Gomani part of the island, have been active for nearly a decade now. Women - whose men leave the villages for Zanzibar Island, because of the bad local job situation - have to raise the children on their own and must find different ways to earn money and make ends meet.
Besides chicken and goat farming, offshore-fishing gives them their income. Offshore fishing here means to catch the big swarms of Dagaa-fish close to the coastline with nets, since they have no other possibility of fishing.
Buying an own boat will enable the women of Tumbatu from the need to sell their fish cheaply to the middlemen. They will get better prices on the big markets. With this money they can buy fresh water, vegetables and rice for reasonable prices for their home.
Also it will give them the possibility to start fishing regularly themselves increasing their independence.

Completed (5):

• Boat made of wood

  100% funded
  1800 Euro. • Published 06 July 2008
  The cooperative would like to buy a wooden boat to fish and to transport the catch to the Zanzibar Island or the mainland of Tanzania for selling.

English (9):

V. Specht

Made it! Boat is kissing the indian ocean!

by V. Specht, posted about 1 year ago

Made it - the boat is sailing smoothly in the indian ocean and started fishing last week. It might sound normal, but until a hand built boat is really used and working properly, one does not know, if a project is successful. See the new pictures f

...

…more

German (29)

Supporters (35):

• 
  M. Willhar–
  dt
• 
  J. Tenhaven
• 
  A. Rehse
• 
  Christian
  G.
• 
  A. Fleisch–
  er-Wetzel
• 
  P. Föhrenb–
  ach
• 
  Paul F.

Advocates (12):

• 

  M. Willhardt

  M • Ditzingen, Germany

  Das Projekt hört ja mit dem Motor nicht auf, sondern geht für die Frauen von Sansibar erst richtig los. Es ist ein Projekt voller Energie, Hoffnung und Zuversicht. Was bringt die Zukunft dieser Familien mit dem Motor? Ich will es wissen.

Visitors (2):

• 

  c. omar

  M

  I frequently visit Tumbatu Island. I have seen the women of this Island suffering from hard work while in return earn very little. At 5.00 am women are out to look for water and firewood. At 10.00am they are at sea-shore fishing. The catch of the day is very little becausae theur don't have proper gear for fishing. They have to sell the little they get to middlemen at very low price becaused they can not go to urban centres to sell their catches. They are left with nothing. Their children are mulnourished while the mothers look tired and exhausted. I'm certain this project will bring about changes to this society. It will liberate them from sheer poverty.

• 

  G. Mueller
  54/F
  Hamburg, Germany
  by G. Mueller, asked on 15 December 2008 at 04:02 PM
  Liebe Verena Specht, das ist ja ein toller Erfolg! Ich gratuliere ganz herzlich... Nun kann es ja richtig losgehen! Ich freue mich mit den Frauen... Liebe Gruesse Gabriele Mueller
• 

  G. Mueller
  54/F
  Hamburg, Germany
  by G. Mueller, asked on 13 September 2008 at 11:56 AM
  Liebe Frau Specht, ich finde auch, dass es doch mehr Aussicht haben koennte, wenn Sie um finanzielle Hilfe fuer den Aussenborder bitten. Ein gebrauchter geschenkter Motor ist immer eine unsichere Sache, das weiss ich aus eigener Erfahrung. Ausserdem wird der Transport vermutlich teuerer als der Motor wert ist. Mit Geldspenden koennten Sie vor Ort einen Motor kaufen. Stellen Sie den Bedarf doch als Geldspende rein. Ich wuerde mich da auch beteiligen, da ich dieses Projekt super finde. Mit herzlichen Gruessen Gabriele Mueller
  • 

    V. Specht
    F
    Frankfurt Main, Germany
    by V. Specht, asked on 15 September 2008 at 09:56 AM
    Liebe Frau Mueller, ja Sie haben Recht. Die gleichen Befürchtungen hatten wir auch. Ich danke Ihnen für ihre Zeilen. Herzliche Grüße Verena Specht
• 

  O. Klein
  M
  Hürth, Germany
  by O. Klein, asked on 28 August 2008 at 09:21 PM
  Was ist denn mit dem noch benötigten Motor für das Boot ???
  • 

    V. Specht
    F
    Frankfurt Main, Germany
    by V. Specht, asked on 29 August 2008 at 06:58 AM
    Hallo Herr Klein, der Motor wird nach wie vor benötigt. Allerdings sind wir gerade am Überlegen, ob es nicht ratsamer wäre - in Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass man vielleicht niemanden findet, der einen solchen Motor spenden kann - dafür Gelder zu aquirieren, um diesen dann dort vor Ort zu kaufen.