Preventing Cattle Disease: A Lesoit, Tanzania Project

During the summer of 2014 Professor Cooperrider of the College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences at Northern Arizona University traveled to Lesoit, Tanzania to assess a village of the Maasai people. Three problems were identified during this assessment trip. One problem was a broken valve arm for a cattle trough. Another was the need for a hand pump well. The problem that was focused on is a desire from the village to design and construct a cattle dip to rid their cattle of disease carrying vectors. The cattle are highly valued in the Maasai culture due to their tradability as well as their blood and milk, which is consumed for sustenance. Constructing a dipping vat would not only result in healthier cattle but it could also improve the village's economy. Lesoit is located between two villages, each with their own functioning, yet unmaintained, cattle dip. This means that the people of Lesoit must travel to these other locations to pay to use their cattle dips.


Location

Lesoit is located in northeastern Tanzania. It is a mountainous region with lush green vegetation, which is an ideal climate for ticks

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