Past Posts Revisited: Follow Up on Previous Stories

My first few weeks back to the office have been filled with report submissions (the groan from all development workers is audible at this statement). So I was initially at a loss as to what sort of story I could write this week about work with women traders.

Then I realized that this gives me a chance to update you on all my previous stories. In development you often hear about initial activities and impact but any subsequent progress (or lack thereof) gets lost. So I thought I'd take the opportunity to let you know how things are going...

Cleaning up Gezaloule Market

The market has had up and down success with keeping their environment clean. Women have had to repeatedly talk to the municipality about garbage collection, but the market traders themselves decided to take direct action and have declared Saturdays to be “Market Cleaning Day”.

The Market to Be

Kigogo Fresh is still under construction but some women have started trading. Other markets are getting on the band-wagon for improving market infrastructure - Mchikichini Market is currently negotiating with the Municipality to rebuild the market and include new stalls for women traders.

What Does it Take to Be a Women Trader?

Tabata Muslim women traders are looking to revise their Market Constitution. A committee is collecting input for the new constitution. Issues on the table include: gender-based violence, women's representation in leadership and women's ownership of stalls.

Its a Man's Market

Ferry Market has agreed to have 5 special seats for women on the market committee. Elections have happened in each zone but they are still waiting to hold the general market committee elections.

A Common Story: A Shared Success

Women's saving and loan groups are still going strong. Most women's major concern is that now that they have the capital to expand into more profitable businesses, they need practical skills to be able to create high-value products like soap or batik.

What if You Could Help Write the Constitution of Your Country?

A few women formed a committee to lead women traders' engagement in Constitutional Reform. So far, they've held a press conference and one planning meeting. A major focus will be ensuring that market women are registered to vote in the referendum and are included in the special parliament to be held on Constitutional Reform.

Grim Realities and Slivers of Hope.

Led by Gezaulole, several markets are looking to revise rules so that customers will pay for their food before being served. It's a small step, but it puts female food vendors in a much better place for receiving payment rather than harassment.

Legally Empowered

We are working to help the paralegals get involved with staff in legal awareness sessions to share more general legal knowledge with women traders as well as handle individual cases.

Back in the Neighbourhood: New Digs

I got pretty lucky with my living situation for the next three months. Its right around the corner from where I used to live and I've got two great, new room-mates.

The apartment is on the top floor, which is pretty high up and key because we don't have any air-conditioning. But we do have a great breeze in the evening and you can sit on our balcony and watch the city below.

The apartment is a work in-progress at the moment. Everyone just moved in so furnishing the place is an ongoing effort. If you look at the photos of my old apartment you'll see that a lot of the furniture at the moment are pieces from my old place.

However, unlike my old place, I do have my own room. Though I got quite used to sharing a room; quoting my old room-mate, "I now define privacy as everyone sitting together and not talking". It's not a bad thing to have your own space. I'm enjoying not needing headphones to watch movies and listen to music.

Funny enough, I already have some things that I never got around to buying in my last 6 months (such as curtains). Tonight, I'm venturing out to get a full-length mirror, another item that was much discussed in my last apartment but never actually purchased.

And if I miss my old home, all I have to do is look across the way and there it is!

12 Things About My Trip Home

The original idea was to have this go like the 12 days of Christmas. However, I then realized that I am a) not that musically talented and b) it was hard enough thinking up 12 things without trying to make it all rhyme. So lets just say its in the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas.

1 debrief in London with all the interns

2 new dresses sewn (down to the wire but finished them exactly 1 hour before I had to leave for my flight)

3 matching pairs of stockings for Christmas day

4 packs of tea to see me through my next 3 months (check out Tealish)

5 times shoveled snow off my parent's drive way (P.S. no clue how blogger added the snow but its corny cool!)

6 batches of cookies and bars made for Christmas treats

7- estimated number of times we tried to put the Christmas tree up straight before wiring it to the wall

8 hours time difference between Dar es Salaam and Toronto means major jet-lag (like falling asleep at concerts)

9 dishes cooked between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day

10 shopping excursions (maybe more if we count online)

11 magenta highlights added to my hair

12 gifts from Tanzania wrapped up