text: limited UNICEF support in 1988. and it has helped to turn Masasi District into the new green belt of Tanzania. Traditionally, yields from food production have been low, due to poor seeds and soil conditions. Villagers also relied heavily on maize as the staple food, a crop that was not ideally suited to the recurrent periods of drought in Masasi. Cash income to buy food had also dwindled since local cashew trees, the source of the area's main export crop, were attacked by a fungus, which cut production dramatically. Poor roads, and insufficient pricing and marketing infrastructure made the situation even worse. Food availability was limited and malnutrition in the region was one of the highest in the country—nearly 50 per cent of all children suffered from moderate or severe protein energy malnutrition in 1987, The district realized that somechange was necessary. UNICEF was asked to help, and a plan was drawn up to support increased production of drought-resistant crops, particularly cassava and sorghum. In 1988, before the plan could be imple- mented, Masasi was hit again by severe drought. The district received provisions of food aid but wanted a longer-term solution that would avoid dependence on outside help. In late 1988 the District Commissioner in Masasi organized the Onjama programme and requested UNICEF assistance. The district authorities mobilized all able-bodied adults to plant one acre of cassava and one acre of a cash crop (usually sorghum, cowpea or green gram). UNICEF Tanzania provided limited but key transport assistance and an initial supply of sorghum seeds. The Government also organized trucks from local NGOS and even used the Prime Minister's plane to bring in seeds from other areas. By early 1989 the results of the Onjama programme were already spectacular. Over 63,000 acres of cassava, 17,000 acres of cowpea and green gram and 6,000 acres of
analysis: The text primarily focuses on a specific project in Tanzania, the Onjama programme, which aimed to increase food production and reduce dependence on external aid in Masasi District. The programme involved the district authorities, UNICEF, and the government, and its success was remarkable. The text highlights the challenges faced by the district, including drought, poor soil conditions, and lack of infrastructure, and how the programme addressed these issues.