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What went wrong in schools with high profile names?

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Published on Saturday, 02 March 2013 03:48
Written by FINNIGAN WA SIMBEYE
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BENJAMIN MkapaIN December 2011, one of Public Sector Pension Funds officials confided to me that they had requested State House to approve use of President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as name for their new 25-storey triple tower landmark building.

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Kibaha: Hope for clean water fades

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Published on Saturday, 02 March 2013 03:05
Written by MARCELINA MASHA
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HADIJA Uweso (35) and her neighbour Mwanabinti Ali (62) are not only tired after a long and arduous walk, but have also lost hope of finding a permanent solution to a chronic problem in their village: water shortage. The two villagers are residents of Saeni, a location forming part of Kongowe neighbourhood on the outskirts of Kibaha Town in Coast Region. With their buckets on their heads, coupled with the heat of the scotching sun, the pain in their frail bodies is too much to endure. The two women woke up in the wee hours, which is usually around 3.00 am to walk for seven kilometres to reach a water well known as Ngugu. The water well, according to the women, has become a campsite for the entire location of Saeni, as women, children and the youth all spend the night together trying to draw water from one single source. “It’s dangerous walking in the forest. You may trample on a snake or get hurt by thugs. But we have no other option, we must get water,’’ says Mwanabinti, carrying a ten-litre bucketful of water. Residents in the villages of Saeni and Ngoingo, that lie about 20 kilometres from the main water pump, say water shortage has been a thorny issue for many years. According to the villagers, some years back, the government of Kuwait drilled over sixty wells (number could not be verified), but these are all dry during the dry season. “Water is available during the rainy season, mostly in March, April and May. We also get a little of it in October. Otherwise during the rest of the year, the whole area is dry,’’ says Babu Mohammed Awadh (57) who settled at Saeni from Chalinze in Bagamoyo District, some 30 years ago. Awadh says there has been little or no effort to solve the problem even as there is an influx of people from Dar es Salaam buying land and showing lots of interest to build residential houses. “When you talk to the new comers, all they complain about is water. They are ready to settle and develop this area which as you can see is ideal for horticulture and has potential for cassava and legumes. I have spoken to property buyers and some of them are even contemplating building schools and dispensaries but cannot do so in such a dry place,’’ says Awadh, stressing that many villages in the neighbourhood are desperately racing against time, convening meetings with their leaders and consulting with new ‘settlers’ in the hope of getting a solution to the critical shortage of the precious liquid. Water has far-reaching consequences. Its availability or shortage can tempt or put off would-be land buyers. The first thing that prospective customers would like to know when looking for a new settlement is water. Other basic requirements like electricity, roads, schools and health services are thought to be secondary. “You can’t prevent people from buying land, even if there is water shortage. I believe that the government can step in and provide essential services as many people have now settled in this area,’’ remarks Philemon Massawe who has just bought a 10-acre farm at Saeni on which he plans to develop horticulture and livestock keeping. He says when too many hours are wasted in nothing but the hunt for water, and all you get is one bucket only, development targets cannot be achieved. Yet, there is so much to gain as Coast Region is an ideal farming area. The locals themselves believe that the upswing of land buying in Kibaha District will eventually bring blessings to the indigenous people as the newcomers may decide to use their own means to drill water. Another alternative in their mind is to try and persuade Dar es Salaam Water Supply Company (DAWASCO) which serves the City and some areas of Coast Region to bring the service to their doors. However, DAWASCO’s service is so limited that even its customers in the nearby neighbourhood of Vikuge receives water only once or twice per week. “We don’t think DAWASCO can make it. But we have great expectations in the newcomers. Some have financial muscles and might be in a position to drill deep wells,’’ says another resident, Issa Chaurembo, whose fiveacre farm is up for grabs at 15m/-, a soaring price determined by the high value of land. “My neighbour for example, has 30 dairy cows. She is doing well in her milk business after digging a deep well. We are hoping to see things changing for the better as more people buy land in our area,’’ he says. Although data showing the extent to which people buy property in Kibaha rural areas are not readily available, the high rate of property development tells it all. Many people from Dar es Salaam are shifting into the area, escaping congestion in the city. According to experts from the Sokoine University of Agriculture, 70 per cent of underground water in the country has not been tapped. The water table in the entire Coast Region is ideal for well-drilling and this offers a good chance for the government to give the region a chance for agriculture development.HADIJA Uweso (35) and her neighbour Mwanabinti Ali (62) are not only tired after a long and arduous walk, but have also lost hope of finding a permanent solution to a chronic problem in their village: water shortage.

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Labour Information Systems bridge gaps in job markets

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Published on Saturday, 02 March 2013 03:01
Written by ANNE ROBI
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YOUNGSTERS who finished Standard Seven a couple of years ago learn carpentry to get job skills and experience at Super Diego Furniture located at Veterinary along Mandela Road in Dar es Salaam.RECOGNIZING that unemployment and underemployment rates are highest among young people, the government has formulated a system to generate information and knowledge that would ease the transition of young people to decent work.

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TAREA geared towards boosting rural electrification

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Published on Saturday, 02 March 2013 02:51
Written by ANNE ROBI
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A TAREA workshop on alternative energy.ESTABLISHED 13 years ago, the Tanzania Renewable Energy Association (TAREA) has set up an initiative that would ensure accessibility and use of technology that protects the environment countrywide.

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Why Great Ruaha River needs new conservation strategies

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Published on Saturday, 02 March 2013 02:23
Written by DEOGRATIAS MFUGALE in Iringa
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THE Great Ruaha RiverSTAKEHOLDERS in the water sector are meeting here for four days to set strategies to restore perennial flows of the Great Ruaha River, sections of which have been drying up following long periods of drought during the past 20 years, thus affecting wildlife, electricity production and livelihoods for communities in the Rufiji Basin.

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Mwanza entrepreneurs get TWB support

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Published on Friday, 01 March 2013 02:47
Written by DASSU STEPHEN in Mwanza
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A casual labourer cleans fish at Mwaloni fish market in Mwanza. (File photo)ECONOMIC empowerment in Mwanza Region has taken a pragmatic step after Tanzania Women’s Bank (TWB) opened a branch in the region recently.

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Safi Theatre modifies women’s role on stage

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Published on Friday, 01 March 2013 02:35
Written by IMAN MANI
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THREE members of the Ilala-Bungoni-based Safi Theatre Troupe display their acrobatic skills at the Art Council in Dar es Salaam on Monday, to show how many can become one. (Photo by Iman Mani)FROM its base in the Ilala-Bungoni area of Dar es Salaam, Safi Theatre Troupe is causing waves in the local Performing Arts circles.

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Experts want viable action to tackle environmental pollution

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Published on Friday, 01 March 2013 01:45
Written by MOSES MATTHEW in Mwanza
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MWANZA city centre abuzz with people in their daily activities. (File photo)ILEMELA District Civil Societies Network with local authorities have conducted a meeting to promote a dialogue on issues related to climatic change, environmental pollution.

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Mwanza entrepreneurs get TWB support

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Published on Friday, 01 March 2013 01:02
Written by DASSU STEPHEN in Mwanza
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ECONOMIC empowerment in Mwanza Region has taken a pragmatic step after Tanzania Women’s Bank (TWB) opened a branch in the region recently.

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