Bomalang'ombe, Tanzania

Location: Tanzania is on the east coast of Africa, on the Indian Ocean. Kenya borders Tanzania on the north. Bomalang’ombe is a rural village within the Iringa district in southeast Tanzania.

Population: Village of Bomalang’ombe size is approx. 5000-8000 adults and children

Elevation: 7000 feet above sea level;

Topography: steep and rolling hills

Climate: Iringa region is dry and temperate, low 50s to high 70s (F); winter season lows 38-40° (F) (June-July), hot and humid at Ruaha National Park for safari and in Dar Es Salaam

Language: Swahili and tribal dialects; English is primary language spoken at Secondary School

Economy: Subsistence farming; village has factories for sausage processing, and processing of jams, jellies and honey sold throughout the region. This village has a much stronger economy than surrounding villages without power and water because of its factories. Italian non-profit “CEFA” assisted with the development of power and water plant before development of factories. CEFA maintains presence and headquarters in village with an Italian Manager for general project oversight.

Monetary unit: Tanzanian Shilling; $1 US = approx. 1200 shillings; easiest money exchange is handled at airport upon arrival in Dar. Bring clean, new bills in $20 or larger denominations. Best exchange rate is $100 bill.

Religions: Strong Lutheran presence, also Catholic, and other Christian churches; Muslim mosques are seen in Dar Es Salaam, Iringa and some villages.

Education: Government-sponsored public Primary School with seven grades (Standards) for children approx 7-14 years old. Church-sponsored private Secondary Schools, requiring individual tuition, provide up to six years education beyond Primary School. English skills are acquired in Secondary School. Government-required tests by subject are administered in Secondary School and determine passage from one grade (Form) to another. Technical schools (for trades, nursing, teaching) and universities are found throughout Tanzania. Tumaini University is a fast-growing Lutheran university and seminary in Iringa.

Food: Potatoes, rice, corn, sweet potatoes, beans, peas, carrots, flat bread (chapate), corn-flour porridge (ugali); limited eggs, chicken and pork

Animals: There is little or no wildlife outside of the game parks/preserves. Domestic animals raised in and around the villages include pigs, goats, chickens, a few cows, and guinea pigs. The road from Dar es Salaam to Iringa passes through Mikumi National Game Preserve. Wildlife including zebras, giraffes, impala and elephants are frequently seen in the Preserve. Ruaha National Park is a large game preserve within a five-hour drive of Iringa. Our group goes to Ruaha for its safari.

Power: Municipal electricity is available throughout the village, generated by a micro-hydropower plant built by Italian non-profit, CEFA. Electricity is expected to be connected at the Secondary School by June. School cooking is done over open fires and a high efficiency stove engineered in Stillwater. Few villages in rural Tanzania have water and power like Bomalang’ombe. In Mwatasi and other areas without electricity, kerosene lanterns are primarily used for light.

Water: Municipal water is piped to common “taps” throughout Bomalang’ombe village, powered by the CEFA-developed system. The water system was extended to the Bomalang’ombe Secondary School in June 2007. Safe bottled drinking water is purchased in Dar and Iringa and used by all American travelers. All of our overnight accommodations have running water to sinks, toilets, and showers.

Transportation: The roads in Tanzania are minimally maintained. Because of the rough rural roads, even driving short distances can take a relatively long time.The roads to/in Bomalang’ombe are dirt. Walking is the primary local mode of transportation. There are some bicycles in the village, however, hills make biking difficult. Some clergy have small motorcycles for travel between preaching points. A public bus is the primary means of transportation to the cities of Iringa and Dar es Salaam. Trucks and tractors are seen more in this village because of its industry than in other villages.

Medical care: Dispensaries staffed by a nurse with minimal resources are located within most rural villages, including Bomalang’ombe. Hospitals within 2-3 hours are in Ilula (Lutheran-sponsored) and Iringa. The CEFA manager reported good care at an Italian-sponsored hospital in Iringa.

Health issues: AIDS, Polio, TB and measles are present in the region’s villages. Mosquito-borne malaria is less of a problem at the higher elevations in the Iringa region, but is present. Malaria-carrying mosquitos are a common risk in Iringa and Dar. It is common for children and women to experience chronic respiratory problems and eye irritation from cooking fires. Childhood diarrhea and water-borne illnesses are common in villages without a safe source of water such as the municipal system in Bomalang’ombe.


Team travel information

En route: Overall travel from Twin Cities to Bomalang’ombe requires 2 ½ days. The flights from Twin Cities through Amsterdam to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania require approx. 24 hours. After an overnight stay in Dar es Salaam, the second day of travel is approx. a 7 hour drive from Dar es Salaam to Iringa. We will depart Dar early in the morning, eat a quick lunch and stretch at Mikumi National Park, arriving in Iringa mid-afternoon to purchase our supplies for the week. The team will stay overnight at a guest house or dormitory-type lodging in Iringa. The following morning, (our 3rd day), we will drive about 2-3 hours to Bomalang’ombe, meet the students and staff at the school, unpack our supplies and belongings, and organize the work for the first day.

In Bomalang’ombe: Accomodations in the village are at the guest house and headquarters of the Italian non-profit CEFA. Team members should bring sleeping bag liners for their personal use in the bedding. Sleeping bags are optional as there is bedding on the beds. The weather will be cool/cold (as low as 40 degrees F at night). All items for personal care must be brought by team members, including toiletries and towels. The CEFA guest house has electricity, running water and modern bathroom facilities. There is cell phone receptivity for our global cell phone, facilitating emergency communication. U.S. personal T-Mobile cell phones have worked there in the past. We maintain a Tanzanian cell phone for project communication and text messaging.

Transportation: Our team will be transported in two small to mid-size “coaster buses” holding up to 15 people each. The bus is driven by a reputable hired driver. Air conditioning may or may not be available. We may also rent a small four-wheel drive vehicle for backup and errands.

Health: All travelers are responsible for reviewing related medical recommendations with a specialized travel clinic or their doctor, and obtaining appropriate vaccinations and medications. Note that there are a number of required and/or recommended immunizations. Yellow fever and typhoid vaccines are not available at every clinic. Tanzania is a risk country for Malaria and Rift Valley Fever (RVF). Because of its elevation, mosquitos are not as prevalent in Iringa and Bomalang’ombe as in Dar Es Salaam and other areas. However, mosquito-borne disease is still a risk and antimalarial medication is strongly recommended for all travelers. Mosquito nets for sleeping are in place in the guest houses we utilize in Dar and Iringa. Note that the Red Cross does not accept blood donations for 12 months after an individual has traveled in Tanzania because of the Malaria risk. The Centers for Disease Control maintains an informative web site with country-specific information at www.cdc.gov/travel.

Telephones: Pay phones and internet are available at the airport in Amsterdam. Timed pay phones are also available in the airport in Dar es Salaam and in the shopping area of Iringa with calls to the States for $5/minute. There are also internet cafes in Iringa, although time in Iringa is very limited, especially on the arrival end of our trip. Cell phone towers/coverage extends to most rural areas, including Bomalang’ombe. We carry a global cell phone that can be used in any cell phone coverage area for emergencies.

Informative web sites:
www.cdc.gov/travel

http://tanzania.usembassy.gov
link from above site to “consular information sheet”

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1038.html