The participants of a BioSand filter training organized by Anna Anatoli and Syoni Mnzava, two participants from the African Women and Water Conference, in Arusha, Tanzania, for members of ANEPO (Attration of Natural Resources and Environment We Protect and Organize) and Tanzania Girl Guides from March 2-6, 2009.
But before the BSF training began ASD spent two weeks with Anna and Syoni making preparations, visiting the communities they work in and learning about the work of the Tanzanian Girl Guides and ANEPO. February 22 was Thinking Day, an international day to celebrate the birthdays of the founders of Girl Guides/Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and the Arusha community of Girl Guides came together to sing and dance and talk about safe water. This sign says, "MAJI SAFI NA SALAMA," in Kiswahili which translates to say, "WATER CLEAN AND SAFE."
There were over 15 schools represented and each group of Girl Guides came had prepared a presentation-song, dance-drama-to present to their fellow Girl Guides and regional Girl Guide leaders. 
Girl Guides queuing for water at a tap.
Anna demostrating the Solar CooKit during a skit about how to treat water so it is safe for drinking.
Syoni has been a Girl Guide since she was 9 years old! You can imagine with that kind of committment she has amazing respect from these girls and women. 
Anna demostrates the 3M Petrifilm component of the Portable Microbiology Laboratory to the Tanzanian Girl Guides Association during Thinking Day. 
Anna teaching the men who are trying to sell us rock and sand for the BioSand filter training about the importance of drinking safe water. But, she did not stop there, she proceeded to scold them all for pursuing a job doing the same thing as 20 other men. She encouraged them to do something different, to find something to distinguish themselves in business. She succeeded in perking the curiosity of one young man named Joshua who ran after her to inquire more about what project she was working on and Anna ended up inviting him to participate in the upcoming week's BSF training. 
The future home of ANEPO which will serve as an office and training facility abe to accomodate 15-20 people.
This roadside puddle is the source of washing water for nearby vendors.
This woman washes her vegetables and fruits and reused plastic bags in this puddle before proceeding down the street to set up her goods to sell to people passing by. Anna and Syoni have passed this woman several times during their visits to this community, called Lemara, and each time reproached her for washing her goods in roadside standing water. But, where else will she wash and how will they make her understand the danger of what she is doing?
Anna helping a Tanzanian Girl Guide use the Portable Microbiology Laboratory to test water during the BioSand filter and WASH training.
Anna inspecting the sieving process for the rock and sand to be used for the BioSand filter construction and installation.
The training venue was inside the Tanzanian Girl Guide's event tent which was set up in the yard of the District Commissioner's house.
Mama Syoni, who is 72 years old and a lifelong Tanzanian Girl Guide showing the younger women how real work is done!
Anna and a younger Girl Guide member lubricating the inside of the BioSand filter mold so concrete so will not stick to it when it's time to extract the filter.
First attemtps at using the Tippy Tap, a handless handwashing device, brought smiles and excitement as a transformed plastic bottle and some string became a simple solution for encouraging improved hygiene practices.
DO OVER! Picking up the crumbled mixture of concrete halfway through the pouring of a BioSand filter. This is what trainings are for-a safe place to make mistakes and learn best practices so when production starts there will be less time and resources lost.
Giving the BioSand filter a smooth finish, the final step in filter construction gives a Girl Guide leader a chance to practice her masonry skills.
Participants of the BioSand filter training surround the filter mold as they listen to instructions.
Anna and Mariah take a break from monitoring the BioSand filter construction to confer and share a smile.
Syoni picking greens from her garden in preparation for the solar cooking demonstration.
Syoni checking the status of the solar cooked dishes, squash and ugali (the East African staple made from maize flour).
The Solar CooKit, designed and distributed by Solar Cookers International, consists of a foldable cardboard cooking surface, a thin metal pot painted black with chalkboard paint, and a large plastic bag.
A training participant holding up his Portable Microbiology Laboratory water test; the water source he collected for this test is his family's main drinking water source-a borehole near his home-and and it was found to be at a high risk for disease associated with fecal contamination. The adage that "seeing is believing" has never felt so true when witnessing the realization of participants that the water they generally believed to be dirty is in fact proven to be unsafe.
Lubrication for the BioSand filter can be anything that is edible. Usually in trainings we use cooking oil, but here in Arusha lard from the local butcher is more cost effective, with the same effectiveness.
Hard physical work makes the BioSand filter training a demanding event. Here girl guides are pounding the concrete poured into the mold to remove air (which if trapped in the concrete could create leaks in the finished filter).
Anna pounding on the outside of the mold with a rubber mallet to force the concrete to settle and the air to move to the top.
The days work is finished! The concrete has been poured into the mold and will dry overnight. Syoni is seen here explaining how what she is touching is actually the bottom of the filter-for the filter is poured upside down and righted before it is extracted 18 to 24 hours from now.
One of only two male participants, Joshua was the one recruited to attend the training by Anna as she was lecturing the group of men selling sand and gravel on the need to diversify their occupations and search for more lucrative and productive employment. After completing the gravel order for the training and setting off for her car she was called back by this young man who wanted to know more about what she was doing and how he might become involved. If ANEPO's BioSand filter project develops into more full scale implementation he will surely have a position as a technician.
The concrete has set overnight and now it's time to extract the filter from its mold. One participant is reaching in the filter to pull out the bottom retainer as another unscrews the bolts on the nose of the filter.
With patience and perseverance the two male particpants are successful in pulling the inner mold out the top of the filter. This piece helped the filter keep its shape and not cave in as it was drying.
Mama Syoni standing next to a newly extracted BioSand filter.
The training participants working together to turn the filter upside down before taking the mold apart. Not an easy task as it is about 160 lbs and still a bit fragile!
Smiles and and cheers and pride swell as the training participants marvel at their first filter constructed!
The newly extracted BioSand filter will sit with water in it for 7 days in order for the concrete to cure, becoming hard and strong with no leaks.
Extraction of filter #2 is underway and cheers of encouragement rise as once again, Marco and Joshua complete the first step of pulling out the inner mold.
Tanzanian Girl Guide participants looking on as the review session for the week's training gets under way on the final day.
Anna conducting a practical review session about how the rock and sand are placed into the BioSand filter during installation.
Final training day presentations by the participants! It's always amazing to hear how much they have understood and learned in 5 days about a topic they previously had little or no experience with. And not just knowledge but practical hands-on skills and strategies for implemention.
Marco explaining to Arusha's chief engineer and matron of the Arusha Tanzania Girl Guides -who attended the training's final afternoon presentations and certificate awarding ceremony-the process of preparing the rock and sand for the construction and installation of the BioSand filter.
Anna elaborating on the methodology for the Portable Microbiology Laboratory for the Girl Guide matron guest of honor.
Arusha's chief engineer sticking his hand inside the plastic bag of the Solar CooKit to confirm that the pot is in fact hot and cooking the food.
A Girl Guide and a member of ANEPO explain the design and operating parameters of the BioSand filter.
Syoni and Anna demonstrating the simple Solar CooKit technology.
Arusha's chief engineer awarding certificates of participation to the members of the BioSand filter training during the final day's cmlosing ceremony.
The training group poses for a picture before parting ways. Most of these participants have made sacrifices with home and work to be here for the five day training. They were glad to have come, exhausted and ready to get back to their normal schedules!
The matron of the Arusha chapter of the Tanzanian Girl Guides admires the posters Anna and Syoni received at the end of the African Women and Water Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. These tarpaulin posters with the picture of each participant were hanging in the conference room and at the end of the week the participants, trainers and organizers took marker pens and wrote messages to each other and everyone took their posters home with them. During ASD's follow-up visits these posters were proudly on display in almost every woman's home or office!
Mama Syoni giving me a tour of Anna's garden and talking to me about her other aspirations and project ideas concerning her work as a community nurse and midwife.
Anna Anatoli's yard is an extension of the community work that she is so tirelessly involved with. This is an alternative small scale farming technique she is going to promote to women's groups she works with to encourage household gardening to positively affect nutrition.Truly amazing work and inspirational living by Anna Anatoli and Syoni Mnzava, the Tanzanian participants of the 2008 African Women and Water Conference!
