When one spends more time with Tanzanian locals - and I mean at least few days, or better few weeks - one will find out, that they are not at all lazy as many Europeans still think them to be. Sure, in the afternoon local men can be found chatting or resting in shade. But staying in Tanzania longer one can get to know their rhytm and experience oneself, that in the extreme air temperatures round the noon it is barely possible to work at all. When the temperatures were the highest, I measured an unbelievable 52°C in the sun, "only" 40°C in the shade and 32°C inside a house. Knowing this, locals get up in the morning with the first (or sometimes the second) rooster crowing and jump into all the hard works. Our Juma, who dug the water tank, came to work at 5 AM - still at dark - and got to work with a song and smile on his face.
The hustle and bustle in the village starts at about 6 - 6,30 AM. Women prepare food, start washing clothes... Everyone engages in the work or job he or she can do and has opportunity to do. Most of these people are not afraid of hard work, instead they walk or drive around looking for work, asking if anyone needs anything.
Some of the men who were lucky to get to a motocycle work as "bodaboda" - moto-taxi, transport people and stuff of all kind. Those more handy make living as "fundi", repairing or making things, cars, clothes, bricks... In some parts of Tanzania there are many skillful tribes making income with their works of art. Some locals run a "hotel", meaning a small restaurant in local dialect. Some work in the field, others with cattle. Children who don't go to school help their families in making money too. They walk around offering small service like collecting firewood, help carying water or deliver meals around the village.
Still there are many families who live from hand to mouth. They don't make money every day and even when they do, it is usually enough for just the daily meal. Just imagine waking up in the morning, not knowing if you find a job today and if you get enough wage for it to feed your family at least. Engarre gives high priority to providing income for local men, who are most often the heads of families, those, who take care of their families financially. In every activity and every project we run in Tanzania, for the hard work we hire local men in the first place.
Creating job opportunities with adequate financial evaluation helps local people move forward and increase quality of their lives. At the same time the whole community evolves and benefits from its individual members making good income. People in Tanzania are not too demanding, most of them desire such little things which we, people of the western society, don't even need to think about.
Repairing local school, building up a sportsfield, playground, free time centre for children, growing vegetables, digging water wells and tanks, caring for and improving local environment, all of these projects of Engarre bring many job opportunities while many further services like cleaning or catering are needed during realisation of these projects and can be supplied by local men and women. We believe that with these projects Engarre can help individuals and the whole local community improve the quality of their lives.
