UN set to investigate albino killings in EA

Under the Same Sun executive director Vicky Ntetema consoles an albino girl nursing injuries inflicted from unknown assailants 

The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday decided to appoint an expert to investigate abuses suffered by albinos in East Africa. The 47-member council adopted by consensus a resolution establishing a three-year watchdog position. It expressed “grave concern at attacks and widespread violations against persons with albinism, including women and children, persons with disabilities and the elderly.”

The resolution, presented by Algeria on behalf of the group of African states, comes after UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein earlier this month decried a steep hike in attacks on albinos in East Africa. “These attacks are often stunningly vicious, with children in particular being targeted,” Zeid said.

The move by UN Human Rights Council comes when the number of incident of violation against people living with albinism, which include abduction, mutilation and even killing have started to surge in Tanzania. Last year, three such cases occurred each in Mwanza, Tabora and Simiyu regions, while this year one case was reported in Geita. In Mwanza, an albino child, who went missing, has not been recovered.

Earlier this month a six-year-old albino boy in Rukwa had his right hand chopped off in another gory attack on people with albinism.

According to the UN, in the past six months, at least 15 people with albinism in Tanzania, Malawi and Burundi have been abducted, wounded, killed or escaped being kidnapped. President Jakaya Kikwete condemned the attack of people with albinism as he vowed to end the albino plight. According to him, 2008 turned out to be the worst year with 18 murder cases of people with albinism.  “It was preceded by deaths of seven people with albinism in 2007, but my government has been working to prevent more deaths,” the president said during his end of the month nation address.

Because of vigilance, the president added that the brutal killings had in 2009 dropped to nine, followed by one case in 2010 with no case reported in 2011.

By The Citizen Reporter

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ActionAid Bagamoyo report false, misleading - Agricultural Council

The renowned international organisation ActionAid, is accused of lobbying to prevent Tanzania from achieving economic independence in a bid to keep the country dependent on donor support particularly in food production.

The allegation was raised yesterday in Dar es Salaam by the Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT) which backed the government’s recent disapproval of last week’s report by ActionAid that purported the investor Bagamoyo EcoEnergy and the government, are grabbing land from the people of Bagamoyo.

The government and now ACT have denied the legitimacy of the report and described it as false and misleading.

The ActionAid report titled, “Pulling back from the Brink: Stopping Eco Energy from Land Grab in Tanzania,” was published early this week and stirred up controversy whose dirt is yet to settle.

The report was strongly opposed by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement and also by the Presidential Delivery Bureau (PDB) both saying the research is very flawed  in its claim that the government has pushed out rural communities in order to lease dome 20,000 hectares of land to the investor.

Following launch of the report, ActionAid announced in its latest media communiqué that it is to conduct a public petition to stop the alleged land grabbing.

Speaking to press yesterday in the city, ACT Chairman Dr Sinare Y. Sinare made it clear that the council does not support any international NGOs that according to him ‘want to turn the nation into a hostage and food importer.’

“We don’t support the idea of humiliating small scale farmers,” he said.
“We have requested for a full report on the matter because ActionAid involved ACT during the preliminary findings however, when the research was completed we were not involved in interpretation of the finding or preparation of the final report,” he said.

“Tanzania can only develop into an economic giant if a fully transformation of agricultural sector is made,” he went on to say.

“But it seems that some development partners and NGOs aren’t happy with government initiatives to improve the sector,” said the ACT Chairman.

 “The agriculture sector has the potential of spearheading our economic growth and poverty reduction 40 times more than any other sector including the natural gas and tourism sectors,” he noted again emphasising that the sector cannot be left under developed and the country donor dependant.

The chairman explained that the project to be implemented in Bagamoyo is for the betterment of the agriculture sector as well as assuring market for small scale sugarcane farmers.

“Since independence, there have been no new sugar plantations established and the demand for the product has increased from 100,000 metric tonnes to 480, 000 metric tonnes per year yet local production does not correspond to the demand,” he pointed out.

“This automatically forces the country to rely on sugar importation,” the ACT Chairman decried.

Subsequently, the council has advised the government to develop a national comprehensive programme for the survey and mapping of all the country’s land using digital satellite technology in a bid to reduce land disputes.
Until the paper went to press, attempts to reach ActionAid officials for comments were unsuccesful.

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Home care best for Aids

Researchers now believe that the number of patients dying with advanced HIV/Aids can be cut down if governments in Africa invest in improving the patients’ home care and adopt low-cost interventions.

In a clinical trial conducted in Dar es Salaam and Lusaka, Zambia, the researchers compared the quality of healthcare given to the HIV/Aids patients at clinics, with that offered to them in their homes by community lay workers.

The new findings reveal that a majority of the patients died while receiving treatment at clinics, unlike those who were started on treatment and sent homes, where they could be closely monitored through weekly visits by nurses.

The trial, whose findings were published in The Lancet journal, show that deaths among patients receiving the additional screening for cryptococcal meningitis and home visits are 28 per cent lower than those who solely receive healthcare at clinics.

During the trial, about 2,000 HIV/Aids patients were enrolled and immediately screened for TB before being put on ARVs.

The researchers from the UK and Tanzania, experimentally offered these patients different forms of care—and found that the new approach could improve HIV treatment in Tanzania and Zambia and reduce deaths by almost a third.

According to lead researcher, Prof Shabbar Jaffar, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the findings were a proof that lay workers could be used to reduce the burden faced by medical doctors in Aids treatment centres in the countries studied and Africa in general.

He says: “If this intervention were to be scaled-up by governments, the cost of the lay-workers plus the screening would be even lower than the $30-70 in our trial, meaning it should be even more highly cost-effective than what our study suggests.”

The biggest challenge to healthcare delivery in Africa is the severe shortage of clinically-qualified healthcare workers, he said, noting that such low-cost interventions involved trained lay-workers, thus reducing the burden onto doctors and nurses.

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Tanga Cement yatoa msaada kwa wahanga wa mafuriko Kahama.

Mkuu wa Mkoa wa Shinyanga, Ally Rufuga (katikati) akipokea sehemu ya msaada wa vitu mbalimbali vyenye thamani ya zaidi ya sh milioni 17 kutoka kwa Meneja Biashara wa Kampuni ya Saruji Tanga (Tanga Cement Plc), Mattheus Roos vilivyotolewa  na kampuni hiyo kusaidia waathirika wa mvua ya mawe iliyotokea wilayani Kahama hivi karibuni. Hafla ya makabidhiano ilifanyika wilayani humo juzi. Kushoto ni Mkuu wa Wilaya ya Kahama, Benson Mpesya.

Meneja Mawasiliano ma Huduma za Jamii wa Tanga Cement Plc, B. Mtanga Noor (kushoto) akizungumza wakati wakikabidhi msaada wa vitu mbalimbali vyenye thamani ya sh milioni 17 kwa ajili ya wahanga wa mafuriko yaliyotokea wilayani Kahama hivi karibu. Hafla hiyo ilifanyika Kahama, Shinyanga juzi.  Kushoto kwake ni Meneja Biashara wa Tanga Cement, Mattheus Roos na Meneja Mauzo Taifa wa kampuni hiyo, Leslie Massawe na baadhi ya wafanyakazi wenzao.

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JK to launch Africa-China young leaders' forum

UVCCM Secretary General, Sixtus Mapunda.

President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to be the guest of honour at an international forum titled ‘Africa–China young leaders’ forum’ to be held in Arusha later this month.

 The international forum organised by CCM Youth Wing (UVCCM) themed ‘Friendship, Cooperation and Development’ will see guests from over 40 countries in Africa joining hands to discuss youth participation in development and how African youth and China will cooperate to utilise business opportunities available in both parties. Addressing journalists yesterday in Dar es Salaam, UVCCM Secretary General, Sixtus Mapunda said he was glad that Tanzania will be the first East African country to host the forum which is scheduled for March 27 through 31. “The Africa–China young leaders’ forum has previously been held in Windhoek, Namibia and Beijing, China whereby Tanzania is the third country to host the forum,” Mapunda said. He said the main objective of the forum is to create a platform for regular interaction and cooperation between young people of the African continent and the peoples’ Republic of China. “China has a very high contribution in African development and the country has a lot of opportunities which we see our youths will find more about during the forum,” he said. Mapunda explained that the forum will be an appropriate platform for discovery of business opportunities from both Africa and China and shall therefore facilitate plotting the way forward in enhancing business relations between the two parties. He went on to mention some of the topics that will be discussed during the forum as the continuation and development of Africa-China relation, youth engagement in social and economic development in their respective countries. “The expected outcome of the forum is to create young women and men from Africa and China who understand the critical role in strengthening and speeding up the socio-economic development of their countries,” he said. He however concluded that they are waiting for confirmation from the president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe who is invited to close the forum.“We have invited President Mugabe to close the forum but he is yet to confirm his participation,” Mapunda said.

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UN urges more action to achieve gender equality

To mark International Women's Day, senior United Nations officials highlighted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago that set the agenda for realizing women's rights.

They noted that while much has been achieved since then in areas such as education, healthcare and the economy, many serious gaps remain, stressing that the UN will be in the forefront of efforts to highlight gender equality, holding a number of major events in the next week, including an International Women's Day march from UN Headquarters to New York's Times Square.

In addition, the annual, two-week long session of the Commission on the Status of Women, opens on the 9 March, and will bring representatives of UN Member States, civil society groups and UN entities together to take stock of where women stand today.

“We must acknowledge that the gains have been too slow and uneven, and that we must do far more to accelerate progress everywhere,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

Mr. Ban said that the Beijing Conference took place amid the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, which had prompted deserved attention to rape and other war crimes there against civilians.

“Two decades later, with girls as young as seven not only targeted but used as weapons by violent extremists, it would be easy to lose heart about he value of international gatherings,” he said, urging the world to come together in response to the targeting of women and girls by violent extremists.

“From Nigeria and Somalia to Iraq and Syria, the bodies women have been transformed into battlegrounds,” he said. “Women have been attacked for trying to exercise their right to education and basic services; they have been raped and turned into sex slaves; they have been given as prizes to fighters, or traded among extremist groups in trafficking networks.”

He said outrage needed to be translated into meaningful action and, as women and girls are often the first targets of attack, their rights had to be at the centre of the global strategy to address the staggering and growing challenge.

Noting also that women living in societies at peace remained targets of domestic abuse, female genital mutilation and other forms of violence that traumatise individuals and damage whole societies.

“Discrimination remains a thick barrier that must be shattered,” Mr. Ban said. “We need to expand opportunities in politics, business and beyond.”

Mr. Ban's call far action was echoed by the Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who said the world remained far away from achieving equality between men and women, boys and girls.

“Not one single country has achieved equality,” she said. “it is even more urgent than ever that we define – and stick to – a time frame [for doing so].”

Not enough changed in the 20 years since Beijing, she said, particularly in least-developed countries.

“In Africa, 70 per cent of crop production depends on women yet women still own only two per cent of the land” she said. “Women need change and humanity needs change. This we can do together; women and girls, men and boys, young and old, rich and poor.”

Pointing out the “overwhelming” benefits that equality can bring, such as economic growth, poverty reduction, health status improvements and increased resilience to environmental and humanitarian crises, she stressed the importance of empowering women to empower humanity.

“We call on countries to 'step it up' for gender equality, with substantive progress by 2020. Our aim is to reach 'Planet 50:50' before 2030,” she said.

Joining Mr. Ban and Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka in calling for change was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who called for participation of women in all discussion of strategic responses to extremist violence, discrimination and to deprivation of all kinds.

“States can seize this opportunity to go beyond li[-service and towards gender equality – genuinely challenging and dismantling the power structures and dynamics which perpetuate discrimination against women,” he said. “All of us, together: men, women, boys, girls – we all have to do this to eradicate gender discrimination. Let us make it happen.”

In his message to mark the Day, the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Martin Sajdik (Austria) also highlighted the importance of having the will to see pledges through.

“The Post-2015 Development Agenda can only be realized if we implement our commitments to promoting gender equality,” he said.

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Swala launches 49bn/- trust for community development

Swala Oil and Gas (Tanzania) plc has launched Swala Energy Trust Company Limited (the “Trust”).  The Trust will own 7.5 million shares in Swala and will invest profits from the gradual sale of the same to support and uplift the welfare of the communities where the oil and gas company operates. 

 A first of its kind in the East African region, the trust is a further development to the successful Initial Public Offer prospectus (IPO) launched last year which was oversubscribed by 39 percent, Swala’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr David Mestres Ridge said at the weekend. The Trust, which is designed to be independent of Swala, is will be overseen by a board of directors that have considerable experience in this area and will own 7.5 million shares in Swala that, at today’s market price, are worth nearly 49bn/-, he said.  These shares will be used to generate venture capital to finance community-oriented development projects in Swala’s areas of operations. 

The trustees of the Trust will be entitled to sell up to 10 percent of the 7.5 million shares every year to support these investments, and will work closely with local and existing structures to run a variety of programs that will benefit local communities.  

The Trust is currently conducting a study to establish key partners and identify specific community needs around Swala’s areas of operations.Mestres Ridge said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of Swala Energy Trust, which will be responding to the specific requirements of communities where we operate in”.  He said the Trust has been designed to allow for substantial increase in livelihoods to many Tanzanians who continue to face multiple challenges including in the areas of health, education, sanitation and poverty.

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Education policy ‘not realistic

President Jakya Kikwete launches the Education and Training Policy 2014 in Dar es Salaam last month. With him are the Education and Vocational Training Minister, Shukuru Kawambwa (second left), and Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Said Meck Sadik.

After a public outcry for many years on a gradual decline in the quality of education, at last the government has responded with affectation and has launched the new education and training policy, 2014.

This policy replaces altogether about four old policies on education, covering almost all levels of education in the country.

This could have been the government’s effort to salvage the education system from collapse. But is there anything new in this policy, which the old policies on education failed to achieve and why?

Generally speaking, there is nothing new in this policy. Like the other policies, the new policy won’t make any better improvement in our public education system because there is neither will nor determination to do so. We all know that public education is now left for the poor, who cannot afford sending their children to better schools privately owned by either individuals or religious institutions. Our leaders are only paying lip service to public education as their political agenda to keep them in power, but in reality it’s not their major concern.

We know that for many years now children from poor families have been sitting on the floor in classrooms despite the trees we have that can be used to make good and affordable desks. The ratio of one teacher to 45 pupils has for many years remained unrealised dream. Does having at least 100 pupils in a 45-pupil capacity classroom need a new policy? We could first solve all these problems before embarking on formulating the new policy.

While technocracy might not be a big problem in running our educational institutions of all levels, the political system is a hurdle in the development of our education because it is responsible for giving us the country’s leadership. If we will continue having the kind of political leadership as we have now, I do not think we will be able to change our education for better through formulating new policies here and then. We should ask ourselves how many good policies and laws do we have and what have we done with them before having the new ones?

What could be said as a new thing in the policy, is that, it has merged together all old policies pertaining to education in one volume and the first one to be published in Kiswahili as the original language. The rest is just lip service to devising policies and then shelve them until a time of revising or writing a new policy comes. The new policy has focused mainly on rephrasing policy statements, a culture which has become our habit in formulating national policies. Half of this policy contains policy statements. Policy statements are now the style of formulating our policies.

Another thing, which the policy has featured is a legal structure of the education system. We had the Education Act, 1978, which I think the new policy will speed up its amendment or even require a new law on education. To my knowledge, the law has never been an issue in our leadership and management of the country. We are very smart in formulating policies and enacting legislation. The issue has always been the implementation of the policies and the laws we make. If we could have committed public leaders and proper management in the education sector, we wouldn’t have repeated similar mistakes now and then in primary and secondary schools. The policy has once again failed to resolve the long standing controversy of which should be our language for instruction - Kiswahili or English! Using two different languages for teaching in the same country is an awkward thing.

While we have not yet solved the crucial and persistent problem of lack of desks and latrines in both primary and secondary schools, now our leaders have started politicking again by promising poor people that they are going to be furnished with well-equipped laboratories and in the short-run their children will be furnished with laptops. This is a white lie and joke for poor and ignorant people, who have no alternative when it comes to the education of their children.

We must first ask ourselves, what have we achieved through the old policies? If we did not achieve much, was it because the policies were bad or we had no political will and determination to implement them? Every time we launch anything new, our leaders and in particular, the President, will say that the newest is the best. Newness of a policy cannot by itself change the situation. I believe, we have been formulating good policies accompanied by good strategies and programmes, but the problem has always been lack of political will and determination. As a nation, we often fail to realise what we want to achieve because we lack political will and determination.

For instance, the old education policy for primary and secondary schools of 1995 was good enough to guarantee our children to get best education if our leaders had political will to implement it as per letter. A government that cannot afford feeding schoolchildren even with porridge, how can it provide them with laptops? A government that cannot rehabilitate old school buildings, how can it provide schoolchildren with the best education as it pledges in the new policy?

By Mwassa Jingi

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HIV rate above national average in Coastal Region shocks RC

Evarist Ndikilo.

The rate of HIV/Aids infection in the Coast Region, standing at 7.2 percent has shocked its Regional Commissioner, Evarist Ndikilo, because the national rate is 5.9 percent.

Describing it as a threat to the country, he asked medical officers in the region to help contain the scenario.

In a briefing to the RC on Friday, Kibaha Municipal Director Jenifa Omolo said 11, 996 people underwent voluntary testing between January and October last year among whom 5,190 were women and 6,806 men, but 1,064 of them were found to be HIV positive.

Omolo said among them, 388 were men and 676 women, of whom 369 were pregnant. This represented an infection rate of 7.4 percent in men and 9.9 percent in women, she said.

She explained that 303 infants were born to mothers with the virus, but only eight were found with the virus. She said enough testing kits were required to help in the fight against the disease.

In another development, the Kibaha Municipal Council has handed over Sh96m as soft loan to 87 groups of women small scale entrepreneurs from the Women and Youth Fund in the region to help improve their lives.

The loan has been provided to the group since 2009/10 financial year when a total of Sh16 million was disbursed to 18 groups with 180 members. In the year 2011/12, a total of Sh26.4 million was disbursed to 27 groups with 279 members.

According to Omolo, Sh30.5 million and Sh22.5 million was disbursed to 30 groups with 170 members and 12 groups with 70 members in 2012/2013 and 2013/14 financial years respectively. He said Sh120 million has been set aside for the purpose in the 2015/2016 financial year.

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Empowering Women - Empowering Humanity: Picture It!

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

This year’s theme, “Empowering Women - Empowering Humanity: Picture It!" envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination.

In 2015, International Women’s Day will highlight the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments 20 years ago that sets the agenda for realizing women’s rights. While there have been many achievements since then, many serious gaps remain. This is the time to uphold women’s achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women’s rights and gender equality to mobilize all people to do their part.

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BRN Report: Education tops other sectors

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda unwraps the Big Result Now Report for 2013/0214 at a ceremony held yesterday in Dsm. With him are President's Delivery Bureau Chief Executive Officer Omar Issa.

The education sector has surpassed five other strategic areas under the Big Results Now (BRN) initiative during the financial year 2013/14, with Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda describing the outcome as promising for the development vision 2025.

Unveiling the first annual report for the BRN initiative which entailed six key result areas, the premier said the education sector has registered a performance of 81 percent beating other areas.

The report which was released in Dar es Salaam yesterday ranks the Water sector second in performance at 80 percent, Energy (79 percent), Agriculture (77 percent), Transport (64 percent) and Resources Mobilisation (54 percent).

Initiatives of developing the education sector include improving the quality of education in both primary and secondary schools. A total of 4,103 secondary school teachers were trained under a student-teacher enrichment programme (STEP).

The ministry conducted a STEP class for 1, 325 underperforming students during the first year of implementing BRN and nearly 3,000 secondary school headmasters were trained under school improvement toolkit.

The report highlighted that the water sector improved access to potable domestic water for rural communities whereas 2.36 million villagers gained access to clean water.

“About 193,420 households were connected to electricity, outdoing the ministry’s target to connect 150,000 households,” the report noted.

“The transport sector has completed construction of 436 kilometres out of 504 of the Mtwara-Dar-Lindi gas pipeline project. This will ensure sufficient gas is supplied to power plants to generate electricity for domestic and commercial usage,” read the report.

Detailing on agriculture and transport sectors, the report outlined that agricultural productivity had increased following a decision to address key bottlenecks in the sector.

The report further noted that targets in rice and maize production increased by 166,000 and 500,000 metric tonnes respectively.

“Three newly remanufactured locomotives were commissioned for the railway. At least 134 kilometres of roads missing links have been upgraded to bituminous standard surpassing the target of 42 kilometres… the ministry instituted a 24/7 operating hours at the Dar port as part of its undertakings to unlock the potentials,” established the report.

Though the resources mobilisation sector performed the least, its 54 percent performance is weighed on an increment of 455bn/- in revenue collections through taxations, 6.4bn/- through property tax and a collection of 25bn/- in revenues from parastatal contribution.

Speaking at the ceremony of launching the report, Pinda said the BRN initiative was implemented according to a 3-year action plan presented to the public in May 2013.

“Since independence,” he said, “Tanzanians have always wanted economic development, mainly struggling for improved welfare, peace, unit and security, good governance, a literate society as well as a sustainable economy.”

“They eagerly wanted an immediate transformation… this is why we had to adopt the BRN to speed-up attainment of such transformation,” he said.
In addition, Pinda said as the government considers incorporating the health sector in BRN initiatives in July, “all other sectors should adopt the strategy applied by the six sectors to improve performances.”

Omari Issa, Chief Executive Officer President’s Delivery Bureau (PDB) said the annual report was verified by Price Waterhouse Coopers and endorsed by a panel of jury headed by Festus Mongae, former President of Botswana.
“Mongae and his team made a recommendation considering that the system is too transparent and requires the society to search for solutions,” he said.

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Dar Charity Goat Races launches in Dar today

Southern Sun Hotel Sales Manager, Punim Kanabar (2^nd L) speaking to journalists on her hotel sponsorship towards this year Dar Charity Goat Races scheduled for May 30^th this year in Dar es Salaam. It was during a press launch in Dar es Salaam today. From left are, Kilimanjaro Premium Lager Brand Manager, Pamela Kikuli (sponsors), Regent Tanzania General Manager, Ryan O’Sullivan (sponsors) and Dar Charity Goat Races Chair, Karen Stanley.

Dar Charity Goat Races Chair, Karen Stanley (4th L) addressing a media conference during a function to  launch the  2015 charity goat races scheduled for 30th May in Dar es Salaam. A brief occasion was held in Dar es Salaam yesterday. Looking on are representatives from companies sponsors a charity event.

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Benki ya Exim yakarabati kituo cha watoto wenye ulemavu Morogoro

Meneja wa Benki ya Exim Tawi la Morogoro, Bi Anna Wesiwasi (wapili kulia) akipeana mkono na Mkurugenzi wa Kituo cha Amani cha watoto wenye ulemavu, Padri Beatus Sewando (watatu kulia) mara tu baada ya kuzindua jengo la kituo hicho kilichokarabatiwa na benki hiyo jana mkoani Morogoro. Akishuhudia ni Afisa Mauzo wa Benki hiyo Vick Haji (Kulia). Picha na mpiga picha wetu.

BENKI ya Exim Tanzania imefanya ukarabati wa majengo ya kituo cha watoto wenye ulemavu cha Amani kilichopo eneo la Chamwino mkoani Morogoro ikiwa ni muendelezo wa jitihada za benki hiyo kuboresha maisha ya jamii.

Kupitia sera yake ya kurudisha sehemu ya faida yake kwa jamii, benki hiyo pia imejipanga kutoa misaada zaidi ikilenga mipango yenye kuleta maendeleo kwa jamii hapa nchini hususani katika maeneo ambayo benki hiyo tayari imefungua matawi yake.

Akizungumza wakati wa hafla fupi ya kukabidhi vifaa vya ukarabati wa majengo ya kituo hicho iliyofanyika mkoani humo mwishoni mwa wiki iliyopita, Meneja wa tawi la benki hiyo mkoani Morogoro, Bi Anna Wesiwasi alisema msaada huo pia unalenga uboreshaji wa maisha ya watoto wanaoishi kwenye kituo hicho kwa kuwa wataishi kwenye makazi salama, safi na bora kwa afya zao.

“Benki ya Exim siku zote tunaamini kuwa watoto wenye ulemavu wanahitaji kupewa matumaini zaidi na kwa kushiriki kwetu kwenye mipango ya maendeleo kama huu ndio tunatekeleza hiyo imani yetu kwa vitendo na zaidi tunazidi kuwa karibu na jamii inayotuzunguka jambo ambalo ni muhimu katika ulimwengu wa kibiashara kwa sasa kuona kwamba benki inarudisha sehemu ya faida yake kwa watu inao wahudumia,'' alisema Bi Wesiwasi

Kwa mujibu wa Bi Wesiwasi, benki hiyo inaamini kuwa watoto ndio wateja wao wa kesho kama sio wa sasa na hivyo basi benki hiyo itajitoa kwa hali na mali kuhakikisha kwamba wanapata maisha bora kwa sasa .

Akizungumza mara baada ya kupokea msaada huo,  Mkurugenzi wa kituo hicho, Padri Beatus Sewando alisema uamuzi wa benki hiyo kusaidia kituo cha watoto wenye ulemavu ni kitendo kinachotakiwa kuigwa na taasisisi, mashirika na watu mbalimbali hapa nchini.

“Tunashukuru sana kuona wenzetu wa benki ya Exim wameonyesha mfano kwa kuitikia kilio chetu.Msaada huu utawahakikishia  watoto wetu hapa kituoni kuwa na makazi bora na salama kwaa afya zao…naomba wengione waige mfano huu,’’ alitoa wito

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Washington set to boost EAC trade

The United States says it will support the East African Community (EAC) to overcome trade barriers and improve competitiveness of its export products in the international markets.

This follows a Cooperation Agreement signed in Washington last week by the two sides on Trade Facilitation, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures and Technical Barriers to Trade.

The agreement aims to increase trade-related capacity in the East African region as well as deepen the economic ties between the two parties, according to the EAC Secretariat’s dispatch to the media.

The partnership will build on the EAC’s work on customs reforms “which have already resulted in substantial reductions in the time and costs of moving goods across borders within the five partner states”.

“This agreement will help us lift the burdens that trade barriers impose and unlock opportunities for both our continents,” said the US trade representative, Ambassador Michael Froman.

With the new pact in place, the EAC can now meet international standards by bringing in US technological expertise to fully implement the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.

This, the US official remarked, will help the EAC partner states to increase food security and create additional export opportunities for products produced in the region.

During the signing ceremony, Mr Froman announced that the US will look into expanding ‘Trade Africa’ beyond the EAC borders to the rest of Africa. ‘Trade Africa’ is US President Barrack Obama’s initiative to support greater US-Africa trade and investment.

“This Agreement is an important milestone for strengthening what has already proven itself to be a promising and impactful partnership,” said Mr Froman, noting that although EA has great agricultural potential, it was exporting less because of poor quality of products.

Under the pact, the  East African standards officials would be trained and electronic systems on new proposed technical regulations developed. This would enable them to increase their ability to meet international quality and safety standards by improving implementation of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. The minister for East African Cooperation, who is also the current chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, said the bloc was set to benefit  from the new cooperation.

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Poor Children Increasing

Not many people know that enlisting child labour is a crime that attracts a one-year jail term or heavy fine. Most child labourers are made to toil for hours in the hot sun, many of them on empty stomachs.

The meagre earnings most of these children make always go to their masters, parents or guardians. The number of destitute children who struggle to make a living through the worst forms of labour in Tanzania is shocking.

A Child Labour Survey made in 2001 indicated that 1.5 million children were engaged in illegal labour in urban centres. Those who toiled for a living in rural areas were not counted.

Recent figures are hard to come by but head count must have soared over the years to more than three million.

A Member of Parliament, Mr Salim Khalfan (Tumbe - CUF), told the National Assembly a few years ago that more and more children were being engaged in dangerous forms of labour.

He said that the situation was more critical rural Tanzania where children slogged it out for a living in commercial agriculture, mining pits and as domestic helps in homes. Mr Khalfan said underage girls try their luck even in prostitution. He was concerned that not much was being done to rescue them.

"You would think they don't have parents at all; or that there was no government agency to protect them," he lamented. It is not uncommon to see school-age children slogging it out for a living as hawkers in the mean streets. This may not be a bad form of labour but children should be in schools.

Failure to protect children from any form of strenuous labour amounts to child abuse. Some parents defend this situation saying: "The children are acquainting themselves with the rudiments of earning a living.

They must work alongside parents or own their own so they develop the talents, mental capabilities and physical abilities to their fullest potential."

So, you find in towns under- age quarry stone crackers, shoe-shine boys, fitters, cart pushers, sand miners, prostitutes, domestic hands, farm helps and even factory labourers.

In rural areas you find land tillers, cattle minders, cutters of hut construction poles, firewood collectors and even grave diggers. The list is virtually impossible to close.

Socially disadvantaged children have been seen working in fishing vessels on the high seas. Welfare officers say exploitation of child labour has become so commonplace in Tanzania that the average person no longer sees it as a serious offence.

A social welfare worker, who wished to remain anonymous, says working children often make do with the crumbs that remain on their masters' tables. "This is arrant exploitation.

It is cruelty ruthlessly meted out on hapless children." The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child says in Article 11 that: "Every child shall have the right to education." It adds that: "The education of the child shall be directed to the promotion and development of personality."

The Charter, to which Tanzania is a signatory, insists that: Such education should also promote the child's talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential." It should also be directed at "preparing the child for responsible life in a free society."

In many cases these toiling children do not go to school. Some may have dropped out of school due to financial constraints. When they fall sick, as they so often do because of their poor living conditions, they have to fend for themselves usually by seeking minimum medication, the welfare workers says.

"Hardly do they have the means to seek proper medical treatment with the attendant laboratory tests to ascertain what is really wrong with them.

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