© action medeor Info © action medeor Tanzania Report from Kibaha: Visits from Tanzanian authorities and German board of directors Close-up 24 February 2023 As a volunteer senior expert, biologist and toxicologist Dr. Bernd Diener has been working for action medeor for six years. In Kibaha (Tanzania), he is helping to set up a production facility for laboratory reagents. He is accompanied by his wife Sigrid, who regularly reports on his experiences and the progress of the project in Tanzania: Work on the construction site is progressing well - even temporary power cuts can't stop the workers: they do almost all the work by hand and simply use physical strength. The work is carried out with patience and at a speed adapted to the weather. The tone on the construction site is friendly and I have never heard the foreman say a word out loud. The people who work here on the construction site are like a temporary “family”. They treat each other with respect. Early in the morning on Tuesday, the representatives of the authority arrived from Dar es Salaam for the pre-audit. The pre-audit is an initial inspection of the plant and the planned production. The representatives were visibly satisfied with the organization of the site and the preparation of the necessary documents. They only made a few recommendations for change. The important certification in accordance with the international standard (ISO) has thus successfully overcome a first hurdle! The entire team was very happy about this! This week, the 20-liter canisters into which the plant's products are to be filled arrived. They are large, sturdy containers that are easy to handle. There has already been a lot of discussion about how a deposit system with return of the containers could be organized. I am amazed by the topic of recycling and waste avoidance in Tanzania. Even without a “yellow bag”, many things here are reused or recycled several times. Empty glass bottles are refilled and I am very sure that the 20 liter canisters will have a long life here in the country! Plastic bags are banned throughout the country, which has a visible effect on the cleanliness of the roadside. On Thursday and Friday, we had a visit from Christoph Bonsmann, who had traveled from Germany as a board member of action medeor. He used the time to get an update on the progress in Kibaha and to discuss further perspectives and strategies with the entire action medeor Tanzania team. As always, he had plenty of good suggestions in his luggage! Our time in Tanzania will soon be coming to an end. In the remaining week, we hope that the sea container from Germany will finally clear customs so that we can set up the laboratory equipment and furniture we need.