Mt Kilimanjaro – Family makes major strides with livestock and home improvement projects – 15 Aug 2016

A new room built with scrap wood and “decorated” by the BMM children.

Mr. BMM, his wife, and their 12 kids have worked as a strong team to maintain their vegetable garden, increase their income, and improve their home. In the past year the family has added a second room to their home, started a business keeping 70 chickens for eggs, and purchased two pigs to go with the cows and goats they were already raising.

The family’s vegetable garden has continued to be the foundation of their other life improvement efforts. By expanding their garden, intercropping vegetables in other parts of their farm, and constantly looking for new vegetable customers they have been able to make between 10,000 TZS (USD $5.00) and 20,000 TZS ($10.00) per week from selling vegetables.

Previously this income enabled them to expand their goat, chicken, and cow raising projects. They have continued to invest in livestock with two big new investments in an egg-laying business and a pig-fattening business.

Mr. BMM also expanded his house from one room to two rooms. He used spare wood and his own labor to keep costs low on the addition. The family is excited to have more room but they know that a block house will be more weather tight than a wood house. Mr. BMM is determined to make gradual progress towards this goal and everyday he walks down a steep hill about 500 meters to a river. He cuts mud blocks out of clay from the river banks, dries the blocks in the sun, and then carries the blocks back up the hill on his head one at a time. The process is grueling but for now it is the family’s best option.

The family’s other goal is to help all of the children stay in school for as long as possible. Out of the 12 kids, seven are in primary school grades K-7. Three are too young for school and two have completed primary school but the family does not have enough money for the children to continue.

Mr. BMM hopes that if he continues to increase his income he will have enough money for continued education by the time his youngest children reach secondary school.