:: louder than swahili

Climate Debt: Little Mermaid Repossessed for Africa

 

From here.

Copenhagen Climate Summit: The Danish text leak. Give me your opinons!

The UK Guardian is reporting that the second day of the UN Copenhagen climate summit erupted in even more controversy today after developing countries reacted angrily to documents that were leaked showing world leaders will be asked to sign an agreement next week that gives considerably more power to rich nations and curtails the UN's role in all future climate change negotiations.

 

Read more here.

 

I'm writing on a blog post for http://ms-action.dk/blogs/climate about reactions from the Africans bloggers and tweeters on 'the Danish text leak'.

 

Africans, please, give me your opinions!

Tanzanian sum-up on public dismay over corruption. But who write what?

Tanzanian papers focus on public dismay over war on corruption.

Yes. But who wrote this sum-up?*

Is it an NGO employee, and international NGO hired expat (with a sponsored agenda) - or a Tanzanian journalist who is genuinely tired of what's happening in his/her country?

For me that is essential to understand the dynamics behind the recent, increased attention in the Tanzanian media on corruption issues. The papers write that the public is expressing dismay. - Where?, I ask myself? In the daladalas, dukas or the offices? Or do they really refer to the NGOs promoting the agenda (i.e. the survey referred to from the Foundation for Civil Society, which the media pick up)? 

* I have searched the site but can't find a name of a journalist for this article.

Climate Change Summit Catering in Copenhagen stocking up nyama choma?

Thanks to the journalists, Mkinga Mkinga and Beatus Kagashe, at The Citizen for pointing out the humongous number of Tanzanians going to Copenhagen for Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change!  

Tanzania appears to be sending the 2nd-largest delegation from Africa to Copenhagen!

This is an interesting article in terms of observations and conclusions, including research involving statistics and a visit to the Swedish Embassy (where you get your visa to Denmark these days).

Jamii Forum has picked up my blog post from yesterday (which of course is a great honour), where I criticized the not so curious microphone holders among the journalists covering news in Tanzania.

Evidently there is - in any country - a strong relation between the degree of this phenomenon and the government's desire to control what the media express. In this regard, let me just emphasise one thing: It is my personal experience that Tanzanian media are improving in terms of playing a watchdog role, and that an article of this kind is part of sparking the debate on i.e. the government's priorities.

African leaders advise Bono on reform of U2 (love this)

A while ago I complained about Bono here.

I wrote:

I don't have a final decisive stand on Bono and Africa. I think Bono is a bit over-hyped, too obsessed with black shades and being Bono, and I don't listen to U2's music anymore with the same enthusiam. Too mainstream. But in terms of 'telling Africa's stories' I think the long line of African artists (or people who stayed around long enough to at least try to get it under their skin), who promote Africa and who integrate Africa into their actual work, write or sing about Africa because they can't help it, do a much better job.

...

Funny, today I read that An expert commission of African leaders today announced their plan for comprehensive reform of music band U2. Saying that U2’s rock had lost touch with its African roots, the commission called for urgent measures to halt U2’s slide towards impending crisis.

“Our youth today are imperiled by low quality music,” said Commission chairman Nelson Mandela. “We will be lending African musicians to U2 to try to refurbish their sound to satisfy the urgent and growing needs for diversionary entertainment at a time of crisis in the global music and financial sectors.”

FANTASTIC. I'm all in line with Mandela!

Does it corrupt one country to keep supporting a(nother) corrupt country?

A commenter on my blog raises an interesting questions in terms of my previous post here, where I quote Transparency International's list over corrupted countries.

Denmark is 2nd on the list, Tanzania 126.

'Not so weird after all! The courts are full of former ministers accused of taking large sums of money, and present ones continue grabbing. Where theft and corrupt practices has been accepted as 'kawaida', where the speaker of parliament has laughed off double allowances by law makers as acceptable, where jourmalists take brown envelopes every day in exchange for story placement, where citizens pay nurses to see a doctor, where traffic officers are not concerned about road safety, etc. etc. But the donor countries keep on talking of "ëncouraging developments" and continue with budget support!! Supporting corrupt countries should get negative marks too, maybe Danmark's position would change.'

Tanzania is the country which Denmark has supported over the longest period of time, and the country which get the highest percentage of Danish development aid.

As long as I'm working for the Danes I'll keep pretending that I do understand the finer concept of budget support.

How corrupt is your country?

Transparency International's 2009 corruption index: find the full ranking of 180 countries here. 

Tanzania is 126 - and Denmark is 2 on the list.

To be honest, it is a mystery to me why Tanzania is this high on the list.

Meet the natives (they might be gone before you know of it)

Maybe you remember this article by Alex Renton which was published on September 6 2009 in the Observer?

Within this article Alex Renton interviewed the manager, Liz McKee, from Thomson Safaris, which later has changed name to the slightly different Thomson Family Adventures. The company is on their website offering an active family’s dream come true and meeting the native Tanzanians. 

That is if there is still any natives left, I'm noting.

The Loliondo saga which makes up an essential part of Renton's article, is namely still cooking with fresh details.

Later in September the Danish Ambassador, Bjarne H. Sørensen, formally handed over 15 years of Danish support to the Maasai as part of the ERETO celebrations, but it was overshadowed by recent events that have seen the pastoralists being forcefully evicted from their homes, and their bomas burned down. ERETO has assisted in supplying water, animal health-care, restocking livestock, women’s economic groups and HIV/AIDS awareness, also in Loliondo. 

Afterwards the topic heated up the Ubunge in Dodoma, the Tanzanian parliament, as referred to here on November 7.

Back to the Thomson Family Adventures. The company still uses the term 'natives', which I find rather curious, taking into consideration that the term in British post-colonial context is considered patronising. 

In this case, in particular, as the natives here are reduced to a bunch of colorful Maasai expected to live up to the tourists' stereotypical ideas of natives - and then stay off the land of the safari company (according to Renton's article).

I think we all go to Africa with some sort of wish to have our stereotypes confirmed.

However, my annual income has so far prevented me from getting that done at Thompson's. Vanity and pride might be other reasons. Conscience, too.

It simply makes me feel like an idiot if I have to pay for engaging in a meeting with the population facilitated by a safari company who try to pretend they are philantropists.

It is as simple as that.

Arranging paid meetings like this make people stay with their stereotypes; It makes the natives believe that all wazungu are rich, while the wazungu believe that all the Maasai are poor people in need.

Last week I went along with the natives - the cheap way - and not that far from the Ngorongoro. I travelled with the natives to Kiserian and Moirowa villages (photo).  Poor, yes. But also strong and resourceful people.

Natives all over, too, in the Lion Guest House in Namanga on the border to Kenya, in fact very few wazungu - and that costed only 5,000 TSH for a room, and I even got to see a lot of natives only dressed in towels when we shared the communal bathing facilities!

If you want my opinion on the colourfull variety of wazungu who think they contribute to change in Africa, while making money, read here. Again, this is not rocket science, this is only another example of capitalism mixed with arrogance.

Getting emotional: The Tanzanian state of education

Working with development, we all have our favourites, something which is closer to our hearts than other areas.

In my case it is education - but as in human potential, creativity, personal drive, eagerness and motivation. So far, I have only found the word 'education' enlisted among the buzz words in the development support bible.

However, it all boils down to utilised and appreciated human potential, creativity, personal drive, eagerness and motivation, which will be the only forces change is made of.

Of course, this is my opinion. I used to be a teacher, and I have absolutely no objective approach to this. I have written about it before from northern Uganda and South Sudan - countries which in my opinion easilier can explain why they haven't got their education system in place. Tanzania has not gone through the same conflicts and problems, and have moreover received non-stop development support since the 1960ties

That makes me rather emotional. Not just the state of education in Tanzania, but the fact that this vast human potential, creativity, personal drive, eagerness and motivation 365 days a year in a large range of Tanzanian villages just isn't utilised, but ignored.There are lots of explanations for this. Education is merely the only thing neglected in the rural areas. Access to water, health services, decent infrastructure and information are other absent, basic necessities for development. The distance between the people who have and the ones who don't, is rather tangible in Tanzania.

In many cases, the schools are there - as in hardware. Buildings are constructed all over the country, but often they don't provide enough space for the pupils enrolled or they are in miserable states. Other problems are obviously also that some teachers don't show up; don't teach; don't speak the tribal language of the children in that area; that they take bribes or demand other services. But teachers are also directed by the government where to work, paid an absolutely ridiculously little salary considering their role and tasks. According to the teachers I spoke to last week, a Tanzanian teacher makes about 75 - 300 USD monthly, that is if they are paid at all - recently teachers have announced that they may go on a 'go slow strike', demanding amongst others their salaries.

And while researching for this blog post, I read this article, which presents a rather interesting variety of view points in terms of the modern Tanzanian teachers, most of them offending, like this one:

Many modern day teachers may have come up short in being role models. Take the female unmarried pregnant teacher or with own children. Single parenthood may be the trend in urban Tanzania, but single mom teacher is setting the example that it is OK to disobey the commandments of the Holy Bible, Quran or other beliefs of one’s community.

The list is long, however, what is fundamental is, that Tanzania has an educational system which simply doesn't meet the need for the vast majority of the watanzania.

Last week I visited two schools in Monduli District - each a primary school in the villages of Moirowa and Kiserian. Both are populated by the Maasai, though Moirowa over time has had a Somali influence which has integrated with the Maasai. They are both situated about 35 km from the main road going between Arusha and Namanga at the border to Kenya, turning in Longido towards Lake Natron. Both villages are situated about 100 km from Arusha, in an area where you on clear days can see you can see the mountains of Kilimanjaro, Meru, Longido and Ol Doinyo Lengai.In the school in Kiserian there was no water and no kitchen facilities for cooking food for the children. Some of the children walk up to 15 km to and from school every day. Enrollment is highly influenced by the present draught in the area, as families shift according to access to water.

In the school in Moirowa there was water, and food was prepared for the pupils - a thin maize soup with beans. Here the children did not walk as far as in Kiserian, and a much higher percentage of girls were enrolled.

The visitors coming with me had brought paper and crayons, and the pupils sat down and drew. Using their human potential, creativity, personal drive, eagerness and motivation. The teachers went along; The children concentrated and produced. As long as there is this ability, everything is possible. Africans have made it big, coming from everywhere. However, a lot of potential is not utilised in Tanzania.

About 50% of Tanzania’s population is under 18 years: How can Tanzania ignore the importance of education?

If in doubt: Scroll back and take another look at the first photo of the child concentrating to draw!

Nothing like instant 'Africafe' (before 200 km on dusty roads)

Today I woke up in Namanga on the border to Kenya. The morning rain wet the dust, and messed up the front screen of the car, which was covered in a fine layer of red dust from the night before. Soon me, too. When you take off from Namanga, you have a great landscape ahead: Kilimanjaro, Meru and Longido. Later, when we drove into the bush, again the peak of Ol Doinyo Lengai.Quite a few of the people interested in 'my' job as communication adviser ask me;

How much do you travel and how much time do you spend outside the office every month?

I answer: as much as possible.

Probably not a very useful answer (if you like the idea of staying a lot in the office), lakini, true. In general in Africa, I see an increasing tendency to cluster expats in the bigger cities and tie them to desks. This is certainly the case of the NGO I work for, which in my opinion now is putting a greater focus on its programme and overall objectives in favour of the smaller civil society organisations we work in partnership with (and which often reside at the end of a dust road in rural Tanzania).

Moreover, it is a fact, that it is difficult to place European expats in rural areas because of the lack of amenities. It is also a common joke between local organisations that sooner or later one of their donors will be ask them to arrange to fly them in to places where there are no airstrips. We laugh when we imagine how the wazungu think they can get from Dar es Salaam to Kiteto to Arusha in only 5 days. Even me, I once had someone requesting me to pick someone up at the border between Tanzania and Uganda, and then take them to Iringa. (I told them I liked to drive, but doubted the visitors would like it as much as me, when they eventually got to look at a map of East Africa). 

However, in times with wide network coverage, mobile Internet modems, Nissan Hardbodies and the majority of the African population living in the rural areas, the only thing which makes sense, is to get out there.

I love having my base in Dar es Salaam, but I am not a writer of fiction.

Besides, this is what Africa is made of.

Kariakoo: Over 1 million enter to trade daily

I have previously written about Kariakoo with fascination, i.e. here.

Now the Guardian brings an interesting article with facts about Kariakoo; One problem is that it is congested.

The Kariakoo business area in Dar es Salaam, which has of recent opened doors to larger volumes of trade, particularly from the oriental, is most likely going to malfunction due to lack of enough space to accommodate more incoming merchandise and services, a survey by ‘The Guardian’ has established.

 

The article points out some of the reasons behind which are rather interesting, as I find them significant for Tanzania in general:

 

One woman says: “It is true that Kariakoo is overcrowded, and we can’t escape that due to the fact that, in the country there is an increased number of people without jobs. This has made many to get into business so as to easy life, here you will find professional businessmen and women as well as those who just do business.”

 

Another: “The business boom in Kariakoo has been caused by globalization; it is not only Tanzanians who conduct their businesses in the area, but also other nationals such as people Congolese, Zambian, Malawians and Chinese.”

And a third one: “The problem is that most Tanzanians just do business in their own. They do business individually that is why you see most of them openning shops in Kariakoo”.

World Food Day: HungerFREE

It is World Food Day 2009 today. ActionAid's HungerFREE campaign goes:

 

What's the problem?

• Over one billion people are going hungry right now.
• That's nearly a sixth of humanity.
• Last year, a food price crisis pushed 100 million more into hunger.  Poor people ate less frequently and cut back on the nutrient-rich food they need most. 
• Local food prices remain much higher than before, so hungry families have to make a horrible choice between buying food and doing without healthcare or school for their children.
• There is enough food in the world to meet everyone's needs, but not everyone gets a fair share.

Who is suffering most?

• The problem is worst in rural areas, home to 75% of the world’s poor. 
• Poor people lack control over land and access to other basic farming resources like water.
• Women are particularly disadvantaged. While women in poor countries grow more than 60% of the food, they own less than 1% of the land.
• Climate change, high prices, trade barriers and agro-fuel production are all hitting the poorest people hardest.
• Poor people in rural communities can feed themselves if they have the right support, but the current system isn’t working.

What's the solution?

• There is enough food in the world to feed everyone - the problem is political. And that means it can be fixed.
• Low-impact farming by small-holder farmers is the best way to tackle hunger.
• A UN study found sustainable agriculture increased crop yields in Africa by an astonishing 116%.

What can I do?

• We need Gordon Brown to demonstrate international leadership in improving the way the global food system is governed.
• We need governments to be monitored and held to account for eradicating hunger.
• We need the UK government to support small scale, sustainable farming of the kind that can best support women farmers.
• Take action now!

BAD09 Tanzania: rain + land = food

Within the past year I have travelled more than ten thousand of kilometres around Tanzania: I have been to Simanjiro, Kiteto , Tanga, Pangani, Lushoto, Kisarawe, Kilimanjaro, the Southern Highlands and Mtwara.

Everywhere, everybody talked about the weather.

In Kiteto the acacia trees were blooming in January (photo); according to the Maasai the flowers indicate that rain is near. Later in January I was confused about the weather, but the heavy rain finally came, and was about to drive me mad in March where I went on a 12 hour trip round Kisarawe to find material for an article on land sale for biofuel. In April I got malaria during the masika - the long rains which drowned the area around my house in Dar es Salaam. Now, in October, it hasn't rained since May, apart for a few showers this week, possibly indicating that the mvuli has started in Dar es Salaam. But the grass in my garden in Dar es Salaam is still dried out and the sandy soil is bare.

The long rains have become shorter. The consequences are clear.

My problems are nothing compared to the majority of the Tanzanian people who live in the rural areas. Most are dependent on either maize or cassava which are the most popular stable food in Tanzania. Whereas the cassava can sustain lack of rain, the maize plants need lots of water. If the longs rains (the masika), which normally runs from March to June, is shorter than this, the maize plants dry out, or stay small.

And people starve, food prices go up, all other prices go up. If you live in a Tanzanian village where the economical dynamics are limited, it takes little to make life go in the wrong direction.

This is exactly what happened this year in many areas in Tanzania.

In May the masika - the long rains - in many places stopped too early, and in many places there was no or too little rain, resulting in drought. People in 10 Tanzanian districts were asking for food in May. In Kiteto the Akiye tribe - the hunter gatherers were already starving in April. In Moshi the maize plants were yellow while the soil cracked of thirst in September, and while the snow melts on the Mount Kilimanjaro, it is suddenly there on the Mount Meru, a newspaper noted.

80% of the Tanzanian population, who depend on agriculture as a means to get something to eat, had no food. People don't understand why the weather changes, only that it changes their foundation of their livelyhood.

Completely.

It is an absurd feeling to visit a Tanzanian village waiting for rain when you know that Tanzania is among the 100 most vulnerable countries in the world having contributed the least to total global carbon emissions. At the same time it feels rather absurd that Tanzania is selling out of her land, interestingly enough to a variety of countries which position themselves high on the scale of carbon emisson. 

The government have plans, not all in favour of its people, which the Kenyan Gado notes in an illustration, while others are critisizing the Tanzanian goverment for evicting farmers in favour of a biofuel company. According to BBC Africa on September 24 Korea bought 1,000 sq km in Tanzania, however the Tanzanian government the day after refuted media reports indicating that it has leased out 1000 square kilometres of farmland to South Koreans. In Loliondo the Maasai were chased away in favour of a safari company, which the Danish embassador openly critisized in September.

Not to forget the fact that President Kikwete is reported to have told the Saudis that Tanzania could lease them land covering up to 10,000 hectares for 99 years: “Tanzania is ready to do business with you… here is 100 million acres (40.5 million hectares) of good arable land,” Reuters quoted Mr Kikwete as telling the Saudi businessmen. 

Climate change affects us all. In Tanzania, amongst others, it causes hunger because the rain isn't there or it isn't enough. But again, it can rain as much as it likes, people still need land to grow crops for their food.

This post is part of BLOG ACTION DAY 2009.

Kisutu: The Barghashia Hat. Handmade

  Back then, a million years ago, I studied embrodery for four months in Copenhagen, and later after four years in Teachers' Training College I graduated as a teacher of Arts (and English). I know my way round stiching, and back then I thought I was going seriously into art & craft. Not the development business.

The handmade Barghashia hat on sale in Kisutu costs 25,000 TSH. Today, I got it down to 20, and am now, in fact,  left with a bad taste in my mouth. I always bargain as a principle. I always ask for second price. 25,000 is a lot of money in this place.

However, in some cases it is not okay to bargain. That is when things are handmade and of good quality. I truly think this should be honoured, in particularly in a place which is flushed with cheap Chinese crap and where time spend on labour isn't valued.

Hence, apologies to the man in the photo, the advice is put forward.

Visa2Dance - Don't miss the Contemporary Dance Festival in Dar Es Salaam next month!

When I meet Tanzanians bara ya Afrika they say 'those people there at the coast, all they think about is the ngoma - all they want to spend their time doing, is to dance'.

I'm not passing on that stereotype, and the Dar Es Salaam Visa2Dance festival does take you beyond the ngoma, though I'm sure the ngoma will sneak in one way or the other.

In fact, it is a rather unusual event, and a lot of hard work has been put in the fundraising and getting the international dance performers to Dar Es Salaam, now awaits the coordination. Though Tanzania isn't generally associated with modern dance festivals, I believe that creative spaces like this is a very important ingridient in development and in the making of a modern cultural identity. 

Read more at www.Visa2Dance.com.

Please, link and forward.

Stuck in a road block in Mkata. People protesting - seriously - against local leader.

Today while driving from Dar Es Salaam to Arusha a rather unusual thing occurred on the road between Chalinze and Segera:

People all over the road, demonstrating!

When we arrived to the village of Mkata around noon, about 70 kilometres from Segera, the road was suddenly blocked by the busses which are regularly driving this distance daily.

All the busses driving this route connecting Dar Es Salaam and even the southern highlands with northern Tanzania, Kenya and even Uganda, make up a lot vehicles.

An enormous lot.

The whole scenario was mildly absurd, as the busses ahead of us had been stuck in the place since 8 AM. However, blocking the road in a place like this is an effective tool communicating a message.

A man in the road side, a former teacher from the area, started explaining the reasoning behind the road block:

Apparently the local village chairman (or the local leader) had prevented a private firm selling water to the people of the village - in favour of his own water selling business. The problem, however, was then that the village chair man offered water at 500 TSH (per entity) contra the alternative private businessman's cheaper offer on 300 TSH. The village chair man had obstructed the private businessman's business simply by emptying his water truck.

That was - literally - the drop - which made people take action. According to other people we spoke to, the villagers chased away the village chairman, and decided to block the road untill the 'cheapest' water supplier would be back in business. Not just on paper, but in practice.

Which is why the busses and cars on the route had to wait.

The police came before that, and there had just been shooting in the air, trying to split the crowd, when we arrived. People talked about additional assistance on the way from Handeni. People came running towards us, and when a thing like that happens around here, you think. One thing I was told early on when moving to Africa, was that in the case you see people running from a village towards you, you should turn your car in the opposite direction as they're trying to escape something bad - or might be targeting you.

I couldn't really turn the car anywhere, so we stayed.

When we had waited for about an hour, the water truck arrived.

People cheering on top of it and in the street.

The teacher on the sideline explained that when people know their rights, you cannot stop them.

Worth waiting for, I'll say. Seeing people escorting the water truck into town appeared to be a small revolution in Mkata. Also, I must admit that I honestly felt all the fine words the NGO I work for put on paper are nothing compared to when people take action in real life. 

Africa's new Disneyland

On September 6 2009 this article here by Alex Renton was published in the British Observer. Renton reports on the plight of the Maasai as they are evicted from their homelands to create vast 'nature refuges.

It begins like this:

Twilight is swift near the equator. As the cloud castles on the western horizon turn a tandoori red, the children are hurrying the goats into the thorn enclosure that keeps them from the leopards. A Masai elder passes on the path up the hill, striding easily into the slope. His purple plaid wraps him from shoulders to knees; there's a long-bladed spear in his left hand, a furled umbrella is strapped to his back. With his free hand he is busy with a mobile phone. He looks up to nod a greeting. I can smell the smoke of cooking fires from the nearby Masai village. It is an ordinary evening in the highlands of East Africa.

So it's particularly odd that I've just received a text message welcoming me to the United Arab Emirates. "Enjoy the best network coverage and other unmatched services only with Etisalat," it says. "Enjoy your stay in the UAE!"

Read on here to find out why it is poosible to receive this kind of text messages in northern Tanzania.

The article is extremely well-written and critical, while presenting many different perspectives of a problem not just present in Tanzania, but in several other places in Africa; there's the conflict between capitalistic interests - some call it development - and the promotion of a culture/tribe as a touristic object (with the idea of profiting on it, while the wazungu observe it), the role of the government, the investors and tourism companies - and then finally the people of the land.

Which again leads on to a debate about what people have the right to what land?

A question which is going to be more and more relevant for Africa in the time to come.

New blog: Why work when you can sit?

Read a new Tanzanian blog dedicated to discussing the culture of allowances so characteristic of Tanzania's civil service.

Very much needed!

Go to www.whyworkwhenyoucansit.blogspot.com/

Sunday ranting from Kampala

Glad I am not the only blogger out here who occasionally has had it with the missionaries. However, a lot said on the account on the missionaries, could also be said on the account of Danish development workers.

So, I'll leave it, and pass on the word to the Ugandan Insomniac here.

KenyaAirways on Twitter: Cool!

KenyaAirwaysAre you travelling today with Kenya Airways?Need any info on Flight Status?Please tweet us and we will let you know #travel #nairobi #flight6 minutes ago from web

I have been up-dating myself on 'social media' tools as I co-facilitated a training session on new media last Friday for staff at Tanzania Media Fund. In particular, I have been trying to work out Twitter, which I haven't been overtly fond of, but I realised new opportunities if I connect it with my blog, Flickr and Facebook - amongst them a new way to reach - or be reached - by a different target group.

I like Twitter now, and will try to use it a bit more focused.

I  also like Kenya Airways' approach on Twitter. It made me wonder what a Precision Air Twitterstream would look like...! (I even wondered what Mugabe's Twitterstream would look like).

What the f**ck is 'new media'? Try these guides.

 

Lords of the Bling

A presentation depicting the amount of treatment that could be paid for with the amount of money spent on extravagant purchases and events by political leaders. Check it here.

1800 KM in 7 days

I'm back in Dar Es Salaam after 1800 km in 7 days to dusty places crying for decent tarmac; where people call condoms for 'tatu bila', but still die of HIV; and where the wazungu wear two-tone shirts and call my safari boots for 'vellies'.

I need sleep. And later the breeze from the Indian Ocean.

Nothing beats Dar Es Salaam.

Southern Highlands: Vastness & Solitude

It is Sunday night around eight o’clock.

 

Above me is the serene, dark sky, edged by the four walls of the little yard of the house of the family I’m staying with.

 

The moon and the stars are shining bright. The view is healing. I don’t know why, but it gives me the impression that there is more to life that an office job in the big city, though I doubt I could ever exchange the remote vastness of the Southern Highlands for a longer period of time with the kilele of the big city.

‘Have you ever seen such a clear sky?,’ my host, John asked last night.

 

I have. Once in northern Uganda, where we drove by the back roads between Arua and Koboko one night. And once I went by dhow from Bagamoyo to Zanzibar. But it doesn’t happen often. To see such a clear sky you need to be far off the infrastructure. In Denmark it isn’t possible.

 

I have no exact idea of where I am, but far off the infrastructure. The village is called Kanani, and it is no more than a few scattered houses, two churches and a school. I left Iringa Sunday morning at 9 o’clock, and met with John in Makumbako two hours later. Makumbako is a trading centre and a junction for the traffic moving up from Zambia via Mbeya, and to and from Songea, a town close to the Mozambique border.

 

BuI lost track when we drove off the road at Halali Village 22 kilometres after Makumbako on the road to Mbeya. We circled for 30 kilometres through Ilembula Village, where I waited for John to have a haircut; then to Mambegu junction; and finally the last 2,5 kilometres to Kanani.

 

To our right we had the blue Livingstone Mountains at Lake Nyasa. Livingstone made it all the way down here, entering from Mikindani at the southern coast of Tanzania. Years before he did another trip, the one he died of. (I think) 

Someone is beating the drum, walking round the few houses which make up Kanani.

‘All people are requested to show up to make bricks tomorrow for the school toilets,’ my hosts explain.

We are far out. At least that is what I’m thinking as the life here is such a contrast to where I come from.

Even to Dar Es Salaam, which in this perspective has got it all; power, newspapers and people; network and tarmac.

 

The wind rustled the house all night. It was freezing cold when I woke up this morning, and slid my feet into a pair of cold malapa. The procedures for my morning toilette were another cold affair, and I’m soon to long for a warm shower.

Nevertheless, how often does an mzungu get a chance to stay with a local African family? I get it too seldom. And if offered we are likely to say no, because it takes extra energy to stay without these amenities we have grown into not living without.

 

Today I have been facilitating a training session on how to make a newsletter for John’s organisation, Njombe Agricultural Development Association (NADO), and right now, here at the end of it, I’m impressed with our progress, and the fact that it got concrete. Tomorrow will show if I’m too optimistic.

 

More about it later, my laptop battery is running low.

Link: Bongo the Film

I'm passing on this link to Bongo the Film. Check it out: 

From the streets of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, comes a film about opportunity. Bongo, from the Swahili word for “brain”, represents the cunning resourcefulness that it takes to survive on the streets of Dar es Salaam and, for that, the city takes its nickname.

Also thanks to Bongo the Film for Twittering a cool reference to me: 'bongofilm - Came across some amazing shots by artist/aidworker/blogger living in Dar es Salaam. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/lyhkhd @PernillaAfrika.'

(Makes me feel very cool).

Blogging from paradise: How to use blogging as a part of your job?

My Kenyan friend, Liz Mwambui, who's also among my favorite bloggers at The Deeper Meaning of Life, has left Nairobi for the Seychelles. To save paradise.

She's now blogging on Saving Paradise - while working for a leading environmental organisation in the Western Indian Ocean and the Birdlife partner in Seychelles.

The blog is regularly updated with photos and text about very specific issues related to the organisation's work. However, I'd like to emphasise Saving Paradise in particular for Liz' way of using blogging and other new media as part of her job, and I believe it could serve as inspiration to others.

Africa, How' You Doing?!

Stole the graphic icon from my friend at Scarlett Lion Liberia.

And I love it, too.

Originally it comes from this site, where Bono shares his somewhat predictable views on Africa, though I gotta give it to the man: He doesn't sit still.

Maybe things really are changing in terms of rebranding Africa? Or maybe Bono comes round too seldom?

Visiting the Kamusi Project working in Dar Es Salaam

I am a very fond and frequent user of the Kamusi Project’s dictionary, and Wednesday last week I was invited to visit the Kamusi Project working in Dar Es Salaam.

The invitation said that 'the week had been organised by tzLUG (the Tanzania Linux Users Group) and Kamusi Project International in association with ANLoc (the African Network for Localization), with the support of IDRC (International Development Research Centre), and that it is hosting a blitz to complete at least 15 Tanzanian language locales this week.’

The Kamusi Project is a collaborative work by people all over the world working to establish new dictionaries and learning resources for Kiswahili - both within Swahili and between Swahili and English. Kiswahili is the most widely spoken African language, with as many as 100 million speakers in East and Central Africa. Kiwahili is a national language of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, and it is an official language of the African Union.

I found the tzLUG group after walking up five stairs in the NRC Life House building on the corner of Ohio Street and Sokoine Drive. Hamna umeme - no electricity. On the 5th floor I found a tiny room full of Tanzanian twenty-somethings scattered around laptops and cables.

They almost lost me there.

And I still don’t know exactly what a ‘blitz’ or a ‘locale’ is. And I had to google ‘kamusi’ only to find out that it means ‘dictionary’.

So I asked them why they had decided to spend all their free time in a tiny room in the centre of Dar for a whole week - to do something so unusual: to volunteer?

Some of the answers were:

- My name appears (on the product), and I feel proud.

- No other person will do it.

- You learn.

- It is the future of IT in Bongo (Dar Es Salaam). 

One of the concrete ideas behind the Kamusi Project is to make it possible that you don't have to know English in order to use IT. Another that the different IT products use the same vocabulary for the same things.

In Tanzania, along with other African nations, the oral tradition favours the written word. In today's world managing the written word gives power. Hence, securing and developing a language in terms of structure and vocabulary adjusted to the current development is of great significance - not just for a national or cultural identity, but also on an individual level: If you use Kiswahili to formulate your first thought, or if this is the language you dream in, Kiswahili is a fundamental part of you.

Check the Kamusi Project here, and note that you can support the project.

I'm off to fetch some water...

...am back in some hours.

3 interesting articles from the East African

Sex in a time of famine

An example from Kenya on how one specific problem leads to another: climate change→draught→famine→prostitution→HIV→

EA has to wait longer for Seacom, Teams cables

The thing we are all waiting for: A decent Internet (price and speed wise) in Tanzania. However, the process is delayed, but who would have guessed that the reason for the delay is to do with the Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean (!!)

“They’re (the cable-laying ships) very slow when they’re laying the cables and they really can’t get away,” the article explains.

Pornography, drugs boom as our cities fill up with lonely people

When I lived in Uganda 'the personals' in the Ugandan newspapers were always splendid entertainment as they usually put a very explicit life on display. “Newly arrived Indian girls” and “European ladies,” is only one example.

Enjoy.

When working in your own city turns into an expedition

I have been working Friday, Saturday and Sunday with a very talented photographer. James Seigel is normally based in Cape Town, doing phootage of a quality which an NGO of our calibre seldom can pay for.

However, he offered MS Tanzania/ ActionAid Denmark and our partner organisation, Tanzanian Youth Coalition (TYC), his competences in return for basic commodities and a set-up.

So, for the past three days I, the photographer and Adrian and Juma from TYC have been cruising the suburbs of Dar es Salaam talking to people from Mabibo, Makumbusho, Kijitnyama, Sinza, Tegeta (and beyond), Magomeni, Mansese, Ubongo, Ally Maua, Kekuwanga and Bombalauma.

It is amazing how deep you can enter via local Tanzanians and a purpose - suddenly you are in the lounge of a complete stranger's house, who tells you her/his story, while another one of us is battling with a never ending supply of children who want to be digitalised wearing broad smiles.

For the past three days I have seen an uncountable amount of men peeling potatoes - and others frying, selling and eating them.

I have been invited, repeatedly, to church by a reverend who played his gospel out that loud that I'd gone mental if I lived in that place. Many mosques have called for prayers (and I am repeating my regular explanation 'that I don't need a house to practice my faith', when asked what my religion is).

Coulourful laundry everywhere.

Homemade antennas reaching for the blue sky.

Tropical heat under iron sheet roofs, while trying to put my scarce Kiswahili at some good use.

Zig-zagging over channels of sewage and garbage. 

I have been in awe of the colours of dusty walls in low sun.

The smell of  warm charcoal and humid limestone.

I have seen women in kangas much nicer than the ones I have ever bought ('Mombassa' they said, when I asked 'wapi?'). 

In fact, I suggested TYC that we'd start planning guided tours to suburbs with curious names, inspired by this.

The idea was to speak to youth who had received training in entrepreneurship skills at TYC, and to produce some small portraits of youth who have been capable of making a change in their own lives. The interviews were amazing and we were in fact all surprised, as it turned out that all six we spoke to had made impressive changes, and expressed it with pride.

One of the women gave the advice: ' Don’t sit back. Don’t wait for being provided for.'

And finally, I have to say that I myself learnt a few things in terms of photography - the photos are amazing, and I can't wait to put it all together.

Photo by James Seigel.

More Money, More Problem!

Must admit that I feel tempted to send this photo to the Danish Foreign Ministry.

However, less money is not necessarily less problem.

The photo is from Moshi.

Twittering From Iran

Lots of debate in the blogosphere on the role of social media in the Iran protests. Should we pass on information, or do we put the people in danger? Twitter is one tool, and one proposal circulating is to set your Twitter profile to 'Tehran' in order to make it harder to detect Iranian twitters. I just did.

What I think? I doubt the amount of the various kinds of information will give anyone the correct picture of the chaos in Iran now. However, the fact that the people of Iran use the social media to express their attitudes, and communicate it so massively, has an enormous impact - and send signals which are hard to misunderstand.

I also think what that would have meant 9 years ago in Belgrade, Serbia, when the Serbs went on the streets to protest against Milosevic. It might have made a difference in the way the outside world understood the Serbs as individuals.

More cartoons here.

Sura Kitabu - Facebook in Kiswahili!

Recently, Facebook launched a version in Kiswahili, Sura Kitabu, which targets nearly 110 million Kiswahili speakers.

From the BBC Africa:

Symon Wonda, one of the project's initiators, said they wanted to launch a Swahili version to safeguard the future of the language.

"The youth, the future generation, if you look at the biggest percentage of users on Facebook, they are the youth," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

Very interesting ways of thinking in deed.

Jambo Network has a guideline here on how to set your Facebook to Kiswahili.

Financial Times/Arena: Is aid working?

The FT's Arena blog is a forum for the debates of the times. Its latest discussion is on the the controversial and difficult issue of aid, and whether it works. Over the coming days, FT specialists and guest commentators and economists will join the debate. Readers are also invited to leave comments. 

Check it out here.

Workshop. Volleyball. White Sands

Sharing Experience at 'Beyond Good Intentions'

Beyond Good Intentions is an organisation committed to uncovering more innovative and effective approaches to international aid worldwide. Through film series and educational programs the organisation is working to catalyze a much-needed dialogue about aid effectiveness in hopes of transforming the current system.

I am honoured having been invited to share one of my personal experiences with development work here. I chose a previous blog post from July 2008, which I believe illustrates my own dilemma working with development in Africa.

The Economist: Waiting for that great leap forward

THE country already gets 40% of its government budget in aid, but now it wants even more foreign cash to help it through the economic downturn. How much is enough? Tanzania’s president, Jakaya Kikwete, smiles grimly. “We’re trying to bring down our dependency, but we’re grateful for what we receive.”

Read the whole article from the Economist here.

News on malaria research in Tanzania

From the Ifakara Health Institute's Spotlight Issue No 2 (read it all here):

• In 2007/8, nearly 20% of Tanzanian under tested positive for malaria. Prevalence in rural areas is more than double that in urban areas, and there are huge variations across regions.
• Data from previous surveys and studies indicate that malaria prevalence in Tanzania has roughly halved over the past decade.
• There has been a decline of similar timing and magnitude in malaria transmission, severe anaemia, fever incidence, malaria inpatient admissions and the proportion of fever cases positive for malaria.
• The reduction in malaria transmission, prevalence and morbidity corresponds closely to the increase in use of nets and ITNs. The protection nets extends beyond individual users to benefit the community as a whole.
• The fact that multiple malaria interventions have been implemented in conjunction makes it difficult to assign causation to any one particular control measure.
• All-cause under-five mortality has declined by nearly 40% since 1999. The evidence suggests that malaria-related deaths have declined by a similar extent.
• The fact the proportion of deaths directly attributable to malaria has not changed might be explained by a large control on all-cause mortality.

When Ernesto Guevara was 37...

I have recently found myself slightly disillusioned in regard of development work in Africa. In particular, and let me emphasise that, my own role in this context. Which obviously is problematic on more than one level, as I happen to live in Africa, and have made a living based on a relative long line of jobs in the international NGO sector for the past 10 years. 

I hope it is a phase similar to the ones you get in other types of job sectors? Well, I also had malaria recently, and having my favorite part of the family visiting me a month ago, only made me miss them more, now that they have returned home.

I am not much for ranting effortlessly on emotional issues on my blog, however - just let me say that it isn't always a long line of palm trees in sunsets or bushy adrenaline driving this mission I am on.

Nevertheless, I'll leave it to Ernesto Guevara's 'The African Dream - 'The Diaries of the Revolutionary War in the Congo', which I took down from my bookshelf the other day (see also here). Guevara wrote these diaries in the Cuban Embassy in Dar es Salaam over a period of two months. He was 37 years old.

Dar es Salaam. 37 years. And the big Africa question.

Interesting coincidence, I thought. (Or maybe not, after all I am made of somewhat different substance than Guevara).

Guevara went to the Congo in 1965-1966 via Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Guevara, one of the heroes of the Cuban Revolutionary War and a minister in Fidel Castro's government, simply vanished, travelled via the U.S.S.R. and surfaced in the heart of Africa where he with 100 Cuban guerilla fighters to assist him put into action his theories of how to help the oppressed peoples of Africa.

Guevara believed in fighting imperialism, in revolutions - he had experience, ideals, and he tried to set himself as a good example. However, Congo was different than anything else he had tried, and it didn't exactly go as planned. His diaries were kept a secret up till the 1990ties, though the experience Guevara put forward was supposedly implemented in Cuba's ongoing support to African revolutions.

It obviously made me think about my own African context (which is where it gets messy, I admit)

Like what do the development agencies actually do when today's development support to Africa fails? Do they actually manage to link properly between the theories in Europe and the actual needs of the beneficiaries here? Don't the agenda of advocating the causes of poverty, of making celebreties taking an interest and of fund-raising for it all, take too many resources from the actual point? What when development agencies move on and apply a new set of methods or programmes instead of analyzing, adjusting to and admitting mistakes? And what is it exactly that Africa want? Development, but no change?

What I like the best about Guevara's diaries is the fact that he admits that there simply are things in his theory which never matched Africa, that he is insufficient and that there are things he doesn't understand. In these diaries Guevara analyzes his doubt in a simple and very honest way, but also with a remarkable respect for Africa.

What a relief!

Read it here.

The good things about power shortages

In Uganda, a story ran in the media a few weeks ago, that one of its ministers attributed the high fertility rate of Uganda to its many power shortages.

Good excuse, some might think. But power shortages are undeniably part of defining a country's development level, and in Dar es Salaam the weekly power cuts also add up.

Yesterday, we had no power from 18 hours up to midnight.

And what do you do when you have guests?

Baltasar took the opportunity to learn more chess from his father, who also talked about when he was a boy and experienced power shortages in Iceland's minus degrees.

(And I ventured to take a perfect and super pedagogical 'father-son image'.)

Unlike here, where it is tropical, 30 degrees hot and stagnant, and where one of the worst problems of not having any power is that it is difficult to sleep without a fan.

12 hours in the bush

Too knackered to write anything sensible - but that today's trip went to Kisarawe and beyond; That the long rains were with us most of the day; That the moment I realised I had equipped my car well - brought coffee, knækbrød, a pulling rope, shovel and a huge, sharp and shiny panga - I felt proud (as reflected in this mzungu's face above); And finally that driving with my colleague, Jonas, makes an interesting lesson in participatory forestry management (which was somehow part of the reason we were there).

I still see green leaves coming towards me when I close my eyes. I will sleep like a baby tonight. Push till tomorrow, that I didn't get exactly what I went there for...

Invitation for chai & chapati in Ruthi's 'mgahawa'

 

Today I spent the day on a field trip going from Arusha to Kiserian Village in Longido District, an area close to the border to Kenya (about 30 minutes from Namanga Town).

The purpose of the visit was to visit a group pf women, who have been supported on sensitisation on land rights - by the NGO I work for.

During the visit we were invited for chai & chapati in Ruthi's mgahawa - her tiny tea- and guesthouse.

Happiest Nation in the world: Is it time to return home?

Peter at The Road to the Horizon posted this:

Adrian White, from the University of Leicester’s School of Psychology, analysed previously published data to create a global projection of subjective well-being: the first world map of happiness. The research is based on the findings of over 100 different studies around the world, which questioned 80,000 people worldwide.

The top 10 "happiest" countries:

1. Denmark

2. Switzerland

3. Austria

4. Iceland

5. The Bahamas

6. Finland

7. Sweden

8. Bhutan

9. Brunei

10. Canada

Denmark ended up at the top to "its wealth, natural beauty, small size, quality education, and good health care". At the bottom were the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Burundi.

No, it isn't time to return home.

Does anyone ever question if wealth, natural beauty, small size, quality education, and good health care really make a nations inhabitants happy?

I doubt it. Obviously it isn't what keeps me in Denmark, but maybe I'm missing a point?!

Danes messing up English Development Vocabulary

During the past 10 years I have stumbled over a group of words, frequently used in development work, which Danes often mess up. A South African friend of mine has over the years been so kind to point these out:

 

(Peace) Corps: \’kȯr\ (silent ‘p’)

 

Coup: \’kü\ (silent ‘p’)

 

Poverty: \’pä-vər-tē\ (single ‘v’, not ‘w’ like in ‘power’)

 

Advocacy: \’ad-və-kə-sē\  (bite your front teeth in your underlip when you pronounce the 'v')

 

Look for more here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

 

Green mangos and waisted potential

First I didn't see them, until I looked up and out my sidescreen of the car - and 10 young men looked straight back at me, probably they had been observing me for a while while I was parking my car at the side of the road somewhere after Mombo - to answer an SMS.

Here there are huge groups of idle young men with nothing else to do than trying to sell green mangos. The mangos come in abundance. In Denmark we pay lots of money for these in a supermarket. Here they can't sell all they have got. The only thing they have got. At least they give it a good shot. 

Obviously, this isn't fair. These guys have potential and energy, and it is surely not used fully like this. That annoys me big time. I truly believe anyone could do anything if given the right opportunities. I think this is one big problem here - giving the youth a decent opportunity! 

Advice: You wanna volunteer?

Article: Why you probably can't get an international job (and what to do about that).

Respect to the woman who wrote the article here. Read it, if you want to get a job in an international NGO in the developing world, and have no clue where to start. But do also note that I you ever thought that you don't need experience, or that it doesn't imply other people's time and resources, this article will make you think twice.

Launch: Tanzanian Media Fund, 3/12/2008, Dar es Salaam

On December 3, 2008, 16:30-19:00 Tanzanian Media Fund (TMF) is launched in Karimjee Hall, Dar es Salaam.

TMF promotes independent, diverse and vibrant media in Tanzania by enabling investigative and public-interest journalism that is in-depth and of importance to ordinary people.

To support quality journalism TMF offers media practicioners and institutions engaged in media work

1. A competitive grant-making facility for individuals and institutions involved in media production (print/television/radio);

2. And a tailormade learning facility for grantees through learning by doing, coaching, mentorship and networking.

The launch at Karimjee Hall will give an introduction to TMF, show a short movie on 'Citizens' view on Tanzania Media' and an interactive debate which aims to answer the question: 'Quality journalism in Tanzania: Is the core challenge government restriction? Media itself? Or passive public?'

The TMF website is to be launched soon, but you can contact TMF until then via email: info@tmf.or.tz.

Also, if you want an invitation for the launch, write TMF. The press conference for journalists starts at 15:30 (no invitation necessary).

You are welcome to spread the information.

Article from the BBC Africa: The pitfalls of Africa's aid addiction

The author, an African himself, asks why the aid doesn't reach the poor. A question which ought to wonder anyone who works in the aid and development field. 

I think this point in particular...

'And at least 70,000 skilled graduates abandon the continent every year, often trained by Western aid, but unable to stay in the market because salaries are so low.

Until these gifted and enterprising people can be attracted to return, most of the world's peacekeeping efforts, on the continent, and certainly most of its aid, will have little effect'.

...is one of the best explanations I have seen on the screen in a long time, and holding it together with my post from yesterday 'Real Aid and Phantom Aid' it is evident that these two have to work together in order to make a serious change. 

To put it a bit black and white - is a bit of an interesting situation that educated Africans go to Europe and don't find it attractive to return and apply their skills and experience, while the wazungu go to Africa.

Read the whole article here

Article from the Guardian UK: Talking telephone numbers

  'Tanzania is one of the world's poorest countries, with a long way to go before it reaches the millennium development goals.

Tanzanians love their mobile phones. Every village, truck stop, street corner, seems to have a kiosk selling phone cards. On the highways surrounding the capital, Dar es Salaam, billboards and outdoor screens show happy shiny people with their phones; in one, a stunningly glamorous young woman smiles at her little screen. "Keep texting," it says'.

Read the full article here.

Real aid and phantom aid...

According to the report 'Real Aid - Making Technical Assistance Work' from Action Aid International technical assistance, which besides training, research and capacity building of various kinds, also includes Danish development workers like me, a reform of technical assistance is urgently needed.

From the presentation of the report on AAI's website here:

The Real Aid report - released in 2005, and Real Aid 2 – released in 2006, both analyse the quality of bilateral aid provided by donors.  In 2005 we calculated that only one third of aid was 'real' aid, targeted at reducing poverty. The remaining two thirds is 'phantom' aid which does not fight poverty.

The latest figures available in 2006 did show a small improvement – with slightly more real aid being available to genuinely reduce poverty.  In our most recent report we focused upon the biggest proportion of phantom aid – technical assistance, which goes towards consultants, research and training. 

We found that too much technical assistance was both over-priced and ineffective.  In Cambodia, the cost of 740 international advisors was $50-70 million, almost as much as the wage bill for the country’s entire civil service of 160,000 people.

Both Real Aid reports clearly show that the international aid system is in urgent need of radical reform.  Real aid is unlikely to increase significantly unless there is a system of mutual accountability between government donors and recipient countries.  This would balance the legitimate interests of donors, recipients and most importantly, poor people.

Moreover, the report contains several examples from Tanzania.

Newsletter for MS Tanzania September 2008

I have just completed MS Tanzania's (almost) monthly newsletter.

And I am sweating here in Dar es Salaam, trying to balance my impatience, and manage my autodidact IT skills between Dreamweaver, html-editing and our content management system. (Regretting that I never wrote down the procedure, now I have to improvise). Not to forget the fact that our previous IT Adviser, who usually would do it, or support me, now has left and is situated somewhere in Ethiopia. In the case he is online, he is enough of an IT geek to notice that I did a few mistakes and that I changed some colours and fonts. However, he did do a good job teaching me this - and I have to admit that I'm proud I did it all by myself this time.

Find it here.

Other 3 Billion (and me and my Internet addiction)

Google, Liberty Global, and HSBC are backing a start-up called O3b Networks named for its ambition to bring Internet access to the "other 3 billion" people who lack it today.

The effort has begun initial production of 16 low-cost satellites that collectively will provide an Internet backbone to places lacking high-speed networking cable, including emerging markets in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, O3b said. The satellites will link with ground stations such as cell towers or WiMax stations that actually reach the customers.

This is almost too good news for Africa, especially for the landlocked countries. This is unreasonable good news for Internet addicts in Africa like me. I'm very egoistic in terms of Internet. Doubt that the majority of the 3 billion are addicted like me, though. I even wonder how many of the 3 billion have access to power and computers. And I wonder what happened to the fibre cable along the coast?

I am delighted to read that the White African, too, is happy:

This is the type of technology chess move that makes me sit back and truly laugh out loud. It bypasses inefficient, greedy or corrupt government bureaucracies and gives power to the local people. I’m absolutely thrilled with it and wish them the best of luck - hoping that they can execute on the deployment.

But also confused:

The founder of O3b is a certain Greg Wyler. You know, the guy behind the big “wiring of Rwanda” initiative with his company Terracom. Well, his record hasn’t been stellar, and so I wonder why he is leading this whole initiative?

I no little about the technical stuff, that's why I keep myself updated at White African, but I 've always managed to sort out reasonable Internet access when in Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan (or maybe the correct term is that I have an ability to hook up with the right people).

Tanzania has nearly driven me mad on that account. New people arriving in the country ask: 'Can you recommend a good Internet provider?' And people switch to a tone of honesty when they answer that they can suggest names of Internet companies. (Well, I think I found one finally which has provided me with proper service).

However, what is really interesting, is not how I tackle my addiction to Internet in an African context, in fact it is rather embarrasing. Obviously, the fact mentioned by White African is the possibly bypass of inefficient, greedy or corrupt government bureaucracies and gives power to the local people.

I hope so, but I'll keep myself updated for a critical viewpoint at White African till then.

A White Elephant

I'm in a meeting and we are having a typical discussion related to our programme.

People ask questions.

What if it doesn't work?

What if our efforts are done in vain?

What if what we do, doesn't make a change?

What if people don't use what we started?

Someone answers:

'Then it becomes a white elephant!'

I've heard the term a million times, but in this meeting I wonder about the origin of the concept. The Wikipedia explains the term like this:

The term derives from the sacred white elephants kept by Southeast Asian monarchs in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. To possess a white elephant was regarded (and is still regarded in Thailand and Burma) as a sign that the monarch was ruling with justice and the kingdom was blessed with peace and prosperity.^[1] The tradition derives from tales in the scriptures which associate a white elephant with the birth of Buddha, as his mother was reputed to have dreamed of a white elephant presenting her with a lotus flower, a symbol of wisdom and purity, on the eve of giving birth.^[2] Because the animals were considered sacred and laws protected them from labor, receiving a gift of a white elephant from a monarch was both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because the animal was sacred and a sign of the monarch's favour, and a curse because the animal had to be kept and could not be put to practical use to offset the cost of maintaining it.

The term is used throughout the developing world to describe failures or situations where an input did not lead to the expected output. Africa Unchained here gives an example of a typical white elephant.

In my opinion the term 'white elephants' adds a convenient distance to the substance of the word 'failure'. It sort of makes it sound acceptable and less of a failure, in spite it is.

Civic Awareness Talks on the Constituency Development Fund in Kibaha

Yesterday I went for the breakfast meeting at the British Council in Dar es Salaam where Policy Forum chaired a debate on the CDF.

And in the afternoon I went to Kibaha for an event organised by Youth Partnership Countrywide - a debate on the CDF.

The Constituency Development Fund is introduced here.

In spite of the difference in setting and participants - from donors (embassies, EU, international NGOs), and representatives from the Tanzanian civil society in Dar es Salaam - to the local community in the smaller town of Kibaha - it stroke us (I went with two colleagues) that basically people said the same.

Maybe in other words and other ways. In Kibaha the organisers had added on a drama group to spice up the theme. Obviously, the actor with the oversized pair of glasses was imitating an MP and the potential future situation that an MP might administer a CDF. Corrupt and foolish was the impression he left us with.

Critics say it will not actually solve the problems of the poor in a community like Kibaha. Critics say that introducing a fund, which doesn't follow the regular administrative set-up, which sort of runs parallel, and where the MP can control it as he or she pleases, isn't democratic. Critics add on that it is spectacular to make a fund based on these principles ahead of the elections in 2009/2010.

People said things like:

• An MP can abuse this fund ahead of the elections. I.e., if he/she wants to be reelected the MP can choose to favour some citizens and not others with money from this fund.
• Election or not, how can an MP, who isn't much around, know what the people need?
• The people of Tanzania are not all educated, how will they know what they say yes or no to?
• If the CDF is so important, let the citizens speak and promote it. It should come from the bottom!
• The CDF reduces the power of the parliaments and favours the MPs.
• Nyerere would never have agreed on this.

Corruption

A cartoon from 'This Day'. Made me think.

The Tanzanian media have been encouraging their president to get clear on the corruption scandals which have gradually emerged over the past year.

The scandals have been here for a while, but only within recently people have started debating corruption in Tanzania for real.

Kikwete were to speak in the parliament this week, and this cartoon was a hint in that direction.

Interestingly also, is that the Danish media this week has run a series of articles on corruption in terms of Danish development support, today an article questioning the budget support given to Tanzania. As a matter of fact Tanzania is the biggest recipient of Danish development aid. The article posed the question whether is was possible that Danish money could have been lost. The Danish embassador answered that it was a possibility. Unfortunately, he wasn't quoted - or didn't mention - that the Danish government and NGOs are in front, not just in Tanzania, when it comes to initiatives on anti-corruption.

The Danish article missed another point, I find particularly interesting; Yes, the Danish media - and tax payers - might be unhappy about corruption, in let's say Tanzania, but seriously; it's nothing in comparison with how fed up the Tanzanians are!

 

Slideshow from Kiteto

View a slideshow here.

A classic picture of a development project cycle meeting

This is one of the rare images where you have most factors, involved in a development project cycle, gathered.

First there are the beneficiaries (the Masaai women on the mats, almost too symbolically - the ones closest to the ground), then there is the local Tanzanian NGO including their Danish development worker (seated on the small stools - or up and around facilitating the meeting); Finally there is a mix of donors, divided between European embassies, international NGOs and a national Tanzanian NGO (also facilitating between the donor and the local Tanzanian NGO). They sit on chairs.

Actually, quite an impressive gathering.

For the ones having tried these kind of gatherings previously, you also know the certain dynamic characterizing a meeting like this. The world (represented by the donors) walks straight into the village, in many cases only with very limited, detailed knowledge of the situation on the ground, secondly they seldomly speak the local language, and in many cases their familarity with a village of this kind is only known to them from previous visits or from what they have read in reports. They have driven straight from their offices in the capital in air-conditioned land-cruisers (often on sealed tarmac roads, 'because going rural for real just takes too much time'), they might already have had previous similar visits earlier on and might have one or two after this one. They are exhausted, and most likely not used to the heat and dust. Their clothes is creased and they look tired.

The clothes I was wearing this day made me feel that I stuck out from the other wazungu. It was practical, 'but still OK' as my Danish colleague noted. Usually at this point in time I myself start consuming the glucose biscuits and sweet Mirindas - which frequently are served on occasions like this - as if it was my last meal.

The beneficiaries are supposed to present their work in an interesting way to catch and keep the donors' attention. Often a rather challenging task considering that the donors appear tired, and due to the gap between the world (the donor) and the village (the beneficiary) in experience and preference. The village basically has to convince that it is worth keeping up the support. That they can assure impact on the ground. That they are accountable.

These women did a real good presentation simply by telling their personal stories and the support in terms of interpretation from the local NGO proved that the cooperation is based on more than just work - there is passion and commitment. Also what the director of the national Tanzanian NGO concluded in his speech later.

My Danish development worker colleague acted as the translator from Kiswahili and English, which actually made me feel slightly proud, as I know that part obviously also will leave a mark in the donors' conscience. Not that the development workers are the most fragile links in this process, but the development worker is likely to sympathize with the local NGO and the beneficiaries – and to be put in the box with them, and will do their best to promote their work.

However, this is just to say that a lot of nervousness is part of a meeting like this. The closer to the ground, the more you have to loose. Communication and presentation are highly essential. The way you are making yourself understood - or not - will stay with the visitors - and the beneficiaries.

And remember in this case, as in all others, it is always the most fragile position to be the one who is being departed, left behind. The dynamic is dependent on a lot of factors which is impossible to control. Things like the visitors' previous experience of i.e. Africa, how the village appears to them, the presence of a grumpy old man among the beneficiaries, or a facilitator who doesn't speak English well.

Over the past 10 years I have found myself in this situation many times. Never in the donor's positions, but more or less in all the others. And I'm highly aware that this is part of the game. Certainly. However, I realised that during this meeting I managed to sit in all the positions. On the mat among the breastfeeding women, on the little stool in the sun, and finally in the plastic chair when the donors had left. Firstly, I am happy to excuse myself with the camera, but I also think that though I do acknowledge that these gatherings are part of a development project cycle, something inside of me rejects the unspoken rules and the mere conventionality of it.

Something inside of me has big trouble reconciling the fact that no matter what, it is the world that sets the agenda in this village.

Morogoro Paralegals Centre

I'm in Morogoro at the moment, compiling information for an article on Morogoro Paralegal Centre which is a partner organisation with MS Tanzania.

The missing link, at the Cradle of Humankind

Yesterday I went with Ian to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site – located 45 kilometres from Johannesburg.

The Cradle of Humankind is a world heritage site, a 47 000 hectare area, boasting a rich and fascinating history of the origin of humankind. Read more here.

I'm honestly not much of a museum person, I don't like the pretentiousness which often comes along with it, but this place is a vital thing in history and just about an hour out the big city, Johannesburg.

Besides, I went with someone who is this passionate on the historical facts - that we all originate from Africa - that he'd brought along his own historical books as an alternative to the guide.

While in the caves at Sterkfontein we couldn't help making up stories of Little Foot and Mrs. Plet. Possibly the South African counterpart to the famous Lucy fossil.

Like, what really made Little Foot fall through a hole and into the cave, where he was later found as a fossil? Was also he looking for fossils? Was he high on wild roots and unable to find his way home that night?

Anyway, Ian had, as always, no problem illustrating that the missing link does exists.

Or for that matter, on the way out, saluting a group of loud school pupils in the far (on the road), by dancing the way down the steps of the hill.

Sure, it does make museum visits more entertaining.

Barcamp NAIROBI '08 (seen through the eyes of the only Danish NGO-worker present)

On Saturday I went to Nairobi for the Barcamp Nairobi 2008.

As I wrote here, I was worried there would be too much focus on the technical geek stuff. But I have to say that in spite it did flavour the agenda and the conversations among the many, many people who'd come along, it was OK.

In fact, I think I learnt something (the Google Maps session gave me an idea that maybe we can use the maps in the NGO I work for, i.e. to illustrate where we work and with whom. I also think it could be integrated and utilised in terms of advocacy campaigns, i.e. on anti-corruption and Public Expenditure Tracking).

For sure I got inspired (The blogger, www.peperuka.com did an amazing presentation at high speed, opening with 'I blog for money. Only!' And that 'Google is your friend.' Download his presentation here. Any blogger can learn something from that! The guys from Lighting up Kenya also gave an inspiring presentation - how to use ICT to promote sustainable fuel - in order to give access to information in the most rural areas --> development.

The lightning sessions (an interesting concept where you have to give a speed talk presentation (like lightning) on an interesting topic) gave good ideas on using blogs to promote Kenyan/African literature; One was reminding us that 'the colonial masters' did a great job documenting events in the political system, but what do we do today when all is run by ICT? A Student of Law gave an essential input on the fact that bloggers are free to write whatever, but what if it isn't true?! A real good point, which had deserved a whole session (I couldn't help thinking about adding on to that my own experience with mob justice in cyberspace.)

And the massive amount of people who'd come along voluntarily and eager to give or take, was a motivating factor in itself (see photos here). And it gave me a lot of stuff to think of, in many different directions:

• I couldn't help thinking; 'Listen we're in Africa! Have you got any idea of what creative energy and motivation here is? Both in terms of having the ability and the urge to move, to change and develop?' Africa is much more than pre- and post election chaos.
  
• Secondly I thought about the embarrassing fact that the bigger international NGOs present in East Africa write strategies, talk about it, arrange workshops and conferences, and talk some more. The NGOs preach participation, ownership and contribution. The NGOs pay people allowances to participants to participate, Participation is sort of formalized and has in many cases moved too far away from what is was all about; development by, through and for people. The ministries in all of the East African countries have the same depressive set-up, and citizens get the idea that participating is not real if not rewarded by posho - the Kiswahili term for allowances.
• This was an unconference. The was no allowances, travel reimbursement, no paid lunch. The organisers had arranged sponsors which paid the facilities, the bandwith and the merchandise. I think we were around 100-150 people. The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information Technology, Ndemo, said it clearly when he got the task to wrap up the day; 'I don't know the incentive - what have brought you here?! No money, no lunch.' He further explained that it is now how his ministry works when they try to bring people for discussion, and he emphasised that we must change this. His speech on some points turned into that of a politician, but I agreed on his points, that 'people need to trust each other and to share ideas.'

To answer Ndemo's question to the crowd, I'd say that that is exactly why people turned up in high numbers (without any other incentive.)

Asante sana to the guys who got the idea and the sponsors - and who organised. 

Promoting the Girl Effect

Why Girls?

Because there’s poverty, and war, and hunger, and AIDS, and because when adolescent girls in the developing world have a chance, they can be the most powerful force of change for themselves, their families, communities, countries, and even the planet.

But while those 600 million adolescent girls are the most likely agents of change, they are often invisible to their societies and the world.

So what can you do about that? Help make girls visible. Stand up and be counted by becoming a fan of The Girl Effect, and getting your friends to do the same. Tell the world that you think the 600 million girls in the developing world deserve better – for themselves, and for the end of poverty.

That’s a start. Ready to learn and do more? Head over to girleffect.org.

The text is from the Girl Effect on Facebook. The photo is mine from Southern Sudan. I totally support the concept of supporting girls to get an education. It can change everything. However, having said so, support to girls' education (as in paying their school fees) must be accompanied by involving the government and the boys and men - or the change will be too slow.

Development Partners Support to Civil Society in Tanzania

A website has been created by a number of development partners (DPs) in Tanzania to share information on their support to civil society. It contains a database on development partners’ support to civil society (both to service delivery as well as advocacy work), background information on this joint initiative, and details of the development partners contributing to the website.

Very informative, and nicely done. Not to forget, very useful. Find it here: www.civilsocietysupport.net

An example from Uganda - policies contra life on the ground

A Danish colleague of mine who resides in Apac in central Uganda has written an excellent post giving an example on a post-colonial country having a huge gap between the country’s body of legislation and policies, which is all very politically correct and liberal, and the conditions of life on the ground. Policies were not developed from the bottom up, but from the top down. Find it here.

Chinese in Tanzania

An issue which finds its way into many conversations these days is the Chinese in Africa. Seen from a Tanzanian viewpoint there is two things I have found interesting in this regard.

The only African country where the olympic torch was taken through was Tanzania. It took place on April 12. In most, if not all, other places it has been taken through people have protested due to China's relationship with human rights. According to the CNN the Tanzanians cheered the torch. Only person protesting was the Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai, who pulled out of the torch relay in Tanzania to protest against China's human right record, too. As far as I know no Tanzanians protested. Read the article from CNN here.

On April 13 the Sunday News had Kikwete pictured on the frontpage 'treated to a red carpet welcome by his host the Chinese President Hu Jintao'. This took place in China, where Kikwete attended the Asian Business Forum. He was quoted; 'The progress of Asia is an opportunity for Africa'. He also said that the co-operation between Asia and Africa 'would achieve a win-win situation.'

Coincidence?!

And what does the man on the street actually say about China? According to the Africa News where a series of videos are put on display one message is 'that the China 'Tanzanians are enthusiastic about and its products but would like to see their quality improved.' Another one says; ' Tanzania Chinese companies in are praised for building up infrastructures but also for creating jobs. Unfortunately, Tanzanian workers complain that the intermediaries whom Chinese companies use to manage their projects pay lower salaries.'

Check them all here.

I am very reluctant myself to make any definite conclusions on the matter. However, I tend to believe that Kikwete has a point when he says; 'the progress of Asia is an opportunity for Africa'. But for the sake of the Tanzanian citizens the government might ought to define the opportunity a bit more specifically. Talking about a win-win situation; What is actually in it for the Tanzanians? And maybe more importantly; what exactly is in it for the Chinese?

Does Africa need another commission?

I'm not asking, but BBC Africa is. Thanks for that!

This week the Danish government - backed by the World Bank, the African Union and the African Development Bank - is launching a new Africa Commission, aimed at creating jobs on the continent and looking at how foreign aid should be used.

Western countries setting up commissions for Africa is nothing new. In 2004, then British Prime Minister Tony Blair established his Commission for Africa, encouraging Africa to drive its own development. But critics say Blair's Commission failed to deliver what it had demanded on trade - including an end to agricultural export subsidies by rich nations.

What should the Danish Africa Commission's priorities be? Should Western countries stop setting up commissions to help Africa? Will this be another talking shop? Have you benefited from other commissions for Africa? Send us your views.

Check it out very interesting comments here (from where the text above derives, too): http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4619&edition=2&ttl=20080417170236

Check the Africa Commission's website here: http://www.africacommission.um.dk/en

PS. Kikwete didn't make the meeting in Copenhagen yesterday. In stead he went to the US.

Sometimes I do it mainly for the loud Arno Carstens and the car rides through this magnificent landscape....

This week has felt like never ending. Up early and late to bed. A lot of deadlines, people and places. A lot of mind-numbing stuff, which I had to let in one ear and out the other. Including one day sick in a hotel in Tanga. When I finally arrived in Arusha yesterday afternoon for a 3 weeks Swahili course I was so tired!

The NGO I work for has been in transition for quite some time now - new focus, themes, strategies, staff, and evaluations of this and that, not to forget a potential, future affiliation with another NGO, Act!on Aid.

I can't say that this uncertainty which comes along with all of this, doesn't affect me. And for the first time in a long while I have been seriously contemplating why I do this kind of work - and who I do it for. I still don't know exactly, and I won't tire you with elaborating on the fact that I might not be driven by indignation, nor solidarity. Sometimes I do it mainly for the loud Arno Carstens and the car rides through this magnificent landscape....

Mikindani - in details

The distance from my house in Dar es Salaam to the village of Mikindani is 556 kilometres. Together with some colleagues I did the trip down South in 10½ hours. It felt like going to the end of the world, though I do know that that would most likely include crossing the river to Mozambique.

The part of Kilwa Road in Dar es Salaam is being renovated, but the road is smooth tarmac when finally out of Dar. Apart from the stretch of about 60 kilometres between Mohoro and Somanga which turned out to be exceptionally bad, and not helped by the rain season - still in the waiting line for tarmac.

The highlights were:

1) the lush, green, coconut palm forests outside Dar es Salaam,

2) when the 60 kilometres of dirt road ended around Songema,

3) the spot just before Lindi Town where you can finally see the turquoise Indian Ocean (after about 400 kilometres from Dar).

It is not until recent that this road, (except for the infamous 60 kilometres) connecting Dar es Salaam with the Southern part of Tanzania meeting the Mozambique border, has been made (easily) passable, also during the rain season.

Put two and two together and you have one of the least developed areas in Tanzania!

So, why on earth go there during your holiday?

For me one of the best things working in Africa - actually it is an implicit part of my job description - that I like driving (Danish development workers don't have drivers). When I’m off duty, I like to go to places where my job doesn’t take me. I like to drive to places which have a bit of history, unspoiled nature and which will teach me something new. Preferably without having an amoeba infection in progress.

I am not super-human, and I'd better admit, that twice during the trip I had to shout 'stop', get out the car, and simply throw up. Seriously, I imagined smooth comfort, relatively clean toilets, a hot shower (at least access to water), white, clean, cool sheets and healthy food which wouldn't make me sick just by the thought of it.

The GPS noted an average speed of 62 km/hour and a top speed of 123 km/hour. We finally reached the destination: The 10 Degrees South Lodge in Mikindani (see links below) - a small village 10 km North of Mtwara, the biggest town in this area, situated about 34 km from the Mozambique border.

Crossing between Tanzania and Mozambique was never our intention, but I went with three colleagues who used to work in northern Mozambique, I know it is a thing among South Africans to do this drive - and if I mention it on my blog, someone will eventually question it sooner or later. So, I'll just provide this piece of information:

Information about crossing the Rovuma River between Tanzania and Mozambique

• It is easier to drive north to south, from Tanzania to Mozambique. In other words, it is less of a risk. Simply because the road is better on the Tanzanian side.
• Look at the map of Africa, check out Mozambique; You cannot be sure to make it through the northern part of Mozambique untill you are there. The roads in northern Mozambique might not be passable during the rain season.
• It is possible to cross the river between Mozambique and Tanzania, but precautions must be made. (You just call the ferry man on his mobile, number listed on the board in the 10 Degrees South Lodge).
• If you travel without a car you can cross in a canoe. By car it is recommendable to do so in the dry season (and still it must be high tide for the ferry to cross).

At first sight

Mikidani resembles an idyllic postcard. The town reflects itself in the calm sea at the heart-shaped bay. Women carry water and chit-chat among the houses. Children play. Men sit on the barazas and discuss. The remains of the old stone town tell vital parts of history – of explorers, missionaries and slave traders - of people who probably didn't live so much more differently than the Mikindanis do today.

Livingstone was here, too.

And back in 1866 he presumably rested in one of the old houses in Mikindani village. Not far from the Slave Market, which we first took for a church, where someone now is selling fish! At the old mosque a sign is telling the men to switch off their mobile phone before entering for prayer!

In the Old Boma, built by the Germans, a hotel is run by a British charity called Trade Aid, which amongst others uses the hotel at the Boma to train hotel staff, and which also runs other projects in the village. I got quite curious on getting to know more about this model of working, in a weak moment it seemed highly effective to organise development support this way – many projects, but one village focus. In another moment (when our orders finally arrived at the table) I realised that Trade Aid might face similar challenges as everyone else promoting change in a rural area in Africa.

Lakini...

We stayed in the 10 Degrees South Lodge, a 1920 Swahili style house, which in other places probably only would have served as a back-packer accommodation, originally suited for the guests who come to Mikindani to dive. The lodge suffered severely from lack of real competition as in 'if you don't like it here, go somewhere else'. Only thing is, there really wasn't anywhere else, apart from the more pricy Boma.

Useful links:

Mikindani: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikindani

Trade Aid: http://www.tradeaiduk.org/volunteer.html

The Old Boma: http://www.mikindani.com

The 10 Degrees South Lodge, including diving information: http://www.infohub.com/Lodgings/lodging_pages/3371.html or http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=16--sm53nX4C&pg=PA227&lpg=PA227&dq='10+degrees+south+lodge'+mikindani&source=web&ots=_mTAmNk2qS&sig=bhSdJ8G_Y3C4Oik74x3XIsXLNHw&hl=en
(both out-dated in my opinion)

Crossing the Rovuma River between Mozambique and Tanzania: http://www.landroversonly.com/forums/f38/crossing-mozambique-tanzania-3134/

    

Snaps from the MS Tanzania annual meeting

MS Tanzania is the NGO I work with. Every year the annual meeting is taking place at the MS TCDC in Arusha, where MS' 25 partners and 14 development workers are invited to discuss the year gone and the new to come.

Taking a look at the images from the meeting today I realise there is a lot of paper and Africa involved. Everyone seemed to hold tight to paper one way or another, or ask if that one or this one would be in the Uganda, Tanzania or Mandela Room?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bush is in town #2

BUSH ARRIVED TO DAR ES SALAAM yesterday evening. It is not that often I frequent the Hotel Kempinski Kilimanjaro, but I happened to drive by again today.

Today access to the area surrounding the hotel was blocked by homemade road blocks. Where on earth does anyone get the idea to make a road block made up of several old trucks? It just doesn’t go that well along with the concept of security gear and gadgets fit for a
US president.

A strange coincidence, but tomorrow I am travelling to Kilimanjaro Airport (KIA) for MS Tanzania's Annual Meeting at MS TCDC in Usa River, situated halfway between KIA and Arusha. I have just been told that this exact road is blocked from 8 AM - 3 PM due to Bush visiting several institions in the area.

BUSH HAS DECIDED that he wants to highlight success stories on this 5-African-Nation-trip. In the Sunday News he said that ‘when you herald success, it helps other realize what is possible.’ It actually sounds like a healthy approach. And like it or not, it does mean something to have the sitting
US president to visit your country.

But what exactly does it mean?

It is a general belief that it is good for business. Some people believe it will enhance democracy in Tanzania. Some cannot resist linking last week's turmoil to this visit, as if there is some sort of underlying connection between dissolving a cabinet over corruption to welcoming a president who has made it his task to bring his version of democracy to the rest of the world. Like a reward or something.

These prospects are expectable, but give it just one more thought and imagine how difficult it would have been to lobby the US President to visit Tanzania if there wasn't something to come after. There must be a hidden agenda somewhere. At least it ought to be questioned before the Tanzanians plaster this country in welcome boards and ululate their minds off. Exactly as it would have suited the Danish government well before it joined the USA government in Afghanistan and Iraq in the name of democracy.

IN THE CITIZEN, Professor Issy Shivji – a lecturer at Dar es Salaam University – has very outspokenly argued that the purpose is two-fold; ‘to militarise Africa and siphon off its oil.’ Interesting coverage in the Citizen today elaborating it further and argueing well, that the visit is likely to have to do with the USA having a need for establishing their own military bases in Africa and for gaining access to mineral resources.

The academic staff at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDASA) has made a statement amongst others saying that US can't teach Tanzania democracy. UDASA had planned an anti-Bush demonstration yesterday, but was advised not to by the police due to lack of personnel. In stead UDASA organised a discussion. A statement from this event said: 'We oppose the move to market Tanzania to foreign investors who invest their capital and take away the whole profit.'   

RESPECT to the Tanzanian media for balancing the viewpoints on the Bush visit to Tanzania! It is not just kitschy billboards and uluating at the airport...

Bush is in town

In fact, a sure sign was that us ordinary citizens were prevented from going to certain places. In this case the Kempinski Kilimanjaro Hotel at the Dar waterfront. In front of it someone is trying to tell us that Tanzania is not having mixed feelings about Bush’ visit.

Apparently demonstrations were announced earlier on this week by the Muslim community, and maybe this billboard is part of putting a lid on that.

Personally I doubt the planned effect when a nation tries to comprise a collective attitude - when we all know that there is more than one opinion on this matter.

The billboard has been erected in various places around Dar es Salaam overnight. I have also seen another, cheaper version of the message, in various places –  a cotton banner stating that Tanzania cherishes good governance. In case, anyone should be in doubt! I couldn’t help smiling about that one, too.

Seems ironic after a week full of political turmoil which did not yet convince me that Tanzania really does cherish good governance.

However, I have never doubted that I live in a nation full of good intentions.

Tanzanian president sacks all of his ministers

The newspaper stalls have attracted people for the last couple of days.

Everyone talks about it! People have been glued to the TV screen or the radio to track the president's next move.

Finally a country in Africa which gets enough of corrupt politicians. Tanzania's president just sacked the government, all the ministers were kicked out, apart from the few who decided to resign.

Now all the papers are giving good advice to the president - the people of Tanzania want a leaner and cleaner government, and they are tired of corruption and arrogant politicians who get away with the most crazy stuff.

Now, let's see what will be the next move. We are still in Africa. I zig-zagged through the Tanzanian newspapers yesterday and compiled material for an article for MS' Danish web-site. A lot of hilarious quotes from the sacked ministers made it highly interesting reading. Read it here (in Danish).

Follow the blogger's debate here: http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2008/02/09/tanzanias-cabinet-dissolved-after-corruption-scandal/

Or read the newspapers here: http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/newspapers/

The Prime Minister of Tanzania has resigned.

For the past week I have been trying to compose an article on the events in Tanzania related to corruption: 1) the Bank of Tanzania scandal and the sacking of the governor (whose whereabouts are not very clear), 2) the fact that the members of the parliament spoke against the government for the 1st time in history(!!), demanded it to deal with the 3) Richmond case (the story about the power company which was paid but never delievered leaving Tanzania worse off regarding the power situation), 4) the news that the 14 donors, giving budget support to Tanzania, wanted to put it on stand-by, and 5) trying to figure out what the president's next step would be.

And then the prime minister quit.

A very, very interesting week for Tanzania, in deed. I do wonder what is happening next. Is this really a move towards combatting the corruption or just an action orchestrated in political minds to make it look like a combat against corruption?

Read more here: http://www.ippmedia.com/

Habari za Tanzania?

Have been busy all of yesterday and this morning, but now you can read our news from MS Tanzania online. Yes!

Read MS Tanzania's electronical newsletter from January 2008 here: http://www.ms.dk/sw91230.asp

Read MS Tanzania's magazine 'Habari za Tanzania' here: http://www.ms.dk/sw2143.asp (English or Kiswahili)

Tangible Tanzanian Contrasts

Honestly I know very little about cars, and I have very little personal interest. I am lucky to drive my favorite car as part of my contract, the Toyota HiLux (only minus is the lack of a CD player).

However, I do know that the yellow vehicle is a Hummer - one of the most expensive cars you can get your hands on. I also assume that in some cases it is used to compensate for other lacks in life, physical as well as mental. I just spotted it today in my lunch break on the Ali Hassan.

In the other end of the Ali Hassan - the road between the city centre of Dar es Salaam and my house I find this beggar - almost everyday.

The contrast between wealth and poverty in Tanzania is amazing and tangible visible. Everyday.

Baby Boom in Dar es Salaam and 700 experts in Arusha

Two sets of quads, two lots of triplets and twins were born at a Tanzanian hospital, while experts in the country discussed Africa's growing population, the BBC on Africa writes this morning (and so did the Tanzanian papers days ago - with a certain highlight on the details of the extraordinary baby boom).

However, the BBC on Africa points out the interesting fact that meanwhile the population literally is growing in the hospital: 'Hundreds of experts are looking at how to reduce Africa's population growth. By 2050, sub-Saharan Africa's population may double if growth trends are not reversed. Some 700 experts from around the world have been meeting in Arusha to discuss how Africa - which the UN estimates has a population of 850m - can cope with the knock-on effects of high population growth.'

This is what the Tanzanian newspaper The Guardian says about the conference:

• The conference will have the advantage of benefiting from the dignified presence of a rich mix of development experts who will be contributing to the deliberations at the AICC.

• And it promises to be a wonderful opportunity with the delegates having great company able to translate itself into the innovative approaches we need to achieve our development goals, including the much-touted MDGs.

• By definition, the Government has excellent knowledge of the causes of the social, economic and other problems our people are faced with.

Read the whole editorial here

It made me wonder about a few things like: If 700 experts cannot solve the problem, who can, and then what? Wonderfull (who else than a Tanzanian paper would use a word like this in this context) that they get an opportunity to meet all 700 of them, but is that really enough?!