DAR ES SALAAM, 3 August 2009 – Chipua officially opened its new facility in the Block 41/Biafra area of Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam today. Its previous office in Mikocheni was vacated following a decision to not renew the lease.

The new facility allows Chipua to greatly expand its operations. The compound includes a main building with a room for the girls’ project and space for the equipment for their vocational training; offices for the staff of the girls’ and Qualifying Test project; offices for non-programme staff; and an office for volunteers.

A separate annex building provides a large classroom space for the Qualifying Test project and a room for the girls’ project to use during their vocational training on batik-making, tie dye and food preparation. A portion of the annex will also be used for storage of materials, freeing up office space in the main building.

When first acquired in June, the new facility was in dire need of repairs and renovation. Chipua staff, including non-programme staff and volunteers, banded together with project participants to overhaul the buildings. Through the winter break in June and July, staff and participants worked with one another to clear rubble and make preparations for extensive renovation.

After reinforcing and preparing the walls of the annex building, a new roof was constructed for the Qualifying Test classroom and girls’ project vocational training area. The roof was made out of locally sourced "makuti" – thatched roof panels made from the fronds of certain palm trees – by local specialists.

With the help of the Executive Director, non-programme staff and volunteers worked to remove old paint and damaged portions of the walls inside the main building, repair the damaged areas with plaster and then prepare the walls for painting. Project participants joined them in painting the interior of the main building; cleaning the floors; and moving furniture and office equipment into the appropriate offices.

Professional carpenters, plumbers and electricians were called in to assist with repairing window frames and the plumbing and electrical systems; installing new lights, fans and windows; expanding the electrical system to the annex building; and constructing new restroom facilities for the use of project participants. Boys from the Qualifying Test project were encouraged to assist the professional craftsmen and volunteers in their work in order to learn some of the skills being used in making the repairs and renovations.

Participants from the Qualifying Test project were able to move into their new classroom in July but the facility itself officially opened with the completion of the renovations on the main building and the resumption of the girls’ project at the beginning of August.

Earlier in the winter, Chipua also concluded negotiations to purchase a plot of land in Dar es Salaam's Mbagala suburb. The land was purchased in anticipation of implementing the organisation's long-term strategic plans, which call for the expansion of programmes into the outer suburbs of the city.

Some of the most disadvantaged participants come from Dar es Salaam's outer suburbs, pushed into the area by high real estate costs nearer to the city centre. Because they are unable to afford transport to Chipua's new Block 41/Biafra training centre in Kinondoni, the long-term strategic plan highlights the need to build training facilities in the outer suburbs where they are most needed.

The Mbagala location will focus primarily on replicating Chipua's successful girls' projects in the outer suburbs. The facility will also be home to a new pilot project for boys, which will use curriculum similar to that used in the girls' project. The boys will receive instruction on character development; life skills, such as health information and leadership skills; gender equality; and vocational skills, including carpentry, plumbing and electrical repair.

The $20,000 facility will feature office space, dormitories for participants, workspace for vocational training and classrooms for traditional instruction.

DAR ES SALAAM, 4 June 2009 – Students from Northern Illinois University (NIU), led by Dr. Kurt Thurmaier, visited Chipua today as part of their Tanzanian study abroad program.

The students were greeted by Chipua's Executive Director at the Mikocheni office and given a tour of the facility. They were briefly introduced to the Girls' Project and the Qualifying Test Project before receiving a more detailed introduction to the work of the organization by the Development Director, which included an outline of the purpose behind the projects, past projects and the direction of the organization.

An extensive question and answer session was provided which allowed the students to become better acquainted with the way non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operate in Tanzania. They asked questions concerning fundraising and financing; organizational structure; successes and challenges; development, quality and delivery of projects; interaction between the organization and the grassroots, as well as with other NGOs; and details regarding the projects currently operating.

The students will be visiting Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Mara regions as part of a program which introduces them to the workings of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Tanzania. They will also help in building a high school dormitory for girls at a secondary school outside Musoma.

More information on their activities can be found through their supporting organization, Tanzania Development Support.

DAR ES SALAAM, 15 May 2009 – Parched Earth author Elieshi Lema visited the girls’ project final workshop on Friday as its guest speaker to discuss the importance of self-confidence and diligence.

Ms. Lema, a tireless advocate for girls’ and women’s rights, spoke about the challenges that girls and women face in Tanzania. She emphasized the importance of gender equality in advancing society and the role that gender equality education plays in building self-confidence in young women.

She discussed with the girls their vocational training activities, including sewing and batik making. Ms. Lema encouraged the participants to work together to achieve their goals by building bonds of friendship and cooperation and assisting one another in their business ventures. She indicated that by working together they were more likely to obtain financial backing from banks and other institution.

The discussion included practical examples of using a small amount of starter capital to build a successful business. Efficiency and sacrifice were highlighted as two necessities to building a business, as well as personal and financial transparency and cooperation with business partners.

Ms. Lema concluded her presentation with the admonition to work together, love one another and work hard to reach the goals the girls have set for themselves.

The group presented her with a large piece of handmade batik in appreciation for her visit to Chipua. Following a prior discussion with Chipua’s Executive Director, Ms. Lema christened a new Chipua library with the generous donation of two boxes of books.

DAR ES SALAAM, 13 May 2009 -- The first phase of the first quarter girls’ project was conducted from 13 January 2009 to 13 May 2009 at the Chipua facility in the Mikocheni ward of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 

A total of 39 girls were registered – 23 of the 39 completed the project on 13 May and the remaining 16 are continuing with the training program due to a late start time. Participants came from the neighbourhoods of Mikocheni, Msasani, Gongo la Mbota, Yorubo Buza, Kigamboni and Kibamba. Sessions were conducted Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.

The staff’s initial assessment was that the majority of the participants had little to no vocational or business skills, and they were ill informed on other subjects like gender equality and HIV/AIDS. Lack of self-confidence and self-esteem caused them to exhibit shyness and immature behaviour, including an unwillingness to cooperate with one another.

Through character development training, the girls were able to develop the self-confidence and self-esteem necessary to eliminate their shyness and embrace mature behaviour. They were able to develop a vision and purpose for their lives that encouraged personal ownership for one’s own direction in life, a break with the traditional attitude of disadvantaged girls and women in Tanzania. The participants were able to speak to their peers with an authority and confidence that they lacked prior to the training, and they developed good study habits that were completely absent in the beginning.

The business-training portion of the program taught them how to create a business plan and appropriate market their products. The girls formed a business team with a group of other participants, and they were instructed on the necessity and value of working and cooperating together using a combination of business and character development curriculum. Basic accounting skills were taught in order to assist the business teams with bookkeeping.

Vocational training focused primarily on sewing, hand embroidery, decoration and batik and tie-dye. The girls were encouraged to embrace their creativity when it came to creating products.

Classroom instruction methods included lecture; class discussion; practicum; role-play; debate; brainstorming; group and individual assignments, including homework; and quizzes and exams. In order to encourage the development of expression and self-esteem, the girls were heavily encouraged to participate in class discussions and group activities.

The final component of the program included two workshops with the parents of the participants. The first workshop explained the methodology of the Chipua program, whereas the second workshop focused on the girls’ business plans. The purpose was to encourage the involvement of the family in the girl’s advancement and education in order to increase the program’s effectiveness and better insure the longevity of its benefits.

The second phase of the project includes the implementation of the group business plans and monitoring and evaluation activities by Chipua staff. Chipua participants will receive weekly visits from the staff where they will evaluate together the success of their business, the use of the knowledge covered during the training program and ways in which Chipua can help to continue enriching their lives.