Who they are

Gloria Nkungu
Founder and Program Coordinator

Gloria is a single mother of two who supports herself and her family working for KIU, a Ki-swahili language school for foreigners. Despite being born into the poverty of Tanzania, Gloria gained a diploma in education at Dar Es Salaam Teachers' College and taught at various Institutes. In her late 30's she developed an interest in Political Science and studied at the University of Dar Es Salaam, specialising in Internal Relations and Public Administration. As part of her studies she spent time working at the Department of Poverty Eradication Unit in Dar Es Salaam. This experience has widened her insight into policies that are concerned with poverty and the means of developing, monitoring and evaluating these policies.
"I set up the Association in early 2005 because African educated women should aspire to initiate more support to alter the difficult situation of the poor women in their communities and beyond. When I look at the people around me I see an intelligent, hard-working, warm community that deserves the chance to find a way out of poverty. Many of the women in Tanzania are living on less than one dollar a day, working every daylight hour in an attempt to house, feed and clothe their children. I want to find a way for these women to develop into the successes they could be. I believe that many of the problems Tanzanian women face are due to a lack of education and little understanding of how they can develop themselves and their businesses and so improve their quality of life." 

Arnold Mushongi
Agriculture and Environment Advisor

Arnold is a PhD Degree student (Science & Agriculture) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In October 2007, he will be returning to Tanzania to conduct the research element of his PhD. He holds a MSc. Degree (Dryland Biodiversity) from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and a BSc. Degree (Agriculture General) from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania. He has attended a series of short courses ranging from a few weeks to 6 months both in and outside of Tanzania that have equipped him with skills of interest to the RWDA such as participatory research methods, statistical/biometrical data analyses and interpretation, genetic/ecological diversity, evaluation and assessment, environmental impact assessment, project development, grantsmanship, leadership, indigenous knowledge systems, gender empowerment and biotechnology.
Arnold has worked as an Environmental Programme Officer for umbrella NGOs and consultancy firms in Tanzania. Currently he works as a public researcher for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives on a major in plant breeding project and genetics. He oversees participatory crop improvement, environmental conservation, food security, biotechnology and heads research projects in those areas.
"I am a founder member of RWDA. Although I have been involved with other NGO's attempting to roll back destitution, misery, and ignorance at a sustainable and reasonable speed, I believe that RWDA has a potential for scaling up geographically a working model of development prescriptions. Our criteria for beginning with Singida region are socially, economically, and environmentally obvious in Tanzania's special papers aimed at strategic poverty alleviation. But notwithstanding harsh ecosystems, the people in Singida are forward looking and hardworking. These are preconditions for development to succeed." 

Evelyne Matikiti Chisongela
Health Advisor
Evelyne M. Chisongela is currently working with her husband in their two privately owned dispensaries; both of them are in the Temeke District and are located in areas with communities of low socio economic status. She has a Diploma in Clinical Medicine, has experience in Health Facility Management, Human and Financial Resource Management and is very competent in drug procurement and dispensing medecine. Evelyne became involved with the RWDA as she wished to involve herself in public health programs, more particularly in the region of Singida where she is from and where she has witnessed the health situation of the rural women at first hand. 

Anna Melkiad
Education Advisor
Anna Melkiadi has a degree in Language Studies and teaches English, French and Swahili. Her interest is principally based on the fullness of one's life and experience. She is determined to help rural women to gain access to education, to make good use of resources and to encourage environment conservation. Her dream is to see rural women change their attitudes and behaviors by engaging themselves in various activities and hence raise the economy at the local as well as the national level in a manner that will ensure that development is sustainable.

Amani Matitu
Volunteer Liaison Officer
Amani works for Kiswahili na Utamaduni (KIU) Ltd as an Administrative Assistant. Amani is a founder member of the RWDA and its volunteer liaison officer, organising visas as well as living and working arrangements.
"I decided to join and work with RWDA because I believe that empowering women is empowering the whole family and that there can be no solution to our problems of poverty unless families are provided with some knowledge and practical and financial tools. It is difficult for rural people to imagine a better future when they have no access to different ideas and a chance to evaluate alternatives". 

Sophia
Office clerk
Sophia, also known as Mama Hoja in the RWDA office. Sophia is the RWDA's only full time staff. She started working in February 2006 and spends her time visiting the groups in the villages, overseeing the construction of the hostel and providing clerical work in the office. Right now she is learning to master IT skills on a donated laptop and printer.