Zanzibar
Zanzibar is located off the east coast of Africa (see map below).
It is a semi-autonomous country and has a political Union with Tanzania, but has its own parliament and president.
It was a former centre of the spice and slave trade & has a rich background of African, Arab, Indian and European influences. The original settlers were Bantu speaking Africans but later incomers, Omani Arabs, were the main influence setting up trading colonies and becoming an independent Sultanate. It became a British protectorate in 1890 and finally gained independence in 1963.
The population is 982,000, speaking Swahili and English. Chief exports are cloves, seaweed, coconut and Copra.
Kizimkazi/Dimbani Village
The village is situated on the south-west coast of the Unguja Island of Zanzibar (marked on the map below), 60km from the capital of Stonetown. The population is around 1800 – 2000 people. The area around K/Dimbani is old coral reef which is used for agriculture and building houses.
Income
This is derived mainly from fishing & agriculture. Some women make rope and others produce seaweed. It is a low technology economy and local incomes range from 100 - 200 dollars per annum using an exchange rate of 1300 tanzanian shillings to 1 dollar.
Public Health
Most of the water supply is direct from the tap although supplies are intermittent. The sewage system consists of pit latrines which exist in 49% of houses. Some latrines are not covered which gives rise to mosquitoes and subsequent malaria.
K/Dimbani School
The School is located on the south western tip of Zanzibar
Kizimkazi/Dimbani village location
On the map below, use the controls on the left to zoom in and out. Move the map around using your mouse.