Women-led, One Health Solutions in Tanzania

Greetings to all our supporters, 

As we plan ahead for the spring, we have been working hard with our Tanzanian team to develop a data collection system for the community women who participate in the Women's Earth Project. Over the past two years, they have been actively engaged in community outreach activities in Tanzania's Southern Highlands, providing education and implementable techniques to strengthen water health, human-wildlife co-existence, climate resilient agriculture, and livestock health. Anecdotally, their activities have produced widespread benefits that have led to improved food security, strengthened animal and human health, and elevated valuation of wildlife and biodiversity. We have some limited data to back this up; however, we recognize that in order to scale-up the program and garner more support, we have to create a uniform system of data collection for these women to provide concrete evidence of the transformational changes they're creating in their communities.

We believe that data collection will be a game-changer for these women tackling One Health challenges. By gathering local data on things like disease trends, clean water access, and crop health, these women, working hand-in-hand with regional experts, will be able to provide critical information on how their interventions are strengthening human, animal, and environmental health and wellbeing. We hope that in doing so, we'll be putting the power of data directly into their hands, allowing them to be instrumental in driving positive change in the Southern Highlands. Ultimately, the data they collect will lead to informed decisions, resulting in healthier communities and ecosystems. 

Plus, by empowering these women to lead data collection, we’re making One Health efforts more inclusive and resilient. They become innovators, actively shaping their futures with the tools to advocate for the resources and policies they need. For contributors like you, this is an opportunity to support a movement where local women lead the charge, using technology and information to create lasting, meaningful impact. It’s not just about numbers—it’s about unlocking potential and transforming communities!

Asante Sana, 

Kate and the EcoVet Global / FOECOE Teams

Greetings all,

It's been a busy summer for the EcoVet Global and FOECOE teams. We've been busy writing grants, networking, and forming collaborations. We have some exciting growth opportunities in the pipeline that we hope to share in the upcoming year. 

In the meantime, we are continuing to grow two parallel, but complementary programs in the Women's EARTH Project. On the one hand, the women of Mboliboli and Itonya villages continue to expand their One Health outreach activities encompassing animal health, climate resilient agriculture, and human-wildlife coexistence. One the other hand, Jessica and Eliza, FOECOE's Co-directors, are further cultivating their relationship with local school teachers to reinforce the principles of One Health in primary schools through art and storytelling projects. These two arms of the program that we're collectively implementing in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania reflect a beautiful story of synergy. 

In the primary schools, the children are learning about the priniciples of One Health and interconnectedness at an early age. Living on the edge of farm and wilderness, the children recognize the interdependence of humans, animals, and ecosystem health. Simultaneously, many of them have also witnessed their mothers go through the Women's EARTH training program and become well-respected One Health experts within in their respective communities. Over the past two years, the women have provided numerous outreach worshops for farmers and pastoralists on water and soil health, domestic animal health, and wildlife conflict mitigation. These activities have siginificantly contributed to improvements in household nutrition and financial resilience across the Mboliboli and Itonya communities and beyond. Better yet, through their enthusiasm and dedication to the program, the children and women are generating a shift toward regenerative livelihoods that strengthen local resources and biodiversity and pave the pathway for a promising future. 

We hope you continue to have a lovely summer! We should have lots of news to share in the upcoming year. As always, we extend our deep appreciation for your continued support for the Women's EARTH Project. 

With immense gratitude, 

Kate and the FOECOE /  EcoVet Global Teams.