‘They Could Be My Little Sister’ A Passion for Improving Maternal and Child Nutrition in Tanzania
- Natasha C. Allard
- Dec 1, 2023
- 3 min read
Sarafina Safari and Natasha C. Allard After an immersive, hands-on week and a half of quantitative interviewer training, we walked into a rural village about an hour outside of Bukoba, Tanzania. We—a group of research team members and enumerators—chatted about how long the enumerators had been working with EDI Global. One enumerator shared that this was her sixth data collection contract and she was especially excited since the project for which we were collecting data to evaluate, Stawisha Maisha, was centered around her personal passion: improving child health in rural Tanzania.
“The people we interview remind me of my family. I grew up a village just like this. I know how much it meant when we received attention and resources from international organizations. I want to be part of helping these kids have the best possible chance in life … they could be my little sister.”
Her commitment to data collection is not a rarity; many enumerators working with EDI Global shared that they have doing this work for close to a decade. They see it as a great way to apply their skillsets and university education to doing something impactful for the country they grew up in. And from the research side, we wouldn’t be able to do it without them.
The evaluation of Stawisha Maisha is mixed method, leveraging both quantitative and
qualitative data. PRESTO and EDI Global (together with our qualitative research partner, Empathea) are dedicated to creating an inclusive, synergistic collaboration between
organizations investing in international research and the communities we work with.
This is why EDI Global and Empathea take special care in selecting, training, and retaining interviewers dedicated to producing the highest quality data. The interviewers perform a variety of data collection activities, ranging from weighing children to interviewing caregivers. Each task requires soft and hard skills, such as the ability to develop a rapport as well as navigate complex questionnaires and operate measuring equipment in a standardized way. For Stawisha Maisha, data collection is critical to evaluating the impact of the program.
About Stawisha Maisha
Stawisha Maisha means ‘Nourishing Life’ in Swahili. Stawisha Maisha aims to improve children’s health issues in Tanzania, such as stunting (low height-for-age) and wasting (low weight-for-age), through cash transfers and a social behavior change & communication radio program for mothers. The program is implemented by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF), through a social behavior change and communication radio program for caregivers layered on top of the national flagship social protection program, the Productive Social Safety Net, which includes cash transfers and other programming. PRESTO, EDI Global, and Empathea are leading the impact evaluation of Stawisha Maisha, with support from UNICEF Tanzania and TASAF.
What is an impact evaluation?
An impact evaluation is a type of research that uses rigorous methods to determine what changes in outcomes can be attributed to a specific program or policy (in our case, Stawisha Maisha).
About the Authors
Sarafina Safari is a Data Quality Officer for EDI Global, based in Bukoba, Tanzania. She has worked with EDI for more than a decade and is extensively experienced in high quality data collection. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Project Planning Management and Community Development from Dodoma University.
Natasha C. Allard, MBA is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior at the University at Buffalo. Her research focuses on health communication, global health, and health behavior change. She holds a Masters of Business Administration and has worked for 9 years in health communication management and health communication consulting roles.
The opinions expressed in this blog belong to the authors and do not represent institutions with whom the authors are currently or formerly affiliated.
Reading your article on the efforts to improve maternal and child nutrition in Tanzania really pulled at my heart it's powerful to see grassroots care and community strength in action. I’ve also been juggling the idea to do my nursing class while balancing work, and this piece reminded me how important it is to build a strong foundation before stepping into a role that supports others.
Reading your piece on maternal and child nutrition in Tanzania, it really struck a chord how much strength and care goes into community-led change, where hope and action meet. In a similar vein, I’ve been looking to hire someone to take my online advanced mathematics class so I can focus more fully on the creative side of my work while ensuring the numbers are handled responsibly.
Reading this post about improving maternal and child nutrition in Tanzania reminded me how interconnected education and real-world impact can be. When I was overwhelmed studying biology, I once thought, Maybe I should pay someone to do my biology class, just to keep up with complex topics like human development and nutrition. Thankfully, with The Online Class Help, I found structured guidance that deepened my understanding instead of replacing my learning, helping me connect theory to real-life relevance.
What a deeply moving story of commitment to maternal and child nutrition in Tanzania it brought me straight back to a season when I was crafting my own long-form research piece and felt like I was drowning in data, structure, and uncertainty. In that moment I chose to seek out a academic editing service UK, not for someone else to take the reins, but to help me untangle the messy drafts, clarify the through line of my argument, and let my findings speak with confidence and purpose.