Pilot study menstrual sponges Ushongo/Tanzania completed
23.04.2019
In Tanzania, many women have no access to hygiene products. Bandages are more and more available but too expensive for many women. Moreover, in many places there is no adequate waste disposal. Menstrual sponges would be a sustainable solution and local jobs could be created.
The sponges from Jambiani were tested and found to be good. But unfortunately we could not find the business case! The sponge farmers earn their money by cultivating the sponges. But the size of the menstrual sponges is just the size of a 'seedling'.
In Ushongo/Tanzania we found a long time ago a sponge species that could be suitable. With a test sponge farm a feasibility study over more than one year was made, which unfortunately turned out negative for different reasons.
Presentation of the project idea to the Local Fisheries Committee of Ushongo (BMU)
- It was not possible to locate enough sponges for the start of a test production. For sustainable production, the sponge species to be cultivated must be widespread so that sufficient sponge fragments can be taken from nature to build up a breeding stock without damaging the natural stands.
- The local conditions in the Ushongo/Pangani area have turned out to be miserable. Visibility is poor for most of the year because the nearby river produces a lot of sediment. Mostly the sponges could not be seen even in the farm because the visibility was below 1 meter. For the same reason no living specimens of the selected species could be found in the sea, although they are abundant in dead form on the beach.
Waiting at the 'airport' of Ushongo for the return journey to Zanzibar
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