Tanzanian savings and loan groups produce face masks and soap
The five-year New Partnership Initiative (NPI) EXPAND project was well underway when the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting communities worldwide. Read how, in Tanzania, the global threat presented an opportunity to manufacture new products that would help not only to control the spread of the virus but also to boost family incomes.
In early 2020, like many of their counterparts throughout Tanzania, hundreds of WORTH Yetu savings and loan members in the Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, and Mwanza regions of Tanzania were busy managing their small businesses: raising poultry, handcrafting, gardening, and providing saving and lending services to local households.
When COVID-19 emerged, NPI EXPAND extended a new opportunity to help these local groups produce handmade, nonmedical face masks.
“We already had Pact Tanzania working with more than 45 faith-based civil society organizations (CSOs) to provide services to orphans and vulnerable children and to support their capacity-building when the COVID-19 challenge came up,” said Elizabeth N. Lema, the Community Care Unit lead in USAID/Tanzania’s Health Office.
Out of the 45 CSOs, three organizations were selected to produce face masks:
- Pastoral Activities and Services for People with Aids Dar es Salaam Archdiocese
- Mwanza Outreach Care and Support Organization
- Network Against Female Genital Mutilation.
Pact Tanzania, as part of their capacity-building, supported the preparation of a concept note for the project and recommended the three winning CSOs, which received application assistance. The three CSOs were chosen in part, Lema said, because they already were conducting income-generating activities, so it was easy to train them. The organizations also possessed previous experience reducing HIV infections and providing business startup kits to improve livelihoods.
“Working together [on this face mask project], they created a small matrix with a multiplier effect,” Lema said. In addition, she noted that working with the local groups was cost-effective because of sustainability and no Negotiation and Approval of Indirect Cost Rates headquarters costs.
NPI awarded a sub-grant to the local social enterprise T-MARC Tanzania to design and implement business training and business plans for all the groups. The T-MARC team also created a common brand for marketing products from all three areas and helped monitor and report project results.T-MARC Tanzania is an independent locally managed non-governmental organization that works toward improving public health throughout Tanzania.
As the project proceeded, it became apparent that COVID-19 information was spreading slowly through the regions and many citizens did not yet know how to protect themselves. This and local competition meant demand for face masks was not as great as anticipated.
The members and their mentors acted quickly to solve the problem. First, they helped local governments distribute COVID-19 information. Second, to bolster sales, all three groups added hand soap to the product list.
NPI and the CSOs helped the local groups distribute materials, find buyers, negotiate prices, and create packaging. They also helped procure capital for materials. Each NGO worked with the Small Industries Development Organization to teach the WORTH Yetu groups how to make the face masks and soap. The Small Industries Development Organization also advised on government quality standards and helped identify a “master sewing trainer” and “sewing leaders.”
Lema believes the most important program benefit is the acquisition of new skills. “We are funding them to support their own activities, so they continue to grow and improve.” In addition, the project helped increase visibility of the groups.
The Network Against Female Genital Mutilation representative noted another very important benefit: “Production of masks and soap has brought members together, where they discussed and shared various issues affecting them, their families, and their communities. In doing so, they felt more united.”
Even while the groups continue to work toward milestones, they set for themselves, they are looking ahead, beyond the USAID agreement. A Network Against Female Genital Mutilation representative said, “While masks may be challenging to have in the future when COVID-19 subsides, soap-making will be there to stand sustainably. However, with the existing stiff competition, ensuring quality will be key.”
The Pastoral Activities and Services for People with Aids Dar es Salaam Archdiocese representative added that the sewing machines can be used to perform other tailoring services. According to Mwanza Outreach Care and Support Organization, the CSOs have “contributed to the building of a strong cadre of community health volunteers” who may be called upon in the future.
Lema believes the project is succeeding in part because the awards were fixed amounts. “Most partners can’t manage huge amounts of money, and the private sector has a great role to play … helping them with requests for information responses, managing funds, pitching stories on what they are doing, and helping with business strategies.”
One of the most gratifying moments, Lema said, was when she realized the deep level of dedication of the members. Not only had they committed time and effort to learn new skills and produce merchandise, but also, once the masks were made, they began buying and wearing their own products.
“In that way, they created awareness in the community,” Lema said, impressed with their creativity and commitment. “They are creating an attitude of change. That’s the goodness of this organization—the use of grassroots labor.”
Photo credit: Nick Ruffalo