Agri Thamani Foundation
General Information
Email address
nlugangira@agrithamani.org
Primary contact's full name
Neema Lugangira
Do you have an OSM account?
Yes
If yes, what is your OSM username?
Neema Lugangira
Please indicate the name(s) and OSM usernames of any additional individual(s) who will be leading the execution of the project if this application is successful
1. Name: Judith John and OSM Username: Judith Lubatiza
2. Name: Bahati Samson and OSM Username: Bahati Samson
If you have an OSM account, please check the boxes that apply
I am a beginner mapper
What is the name of the community group/organization this pitch is being submitted on behalf of?
Agri Thamani Foundation
Is your organization/community group legally registered?
Yes
If you indicated "No" above, please indicate the name of an organization who would be able to accept the funds on your behalf
N/A
Proposed project location
Bukoba, Kagera
Have you previously been AWARDED any grants?
No
Please indicate the total funding amount you are requesting
TZS. 10,000,000/= ONLY
Information About the Project
What is the problem that you are working to address in your community?
(In this section please describe in detail the challenge that your project addresses. We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
Despite the arable land and geographical location advantages, Kagera region hosts the highest levels of malnutrition (under nutrition, over nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies), HIV prevalence, malaria prevalence and poverty in Tanzania. Agri Thamani Foundation was founded to add value to the efforts of ending malnutrition in Tanzania and its Head Quarters is in Bukoba, Kagera as it is one of the most marginalized regions in the country.
Agri Thamani Foundation has been working in Bukoba, Kagera for almost last 2 years undertaking nutrition interventions in the following main areas:
• Nutrition advocacy and education to political leaders, religious leaders, influencers, media, etc.
• Nutrition advocacy to Government at all levels; Central, Regional, Local and Village Levels
• Nutrition education and school vegetable gardens in schools
• Nutrition education to the anemic pregnant women, pregnant women living with HIV and the elderly
• Nutrition education to street food vendors “mama lishe”
In this period, Agri Thamani Foundation has made significant achievements but due to lack of resources and technical know-how, we have lagged behind on data mining from our beneficiaries, which has at times created a challenge in proving our actual impact.
Therefore, we are requesting funds to implement our proposed project called ‘Improving Nutritional Status in Bukoba Urban District Using Open-Map Project", which intends to incorporate Open-Map in efforts to end all forms of malnutrition in Bukoba Urban. The open-map system will be used to generate, monitor, and evaluate nutritional-related data from community level and household level to inform stakeholders on the nutritional status as well as advocating for decision making to end the burden of forms of malnutrition in the community. This will also inform our policy advocacy efforts.
What motivates you to work on this issue?
(what is the reason that triggered, inspired you to work on this issue, we recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
To attain improvement of nutrition at household level, Agri Thamani Foundation, purposely chosen Bukoba Urban District as our focus district for intervention based on the facts that Bukoba is among the District within Kagera region and the region has worse nutrition status in Tanzania. Thus, at household level, the foundations targets household’s members; anemic women, elders, children under two years, and women living with HIV AIDS who are being weekly visited by our trained nutritionists and field officers to monitor the food uptake and advise accordingly based on different reports from region medical officer, and district medical officer, district nutrition officer, as well as nutrition officers from hospitals and health facilities.
However, despite daily data generated by Agri Thamani field officers, the headquarters particular monitoring and evaluation coordinator normally receives data from field officers lately, due to the facts that Agri Thamani still relies on paper work for reporting. Moreover, on the side of monitoring authenticity of reported data, it’s difficult to prove the authenticity of the reported data particularly to prove that the received data have been collected from our targeted households and places (spatial location). Therefore, this proposed project intends to digitize data collection as well as using spatial data to monitor authenticity of field officer’s visitations to our targeted groups
Have you worked on solving the same issue before?
Yes
If yes, what have you already done to solve this issue?
(Please be specific and highlight your greatest accomplishments, We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.) If none, write N/A
Agri Thamani conducted a critical analysis of the nutrition advocacy space at council level and sub-council level and found that there were serious gaps in terms of the involvement of local government leadership at lower ward, village and community levels. For example, Village Level reports to Ward Level who then reports to Council Level and thereafter reports to Regional and finally National Level.
It is superficial to expect a trickle-down effect of nutrition interventions that end at Council Level whilst Ward, Village and Community Levels Local Leaders are detached from the significant malnutrition problem that exists in their communities. It is important to recognize that this group has a direct responsibility towards ending malnutrition but are never reached, involved or given responsibilities.
Agri Thamani organized Nutrition Advocacy Training Workshops with Sub Council Level Leadership in Bukoba MC in Kagera and it was evident that they can play a crucial role towards championing increased investment in nutrition and foreseeing the nutrition activities disbursed budgets are used for but unfortunately 100% of them were not aware of the malnutrition status around them. They were also not aware of the different Government interventions in place.
Therefore, Agri Thamani is the first NGO to focus its nutrition intervention activities to sub-council, village and community level local government
If yes, what challenges have you faced in your work to solve this issue, and how did you respond to these challenges?
(Please be specific and highlight your biggest challenges and how did you solve them,We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.) If none, write N/A
Efforts to end malnutrition in Tanzania is highly constrained with lack of data from community level, this reinforced Agri Thamani Foundation using our activities to generate data from our grassroot activities such as our weekly visit to foster pregnant women with anemia, health facilities, our programs to empower the community such as gardens in schools for adolescents and in streets for elders and women.
However, our interventions were highly difficult to monitor and evaluate our data generated by our field officers as they normally came lately as it’s highly associated with our current tradition which is a paper-based system. Moreover, the paper-based approach for data collection is highly costfull as it involves only our field officers in data collection. In dealing with the identified challenges, we hired a full-time monitoring & evaluation coordinator and have an monitoring & evaluation expert on pro-bono who has been working with us to develop measurable targets.
If no, what do you anticipate as challenges while working towards solving the issue?
(Please be specific and highlight the biggest challenge you might face when working on this project ,We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)If none, write N/A
The most anticipated challenge towards ending malnutrition using data collected, monitored and evaluated using an open-map system will be confidentiality of some vulnerable groups the project is targeting such as H.I.V affected pregnant women. In dealing with the aforementioned anticipated challenge, the field officers will be highly trained on the principles to attain confidentiality and anonymity of the data collected.
Describe your sustainability plan
(In this section please describe how your activities will continue post-funding. If you are applying for funding to purchase equipment, explain who will store/use the equipment you purchase, and if you have long term sustainability plans for your community's development. We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
The project will involve purchase of gadgets for data collection such as smartphones and power banks . Therefore, some gadgets will be stored at health facilities and others will be under the management of the Agri Thamani as they will be used by field officers to collect data from grassroot targets groups which anemic pregnant women, infants, elders, and adolescents in high schools.
The project will be used to generate data for both nutritional stakeholders and for open map society, and since the project will be the first one to collect data at community level, Agri Thamani with other stakeholders will be responsible for re-purchasement of equipments this will be possible with influence of our big impact which will be archived from using open-map data.
Project Goal
What are your community defined project goals
(Please explain your project goals. This can include: setting goals such as "we will train X number of new community, "we will register as a legal entity", or "the data will be used by X", and why these goals are important to your community such as "we intend to engage X number of women in mapping activities so that we can empower local women” We recommend your response be a minimum of 150 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
We will train 80 new OpenStreetMap community members, who will be generating different kinds of data with preferences to nutritional based data, health facilities, purchasing powers and others. The collected data (general data) expect personal medical data of our targeted groups for nutritional intervention will be free for use by anyone from OpenStreetMap. In executing the project, the project will train and involve Agri Thamani field officers, heath fasciitis in charges, food vendors, and anemic pregnant women to generate data. The initiative will empower the community as the involved individuals will be empowered and connected to the internet and this will be an opportunity for them to engage with other online activities such as online businesses particularly anemic pregnant women.
What are your project long-term goals?
(Please describe your project vision. This can include: where you see your project in five years' time, how you want your data to be used, future partnerships you'd like to establish, or how you would like your project to grow (or not!). We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words)
The project's long term vision is to use data generated from the local open streetmap’s community to design intervention to fight malnutrition in Tanzania. In addition, we visualize the project to be adopted in all grassroot levels countrywide as the tool for data collection as well as a reliable and credible source of data for making decisions in all issues as far as nutritional issues are concerned.
We will be deploying these tools since are open source thus less expensive to use and also there are helpful in doing data collection by collection geospatial data in other hand these geospatial data will be helpful in monitoring and evidences to the work done which in turn limits to not having confidence on data collected.
● OpenData Kit (ODK)- mobile application for data collection, we are planning to move from paper work to paperless technology of conducting our survey to the community.
● Kobo toolbox- server/platform for data monitoring and visualisation, open platform for instant data visualization hence will be helpful in monitoring of our field officers and hence increasing accountability to our team.
● Open Refine- Data cleaning
● JOSM-Software for digitization and uploading data to OSM
● Maps.Me mapping/adding area of interest on map
List the tools you intend to use during your project and why
(Please describe which tools you plan to use to collect, update, clean, or store you data and why. We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
Agri Thamani as the non-profit organization is working with the Government and other stakeholders in the interventions that we are dealing with in the community ,so this data will be shared in the area of interventions that we are working together with in order to combat malnutrition in the Bukoba municipal, our news we always publicize them with the content of that day in our social medias ( facebook, instagram and twitter). For example in twitter we have a session every week where we engage different stakeholders to share and discuss on the issues concerning nutrition matters in the Country and also we create awareness to the community about the alarming situation of malnutrition in their regions and districts according to the collected data from the survey of Tanzania national nutrition survey (TNNS).
Additional, the project will involve hosting mapthons to share success stories to other communities which in one way or another are partners in ending all forms of malnutrition in Bukoba Urban District. Through these mapthons, the project aims to inspire new open street map communities’ members as well as sharing data generated through open-map to advocacy for budget allocation for activities to end malnutrition in Bukoba.
What additional knowledge or skills do you need to improve the effectiveness of the project?
(if there is any addition training you will need example how to use open source tools ,how to write good report etc please identify them below and why, We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.) If none, write N/A
AgriThamani as an organization we don’t have any expert who is skillful in mapping activities and GIS personnel or OSM at large. Since we are having a plan to map nutritional status in Bukoba urban, deploying an open technology in monitoring and in data collection is our goal, since the technology is less expensive in terms of access and use also data to be collected will be shared to OSM Community any one who what to use will access them.
Explain how you plan to share your stories
(Please give examples of how you will use to share your stories with others. This can include: how you will publicise your news, where you will collect media content, how you will use social media channels, and if you will reach out beyond your immediate network to share your stories. We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
In the last approx. 2 years, Agri Thamani has developed a strong media network and as such we will use our media network for our stories to be shared via different platforms like social media, mainstream tv, online tv and community radios. We also have an in-house Social Media Coordinator who will be responsible for making sure Agri Thamani social media pages on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are actively updated with Open Map stories. Agri Thamani is also in the final stages of starting a podcast/online radio that will enable us to reach millions of Tanzania with smartphones and internet access. By doing so, we will be to publicize our news to a much wider audience.
Ownership
Describe who will own/access and use the data
(It is important that the data you generate during the project is useful, and that it will be used to advance humanitarian and/or development challenges locally. In this section, please include: if the data you will be collecting has been requested by who , if there is an established formal relationship with any organization , and if there is an existing MoU between you and the partnering organisation, and how long have you been working with the partnering organisation. If your organisation or community is going to be the data user, please describe how will they use the data, and how they will access the data also is there possibility of other similar organizations to access and own the data . We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 400 words.)
The data generated during the project will be used to advance humanitarian and development challenges locally in the society. Agri Thamani will own that data but will share it with the ongoing Government interventions as well as sharing data with any other organizations that are working on the same intervention. Moreover, generated data will be open for the open map street community.
Describe any other community/organization you plan to approach and share data for the purpose of the project impact
(In this section, please describe any additional partners you might be working with or share data with since they have indicated the need of data that will be collected. If there are no additional partners (beyond the data user) this must be stated here. We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.) if none write N/A
The community that Agri Thamani is committed to approach and share data with are the community that we are working with in our interventions in order to bring impact in our society such as; schools, health facilities, government leaders, Parliament and at household level, we are planning to establish a group of people that will be trained about open street map concept and knowledge so that they can bring impact to the society.
Inclusion
How will you ensure that your project activities will consider gender/children?
(Please describe how you will engage women/girls and school children in your project activities. Please include the number of women, girls or marginalized groups you plan to work with and how, and at which point in your activities you plan to engage them. We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words).
The project will engage women and girls and school children are our targeted group in daily activities, we are dealing with pregnant women with anemia and living with HIV and adolescent children in 16 schools in Bukoba Municipal. This project will help to allocate the places that these women are living in relation to the healthy facilities found and for adolescents we will locate the schools found in Bukoba.
Moreover, the team from Agri Thamani that is going to implement the project, has already been selected based on gender lenses as it comprises three females and three boys, and the additional mappers who will be recruited, female applicants will be given preference..
Open Knowledge Evolution
Explain how you plan to expand your mapping community
(In this section, please include: your approach of working in a peripheral area to expand the knowledge, how will you engage new members from an unexposed community, how many new members you plan to recruit, and how will you retain community members throughout the duration of the project and beyond. We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
Agri Thamani targets to scale our programs to reach other districts within Kagera Regions, particular districts which have worse nutritional status. This will be done while ensuring the impacts are visible to the stakeholders and more important targeted community groups such as infants, anemic women, adolescents and elders.
In doing so, Agri Thamani targets to deploy trained field officers in all regions with higher malnutrition to train other field officers to become open map community members generating data to end malnutrition in their respective communities.
Cooperation
Describe the communities you are already working with
(This may include local government, private sector, institutions or OSM communities (as examples). If you are not already working with any of the above communities, please state this and explain how you plan to work with other communities in your project. We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
Agri Thamani is working together with the Government, International and local NGOs, Parliament, Private Sector, Religious leaders, Local Governments in different levels, and health officers at community level. In every intervention we are working on, and the private sectors too that are our stakeholders.
Describe other communities you plan to approach, or establish relationships with, for the purpose of the project
(We recommend your response be a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 300 words.)
For the purpose of successfully implementing this proposed project, Firstly, we plan to establish a strong relationship with the open street Map Community. Despite, OSM’s community efforts to map the world, Agri Thamani foundation was not already working with the OSM communities due to the fact that reporting at Agri Thamani is mainly paperwork-based. Thus, with this proposed project, we are going to work with the OSM communities that will be our consultants and facilitators in our project for capacitating us on the knowledge and of OSM application.
Supporting Documents
Please share a PDF version of your proposed budget
(Your budget must be detailed and realistic. The calculations should be correct, and budget lines should reflect with the activities detailed in the project plan. You must provide an explanation of why you need the item that you’re budgeting for. By using this budget template https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LYNfZLQqpD6j1NexI4i8tCscIPxiBdnarXIudplE/edit?usp=sharing make sure you write the name of the project as your budget name name)
Please share a PDF version of your proposed project plan
(The project plan must be realistic, and must provide a detailed timeline for the activities outlined in your application. We recommend that you articulate your activities succinctly and clearly align the activities with your project description and your budget. By using this working plan template https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ETbSEoqzaol4fVVOjV4P89Y2WCMPqCMWgzhXtPG4j8/edit?usp=sharing make sure you write the name of the project as your work plan name)
Submission
If applicable, please provide a link to your organization's website
If applicable, please provide a link to your organization's/community Facebook account
https://www.facebook.com/AgriThamani
If applicable, please provide a link to your organization's/community Twitter account
https://twitter.com/AgriThamani
Will this grant co-fund an already established project?
Yes
Please confirm that you have checked your application, and answered the questions to the best of your ability
Yes - I'd like to submit my application