The Western Heads East project has collaborated with a group of women in Tanzania to make probiotic yogurt, proven to build immunity, enhance nutrition and improve quality of life, especially for those with HIV/AIDS.
The women have been licenced as an NGO (non-governmental organization) called Tukwamuane (Women Working to End Poverty) and their story has captured the attention and imagination of East African governments.
The probiotic yogurt was developed by Western faculty members Gregor Reid (Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry/Lawson Health Research Institute) and Sharareh Hekmat (Brescia University College).
After receiving an award from the Tanzanian Government for their work to help people living with AIDS, Tukwamuane (TWG) lobbied successfully for the government to pay for the probiotic yogurt for 150 people living with AIDS who, until this time, received the yogurt free of charge through donations from WHE..
TWG, now a strong leader within their community, has been trained by the women’s rights organization Kivulini to provide lay counseling for women who are abused and for people recently diagnosed with HIV. They provide a breakfast program from the community kitchen for the high school next door, raise their own cows for the milk supply, and recently started to raise chickens.
TWG has become a model for other women’s groups. They traveled to Kenya to teach a group of women to make the probiotic yogurt, as part of a World Bank-funded research project led by Western faculty member Isaac Luginaah.
The Biryogo Health Centre and Kigali Health Institute will visit TWG this month to see the successful kitchen prior to starting a probiotic yogurt kitchen in Kigali, Rwanda.
On March 25, in the Great Hall at Western, the high commissioners of Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Zambia will attend our community celebration called, “In the Market for Western Heads East.”
The government officials are interested in hearing more about the successful program led by these empowered women’s groups and in further collaboration with The University of Western Ontario.
Western Heads East invites the London and campus communities to celebrate with us.
You will experience an East African market, with wines paired alongside African-inspired foods, student interns displaying poster programs, market stalls, African entertainment, a silent auction, and more. Grand prizes include a Via Rail trip for two from London to Montreal and a Travel CUTS return flight to London, UK. Tickets are only $50 ($25 for students) and can be purchased at the door.
The writer is a staff member in Housing and Ancillary Services and co-ordinator of Western Heads East.