An interesting, encouraging and productive week working alongside CCBRT to monitor and evaluate a programme funded by NZAid and cbm. CCBRT (Comprehensive Commuity Base Rehabilitation Tanzania) is a Tanzanian based organisation established originally by cbm and now an independent entity. Services are centered around a disability hospital – about 200 beds in Dar es Salaam and an outreach clinic in Kilimanjaro. The hospital has a very busy eye department providing treatment and surgery and an orthopaedic department. From these bases also significant programmes seek to identify and assist and support people with disabilities in surrounding communities. CCBRT also have an ambitious project they are fundraising for now to build a maternity hospital at the Dar es Salaam site – on the basis of seeking to prevent disabilites many of which are a direct result of poor birthing practices and care.
The project we were evaluating is based in Manzese (a large informal urban slum area in Dar es Salaam) – the focus of the work has been establishing a day care centre where children with disabilites are cared for and supported 6 hours per day Mon – Fri providing relief for the mothers. Many men leave their wives when a child is found to have a disability so mothers are left to care alone. There were one or two fathers also involved. As well as providing support, physio excercises, skills and information the day care also provides time when mothers can be supported to develop income producing skills
So the week involved:
- meeting all the key staff at Monday morning meeting
- visiting the Manzese Day Care Centre and the mothers support group
- visiting and talking with the local school principal where the day care is located, another school where 2 children with disabilities are mainstreamed, and another school where there are 4 classrooms for deaf children integrated with the school – typical classrooms have 100 children – the classrooms for the deaf had about 20 and the children had made great progress
- talked to the Manzese local authority exec office and committee who are supporting the initiative
- visited another similar but different day care in another urban slum area funded by EU
- visited the very impressive Mibinti Centre run by the CEO’s wife where woman who have had vaginal vesticular surgery (to cure fistula problems (incontinence), which can occur after prolonged or difficult childbirth attend for up to 18 months training to develop income producing skills making a range of quality handcrafts
- the programme was arranged very thoughtfully so that field visits took place in the mornings so that the afternoon when it gets very hot we were involved in discussion, debriefing and report writing in the office
All in all CCBRT is a very impressive and professional organisation. The Manzese project although it had a slow start was now at a very encouraging point and going well – the day centre building which had undergone major refurbishment was a practical and welcoming environment. We were able to discuss and consider with the CCBRT staff the challenges and issues to be addressed for the next stages.
The week ended with an invitation on Friday evening to join the CEO and other staff at a reception hosted by KLM airline celebrating 90 years, and to give a modest donation to CCBRT. The reception was in the most upmarket hotel in town on the top floor overlooing Dar port and harbour – drinks and food and embassy and diplomatic staff and whos who of expats. Very interesting other side of life to Manzese.
Saturday a quiet morning and to airport in afternoon – got a lift with another aid agency – traffic was very heavy so we ended up taking some “short cuts” and driving “high speed” through slum roads – an interesting experience!! Skilfull driver thankfully. Flight to Dubai on the way home.
