The World Partners project in Chakama, southern Tanzania, has come to a close. A cashew processing factory has been built in collaboration with the local farmers' cooperative. Construction and installation of the equipment was carried out almost entirely by local people. All the bricks needed for the four buildings were dried in the sun by the local people; this was an employment project in itself.

On average, 30 people work there now and this will gradually be increased to at least 70 people. I had a brief conversation with two women who work in the nut cracking section. Claudia is very happy with the work in the factory. She is now able to buy sufficient food for herself and her three children aged 9 to 13 years. She hopes that the money she now earns will soon allow her to send at least one child to high school. Grace did not want to interrupt her work to answer a few questions. She preferred to keep working while talking. Grace has a four year old
daughter and is divorced. She is very happy that she is able to work, as she
can now buy food and clothes. Grace is currently the fastest women working in
the nut cracking section. She processes 64 kilograms of unrefined nuts per day.

The factory has an independent energy supply. The steam needed to soften the cashew nut shells is generated by using the used shells as fuel for a boiler. The electricity that is needed for lighting, computers, etc., is obtained from solar power. We will also supply each household with a telephone charger and a small light; both powered by solar power. This will make life quite a bit easier for them. As it is, there is no electricity at all in the village itself. In Europe this is hard to
imagine; having no electricity would make our society unbearable. Nonetheless,
the sky at night is much more beautiful without electric lighting. Only then
can you see how many stars there are and can you give a moment's thought to
your own insignificance. 

This project gives people work and with that new hope for the future!

Hans Hamoen
Chairman