Location and environment
Moshi is a medium-sized town in the Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania not far from the border with Kenya. It is situated on the lower slopes of the spectacular Mt Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in Africa. It is just 3° south of the equator and at a height of just below 1000 metres.
The volcanoes have been responsible for the fertile soil found here.
Climate
Moshi has a tropical climate with high temperatures all year but peak in our winter and are at their lowest in our summer. There is short rainy season with April being the wettest month. The yearly rainfall total is similar to that of Glasgow. There is no winter and summer. Just a few kilometres away and within sight is the top of Mt Kilimanjaro, which has permanent snow.
The community
Although the town of Moshi itself is home to a range of different people, the Kilimanjaro region is predominantly made up of the Chagga people, who live on the slopes of Kilimanjaro and the Pare whose home is the Pare Mountains. The Masai people are semi-nomadic and live in the more remote countryside to the north.
The people speak Swahili. Most are Christians but there are smaller numbers of several other religions, especially Islam. As a result there are many churches in Moshi but also mosques and temples.
Education
Primary school is compulsory and free, although families still have to pay for uniforms, tests and books. Moshi has many government primary schools. Pupils are taught in Swahili. To attend secondary school, pupils must pass a national examination. If they fail, their school education ends. They cannot choose which secondary school to attend. Also there are fees for attending secondary school.
There are several government secondary schools in Moshi and an independent International School. Pupils are taught in English.
The Second Chance Centre in Moshi was set up by Mama Lucy Renju for the benefit of pupils who failed the national examination at the end of primary school. Pupils receive intensive tuition and then sit another examination which, if they pass, allows them into secondary school.
Moshi also has several higher education facilities, especially the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (KCMC), a campus of Tumaini University.
Standards of living and Quality of life
Moshi (Tanzania) / Glasgow (UK)Average income per person (GNI) / $590 / $36,901
Life expectancy / 59 years / 80 years
Average number of calories eaten per day / 2020 / 3440
Literacy rate / 69% / 99%
There are big differences in living standards in the Moshi area. No-one is starving but many people are very poor and do not have enough to eat. On the other hand there are business people, factory owners and managers who are wealthy and have a high quality of life. Also more people in Moshi have access to electricity, safe water and proper sewerage than do the people living in the countryside nearby.
As well as schools and colleges, the main hospital in the area is here - the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (KCMC). This huge hospital serves over 11 million people.
40% of the people have proper sewerage. For the rest, the sewage goes directly into the soil.
Some people have tap water in their homes; others use standpipes outside. The water comes from springs issuing from sides of Mt Kilimanjaro or from boreholes and is taken by pipe to peoples’ homes. It is not treated and so can become contaminated.
Ways of life
Farming
Most Chagga people in the countryside nearby are subsistence farmers, growing food crops such as maize (corn), yams and beans. The crops usually grow well in the fertile soils and with the help of reliable rains and the farmers can often sell surplus food to the Masai people who herd animals (pastoralists or pastoral farmers) such as goats and cattle nearer to Serengeti. The animals move throughout the year to find better grazing, so the Masai farmers have always been nomadic. Because they do not grow crops, the Masai need to buy grain; in return they sell meat and milk to the Chagga crop-growers.
But this traditional farming is changing.
1. Some farmers now have better irrigation (putting extra water on their fields) and even grow rice. There is an agricultural research station here which studies the most suitable varieties of crop to grow.
2. There are a few new types of farming, such as growing flowers for export and a very large sugar cane plantation
3. Also, many farmers now grow cash crops as well as subsistence on their farms and coffee is by far the most important. The coffee is exported but prices of primary goods such as coffee are always low and vary a lot from year to year. This means the farmworkers’ wages are low and the farmer can often make a loss. So in 1929 a local official set up the Kilimanjaro Native Co-operative Union (KNCU) to which over half the coffee farmers now belong. By working together, the farmers can buy what they need more cheaply (eg fertilisers, equipment) and they can sell at a higher price. Their coffee is very high quality and much in demand.
In recent years they have started to process the coffee in Moshi. Bags of ground coffee and coffee beans are now made here and sold in the UK. This is much more profitable than just selling raw coffee beans. It also gives more jobs and higher wages.
Factories
There are a few factories, such as breweries, engineering companies, a furniture company and a flour mill.
Tourism
Some people also make a living from tourism. There are world-famous attractions nearby, such as Mt Kilimanjaro and Serengeti National Park. There are some hotels and other types of accommodation which employ people while others are employed as guides, porters or drivers.