English

This is a weblog about my experiences as a VSO volunteer working in Bukoba, Tanzania. For those of you don't speak Dutch, this in short about my placement, Kiroyera Tours, Kagera and Bukoba. If you want to know more don't hesitate to contact me.

My placement
I am working as a business advisor for Kiroyera Tours. Kiroyera Tours is a small local company created by 5 women (who are now the Directors) which began operating in Bukoba in June 2002. They are the only tour company to be running from within the region and feel there is a great deal of potential for improving the income generating possibilities of the area through tourism. Its current mission is: 'To widely promote Lake Victoria as a tourist destination and operate quality assured mobile tourism around the Lake and beyond.' Its main target groups are tourists who are seen as an important resource for influencing and benefiting the wider community. Through promotion of eco-tourist activities Kiroyera Tours hopes to preserve those areas of natural beauty, interest and importance; increase international understanding and cooperation; and provide opportunities for local people to generate income. Kiroyera Tours want to provide good quality services to the tourists so that these aims can be realized.

Kiroyera tours
Kiroyera Tours already begun to develop a number of programs. They run a tourist information centre in Bukoba Town and can provide boat trips, land tours with local guides and arrange travel bookings. In addition they are supervising the set-up and management of a village museum project; have provided some guide-training and training for local hoteliers in customer services and have done some awareness raising on the ideas of eco-tourism in the villages. As part of their initial research they have begun mapping areas of special interest and making links with village leaders, District government and other potential stakeholders in order to improve the level of knowledge they have of marketable sites and activities. Kiroyera means "turn the dark day bright".

Kagera Region
Kagera Region is located on the North western corner of Tanzania bordering Uganda on the north, Rwanda and Burundi on the east, Kigoma and Mwanza regions on the south and Lake Victoria on the east. It comprises of five administrative districts of Bukoba, Muleba, Karagwe, Ngara and Biharamulo. The Haya ethnic group are the major tribe occupying the districts of Bukoba, Muleba and Karagwe followed by the Hangaza who live in Ngara district. Biharamulo district is occupied by a number of ethnic groups including the Sukuma and more recently, the Jita from Mara region.

Kagera region stands at 3,750 feet above sea level and lies just south of the equator. Much of it is hilly terrain with thick tropical vegetation including forests. Most of the region experiences a pleasant climate, with an average temperature of 20-30C throughout the year, though it can drop as low as 10C at night in the rainy season. There are two rainy seasons, the long rains being between February and May and the short rains between October and December. The rainfall contributes to the green, lush vegetation. The soil is reasonably fertile although soil fertility has been declining in the last 50 years due to overuse and neglect. The major crops are green bananas which were brought to Buhaya by unknown immigrants 500 or 600 years ago. Before that, the area's main staple had been finger millet. German colonialists introduced coffee farming at the end of the 19th century and this gradually became the second major crop in the region, grown exclusively for sale. Other, less important crops include beans (a key produce for Karagwe), cotton and cassava (important to Biharamulo district), tea, sweet potatoes and vegetables.

Bukoba
Bukoba is a fairly small town and the centre of town is flat and compact, though many people and organisations are located in the surrounding hills. Bukoba has a bay with a sandy beach, a port with a ferry that travels to and from Mwanza, a small airport, a bus stand, and numerous hotels and bars. There are two main streets, both paved: Jamhuri Road goes from a cluster of old German buildings and government offices near the Lake Hotel to the centre of town where the market and the bus stand are located. Government Road goes from the port to the town centre (about 3 km) and proceeds out of town to Kampala and Muleba.