Meatu District Report - Whole Village Project - University of Minnesota

conservation organizations that generate income for the community. Sapa and Mbushi benefit from
companies that purchase cotton from farmers that can supplement subsistence livelihoods with
cash crop sales. While there are some disagreements and problems associated with outside
companies and organizations, their presence provides additional income for residents.
3.2 District Gaps
There appears to be a relatively low level of education throughout the district. While 48% to 58%
of adults completed primary school, 27% to 36% have received no education at all. The difference
in gender is particularly acute as fewer women than men completed primary school. The largest
gap is in Iramba Ndogo in which 66% of men and 48% of women have a primary education. Such
low levels of education can have a profound impact on the villages’ economic productivity, food
security and general health. School quality is often referred to as low, given a general lack of
infrastructure and a shortage of teachers. For example, there are as many as 155 students per
teacher and 103 students per classroom in Iramba Ndogo. The best case situation was in Mbushi in
which there 64 students per teacher and classroom. Survey participants also noted a lack of
sanitary equipment in the schools and food was generally not provided for students.
Access to quality drinking water is another serious issue, particularly for Mbushi, Iramba Ndogo
and Sapa. Residents from those three villages report that they obtain water from unclean sources
such as surface water or an unprotected well. Residents in Makao note that 35% get water from a
public tap and 33% from a protected well as it is the only village in which the majority have clean
water access. The lack of residents taking measures to make water safe exacerbates the situation as
only 27% to 47% do anything such as boiling water. This lack of sanitary water can have profound
effects on public health in the area. Finally, the average time necessary to obtain water is fairly
high, particularly in Mbushi and Sapa in which the average times are 134 minutes and 120 minutes
respectively.
There is also a severe lack of toilets in the district. While 32% in Iramba Ndogo and 45% in Makao
have no toilet, over half in Mbushi (71%) and Sapa (57%) also do not have one present. With the
exception of 2% of households in Makao, no respondent has a flush toilet and those who do have a
toilet have a pit latrine. Such conditions can pose a major health challenge by contaminating water
and food sources.
9 Key Findings | Whole Village Project – Meatu District, January 2011