In summary of our 2011 Year End Review (and for those who didn’t get a chance to read it in full), we would like to share with you what inspires us to continue our journey with the CHETI Widows Project far into the future:

Since the beginning of the CHETI Widows Project..

The average QUALITY OF LIFE of each woman has tripled

Eliza says  “Before this I was weak and had to rely on others for food and money and advice. Now everyone in my community comes to me for advice and to borrow money.” 

conducting a year-end-rewiew interview with Joannesta

Every woman’s sense of EMPOWERMENT has tripled

Every woman’s overall HEALTH AND WELL-BEING has tripled

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Philippina says  “I used to dig trenches and holes and hoe land for my neighbors in exchange for a meal for me and my child. I haven’t done that since the beginning of this project. I have so much hope about the future. Before this, I used to feel like a widow. Alone. Now I don’t feel like a widow; I feel like I have a family that cares for me and for what I say.”

All women feel their STIGMATIZATION has been reduced

The impact of SOCIAL INTERACTION has massively improved all women’s lives

Gertrude says  “This project made me think about education more; my children do their homework every day now. They are improving in school. I want to teach other people about HIV after we were taught about it.”

Every woman reported her CHILD’S EDUCATION as positively affected by the project

Every woman reported an increase in herself and her family’s NUTRITION

Joyce says  “Now I search the markets for small business ideas and how use goods in business.” She adds, laughing: “Now with my money I have to buy bigger clothes since all the food now is making my clothes too tight!”

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All eligible women are now receiving ARV MEDICATION

Every woman has an individual business project

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Rosaldina and children with new ducks

Rosaldina says “I used to find cans and jars at the dump to clean then I sold them in town to make money so my son could eat.” She told us, in tears of joy, “I haven’t gone to the dump since the start of the project. My son is never sick anymore.”

4 women have new livestock

The women, on their own accord, have established their own micro-lending project

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$4,293.51 raised by you to make all of these things possible.

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Dear friends, family, visitors, and CHETI Widows Project Supporters:

We hope you had a great holiday season and happy new year! We also hope your Gift Shop orders were received and made their way into your stockings! This holiday season has been most exciting for us at CHETI Widows Project. We are proud to say that we raised a net total (after PayPal fees) of $4,293.51. We raised a net total of $3,167.22 from general donations and a net total of $1,126.29 from Gift Shop sales. This is encouraging and inspiring for us, and hopefully for all of you too! Leaving Tanzania for now was very difficult, as we have all grown to be an incredibly close family, and we miss the women and Zuma immensely! Since this project was built upon the premise of self sustainability, this project by no means “ends” now. We were very careful to create a project which ensured that our departure would not affect the short or long-term well being of the women, the project, nor the businesses. Both collective businesses and each woman’s individual venture will continue to flourish in our absence and earn each steady income. The women will also continue to take part in educational seminars, presentations, and classes. Zuma continues to manage the project in Tanzania and oversees all daily tasks and obligations. Although we’re an ocean away, we will continue to sell jewelry and crafts here in the States and in our online store, fund-raise, and return to Tanzania as soon as possible to grow and maintain this project and to start a new group of 10 women.

Before leaving Tanzania, we conducted a review of the CHETI Widows Project to evaluate our success. Administering a Quality of Life Survey and Questionnaire and Project Interview for each woman was extremely valuable in reviewing the project as a whole. We were overwhelmed by the level of success and feelings of each women towards the project, and are excited to share the results with you. The results in full can be seen in the “Project Proposal and Review” page, but here is the summary:

The Quality of Life Survey and Questionnaire revealed that the average quality of life of each woman has tripled over the course of this project, as has sense of empowerment and also overall health of each woman. 10/10 women believe that the social interaction brought about by the project has had a positive effect on their well being. 10/10 women claim that their child’s education has greatly improved as a result of this project. 10/10 women are able to get a greater amount of food and better nutrition for themselves and their children now than before the project. All women also feel that their stigmatization has been reduced as a result of this project. In interviews with the women, we were pleasantly surprised at how profound the effect of social interaction has been on each woman’s life. Stigmatization had previously led to isolation and loneliness, but now each woman reports having the other women as a support network and group of close friends has greatly affected their lives in a positive way. During beading sessions, they all exchange ideas and thoughts, use critical thinking, and have stimulating conversations. Filomena told us in her interview that this project has greatly opened her mind and she is now constantly thinking about complex ideas and reflecting on her life. Joyce told us that in talking to the women so much she has been inspired to search the local markets for small business ideas and how use goods in business. We are also amazed how much this project has changed the lives of each woman’s children; every woman reported that her children haven been positively affected educationally and nutritionally. Each mother is now able to pay school fees, exam fees, and transportation fees to school, all of which increase attendance. Each is able to feed her children nutritional foods, which improves performance, and each is able to take her child to the hospital and afford medication when sick, which also allows for increased school attendance and obviously better performance, and most importantly, a healthier child. The overall perception of this project by the women is exciting and inspires us to do much more.

Rosaldina told us in her interview of how this project has changed her life: she used to

Eliza and Queenie pulling Christmas Crackers at our farewell party

search the local dump for tin cans and glass jars to clean and refurbish. She would then sell them in town for a few cents as containers for food and goods. She made enough money to feed herself and her son enough to survive. Barely. She told us now, in tears of joy, that she hasn’t gone to the dump since the start of the project; she is able to eat adequately and nutritionally, and her son is never sick anymore. Joyce’s interview told us a similar story: she joked that she now has money to buy bigger clothes since all the extra food is making her clothes too tight! Eliza told us with great pride that she is on an Antiretroviral Drug schedule and has enough food to counter to side effects. She feels healthy now and she knows her children are healthier too. We were also very happy to hear that her status in her community has been boosted to a new level. Before the project, she told us, she was weak and had to rely on others for food and money and advice. Now everyone in her community comes to her for advice and to borrow money. Her confidence has grown enormously and she is a positive role model to other women and to her young children. Philippina had added hardship in her life lately when her mother passed away from illness and a few days later the rooster and hens she had borrowed from her neighbor were stolen. She said before the project she would have lost all hope and wouldn’t have had the money to replace the animals. She wouldn’t have been able to travel to see her mother before she passed away. Philippina has now been given money to buy ingredients to make cakes and buns to sell in town and at our shop, which will earn her an additional income and provide her with food. She tells us she used to have to dig trenches and holes and rake and hoe land for her neighbors in exchange for a meal, which she would share with her child. She says she hasn’t done that since the beginning of the project. She now eats 3 meals each day, takes medication and has so much hope about the future. She tells us she used to feel like a widow: alone, invisible, and worthless. She told us she no longer feels like a widow; she now feels like she’s part of a family that cares for her and for what she has to say. Gertrude told us in her interview that this project has made her think about education more; she told us she makes sure her children do their homework every day now, and as a result they are improving in school. Although she is HIV-, she has agreed to teach others about HIV and was inspired by the HIV seminar held at our store. Rispa, who is relatively new to the group and recently found out she is HIV+, is grateful to be a part of the project.

We were also ecstatic to learn of the micro-lending that has developed between the 10 women. We had hoped to initiate such a program in the future either with this group of women, or with a future group, but decided to hold off for now as it may complicate matters and be too much burden at the start. In a recent conversation with our group leader, Eliza, she told us that each week all the women lend some of their funds to one woman. The chosen woman then uses the money to purchase necessary goods for her individual project, or buy something to better her life that she could not otherwise afford. She then earns the money back in a given time frame and gives each loan back to each woman. When her loans are re-payed, the capital is given to another women, and so forth, so that each woman eventually gets a turn to borrow money. The women have essentially created a self contained bank, and have been able to change their own lives because of it. It fills us with great confidence and reassurance to know that they have been able to create this system entirely on their own and that is has proved sustainable and helpful to their lives. It proves the budding creativity, independence, and empowerment that this project has provided them. The system also forces each woman to be accountable to the next, thus holding the group together and ensuring sustainability and longevity of the project.

Joannesta and son Maspala with their new ducks!

We are also pleased that each woman has established an individual project that will supplement the group beading project and general goods store project, both of which all women are equal contributors and beneficiaries. The individual projects allow for each woman to be independent in her own small business and have the sole responsibility to her own project.                                            With donated funds, each woman has either purchased livestock, fruits and vegetables to sell, fish to fry and sell, or ingredients with which to make cakes and buns to sell. The cakes will be sold at our store and in town at local markets. The livestock will hopefully multiply and produce eggs and meat both to sell and for each family to consume. Fruits and vegetables are purchased from farmers at a wholesale price then sold in front of our store and also at local markets.

Joyce, Joannesta, Eliza, Rosaldina (not fully pictured) and children with their new livestock!

We would also like to extend a HUGE thank you to Jessica Steblyk, who raised $250.00 for CHETI Widows Project this New Years Eve after putting together her own fundraiser for us. As a talented makeup artist, she held hair and makeup consultations for New Years Eve in Toronto Canada and donated all proceeds to CHETI Widows Project. Jessica, we can’t thank you enough for your dedication and generosity- you’re incredible!

Final touches on the store front: painting "Duka la Wajane" (or "Widows Shop" in English)

Although we are now in the States, we haven’t slowed down! We will be selling jewelry at craft fairs and local markets in the States and Australia, so we’ll be sure to let you know when and where those events will take place! We are also still very gladly accepting donations. We have plenty of wholesale goods to purchase for our general goods shop (there are never too many goods for sale at an African general store!). The success of our store will increase with more goods available to purchase, which means more income for each woman! More livestock, beading supplies, or contributions to each woman’s individual projects are also always welcomed. Donations may also be made at any time to the women directly as added income. In the coming weeks, please also look forward to a video documentary of the project and our interviews with the women!

Above: Receiving certificates from Zuma and departing gifts from the women: a Maasai blanket and Kanga at our farewell party- one of the most emotional days of our lives!

We have an endless amount of gratitude for everyone who has supported us; each of you has changed the lives of 10 women and their children, and we hope you are as proud as we are of what we have accomplished together.

The past few weeks at CHETI have been very busy and filled with great success! The women have been in HIV education classes this week, as well as beading lots of jewelry to fill orders. Meanwhile, we have been painting the store, buying wholesale goods and beading supplies, making hospital visits, meeting new women, hiring a store manager, purchasing chickens, and overseeing construction! Although 60-hour work weeks are exhausting, we are very excited by what we have accomplished so far with incredible support from our donors. The women are forming a very strong bond, earning an income from jewelry sales, and love their work and HIV education; they couldn’t be happier.

HIV education classes have been in session in our store for the past 3 days. We have hired educators and doctors from Chawakua, a highly regarded Tanzanian organization specializing in HIV education initiatives in Arusha for women and children. The educators have been teaching the group about HIV and AIDS transmission, prevention, specifics and statistics about the disease, social solutions for being stigmatized in their communities, and how to live with HIV and AIDS, including the proper diet, medication, and emotional strategies and resources. They are also learning how to give presentations to the community, which they will hopefully be doing in the next few weeks.

Through this process, we have been discovering role of religion in HIV knowledge in the community, and how religious beliefs affect those with HIV. This has brought to light new and difficult challenges. All of our women, and most others we have met in Arusha, firmly believe they can rid themselves of HIV through prayer. They believe, as they are told by their church, that if one prays enough to God, he or she will be cured of the virus. This has posed an enormous challenge to us: how exactly do we support the women’s faith and instill confidence in their beliefs, but tell them blatantly they will not be cured of a deadly disease through prayer? For women who are uneducated and deeply devout, it has not proved to be an easy task to remold their way of thinking about their disease. It is also difficult to give them information that directly conflicts the preaching of their churches. If their ministers- the most important figures in their lives- have been telling them their entire lives they can be cured or can avoid contraction through prayer, and we have been telling them for a week that this is untrue, it may be a matter of trust on the women’s part. We have tackled the problem with our HIV educator, who, unsurprisingly, has faced this issue in educating for years. People may stop taking their medications and resort to faith to heal them instead; the consequences of this are literally deadly. Many also refuse to get tested because they believe if they are deeply faithful, they cannot contract HIV. Witchcraft also comes into play here; many believe HIV can be acquired by a witch putting a spell on them. We have asked our educator to focus on this issue, and the women are now learning more about the scientific aspects of the disease, and that prayer can help them with the emotional healing of their disease, but will not medically cure them. We have also made it clear that in order to be a member of this group, all women need to provide us with their medical records showing their ARV (medication) schedule and routine tests and treatments. We hope the continuation of these seminars will change the outlook of these women and others in the community in order to encourage them to lead longer, healthier lives.

Our shelves are filling up each week as we continue to buy wholesale goods for the store. We have been scouting the best places in town with the best prices to buy our goods, which this week included beans, flour, soaps, mosquito repellent, women’s products, sweets, candles, text books (to sell to CHETI parents for their students), cooking oil, paraffin, lotions (or “smearing oils” as they are called here), and stationary items. Many of our days consist of endless bartering and riding in the bed of a pickup truck through the market looking for the best shops and local prices. In addition, we hope to sell donated items in the store as well. We encourage anyone who would like to donate clothing or other goods (anything you can think of that we can sell in our store!) to ship boxes to CHETI Widows Project c/o CHETI School P.O. Box 12380 Arusha, Tanzania, EAST AFRICA (and just give us a heads up that it’s coming).

Our newly built desk for the store manager

This week we also have a new member of our group: Rispa. She has replaced Sinyati, who we had to let go after a poor attendance record to beading classes and other meetings.

4 generations! R-L: Rispa, Rispa's mother, Rispa's daughter Tumaini, and Rispa's grandmother.

We value attendance highly, as it is unfair in a group project for only some members to be fully committed to the group. We also have around 40 women asking to be let into the group, and with so many eager future members waiting, we must make strict requirements for our current members. Rispa is the mother of Tumaini, a CHETI student, as well as two other daughters. We found out this week during her hospital visit that both Rispa and Tumaini are HIV+. Rispa has no job, no savings, and relies on her extended family for meals and housing. She is very weak and has a difficult life, and greatly needs the support of this group. We are happy to be supporting her.

Last week entailed finding and interviewing a store manager. We wanted to stay true to our mission and find a widow and mother of a CHETI student who could manage a store. We found Anita, a widow with three children (one of whom is a student at CHETI) who sells second hand clothing as a business.

Anita with her family

She sells enough clothing to feed her family one or two basic meals a day, and lives in a small room she rents in a crowded housing block. She is well spoken and has experience in selling clothes, can read and write proficiently, and also has adequate math skills. She is excited and eager to be a store manager, and we are happy to have her! She has agreed to work 6 days per week (Monday-Saturday) for a modest wage, and will begin her training with us in the coming week. Each woman in our group will also be partaking in store duties. Each will be assigned a few days per month to help Anita in the store. Each woman will also be in charge of a section of goods in the store. For example, one woman may be in charge of sugar, rice, and beans, meaning she will go to town to buy these items in wholesale, create records, track profits and losses, and monitor the stock of the items. Another woman will do the same for sweet and breads, another for toiletries, and so forth. All individual projects will be overseen by Anita, whose records will be overseen by Zuma and by us.

We have also been busy painting this week; we have decided on a bright red for the store for two reasons: firstly, no other building in Sokoine 1 is red, so we will stand out. Secondly, we’ve chosen the color for symbolic reasons: the universal HIV and AIDS awareness color is red. We are glad to have a strong color to represent our ten strong women!

Lastly, after a financial review of our project’s progress thus far, we have decided to increase our budget by $1,046.00. We now must raise $3,778.00 to fulfill the mission of our project. The evolution of our project has introduced new and unexpected or rising costs, and we have been forced to increase the budget in order to achieve our goals. The success of our project thus far has surprised us in the best of ways, and all is running remarkably smoothly. Therefore we know all donations are being put to a productive and much needed use. Most of the budget increase is in the area of wholesale goods and the addition of a salary for our store manager, but increases have also taken place in a few other aspects of our budget as well, such as an increased salary of our beading teacher, who will be hired for an additional 4 weeks. Please see the Project Proposal page to review the new budget. We have been able to witness, over the past month, how the CHETI Widows Project has already changed several lives, and are confident that the fulfillment of our budget will ultimately be the greatest possible gift to these women. We ask with the utmost faith in this project and endless gratitude for your help. We also thank our donors immensely for what they have accomplished so far. We and the women value your support, and we hope you are satisfied with the progress of this project.

We have thus far raised $1,720.08 from donations and $605.40 from gift shop orders (these are net amounts after paypal fees have been deducted) for a total of $2,325.48, which means we are more than half way there! We need to raise a total of $1,452.52 in the next 3 weeks to fulfill our new budget and complete this project. By mid-December, we hope to have the store open for business and enough orders to keep the women busy!

In the coming weeks, please look forward to further updates, interviews with the women, a project review, and a video documentary of the CHETI Widows Project!

We thank you again for your support and hope you will continue to join us in the fight for women’s empowerment in Tanzania.

Krismasi Njema from Arusha, Tanzania! All of us at CHETI Widows Project would like to wish you a happy holiday with the Holiday Bundle Deal: For a limited time, get a holiday bundle of 3 spiral bracelets for $20.00!

As usual, 100% of proceeds go directly to the women of CWP who are making your bracelets! This means that by purchasing a bundle, you are making a direct contribution to our project and ultimately changing the lives of 10 women.

We will have your bundles to you by the middle of December. Please visit our GIFT SHOP page to order yours now.

Over the past couple of weeks, we are proud to say we have received an enormous amount of support from family and friends. We are extremely grateful to our donors and gift shop buyers who have gotten our project off to an amazing start! With our donated funds, we have been able to renovate the inside of our space, dividing it into two rooms: a store and a beading room. The store is now lined with shelves and ready to be stocked with wholesale goods, which we plan to begin purchasing in the next few days. Our carpenter will be building a desk for the store manager and we will be painting the exterior and interior of the building soon!

New store shelving ready to be stocked! (Looking from store into beading room).

Meanwhile, with orders from our gift shop flowing in, the women have been very busy! They have been making jewelry and crafts in the store three days a week with the help of their beading teacher Jane. They also bead at home and bring us completed jewelry each week to ship to all of you! The women are becoming a very close group and think that the project is a massive success so far. Our beading days are something to look forward to; there’s always music pouring from our little radio, constant chatter and laughter, and curious neighbors peeking through the windows and doors wondering what all the excitement is about. We still have a long way to go, more funds to raise, and piles of work ahead, but so far everyone’s work has definitely paid off.

Philipina, Joyce, Teacher Jane, Rosalina, Sara, Gertrude, and Eliza in their new beading room with new shelving!

In the coming weeks, we hope to have the store renovations complete and the goods stocked so it can be open for business by the end of the month. We will be buying livestock (such as hens, whose eggs we will sell in the store), and hiring an HIV educator to work with the women on how to give effective presentations to the community of HIV prevention.

We hope for your support in accomplishing these goals. We can’t do any of this without you!

Thank you again to our donors and gift shop supporters, whose generosity has changed the lives of these 10 women.