Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year 2015



Dear Readers,

I'd like to Thank You for being part of this journey with msomisi.blogspot.com since August 2014.  As we all know the main essence of the blog is to share relevant news / information on Social and Development Matters.

By in large, we've managed to do this covering topics related to Education, Health, Agriculture, Governance and Human Rights, and we hope in 2015 we'll be more interactive with our leaders and stakeholders so as to provide more current and up to date information that will help shape the development of our Country.

Next year, we'll launch our networking platform "Thursday Talks" that will also allow for a face-face exchange of views that will help bring solutions for development.

We'd like to Thank the Private Sector, NGO's, Government and Development Partners but without forgetting our general readers.

Wishing you a great year 2015!

msomisi.blogspot.com

Monday, December 29, 2014

Dar asked to allocate $600m for HIV/Aids


Tanzania government has been advised to allocate between $600 to 640 million per year in the coming four years through self mobilization to help fight against HIV and Aids response.

The advice was made by the Civil Society Organization National Steering Committee on HIV and AIDS Response (CSONSC), Agnes Junga during the recent HIV and AIDS policy review meeting organized by TACAIDS, including local and foreign health experts.
She said in order to stabilise the fight against HIV and Aids sector in the country, there is need to focus on preventing new infections through availing enough ARVs to the victim saying this will only be met with the stability of the country’s own resources.

“We currently depend too much on donors. We need our own resources to provide ARVs to victims in order to suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of the disease, she said, adding that once drug is effectively used for three consecutive years, an infected person is unable to transmit infections to other person”.

For his part, the Chairperson of the National Council for People Living with HIV and AIDS (NACOPHA), Vitalis Makayula, appealed to the government to introduce ARV’s factories in the country besides mobilizing resources efforts.Makayula said locally produced ARVs will ensure excess of the drugs, something that fails with the donor support medication.

“Not all HIV and Aids victims have access to ARVs. Victims despite donor support, we face acute shortages of the drugs, sometimes with a total deficit of the second line ARVs, while the demand keeps on rising on daily basis” he said.
The second line ARV is the substitute dose to be given to patients who have experienced side effects on their first doses.

According to him, the introduction of ARVs factories in the country will raise the country’s internal source of incomes and individuals as wel as saying this will likely encourage victims to have balanced diets in order to maintain their health.
A representative from the Development Partners group on HIV and AIDS (DPG-AIDS), Michelle Roland, requested the government to tackle the shortages of health personnel, saying the country has only 44 per cent of the required health workers.

Michelle revealed that at least $197milion deficit was needed to cover for the planned 2015/2016 HIV/AIDS activities in the country.
She said the deficit comes after the donor funds supporting such initiatives became unable to fund the whole amounts of the HIV/Aids related activities.
The Global Fund for example has made it clear that it will only contribute $286million out of the government requested amounts of $485million, such deficit has resulted from other countries demands in HIV/ Aids related activities as well, she said.

According to the Director of Finance and Administration with TACAIDS, Beng’i Issa, the government intends to introduce AIDS Trust Fund next year to enable other stakeholders to support the campaign.

Norway grants Sh8bn for power project

Norway will extend technical and financial assistance for the revival of the Kikuletwa hydropower station which has been dormant in the last 30 years.
The Nordic country has granted 29 million Norwegian kronors (about $5 million or Sh8.2 billion) for project preparation following an agreement signed by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dar es Salaam and the ministry of Finance in July this year.
The power station, located in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, has been operated by the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) but was last year handed over to the Arusha Technical College (ATC).
The signing of a grant agreement followed visits to Arusha and the site by experts in hydro-electricity technology from Norway for initial assessment of the power station which used to generate 1.5 megawatts before it stopped in 1984.
“The project will have two components: establishing a training centre for hydro-electricity and reconstruction of the power station,” the project manager and coordinator, Mr Daniel Ngoma, told The Citizen on Sunday.
The envisaged training centre is the brainchild of ATC and, according to the official, aims to train local experts to spearhead the promotion and development of mini-hydro power plants across the country.
“This is where most of the support from Norway will be channelled to,” Mr Ngoma explained, noting that the massive rehabilitation of the power station for production of electricity will have to be met by the government or other donors.
He could not explain exactly when actual implementation of the project will commence but remarked: “Consultants from Norway and their local counterparts are on the final stage. This includes the change of the title deed of the plot from Tanesco to ATC.” The power station, which records indicate was first built by the German missionaries in the 1930s and upgraded in the 1950s and adjacent structures, covers 358.5 acres. It is located at Rundugai some 15km off the Arusha-Moshi highway.
The site has the old power plant which used to generate electricity from the water falls, buildings and residential houses which are dilapidated, workshops, waterways and a catchment area.
“We have started to clean up the area in readiness for the project start-up,” Mr Ngoma, who is a tutor at ATC, said, adding that technical drawings and designs of the envisaged power station and assessment of the old plant and other structures would be ready by the end of January. ATC rector Richard Masika said although they were aiming at constructing a power station that could generate 1.7MW, when fully operational, the plant would have the capacity to produce up to 17MW.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Govt commits to equip newly constructed labs


The government yesterday assured that plans were afoot to enable newly constructed laboratories in secondary schools acquire required equipment.
These new laboratories were constructed following a directive from President Jakaya Kikwete that every municipality should have achieved a target of providing each school with laboratory by the end of last month.
Deputy minister for Regional Administration and Local Government (Education), Mr Kassim Majaliwa, said under such plans the government has started disbursing Sh15 million to each school to purchase equipment.
Mr Majaliwa said, “A total of 75 schools have already received such amount of money during the first phase of the programme.” The other 75 secondary schools will receive the same amount each during the second phase that will start next January.
The programme was set to be implemented in four phases whereby each phase will see 75 schools receive funds. By the end of the programme a total of 300 schools will have received the funds for the purpose.
He was speaking yesterday when officially opening the annual general meeting of the Tanzania Heads of Secondary Schools Association which was held alongside the International Education Exhibition at the Mwalimu JK   Nyerere Trade Fair grounds in Dar es Salaam.

School Books Ready for Distribution


BOOKS worth more than 2.5 mil/- will be distributed to all secondary schools in the country in January, next year.
This was said in Dar es Salaam by the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Prime Minister's Office (Regional Administration and Local Government), Mr Jumanne Sagini, during a visit to the Government Procurement Service Agency (GPSA), where he inspected the books.
He said the books have been donated by the US government. During President Jakaya Kikwete's visit to the US he asked President Barack Obama to give Tanzania a donation of science books for secondary schools in the country.
"The books are for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology and we will distribute them to all schools before January 10 ready for students to start using them after opening schools," he said.
He added: "The books have been prepared basing on the curriculum of Tanzania and we began to receive them at the beginning of this month.
The aim is to end the shortage of books in the country." According to him the situation of textbooks has not improved as currently there is a ratio of one book to five students. Books worth a total of 302bn/- are needed to reach the one book one student ratio.
Mr Sagini said that the government has been allocating funds to procure books, saying that the money will come from the capitation grant which is allocated annually.
To make sure the books reach the targeted schools, Education Officers have been directed to cooperate with distributors by showing them the schools with critical shortages.
The Director of Education Coordination, Mr Bernard Mkali, said that students should pull up their socks and make sure they use the books properly.
"The books are for students from Form One up to Four. They should not be kept in library but distributed to students, "said Mr Mkali.
Director of Procurement Management Unit at GPSA said that they have received 533,520 books for physics, 533520 for Chemistry, 664,480 for Biology and 766,480 for Mathematics.
"We will make sure that before January 10 all the books will have been distributed. We only want cooperation from secondary school education officers," he said.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

'Only legal empowerment will end violence against women'

High Court judge, Joaquine Demello
Legal empowerment is a practical instrument that could halt massive discrimination and violence against women and girls in Tanzania. 

“Communities must be empowered if we really want to rescue women and girls from massive human rights violation, which mostly target these vulnerable social creatures,” said High Court judge, Joaquine Demello, at a forum of legal aid organisations from across Tanzania which are funded by the Legal Services Facility (LSF), a donor-financed legal mechanism established in 2011 to support organisations involved in legal aid services countrywide.
Demello said violence against women and girls in Tanzania has reached a crisis level.

“Incidents of child rape, sexual abuse for girls and women in work places, wife-beating, escalated killings of women on witchcraft suspicious, are increasingly becoming common phenomenal in Tanzania,” said Demello who doubles as LSF Board Chairperson.

“Studies show that where the ‘gender gap’ is greater in the status of women’s health, participation in the economy, education levels and representation in politics, women are more likely to be subjected to violence,” observed Demello.
Legal empowerment, she said, is the best approach that could end discrimination and other forms of violence to which women and girls are subjected.

She said due to persistence violence against women in the country, LSF incorporated women rights protection in its approach.
“LSF took legal empowerment approach in which paralegals are being engaged in empowering the community to deal with their own justice problems and protect women’s rights,” she noted.

Through legal empowerment, she said, LSF insists on having local mechanisms in place for protection of women’s rights, pointing out that, legal rights can be combined with other local economic activities like Village Community Banks (VICOBA) and other income generating activities, thus assist women to be independent.

She said to strengthen its legal empowerment approach in the context of protecting women rights, LSF supported 3 strategic litigations focusing on constitutionality of applicability of customary law inheritance, school pregnancy and equal division of matrimonial property.  
Welcoming the chief guest, LSF Fund Manager, Kees Groenendijk said application of legal empowerment strategy has registered impressive results, as it assisted many women in the country to access justice. 
“There are a lot of successful stories of women and girls who accessed their rights in divorce, matrimonial and inheritance cases through legal empowerment,” said LSF fund manager. 
“Legal empowerment will remain a central component in the LSF operations for years to come,” said Groenendijk.

Since its establishment in September 2011, the LSF committed a total of 17bn/- as grants to 51 legal aid organisations involved in the implementation of paralegal and related projects countrywide. 

Through LSF funding, the respective legal aid organisations are currently training 25 paralegals for 5 weeks hence by the end of 2014 Tanzania will have a total of 4,000 paralegals providing legal assistance to the needy. All 158 districts in the country are expected to have paralegals.

Tanzania’s poverty level still high


A view of Dar es Salaam, which has a population of about 4 million people, is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. 
Tanzania’s economy is agriculture-based and accounts for about 50 per cent of the GDP, which accounts for 80 per cent of the labour force and 80 per cent of the total export.
Major exports include coffee, sisal, tea, cashew nuts, just to name, but a few. Tourism ranks second after agriculture and also ranked second globally after Brazil in terms of attractions.
In 2000, Tanzania launched Vision 2025 aimed at quality livelihoods and competitive semi-industrialised economy capable of producing sustainable growth.
Tanzania’s economy is projected to grow at about 7 per cent in 2014/15 driven by transport, communication, manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture compared to 5.9 per cent for Kenya and 6.6 per cent for Uganda within the same period, according to Mundi Index.
Poverty level and inflation
Despite remarkable efforts in agriculture a major source of earnings for the majority Tanzanians things are not exactly as intended.
The level of poverty remains high where one-third of the population is still poor marking a marginal drop in poverty from 35.7 per cent in 2001 to 33.6 per cent in 2007 and also recorded 1.3 million people succumbing to absolute poverty within the same period as per the Household Budget Survey in 2007.
Tanzania ranks 52th in the world with 36 per cent below the poverty line.
The same Household Budget Survey undertaken in 2013 shows that despite average growth of 7 per cent it has not translated into poverty reduction due to lack of inclusive policy for agriculture.
The national debt has accumulated to about Sh30 trillion proportional to 36 per cent of the GDP, ranking Tanzania 91st position globally.

117 girls take refuge in church to escape FGM


The ritual transforms a young girl into woman, thus eligible to get married 
The Anglican Church here has provided shelter to 117 young girls who ran away from their homes to escape female genital mutilation (FGM).
The children, most of them aged between 10 and 15, took refuge at a safe house operated by the Mugumu Anglican Church.
FGM, according to local customs, transforms a young girl into woman, thus eligible to get married.
The coordinator of a programme that helps children who oppose genital mutilation in Serengeti District, Mr Rhobi Samwel, said there were 43 children at the centre while the rest were sheltered  by pastors in various areas of the district.
“We have at this centre 43 children from Serengeti and Butiama districts, while a bigger number of them have taken refuge in houses of pastors and other religious personnel,” he said.
Mr Rhobi, however, expressed fear that the number could  double as the harmful exercise was at its peak in most areas of Mara Region.
He said, pastors and other religious personnel have been, for years, engaged in combating genital mutilation.
“We plan to offer tailoring skills, computer knowledge and other entrepreneurship skills to the girls if their parents and guardians refuse to accept them at the end of the initiation season,” he added.
He said the situation was complicated by local government elections after groups of elders threatened to vote for the opposition if the government suppressed the exercise.
Two children who managed to escape said they decided to run away after their aunt had ordered them to attend circumcision at Matare area in Serengeti District.
One of the children who was aged 14, said she never attended school and admitted to be illiterate. “My guardian told me I was already matured, therefore she wanted me to get married after the initiation,” said the young girl.
She also added that she and her colleague reported at Mugumu Police Station from where she was directed to seek refuge at the safe house.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Two Tanzanian NGOs win over Sh400million of impact award

Two local charity organisations have won the 2014 Stars Impact Award in London early this week each worth about Sh200 million.
Childreach Tanzania and Ace Africa Tanzania have been recognised for their impact on improving health and education respectively.
This year, Stars is awarding 18 organizations from countries ranging from Brazil to Zimbabwe for their work with disadvantaged children. Former US President Bill Clinton will present the awards to both organizations at Kensington Palace in London later this month.
Despite the abolition of primary school tuition fees in Tanzania, most families are still unable to pay for their children’s school needs such as uniforms and exercise books.
In rural areas, most children do not have access to schools due to distance and the lack of cheap and reliable transport.
According to Tanzania’s Primary Education Development Plan, the general poor learning environment in the country’s schools has had a negative effect on pupils’ health, their attendance rates and general performance in school activities.
Childreach renovates school buildings; works with children on rights-based projects, runs school farming groups and helps families get clean energy in their homes while Ace Africa Tanzania runs child-to-child health clubs in schools, where children receive counselling and education on health, HIV/Aids, rights, nutrition, hygiene and life skills.
As part of the prize package, Childreach will receive $100,000 of unrestricted funding, $20,000 in tailored consultation while Ace will receive $100,000 of unrestricted funding, $20,000 in tailored consultation.
Representatives from each local charity will be in London to take the stage at the Stars Foundation Annual Gala Dinner on Saturday.

US donor agency expresses grave concern in wake of IPTL scandal


The Board of Directors for the United States of America Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has expressed serious concerns on the fight to control corruption in Tanzania, including the implications of the recent case involving Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL).

A statement from the US Embassy circulated to the media yesterday said even though the board voted to allow Tanzania to continue developing a second compact programme, it strongly encouraged the government to take firm, concrete steps to combat corruption as a prerequisite to the board’s approval of any final compact. 

The board held its annual country selection meeting on December 10, 2014 where the concerns were raised. The full text of the Board’s December 10, 2014 public statement is available on the MCC website.

In the statement, the board acknowledged the importance of the government to follow-through on the Tanzanian State House’s December 9 statement that it would act promptly and decisively on the late November parliamentary resolutions regarding the IPTL scandal. 

The US Ambassador to Tanzania Mark Childress noted, “Progress in combating corruption is essential to a new MCC compact, as well to an overall improved business climate in Tanzania. We are encouraged by the State House’s announcement of December 9 this year that it will soon address the parliamentary resolutions linked to IPTL, and we urge quick government action, given the impact on several key development issues.”

 The Board also referenced a series of agreed upon structural policy and institutional reforms the government of Tanzania has committed to undertake in order to improve the efficiency and transparency of its energy sector institutions more broadly. 

“We also want to stress that these commitments must be met before the United States will finalize any new compact with Tanzania,” Ambassador Childress said.Tanzania was one of 10 countries discussed by the MCC Board, which met to determine the eligibility of countries to begin or continue the compact development process. If finalized, this would be Tanzania’s second MCC compact. 

Between 2008 and 2013, MCC funded a $698 million (roughly 1.1trn/-) compact of investment projects in water, roads, and electric power throughout Tanzania. The compact programme led to the construction of over 3,000 km of power lines, 450 km of trunk roads, two water treatment plants, and an airport runway.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation is a United States Government agency that provides assistance to developing countries.

 MCC is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces good governance, economic freedom and investments in people that promote economic growth and the elimination of poverty. 

UN Hails Dar for Protecting Human Rights

TANZANIA has been commended by the United Nations for its initiatives to promote and protect human rights.
UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Alvaro Rodriguez said in Dar es Salaam during commemoration of the International Human Rights Day which is marked in every year on 10th December.
He mentioned issues which have contributed to the country's recognition include good treatment of refugees, hosting the African Court of Human Rights as well as participating fully universal periodic review discussions.
"It has gained international acclaim for its position and treatment of refugees, ratifying the convention on the rights of person with disabilities as well as being part of the convention for the elimination of discrimination against women," he said.
He added that the UN in Tanzania remains committed to strengthen capacities of civil society and encouraging the work of human rights defenders like the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance (CHRAGG).
"We look forward to work closely with CHRAGG, civil societies as well as the government to further strengthen the national human rights protection mechanism", he noted.
He said essential components of credible and effective national human rights include autonomy, independence as well as impartiality, and urged for the government to further strengthen CHRAGG capacity in implementing its strategic plans by providing it with adequate funds.
Mr Rodreguez emphasized that the promotion and protection of human rights is a joint effort by the government, national institutions, civil society, individuals and international organizations including the UN and its organs.
"Our work is complementary, and only by working together we can make progress, therefore it is essential for Tanzania as it stands on the verge of a period of significant development," he urged.
On his part, CHRAGG Commissioner, Mr Ali Rajab pointed out the challenges which hinder the promotion of human rights in the country, among them being a patriarchy system in society as well as superstitious beliefs.
"Human rights in Tanzania face many challenges some of which are delays in court cases which lead to people spending more time than necessary in detention, gender based violence and the killings of elders and persons with albinism because of superstition beliefs," he said.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

2014 Theme: Human Rights 365


The UN General Assembly proclaimed 10 December as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention ‘of the peoples of the world’ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.
This year’s slogan, Human Rights 365,encompasses the idea that every day is Human Rights Day. It celebrates the fundamental proposition in the Universal Declaration that each one of us, everywhere, at all times is entitled to the full range of human rights, that human rights belong equally to each of us and bind us together as a global community with the same ideals and values.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Govt reaffirms support at PWA fundraiser, less than 5 per cent of target collected



Tanzania Albinism Society (TAS) Chairperson, Ernest Kimaya

An Independence Day eve fundraising dinner organised by Tanzania Albinism Society (TAS) to raise funds for cancer treatment of People with Albinism (PWA) in the country collected only 32m/- of the sought 750m/-.  

Speaking at the fundraiser on Monday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Albinism Society (TAS) Chairperson, Ernest Kimaya reminded attendants of the vulnerability People with Albinism face when it comes to skin cancer.
He said in Tanzania, over 80 per cent of PWAs die before reaching their teenage years due to the lack of proper medical care and 75 per cent of these deaths are related to skin cancer.

He also highlighted the lack of education and awareness of the condition of PWAs among communities in the country, a fact that he said has led to isolation and discrimination of PWAs.
He decried the situation citing that the opposite should have been the norm, more care and increased opportunities for all vulnerable groups.
“The lack of awareness and education has led to a widespread public misconception of PWAs, so they don’t see as people and they discriminate us,” he lamented.

Kamaya took the time to thank all who participated in the event, however he reminded stakeholders that the fundraisers did not even reach a tenth of the sought amount which was 750m/- versus the 32m/- that was collected in cash and pledges.
Reading a statement on behalf of President Jakaya Kikwete at the event, Regional Commissioner, Said Meck Sadiq said the government is committed to support people with albinism.
 “I am aware of the skin cancer problem that people with albinism face, we are doing everything we can to ensure that we reduce it,” the President pledged.
“We are working to ensure that special skin oils are available throughout the country especially in rural areas,” he said.
On behalf of the President, the RC went on to emphasise that the government is committed to providing PWAs with basic necessary requirements such as medical care, a basic necessity to ensure that PWAs, like other citizens, lead decent lives.

The RC summed with a call to the public and other stakeholders to chip in and donate to help curb the plight of PWAs.
Nonetheless, TAS Public Relation Officer, Josephat Torner did not wholly place the blame on the government for the meager collections made at the event, on the contrary, he expressed gratitude for support shown by government so far but admitted more needs to be done.
He also conceded that the event’s planning was not comprehensive and hence the low turn up and poor collection.

 “We organised the event without asking other health organisations to be with us…that’s why people did not show up in big number,” he said noting that such deficiencies are among the supports that PWAs as individuals and as organisations are in need of.

 ‘Lack of awareness of the plight PWAs face is the real problem, if people were more awere we would receive more support,” Torner said.
“The public is surprised when they hear about killings of albinos but they are not aware of ever present problems like threat of skin cancer which is a silent killer and claims so many lives of PWAs every day,” he said.

TIPER signs an agreement to donate science text books to Vijibweni Secondary school

THE Tanzania International Petroleum Reserves Limited (TIPER), yesterday signed an agreement of donating at least 200 science text books with Vijibweni Secondary school located at Kigamboni suburb, Temeke district in Dar es Salaam region as one of the firm’s strategy in fulfilling its Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Speaking during the agreement’s signing ceremony which was held at the school’s premises, TIPER Managing Director, Mr. Daniel Belair said his firm’s move aims at improving the quality of education in the country especially in terms of science subjects.

“We have learnt that currently the country is in need of science experts. There is no shortcut way of making sure that the need is being fulfilled rather than starting preparing the future experts from today. This is our initial contribution in fulfilling the need,’’ said Mr. Belair.
As a way of proving its commitment towards fulfilling the agreement, the firm handed over a total of 28 Biology, Chemistry and Physics text books  which worth 4m/- to the school’s management while promising to hand over the outstanding number of books soon.

Speaking during the ceremony, the school’s Headmaster Mr. Itumbo Kinyonyi apart from appreciating the firm’s support to his school, he said the donation came at the right time when his school is struggling to invest in science education to its students.
“The books will help us a lot in terms of science performance especially at this time when we are improving our laboratories and at the same time we are also receiving science books…what a good luck!,’’ said the Headmaster while calling upon other firms in the country to copy the move.
However, speaking during the occasion, the school’s Academic Master, Mr. Musa Ungando said despite the support from TIPER, still the school is in need of some laboratory apparatus and chemicals.

“It is a good thing to see that the shortage of science books in our school is going to be solved soon…however we are calling upon other firms and individuals to help us in making sure that we get more laboratory apparatus and chemicals for our children’s appropriate science learning,’’ he insisted.
Speaking on behalf of his fellow students, Ameir Kassim a form one student at the school said their ambition to study science was once threatened by the shortage of science books at the school’s library while adding that the availability of more science books at their school will act as a catalyst towards fulfilling their ambitions.

The Tanzania International Petroleum Reserves (TIPER) Managing Director, Mr Daniel Belair hands over science text books that include Physics, Biology and Chemistry to Vijibweni Secondary School Head Master, Mr Itumbo Kinyonyi during an agreement signing ceremony whereby the company has agreed to contribute 200 text books worth 4m/- to the school located at Kigamboni Suburb in Temeke district. The event was held yesterday at the school’s premises. (Photo by Our Correspondent). 


 The Tanzania International Petroleum Reserves (TIPER) Managing Director, Mr. Daniel Belair and Vijibweni Secondary School’s Head Master, Mr. Itumbo Kinyonyi display science text books that include Physics, Biology and Chemistry after the company signed an agreement with the school to contribute 200 text books worth 4m/- to the school located at Kigamboni Suburb in Temeke district. The signing ceremony was held yesterday at the school’s premises. (Photo by Our Correspondent).









Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Mobile Technology to Raise Funds for Fighting Ebola

TELECOMMUNICATION companies in the country have partnered with the African Union (AU) Commission to support the fight against Ebola in West Africa.
According to a statement made available to this paper, the initiative, dubbed 'Africa Against Ebola' will use an SMS dedicated platform to raise funds for African health workers deployed in the affected countries.
Commenting on the initiative, African Union Chairman, Mr Yayi Boni said that AU is delighted to partner with the telecommunication companies and that the Ebola outbreak presents a major humanitarian crisis, a tragedy for those affected and their families and threatens to derail great economic strides.
"We cannot afford to look on and do nothing. We believe that with the support of the private sector we can collectively fight this disease that seeks to attack the very fabric of the African continent," Mr Boni said. Ebola has claimed over 5,000 lives across some parts of West Africa since it was first reported in Guinea in March, this year.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), this is the largest outbreak on the continent and is currently prevalent in four countries - Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mali.
At a recent Business Roundtable on Ebola hosted by the AU, a campaign dubbed 'United against Ebola' was unveiled and will focus on donations from customers of the telecommunication companies, and the campaign, will span three months.
Speaking on Saturday in Dar es Salaam at a press conference, representatives from Tigo, Airtel, Zantel and Vodacom said the SMS fundraising campaign will use the short code 7,979 across all the four networks.
Customers are asked to text 'Stop Ebola' to this code in order to donate in their respective countries. "The campaign to stop Ebola in Africa is in line with our company commitment to making contributions to social courses that seek to avert suffering and promote the social and economic well-being of the people, not just in Tanzania but in other parts of Africa as well," the Tigo Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Manager, Ms Woinde Shisael, said.
Airtel, CSR Manager, Hawa Bayumi said that mobile technology is Africa's most powerful communications platform, providing an important channel for reaching large numbers of the population.
She said that as one of Africa's leading mobile operators, they will do everything we can to ensure that mobile technology tackles the spread of Ebola and that the partnership will enable their customers in the country and across Africa contribute towards fighting Ebola.

U.S. $100 Million Set Aside for African Entrepreneurs



The Tony Elumelu Foundation has launched a $100m Pan-African entrepreneurship initiative.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme - a multi-year programme of training, funding, and mentoring, designed to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
The programme is the first initiative of its kind to be launched by an African philanthropic organisation and is the largest African sourced philanthropic gift, targeting the entrepreneurial space.
"The opportunity and challenge in Africa is scale - in our people, our resources and our horizons. In my business and philanthropic journeys, I have always sought ways to help inspire a generation across our continent," Tony Elumelu, CON, Founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation said.
He said this programme brings together my own entrepreneurial experience and my fundamental belief that entrepreneurs - "women and men across Africa - will lead Africa's development and transform our futures."
"The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme will offer a structured, multi-year opportunity to access funding, knowledge and perhaps most importantly mentoring, on scale that is unprecedented in Africa - it is our opportunity to empower a generation," he said.
The programme will identify and help grow an initial 10,000 start-ups and young businesses from across Africa over the next 10 years, targeting the creation of 1,000,000 new jobs and $10 billion in annual revenues.
Whether you're in Lagos, Accra, Johannesburg, Nairobi or Dakar, Africa is buzzing with entrepreneurs who need a platform that enables them to take their business or idea to the next level.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme has been designed to provide that mechanism," said Parminder Vir, Director of Entrepreneurship at The Tony Elumelu Foundation.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme is inspired by three guiding principles: the inclusive economic philosophy of Africapitalism, based on the belief that a vibrant African-led private sector is the key to unlocking Africa's economic and social potential; commitment to drive African economic growth through the empowering of African entrepreneurship; and a mission to 'institutionalise luck' by creating an environment where African entrepreneurs can get critical elements of support in the early stages of their business life.
World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim has an agenda focused on innovation and entrepreneurship as a key prerequisite to achieving global competitiveness and building long-term wealth, especially for the youth, Dr Vera Songwe, Country Director for the World Bank Group said.
"We must strive for entrepreneurial innovation in Africa and my participation in this programme further promotes the World Bank Group's push for entrepreneur-led global development," Dr Songwe said.
Successful applicants will participate in a comprehensive programme designed to equip them with the skills needed to build a successful business.
The programme includes seed funding, a customized 12-week business skills training course, mentoring, an entrepreneurship 'boot camp', participation in the annual Elumelu Entrepreneurship Forum, membership of the Alumni Network and much more.
"Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone to African development and the key to local value creation in Africa. I am determined to ensure that Africa's next generation of entrepreneurs have the platform they need to turn their entrepreneurial aspirations into sustainable businesses that will drive economic growth and job creation across Africa," Elumelu stated

Monday, December 8, 2014

Tanzanians ‘among meanest in Africa’



Contrary to the widely-held belief about our unrivalled generosity and compassion, Tanzanians are amongst the meanest people in Africa, according to the World Giving Index 2014.
Yet, interestingly, neighbouring Kenya—a nation we have all along associated with ruthless capitalism and self-centredness as opposed to Tanzania’s more humane socialist background—has emerged the most generous and compassionate on the continent.
The new study released by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) was conducted by the market research firm Gallup and included data from 135 countries across the globe that were collected throughout 2013.
Tanzania ranked 14th amongst the 24 African countries surveyed and 87th globally with just 27 per cent, far behind Kenya which tops the continent with 49 per cent that also put it at number 15 globally.
Kenya is followed by Nigeria which stands at number 21 globally with its overall 44 per cent score. At number three is Uganda which scored 40 per cent and stood at number 34.
The top three meanest countries are Tunisia and Egypt with 21 per cent each, putting the North African countries at number 120 globally, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo which stands at number 112 globally with its 22 per cent score. Notably, many of the countries Tanzania is ahead of are war-torn and volatile states.
In order to establish a rounded measure of giving behaviour, the researchers asked the respondents if they had done any of the following in the previous month prior to the study: donated money to a charity; volunteered their time to an organisation or helped a stranger, or someone they didn’t know who needed help.
Tanzania scored the highest in helping a stranger with 44 per cent followed by donating money, 23 per cent and the country performed worst in volunteering time to organisations, just 13 per cent. Kenya on the other hand, also scored the highest in helping a stranger with 67 per cent followed by donating money, 43 per cent and volunteering time with 37 per cent. Globally, the US shared first place ranking with Myanmar, both recording the score of 64 per cent which is the highest on record in the five year history index.
According to the report, the US is the only country to rank in the Top 10 for all three kinds of giving covered by the index: helping a stranger (1st), volunteering time (joint 5th) and donating money (9th).
Myanmar on the other hand, has improved on its joint second place reported in 2013, with an increase from 58 per cent to 64 per cent. Notably, the country’s lead ranking was mainly due to an extraordinarily high incidence of donating money, which has seen a further uplift this year to stand at 91 per cent from 85 per cent reported in last year’s report. Nine out of ten people within Myanmar follow the Theravada school of Buddhism, under which the lives of the Sangha (ordained monks and nuns) are supported by dana (charitable giving) by lay followers of the religion.
“This clearly translates into a strong culture of charity, with Myanmar ranked first for donating money and 13 percentage points ahead of the second placed country,” reads the report in part.

Sri Lanka, another country with a strong Theravada Buddhist community also ranked within the Top 10 of the World Giving Index. It is placed at number nine.

Call to Intensify PPP Implementation

PUBLIC Private Partnership (PPP) implementation needs thorough preparations to enable the nation benefit fully from the initiative, Policy Research for Development (REPOA) Executive Director, Prof Samwel Wangwe, has advised.
Addressing journalists in Dar es Salaam on Friday, Prof Wangwe noted that if such preparations would not be taken into account, then PPP goals' realisation would be a dream.
A study jointly conducted by Prof Wangwe, Godwill Wanga and Johansein Rutaiwa on PPP and implications for Tanzania has found out that it was necessary for the country to examine international and recent experiences to make the initiative more viable.
He said that national development policies recognise the large potential of PPP and expectations were high, however, a number of cautions and deeper knowledge of what it takes to realise the potential from the initiative contribution in Tanzania was still inadequate.
According to Prof Wangwe, some of the things that must be put in place to make PPP more successful include putting in place operational guidelines and procedures to ensure that PPP is technically, financially, economically and socially viable. He added that the government must also ensure that appropriate instruments to enable private sector to mobilise resources for development of PPPs are put in place.
"Risk sharing framework in PPPs investments to ensure that risks are assigned to the party must be suited to manage them and the risk allocation is cost-efficient and optimal.
This is also very significant in realizing PPPs goals," he noted. Speaking on the lessons drawn from international experience and own past experience, Prof Wangwe noted that capacity of the government was essential in terms of human capacity especially technical managerial capacity and ability to negotiate and manage contracts.
He noted that the experience also suggested that legal and regulatory framework must provide for comprehensiveness with simplicity in application and facilitating investments which are under competitive and transparent procurement and providing for public scrutiny and accountability.
He also underscored the need of educating the general public on the significance of PPPs which is now believed to be the greatest actor for socio-economic development.
"If these are properly taken into consideration, then PPP can be successfully used to promote private sector development of the domestic private sector and to enhance economic empowerment through joint ventures, sub-contracting and through facilitating the acquisition of shares in the capital market," he explained