When Climate Change becomes personal Along with many, many people I have spoken with conviction about our need to respond to the

challenges of climate change. I have seen the effects of climate change as reported in the press

both in this country and overseas. I have felt concern for those affected and have wanted to play

my part in a response – use the car less, recycle, reduce wastage of all sorts and so on. Until now the

effect has not been personal. A WhatsApp message recently changed that.

One of my good friends in Tanzania is a parish priest near to Songea in the Ruvuma region. Clergy

stipends are low, they do not of themselves give a good standard of living. My friend has done a

great deal to be self-sufficient and to use to the maximum the resources available to him. He has a

small area of ground on which he grows maize and some vegetables; he keeps a cow, pigs, goats, ducks,

guinea fowl and chickens. He generates biogas to cook with from the excrement of the animals. He

also has a fishpond in which he tends the fish for food.

The Ruvuma region is usually a well-watered area of the country, in

contrast to the Dodoma region in Central Tanzania which frequently has

droughts. This year the drought has been severe. I saw the effects in

Dodoma during my visit in March of this year but Songea was then still

relatively well-watered. Since then the drought has spread. Recently

my friend told me that development of his church to provide more

support in the form of early years’ education and a dispensary for the

local community has come to a standstill as all resources are directed to

providing food. The return on my friend’s self-sufficiency is much less

than usual. I recently received a WhatsApp photo message from him

showing the hundreds of fish lying stranded as his fishpond has dried

up. I was stunned; the problem became personal.

The effect of drought means that all affected will have extra expense

to buy food combined with a loss of income in the absence of surplus

crops. This will mean no money for health treatment and none for

education. The news of the loss of my friend’s fish came at the same

time as his teenage son was very ill and his little daughter developed

malaria. Reduced income, additional expense.

Life for all in areas affected by climate change is becoming a real

struggle. My friend is one of millions affected. Global warming in

Tanzania - how big is the problem and what can be done? was the

subject of a BTS seminar held in September and you can read the

report on the next page. As individuals we can aim to change things in

the way we live so that we minimise our effect on the environment and

we can challenge those in a position to take steps at a national or international level.

We have a precious world; let us take care of it for everyone.

Elizabeth Taylor, Chair BTS

BTS NEWSLETTER

www.britaintanzaniasociety.co.uk www.tanzdevtrust.org

January 2020

Volume 18 Issue No 1

AGM REPORT by Elizabeth Taylor

Thank you to all who came to the BTS AGM at the start of October last year. It was good to welcome the 50 plus people present.

The business part of the meeting was brisk with no changes in the leadership. We welcomed Sheila Farrell on to the Executive Committee and look forward to her experience in fundraising. At the meeting we bid farewell to Robert Gibson who has done impressive work for TDT as treasurer, taking excellent care and diligence in the care of TDT funds. Robert also masterminded the setting up of the TDT project database which has proved to be a valuable tool in keeping track of projects. Thank you, Robert.

Guest speaker - Togolani Mavura Following the business, we were very pleased to welcome Togolani Mavura, Private Secretary to the Former President H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete; his topic was ‘Whither UK-Tanzania Relations?’. Togolani was congratulatory to BTS and TDT in which he sees a determination to extend friendship and support to our Tanzanian friends which comes from the heart. He noted that BTS is older than 75% of Tanzanians. He observed that the leading reasons for people from the UK to visit Tanzania are visiting friends and family, volunteering and scientific and academic reasons; this confirms people to people connections. Sadly, fewer Tanzanians visit the UK largely because of the increasing difficulty of obtaining a visa, a process which is intrusive and expensive. Statistics show that the visitors, in both directions, include a smaller proportion of youth. The difficulty of obtaining a visa is a major cause of this. Our youth are not meeting and, because of the difficulty of visiting the UK, Tanzanian youth do not have the same affinity with the UK as did the older generation who could obtain visas with far greater ease. The future of relations between our two countries depends on people; it is person to person contact which keeps us close. Togolani called on BTS to speak to those in power to improve the visa situation.

Our thanks go to Togolani Mavura for giving his time to us. I would also like to thank those who set up stalls at the AGM so that we can see how members are involved in Tanzanian life. It was the ladies of the Swahili congregation which meets at St Mary-at-Hill who provided the refreshments; our thanks to them and to Sue Mitchell for serving tea and coffee. Thank you to all who made the meeting run smoothly.

We look forward to another year in which we improve and extend relationships between the peoples of Tanzania and of the UK.

Page 2

Global warming in Tanzania –

how big is the problem and what can be done?

Report by of a BTS Seminar held on 2 September 2019 Tanzania has been slow to take up the challenges of changing climate. It did not ratify the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change till 2018, and has not yet produced the detailed strategy required under the Agreement. However, resources are available from donors and the private sector for projects which can demonstrate that they can reduce emissions, or “capture”, carbon.

Andrew Coulson introduced the topic with pictures of Mount Kilimanjaro showing the dramatic shrinking of the ice cap since 1993. The decline started before the most dramatic increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, so it may have more to do with deforestation and cultivation of crops on the mountainside, which have reduced the amounts of mist attracted to the mountain and hence the amounts of snow, than with global warming in general; but, as with glaciers all over the world, and the ice caps around the North and South Poles, the retreat has got much faster in recent years. Overall, Africa is badly affected by climate change. The worst impacts are away from the equator, where the Sahara and Kalahari deserts are expanding fast, making farming almost impossible. In contrast, parts of Tanzania, such as the areas around Dodoma and Kongwa, appear to have benefited from more rain. But this may not continue, and higher temperatures in the future are likely to reduce the yields from maize and many other crops. Meanwhile storms are causing floods in Dar es Salaam and other cities, and soil erosion. The continuing use of wood or charcoal for domestic cooking, and illegal land clearances for agriculture, are leading to reductions in forests and trees. Tanzanian farmers are not in doubt that temperatures overall are increasing, and that the rainfall patterns are becoming more unpredictable. Those living in coastal areas and fishermen are also aware of such threats, with bleaching of corals and coastal erosion increasing.

Jo Anderson spoke about the work of Carbon Tanzania, (www.carbontanzania.com) which was set up in 2011 to support the retention of forests. They are supporting small-scale activities in three contrasting areas across Tanzania. If they can demonstrate that forests have been retained or extended, then “carbon credits” mean that the communities can be paid under

the REDD scheme (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). However, payments are only made when preservation or expansion of the forests is confirmed by audits, which may be based on aerial photos. The costs of the audits make it hard for poor farmers or villages to access the funds without technical help from outside agencies, such as Carbon Tanzania. Jo’s slides can be viewed here

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qGas_DyAaP4h0lqMLWoY3zmu75SvfiL0/view?usp=sharing Tanzania was chosen by the European Union as one of four African countries to pilot projects relating to climate change under the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) initiated in 2007. Eco-ACT Tanzania, a social enterprise committed to developing environmental solutions, got support from the European Union (€ 2.3 million over 3 years) for developing three ecovillages in Tanzania, including Chololo (close to Dodoma) which piloted over 20 environmental innovations, that proved widely acceptable to the villagers. Following the success of the first Ecovillage project a further project was approved, supporting 5 Ecovillages, for an additional € 8 million, until 2019. Tim Clarke, formerly EU ambassador to Tanzania, who was one of the individuals promoting this pioneering programme, would like Tanzania to become a world leader in climate change technologies, rolling out more widely the Ecovillage programme both in Tanzania itself and promoting this approach elsewhere on the African continent, establishing a world class International Climate Change Centre on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and promoting solar and other renewable energies. He hopes that the government will take up the new challenges and opportunities provoked by climate change.

Page 3

Cllr Lovell with Mel Vaughan inspecting the

‘Recycled Rubbish Challenge’ created by pupils.

Dr Alan Dixon, keynote address.

Kiara and Scarlett (11 years) showing their

recycled clothes on the cat-walk

Leader of the Council, Matt Dormer, with the

Yeng family up-cycling food

Members of the Birmingham Diaspora with their

food stall, and Cllr Peter Fleming

Certificate presentations with Sue Yeng, Teresa

Wells (of Edukaid) and Cllr Anthony Lovell

REDDITCH RETHINKS RUBBISH EXPO

Several hundred people, including pupils from local schools, attended this memorable day at Redditch Town Hall, organised by Redditch One Word Link on Saturday 19th October 2019. Among the visitors were several members of the Tanzania Diaspora community from the Birmingham area, who brought along a selection of tasty traditional foods. “Raising hopes of global progress” was how Ross Crawford, Editor of the Redditch Standard weekly newspaper, described the occasion. He added, “an inspiring day of hope, as young and old united over a common message: more has to be done to save our environment.” The keynote address from Dr Alan Dixon from the University of Worcester also spoke on the need to protect the environment, illustrating it from his own experiences in Africa. The rest of the day featured a host of activities and film presentations, a rubbish band from Birchensale Middle School made from recycled materials, a recycling competition, a catwalk fashion show featuring upcycled clothes, short talks by pupils, a photographic competition for schools in Redditch and Mtwara of creations made out of rubbish, aesthetic and useful, and various stalls of organisations which work on different aspects of sustainability. For the first time, ROWL’s partner organisation in Tanzania, Mtwara One World Link, organised a programme of parallel activities on sustainability in Ocean Secondary School, Mtwara. This culminated in a live Skype link, when members of the two communities were able to share discussion via a large video screen and loudspeakers. How modern technology has enabled the world to shrink! Leader of Redditch Borough Council, Councillor Matt Dormer reflected: “It’s fantastic that we have these links with Mtwara and this level of community activity at a really well attended community event.” Councillor Anthony Lovell, who opened the Expo, in summarising, said, “This has all been about sustainability and how we can reduce our waste, not just here, but around the globe and getting ourselves to the stage where we are not creating any waste in the first place.” Mel Vaughan, a teacher at Birchensale Middle School, who helped organise and compère the Expo, commented: “It’s been phenomenal – beyond my wildest expectations to see so many people in the Town Hall and they have all been really positive. The next step is to visit Mtwara and take some of our ideas out there and bring some of theirs back with us. We’ve put our heart and soul into making this work and, to see it come off, makes it all the more worthwhile.”

Report by David and Jackie Morgan

Page 4

Under-education in Africa: The Contributions of Karim Hirji Hirji is Tanzania’s most distinguished mathematician. Since

his retirement in 2011 he has produced 7 books, none of them directly relating to his professional career. The most striking of these is the story of Cheche, the radical student magazine which he and a small group of students at the University of Dar es Salaam edited in 1970. After only four issues, one entirely taken up with Issa Shivji’s pioneering essay Tanzania: The Silent Class Struggle, it was banned. But Maji Maji, which looked very similar, soon replaced it. Another of the recent books is a study of the abuses and potential benefits of using statistics in the media, designed to assist journalists in their training. Another is a novel, the story of two girls who are clever at mathematics and become lecturers at their local university, but also set up the Banana Liberation Front to expose corruption and exploitation of the poor, and suffer accordingly. Another is an assessment and tribute to his friend and mentor Walter Rodney, who was assassinated in his native Guyana in 1980, and his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Two are volumes of autobiography, which trace the life of a brainy Asian boy from a relatively poor background – and say more about race and prejudice than many volumes specifically on that subject. And, last but not least, his latest book, launched for Europe at a BTS/SOAS seminar on 25 November 2019, brings together and updates his writing on education since the 1970s.

After graduation, he did a Masters degree in Operational Research at LSE, before returning to teach at the University of Dar es Salaam. But activists who wanted faster and more serious moves towards socialism were a threat to parts of the establishment, and in 1974 he was posted to Sumbawanga as an economic planning officer. Four years later he was back in Dar es Salaam, where he helped the National Institute of Transport gain international recognition as a centre of excellence.

Following a PhD from Harvard, where he specialised in medical statistics, he taught at UCLA for 8 years, and authored the textbook Exact Analysis of Discrete Data (Random House 2005) which explores the conclusions which can be drawn, or should not be drawn, from data which is collected on a numerical scale (such as of patients who grade their levels of pain as extreme, high, manageable, minor, negligible). He was awarded Snedecor Prize for his work on this, the only African yet to win that prize. In 2007 he returned to Tanzania, to a senior position teaching statistics to the trainee doctors at Muhimbili University. His experiences of dealing with medical students and staff who were not very interested in statistics, despite their importance in medicine, are recounted

in the present book. By 2011 he felt he could go on no longer, and took retirement.

But his interests were always wide. The students who published Cheche and Maji Maji were committed to putting Nyerere’s vision of ujamaa vijijini (“socialism in villages”) into practice. But there were worrying signs, especially the use of force to create villages which started as early as 1969. These and other contradictions were discussed at the university where staff from Tanzania and all over the world were innovating and experimenting to work out what would be most valuable for an emerging country like Tanzania.

Hirji’s books show his abiding interest in education and mathematics, both of which have to be taken seriously. That means students who are confident enough to think for themselves, teachers who love their subjects and can spread

that love to their students, and above all exams and assessment which reject incompetence and reward real skills, without fear or favour. The decline in this kind of quality is documented in ‘Under-Education in Africa’ with ruthless honesty.

The book launch was introduced by BTS Vice- President Andrew Coulson, followed by George Hadjivayanis, (a student in Dar in the 1970s). Colin Leys (better known these days for his critical work on private capital in the

UK NHS and earlier work on Namibia) spoke about the foundation of Kivukoni College in Dar es Salaam in 1961, modelled on Ruskin College Oxford as an institution that would give second chances to those who had missed university education. Abdul Paliwala, Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Warwick spoke about the need to improve the quality of education in Africa. The event was chaired by George’s daughter Ida Hadjivayanis, a lecturer at SOAS.

In all the years since 1970, Karim has never lost his belief in rigour, reason and socialist principles. He has fought and won important battles with medical journals, over their promotion of drugs where there are statistical flaws in the trials that purport to show their safety and effectiveness. He has shown historians and political scientists that some of their recollections of the key events at the University of Dar es Salaam in the 1970s were wrong, helped by his careful preservation of photographs which show who was, or was not, present at crucial moments. And his philosophy, where his take on Mahmood Mamdani and Ali Masrui for their attempts to dismiss the “Dar es Salaam school”, see Chapters 9 and 10 of this book, is special, not least for its recognition that Masrui today is much more sympathetic to the Dar es Salaam writers

than he was in earlier years.

Page 5

We were proud to be able to introduce this book to British and, we hope, international audiences. It documents what needs to be set out loud and clear – that Africa will not develop unless its technical skills are world class and well taught.

Andrew Coulson

Scotland BTS - Update from Ann Burgess Several members of the BTS Scottish Group enjoyed a lively evening on November

7th at St John’s Church in Edinburgh where, at Christopher Hall's invitation, Julian and Ann Marcus showed the excellent film ‘In the Name of my Daughter’ about the

Safe House that TDT is supporting. It was also an opportunity for us to buy Christmas

cards, and gifts made in Tanzania.

Ruvuma Development Aid and the Ntimbanjayo Memorial Schools1

We had a very clear aim this year and that was to make enough progress with the NMSE secondary

school construction to allow us to begin the registration process. With the NMSE primary school we

were able to register the school in 2011 and then continue to develop and build as and when funds

allowed.

However, the Tanzanian Government has decreed that no new secondary can be registered until it has

science laboratories. As a result of this ruling our first

Form 1 students had to attend the nearest secondary

school last year, while we supplied the teachers to ensure

they continued to be taught to a high standard.

By July last year the laboratory building was built up to

the lintels and was waiting for funds for the iron roof,

windows and doors. We had two main fundraisers planned

for August and September, the Dundee Kilt walk in August

followed by an auction at the Botanic Garden’s Gallery in

Dundee.

The Kilt Walk was a great success and with the extra 40% added by the Hunter Foundation, our team

of eight walkers raised just over £5,650. Then at the Botanic Gallery Auction, thanks to the donated

work of Scottish artists and makers who have supported us since 2000, we raised a further £2,500.

A raffle of art 3 works in October brought in a further

£1000.

With these funds, we can now complete the laboratory

building. By the end of November, the roof was on, walls

were being plastered and electricity installed. The doors

and windows were expected to be fitted before the end of

December. The concrete slabs needed for the laboratory

table tops have been built at the Peramiho mission. Once

they are in place, the sinks and water pipes can be fitted.

So, if all goes well the building work will be completed by the end of December, at which point the

government inspector from Iringa will be invited to inspect the school. We should then be allowed to

begin the registration process for the Secondary school which was our key target for the year.

Our challenge for 2020 will be to raise sufficient funds to fully equip the laboratories and complete

the first of the two remaining classrooms.

Page 6

1Ntimbajayo Memorial Schools of Excellence, 7km from Songea in southern Tanzania, are supported by RUDA (Ruvuma

Development Aid) founded by Ralph Ibbott, Chair of the BTS Scottish Group. The schools are named after Ntimbanjayo Millinga, a local man who worked tirelessly for the people of the region and wanted to give the villagers the means to lift themselves out of poverty.

Left to Right: Dr Mwande (TUHEDA), Dr Mrema (Paeds at

TUMBI), Nicky Jenkins (DASH), John Stratford (DASH) and Dr Mlawa (TUHEDA)

Basic Life Support Training

Sim Man demonstration

TUHEDA (Tanzania UK Healthcare Diaspora Association) Activities

TUHEDA-Tumbi Project (TUTU Project) On 25th November, a 4 person team from TUHEDA and DASH1 visited Tumbi Referral Hospital in Kibaha,Tanzania, to set up the Sim Man (Msafiri), a high fidelity simulation manikin named Msafiri and to meet the staff of Tumbi Hospital and representatives from the Tanzanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Medical Simulation training in collaboration with DASH1 Northumbria This flagship initiative was made possible by the generosity of Dinwoodie Assessment and Simulation Hub (DASH) which donated the simulation equipment to TUHEDA and helped us train local staff at Tumbi Hospital. Once trained, these local staff will in turn train others in the use of simulation in medical training and patient safety. This is a long-term initiative and we aim to make Tumbi hospital a centre in Tanzania for medical training through simulation. Nickie Jenkins and John Stratford from DASH assembled the Sim Man, and after demonstrating how it works to the attending guests, started the training of the Trainers (TOT) on the use of the manikin including how to work the manikin, writing scenarios and maintaining the system. There were five local staff (nurses and doctors) chosen and they will continue to have ongoing support from TUHEDA and DASH.

In addition to the above, Drs Mwande and Mlawa from TUHEDA provided training in Basic Life Support and diabetic emergencies. We also visited the Emergency Department including the new wing under construction, paediatrics, surgical and labour wards, and the outpatient department as well as visiting the skills lab where the Sim man (Msafiri) will be stationed. Not only did we have a chance to see the facility, but also to meet staff and see the challenges faced by our healthcare colleagues and patients at Tumbi Hospital. The diaspora desk’s Ambassador Anisa Mbega and Ministry of Foreign affairs representative, Ms Tagie Mwakawago helped in the preparation of the

handover day.

What we observed during this visit was that staff were grateful for our visit and wanted to learn and develop their skills. There was a friendly environment and willingness to work with others to improve services. The problems we saw included lack of basic equipment (defibrillator, ECG machine, blood sugar testing kit, nebuliser, cardiac monitors etc) and that Basic Life Support (BLS) training is not mandatory for all staff.

We are happy to report that we recommended the hospital to introduce in-house BLS training and the

hospital has agreed. This is the beginning of a great collaboration

between TUHEDA and Tumbi Referral Hospital in Kibaha.

1 dash.northumbria.nhs.uk/

Tuheda delegate with part of the Tumbi hospital team

Page 7

CELEBRATING 58 YEARS OF TANZANIA INDEPENDENCE MAIN THEME: “HEALTH MATTERS”

Report by Dr Donald Mlewa, Chair of WAWE-TD On Saturday 7

th December 2019, Wales and West of England Tanzania Diaspora (WAWE-TD) in collaboration with

the Association of Tanzanians in the United Kingdom (ATUK), celebrated 58 years of Tanzania’s Independence in

Cardiff. The event was attended by various Tanzania communities from within the UK including Leicester,

Manchester, Reading, London, Birmingham, Coventry and representatives from the Tanzania High Commission Office in London. There were cultural activities including music, poetry and dancing, as well as Tanzanian goods for

sale and Tanzanian food.

The message from the High Commission was “national pride, responsibility and creativity”. This chimed well with the main theme of the celebration HEALTH MATTERS. This theme was an idea suggested and promoted by the WAWE-

TD Youth. The WAWE Youth Health Matters project is the first step in the demonstration of their commitment to

Tanzania as young people of the Diaspora.

When discussing with Dr Mlawa (TUHEDA) the rising issue of diabetes in Tanzania, the young people decided to take this on

as a project. They found out that research indicates that 9.1% of

Tanzanians have diabetes. This equates to one in ten individuals, most of whom are under 65 years old. The

contributing factors of this rise in diabetes can be traced to rapid

urbanisation, lack of exercise due to the increase of sedentary lifestyles, and unhealthy diets and obesity.

Diabetes is a manageable condition. However, to successfully

manage and educate individuals on the consequences and the

causes of this disease there must be support in its diagnosis and management. This is where WAWE Youth aim to assist. The

aim of our Health Matters project is to provide diabetes testing

kits. These kits are inexpensive, and WAWE-TD Youth wish to raise a target amount of £1000 in order to support the work of our partner organisation TUHEDA, under the guidance

of Dr Gideon Mlawa.

The WAWE-TD Youth began their fundraising, and several members of WAWE-TD Youth gave their time to make hand-crafted Christmas cards and badges to sell at the Uhuru celebration in order to achieve their objective.

MORE TUHEDA NEWS (contd. from page 7)

TUHEDA IN WASHINGTON DC Dr Gideon Mlawa and Dr Imani Kondo

(far left and left respectively) represented TUHEDA at a Diaspora conference at

Howard University Law school in

Washington DC organised by the

Diaspora Council of Tanzanians in

America ( DICOTA) on 9th November

last year. Dr Gideon Mlawa was part of a

‘Human resource for health panel’ –see

photo right- and presented on TUHEDA work since its inception.

TUHEDA attendance in Washington DC was to fulfil part of its objectives of collaboration with Diaspora communities.

TUHEDA believes in collaboration, coordinated effort, collective thinking and co-development(4Cs).

SEMINAR ON DRUG MISUSE, GANGS AND KNIFE CRIME This seminar held in November last year was jointly organised by three organisations namely

TUHEDA (Tanzania UK Healthcare Diaspora Association), EAEF (East African Education

Foundation) and SISTERHOOD with the aim of raising awareness of effects (social, physical and

psychological) of these 3 related problems and ways to prevent them. Statistics indicate that drug

misuse, knife crime and gang related problems are on the increase across England with London

particularly hard hit. Barking, East London where this seminar was organised is no exception and the

location was purposely chosen to target a large East African population residing in this area.

70 people attended among them young people, parents, women, community and religious leaders. The

three topics discussed were (i) Commonly used substances and their effects (ii) Gangs, the way they

operate and effects and (iii) Knife crime effects and prevention. The latter two in particular generated

a lot of interest and discussion and participants found the seminar very useful. However there is a need for more discussion on how to tackle these issues at a community level and so it was proposed to

organise more of these seminars with the aim of providing a platform for such discussions and

coming up with local and sustainable solutions. It was suggested to hold a similar seminar in February 2020.

Page 8

WAWE-TD Youth outlining their vision

TDT NEWS

Independent Accounts Examiner needed TDT is seeking a volunteer Independent Accounts Examiner for the annual report to Charity

Commissioners in July. It is not too onerous but requires someone with a good eye for cash

accounting, some awareness of TDT's charitable project funding and some time available to

read over the TDT accounts which are finalised for the report by our TDT treasurer. The

Examiner then signs them off using the short Section A Charity Commissioners' Independent

Examiner's report on the accounts form.

If you are interested in helping TDT with this please contact Jonathan Pace (Chair of

TDT) at j.pace@tanzdevtrust.org or Brian Medcalf at treasurer@tanzdevtrust.org.

Menstruation Matters We have been supporting pre-form one programmes in 8 secondary schools this year, the 2nd year we have run it. One of the many positive impacts it has had is the learning shared by headteachers and staff members of each school via the WhatsApp group we set up. Much of this has been around ideas for group work activities, useful resources and links and good practice in engaging with the community and feeder primary schools.

One of the topics that has provoked much discussion recently is teaching about menstruation. Many of the schools have no female teachers and do not feel well equipped to do this at all. Others have active matrons, girls clubs and visits from local nurses. Research from UNFPA shows 82% of adolescent girls in Tanzania lack sufficient knowledge about their body changes and especially on how they can handle and manage themselves during menstruation. Menstruation is often considered a taboo subject in rural Tanzania. This prevents open discussion about it, even between females. Girls can feel scared and isolated, often fearing they are ill or dying. Outdated myths are common in these communities, like the myth that if girls walk past men whilst menstruating they can get pregnant, or that their menstrual stomach cramps will stop if they get married or pregnant. Young girls hide their periods from male family members and most mothers feel uncomfortable discussing the subject, because of their lack of education on the normality of menstruation. All of this means that on average, girls in rural Tanzania miss five days of school a month during their periods.

We are starting to address this with a small outreach programme delivered by the extremely committed matron at Tunamkumbuka, one of the schools involved. She will start by visiting other schools nearby, assessing the situation and offering advice and support to girls and the school more generally. If you, or any partners you are working with are doing any similar work we would love to hear from you!

Janet Chapman j.chapman@tanzdevtrust.org

The Big Give Christmas Challenge – Thank you! Thanks to everyone who donated to our first ever Big Give campaign.

We raised £5500 for clean water in Kigoma. This means after Gift Aid is collected we will be able to fund 4 bore holes and rope pumps

for the villages of Mwamila, Kacheli, Mkaheta and Kibaoni where the water situation is critical, meaning over 28,000 people will benefit from clean water.

Page 9

Mboni ya Vijana Group Youth Camp 2019 Report by Benedicto Hosea, TDT local rep from Kigoma

Thanks to a donation from TDT, Mboni ya Vijana Group (MVG) held a youth camp at Zeze village (about 50 miles from Kigoma) from 29th July to 17th August 2019. It brought youth from different regions of Tanzania and Britain. The camp delivered technical and entrepreneurial skill to youth, so the diversification of strategies and ideas used by Mboni ya Vijana to ensure income and food security will be spread quickly and successfully. Matheo ,the chairman of Zeze village, helped throughout all the camp processes. During the inauguration of the camp which was honoured by the Regional Administrative Secretary Representative for Kigoma region, the village chairman said “We value the initiatives launched by Mboni ya Vijana because we have made exceptional impacts to the society. The food for this camp is provided by the community as an acknowledgement and reward to Mboni ya Vijana for improving agriculture which led the community to increase yield per area. If you all (participants) learn carefully and adapt the strategies used by Mboni ya Vijana and replicate it to your societies, for sure Tanzania will benefit from you.”

George is one of the Youth Camp participants from Kagera region. He learned borehole drilling, and rock and ground water behaviour during the camp. He says: “My society lack water and there have not been this kind of water skills which we learned through this camp. I will adapt it and make it the community water solution at Kanyigo ward in Kagera. I am happy that my community will as well improve food and nutrition security further to improve in income and working efficiency to the households.”

Radhia, a lady from Dar es Salaam who participated in the youth camp at Zeze for the whole 21 days, learning skills in finance and

soap making spoke of her experience: “It has been worth attending this camp, I know the

potential at Zeze and I am connected with these people (MVG members). I am going back to Dar es Salaam but I will open the shop in which I will sell the products from Kigoma especially Zeze. I didn’t know soap making, finance and resources recognition and use skills but this camp has unlocked me from the dark. I appreciate all the effort accomplished and will replicate it to my best level.” Radhia has already started selling soap, beans and palm oil from Kigoma, following her participation in the Youth Camp.

As a remarkable symbol of this event in Zeze, 10,200 bricks were made to help build a girls’ hostel for Zeze Secondary School. Marry, the Kitibitibi primary school teacher at Zeze, said:

“Making bricks for girls hostel construction is the most impressive idea which gives me much passion in the future of our community. Girls are the group in the society that is at high temptation after school time. Having hostel at Zeze Secondary School will improve their performance and make girls the future national leaders. This should not be stopped and we are learning having big hearts in building our nation.”

Apart from such stories during the camp, youth who participated learned, shared and enjoyed different skills including beekeeping and honey processing, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), laws and environmental issues including adaptation to climate change. Finally, youth were awarded certificates of appreciation.

Soap making lesson

Bore hole drilling

lesson

Lesson on honey harvesting

Brick making

Page 10

MAPPING Following Crowd2Map’s success in mapping in Tanzania since 2015, Janet was invited by the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA)1 to run a mapping event at their womens’ rights conference - the 25th International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) - in Nairobi in November last year. Here are her reflections on the event.

“ICPD25 in Nairobi was an amazing event and I was extremely proud to run a Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) mapathon there on behalf of UNFPA. 9500 people from 170 countries attended the summit, from heads of state and UN employees to grassroots activists.

I attended some amazing talks and workshops which included huge declarations from the Kenyan President to end FGM by 2022 and much smaller events. I met with familiar activists I’d spoken to before plus many new people with additional opportunities for collaboration.

Some highlights for me included:

Rebeca Gyumi talking about her social media campaign against child marriage

and FGM in our mapathon

Finally meeting Francis from The Network against Female Genital Mutilation

(NAFGEM), who was talking at the Human Library about the value of

generational dialogues in eliminating FGM

Hearing Tony Mwebia talk about his initiative #MenEndFGM and helping

many of this group get started with mapping in Kenya

Meeting again Laura Mugeha and her colleagues from Women in GIS – doing

amazing visualisations on gender – and helping setting up new Youthmapper

chapters in university and colleges across the world.”

Mapping is a great tool to help community development and local capacity development. If you would like to get involved in any way please contact Janet j.chapman@tanzdevtrust.org 1UNFPA was formally named the United Nations Population Fund.

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The Unit for Blind and Visually Impaired Children, Masasi Primary School, Mtandi, Masasi.

For some years I have been fund-raising to help support the children in the unit with eye care and treatment and to enrich the children's lives. I visited the school and unit in November last year to meet the children and to see at first

hand the lives they lead and to discuss with the Headteacher and staff the children’s and unit’s needs.

Background The Masasi Primary School and Unit for Blind and Visually Impaired children was founded by Bishop

Trevor Huddleston in the 1960s and was one of TDT's

first projects. It is now a public school, funded by the

government, although only children whose families can afford to buy the school uniform and the necessary

exercise books can be pupils there.

The children The school has 790 pupils ranging from 5 to 18. The

unit itself has 84 children registered (47 girls and 37

boys), although 15 failed to return at the start of the new term. Of the 69 on site in the unit, 15 boys and 23

girls have albinism

and 7 boys and 7 girls

are totally blind. There are also two

children in the unit

with serious mobility handicaps but no

visual impairment.

The children’s access to the unit is determined by assessment by staff and confirmation of visual

impairment from a hospital. Although diagnosed as

having a visual impairment, no treatment that may

treat or reverse the impairment is given unless the family can afford to pay for it. This means that some

children go to the unit with treatable impairments. All

the children are boarders; some come from village homes as far as Mtwara, some 290 kilometres away, so

once at the unit the children never leave it again until

they go home at the end of term. When not in class the

children in the unit have minimal or no supervision, and at weekends are looked after by two non-teaching

members of staff. There are no planned or pre-

prepared activities, but one very noticeable feature of the children’s lives in the unit is their capacity to care

and look out for each

other. Those with some sight will help the non-

sighted and the older

will help the younger.

The children’s

education The children have full

access to the curriculum alongside the children in the

main part of the primary school, but although eight teachers have received specialist training, no special

support is given in the classroom to meet the needs of

the visually impaired. As typical of many government

schools in Tanzania, class sizes can be as much as 80 plus, with 3 to a desk (including some from the unit).

Eye health There are no eye health checkups. I saw no children wearing glasses or in the case of the albino children

sunglasses. Some 15 children have been identified by

staff in the unit for the next round of checkups that will be funded. On what basis they were identified is

unclear. The cost of these assessments will be

approximately TSh1,605,000 (approximately £550). In

February 2019 twelve children had funded assessments and 3 received surgical interventions. One child who

was recommended for surgery didn’t receive it because

her parents refused to give permission. They thought she might die during or after the operation.

Resources in the unit The unit has very few specialist resources. It has 8 Perkins braille machines, only one of which was out of

its box, (when I was shown it, dust had to be blown off

it), and a small supply of braille paper. There are no IT

resources (there are none in the school as a whole) and no other resources appropriate for children with visual

impairments.

Action to be taken that requires funding. I identified many areas where funding is urgently

needed such as eye care and treatment, better lighting,

secure fencing around the unit, (children can easily

wander off), and removal of vast amounts of clutter (junk) as well as the need for new mattresses, bed

linen, mosquito nets (malaria is endemic) and the

provision of a designated recreational area, drums and a large screen TV for those with limited vision. My

assessments were confirmed by 3 officials from

Masasi (Town Community Development officer, Special Education Officer and Ward Education

Officer) who visited the unit to see me whilst I was

there. Mr Nyiruka, the Community Development

Officer undertook to provide, within a short period, a costed set of proposals that would remedy, as far as

was possible, these needs but..........

THE CHALLENGE – CAN YOU HELP? It was recognised that my budget of £7000 would be insufficient to meet them all. It was agreed that we would both seek additional funding and support. This report is written in the hope that

those who read it might be able to help us meet the challenge. The lives of the children in the unit are far too important for us to fail.

Stephen Arbery – contact me at stevearbery@gmail.com or by ‘phone 0044 (0)1386 750877 My full report and more background info. can be found at: www.friendsofmasasiandnewala under News and The Pupil, No.4

Repaired pump at Mkangale Village

Water harvesting girls’ dormitory

Nkomolo Secondary School

The women’s group Wanawake

Wanaweza raising chickens in Iyoka

Juhudi Women’s Co-op, Bulongwa,

with chain saw rented out for

income generation

Kitchen under construction

Ulumba Primary School

New shoes and uniforms – Mkole

Primary School

Tanzania Rural Revival Tanzania Rural Revival (TRR)

1, known as Uboreshaji Maisha Vijijini Tanzania in

Swahili, is part of the Global Justice. Now Trust. It was founded in 2006 by a group

of people who had long been aware of the problems of rural living in the remote

parts of Tanzania. It began life as a partnership between Dar es Salaam based Tanzanians from the Makete District, then in Iringa Region, and British people who

had long connections with Tanzania. The Dar based members were anxious to see

their area catching up with more advanced parts of Tanzania and the British were

shocked to see the slow development in rural areas since they had first come to Tanzania some 30 years ago.

Today Tanzania Rural Revival works in partnership with people living in two

remote and rural districts of Tanzania: Makete District (Njombe Region) in the

southwest of the country and in Nkasi District (Rukwa Region) in the west. The focus of its operations is around the village of Bulongwa (Makete) and the town of

Namanyere (Nkasi). The 2 areas are completely different environmentally - Makete

mainly above 1500 metres has high rainfall in contrast to Rukwa with its more dry

savannah. However both areas had water supply problems – Makete with a broken gravity water supply system and Rukwa with many boreholes and pumps needing

repair. Following discussion with the communities to establish local priorities for

development, a list was drawn up which included health, education, transport, small business support as well as water supply. A tall order for a small NGO! One of the

first projects in Makete was HIV education and support led by young members of

the community, many of whom were HIV sufferers. TRR helped fund workshops and training, after which members of the group were then able to help and support

HIV sufferers in the surrounding villages.

Unlike some NGOs TRR quickly established close working links with the local

authorities, particularly with regard to health, education, agriculture and water. TRR

learned that technical skills were widely available in the local authority but in many instances funds were lacking. Funding has mainly been raised in the UK from the

group’s friends and families. However funds have also been sourced from UK based

NGOs and agencies, with TRR members working hard on fundraising. Villagers have also worked hard both to raise funds from their communities and also to

provide labour. Many schemes such as classrooms and dispensaries have involved

funding and labour contributing up to half of the scheme costs. Small businesses

have proved very successful, proving that soft loans can work and that businesses can be successful in providing essential needs even in low income communities.

To summarise TRR’s successes, we have:

supported a local hospital with equipment and helped with the construction

of dispensaries.

helped schools with new classrooms, dormitories, solar panels, water supply

and toilets.

supported small businesses with soft loans and technical training.

set up village funds for orphans and vulnerable children to include

uniforms, shoes and school meals.

supported major water projects throughout the 2 districts – working closely

with the water departments and providing and repairing pumps, helping to

provide new water sources including much pipework.

worked with agricultural officers to establish improved agricultural

methods.

The Future It is to be hoped that TRR can continue with more and more involvement from the

local communities and the Diaspora. Funding will no doubt continue to be critical

and outside funds required but it is hoped that social and economic changes in

Tanzania could see more funds locally sourced. Tony Janes 1TRR www.tanzaniaruralrevival.org.uk tanzaniaruralrevival@gmail.com Tel 01507358650

Page 13

SWAHILI MATTERS

Mani Martin: Msanii anayewaasa vijana kuacha

uhamiaji ng'ambo

Mwanamuziki wa Kinyarwanda Mani Martin

anawaasa vijana wa Afrika kuacha kufikiria

kwamba matumanini yao yako Ulaya au

Marekani.

Katika albumu yake mpya aliyoipa jina la "Africa

Ndota" yaani—Africa ninayoiota katika lugha ya

Kiswahili, msanii huyo maarufu sana nchini

Rwanda ameelezea namna anavyosikitishwa

anasikitishwa na jinsi maelfu ya vijana wa Afrika

wanavyofuja pesa wakitaka kwenda kutafuta

riziki Ulaya na kupoteza maisha yao katika bahari

ya Mediterranean badala ya kuwekeza pesa hizo

katika mataifa yao ya Afrika. Mani Martin katika

kibao chake "Africa Ndota" anaimba ndoto zake

kwa bara la Afrika, namna anavyopendelea bara la

Afrika kuwa, huku akipinga Waafrika

wanaokimbilia barani Ulaya na Marekani

wanakodhani watapata maisha bora. "Waafrika

wengi wanapoteza maisha wanapojaribu kwenda

Ulaya. Naweza kusema kwamba kila mwaka

maelfu ya watu hupoteza maisha yao... "Viongozi

wa Afrika lazima wafanye juhudi kubwa ili vijana

waweze kupata maisha ya ndoto zao pasipo

kufikiria kutoroka mataifa yao. Wanapaswa

kubuni mikakati ya kuimarisha usalama na amani

kwa sababu wanaokwenda wana sababu mbali

mbali. Lakini hayo yote yanaweza kupatiwa

suluhu na sisi Waafrika wenyewe. Nchi zetu

zitaendelezwa na nani? Wazungu wanapokuja

hapa wanaitwa wataalumu, lakini sisi tunapofika

kwao tunaitwa wahamiaji haramu!" ...

Mani Martin: The artist who is warning young

people to stop emigrating abroad

Rwandan musician Mani Martin is warning the

youth of Africa to stop thinking that their hopes

and desires lie in Europe or America.

In his new album, which he has titled "Africa

Ndota" that is— the Africa I dream of, in Swahili,

the very famous artist in Rwanda expresses his

sadness for the way thousands of African youths

waste their money in wanting to find their

requirements in Europe and end up losing their

lives in the Mediterranean Sea instead of

investing their money in their African nations. In

his hit song "Africa Dream", Mani Martin sings

about his dreams for the continent of Africa, the

way he would prefer the African continent to be,

while disagreeing with Africans who run to

Europe and America where they think they will

get a better life. "Many Africans lose their lives

when trying to go to Europe. I can say that each

year thousands of people lose their lives. ..

"African leaders must make great efforts so that

young people are able to get the life of their

dreams without thinking about fleeing their

nations. They must create different approaches for

establishing security and peace, because those

who go have different reasons for doing so.

However, we Africans can resolve all of this by

ourselves. Who will run our countries? When

white men come here they are called specialists,

but when we arrive at their place we are called

illegal immigrants!" ...

This is an extract of an article I found on the BBC Swahili website (accessed 19 November 2019).The

English translation is my own - Donovan McGrath

Tanzanian Produce for sale Waitrose Chocolate Ice Cream Blood Orange Sorbet Made with cocoa beans from Tanzania

https://www.waitrose.com/home/tv/highlights/waitrose-1-tanzanianchocolateicecreamitalianbloodorangesorbettva.html Waitrose Cooks’ Ingredients Tanzanian Chocolate Icing https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/cooks-ingredients-tanzanian-chocolate-icing/601560-672575-672576

I can definitely vouch for the Ice Cream and Sorbet – Delicious –Ed

Send any information you have to share about where Tanzanian produce is on sale in the UK, to The Editor,

BTS Newsletter, 33 Viola Avenue. London SE2 0TQ suemitchell1953@hotmail.co.uk Tel 0203665114

Page 14

ADVERT

Diocese of Central Tanganyika

Volunteers needed to change lives in Tanzania

Working totally flexibly from your UK home c2 days per month equivalent

68% of Tanzania’s 55m people live at the UN poverty level of £2 or less per day

The Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT) is the largest Anglican Diocese globally.

DCT has c270 Parishes, 300 Pastors & runs schools, hospitals & sustainable agriculture

projects, alleviating hunger in subsistence farming villages in the hot & dry Dodoma region.

DCT seeks volunteers with good English, analytical & Microsoft Word skills who can

a) Identify Charities/Donor Partners whose funding aims are in line with DCT programmes

b) Write e mails seeking funding, working closely with DCT staff & field volunteers in Tanzania

We would like to combine a) & b) but if you have a preference that would be fine.

Training will be provided.

For further information please contact

Andrew Mayfield DCT Business Adviser

07711 015649 andrewmayfield@live.co.uk

Page 15

Page 14

Remembered: Professor Harold John Cooke (1927-2019) Professor Harold John Cooke, FRGS, was one of the last of the post-war geographers who pursued successful

careers in both the Colonial Service and post-Independence African academia.

Born into a working class Manchester family, John entered Manchester University on a scholarship and

graduated with a Geography degree in 1948. Following a year’s National Service in the Intelligence Corps in

Egypt he was posted to Tanganyika as a District Officer (cadet) in the Colonial Service in 1951. There followed

a series of postings, mostly in the districts surrounding Lake Victoria, and culminating in appointment as District Commissioner in the Bukoba District in 1960.

John enjoyed the life of an administrator, and was deeply interested in the links between people and the land, which he was to pursue later as an academic. An accomplished mountaineer, he used his free time to climb the

mountains of East Africa. He made three ascents of Mt Kilimanjaro, including, in 1957, the first recorded

ascent of the Heim Glacier, and the first west-east transect across the entire massif. In 1956 he married Sylvia Kaufmann, whose family fled from Germany to Tanganyika in 1936, in Tanga. She was to be his constant

companion and partner until her death in 2018.

With Tanzanian Independence in 1961 John resigned as DC and moved to the coast where he taught secondary level geography at Tanga and then Karimjee secondary schools. In 1969 he completed a PhD on the Karst of the

Tanga limestone, awarded by the University College of Dar-es-Salaam. That same year, with a young family

approaching secondary school age, John and Sylvia moved back to the UK where John took up a job as a geography teacher at Manchester Grammar School. He was to visit Tanzania a final time in 1971 for the 10

th

anniversary celebrations as a guest of President Nyerere.

In 1971 John seized the opportunity to start up the Department of Environmental Science at the new Botswana

campus of the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. Starting with a small classroom the department

built up to a state-of-the-art building, 20 academic staff and over 300 students by the time he retired in 1996.

John and Sylvia moved to rural Wales in 1991 for a quiet retirement, the same year his memoirs - One white man in black Africa: from Kilimanjaro to the Kalahari – were published. He died shortly after his 92

nd birthday

on April 16 2019 and is survived by a daughter, two sons and three grandchildren.

John will be remembered for his inspirational teaching, his enormous love of the outdoors, his organisational

ability (he loathed bureaucratic inefficiency), and his great love and enthusiasm for Africa.

We are very grateful to BTS member Ruth Isaacs for her recent generous donation of £2,500 in

memory of her late

Jonathan Pace

Page 15

would be greatly appreciated.” Andrew Coulson

BTS Who’s Who & Contacts

BTS CHAIR Dr Elizabeth Taylor 07977 134545 etaylorsjut@gmail.com

BTS VICE CHAIR Petronila Mlowe mwakatumap@gmail.com BTS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Charlotte Pallangyo charlottepallangyo@gmail.com BTS MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Godlisten Pallangyo godlistenj7@gmail.com BTS TREASURER Gabriel Mgambwa 07968851007

gmgambwa@gmail.com

BTS SEMINAR ORGANISER Janet Chapman j.chapman@tanzdevtrust.org BTS WEB EDITOR Alex Paurine alexpaurine@icloud.com

TDT CHAIR: Jonathan Pace o7901563322 J.pace@tanzdevtrust.org TDT EXECUTIVE SECRETARY: Kristina Putsova pkristinka@gmail.com. TDT TREASURER: Brian Medcalf treasurer@tanzdevtrust.org

TDT FUNDING APPLICATIONS: Phil Grant

applications@tanzdevtrust.org

TDT WEBSITEMANAGER: Peter Kenworthy tdtwebsite@gmail.com TDT CARD SALES: Ann Marcus +020 8668 5230 ann.marcus43@gmail.com

BTS NEWSLETTER EDITOR Sue Mitchell 020 3665 1144 33 Viola Ave, London SE2 0TQ suemitchell1953@hotmail.co.uk

BTS President: HE Ali Hassan Mwinyi, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania BTS Vice-Presidents: Ron and Liz Fennell, Trevor Jaggar, David Brewin, Andrew Coulson, Julian Marcus, Esther Mwaikambo

BTS Tanzania Chapter contacts: Chairman: Ambassador Paul Rupia chairman@bts.or.tz

Vice Chairman: Professor Cuthbert Kimambo kimambo@udsm.ac.tz +255 754 281680

Committe Member: Daniel Mwasandube dam@webburonu.co.tz +255 682 442 151. dmwasandube@gmail.com

BTS Scottish Group contacts: Ann Burgess 07858 481038 annpatriciaburgess@yahoo.co.uk

NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

1st

April 2020.

Tel 02036651144 but email preferred

BTS AGM Saturday October 24th

2.00pm St Mary-at-Hill Church, Lovat Lane,

Eastcheap, London, EC3R 8EE

BTS Newsletter January 2020 Volume 18, Issue 1 Back page

BTS Diaspora contacts: Petronila Mlowe mwakatumap@gmail Fadhili Maghiya fadhilimaghiya02@hotmail.com

TANZANIAN AFFAIRS EDITOR Ben Taylor ben.d.taylor@gmail.com

IMPORTANT DATE FOR YOUR DIARY!!

Tanzanian Diaspora and friends of Tanzania Summer Event

Saturday June 20th, from 1pm to 4pm

St Mary-at-Hill Church, Lovat Lane,

Eastcheap, London, EC3R 8EE

Karibuni

We welcome the following new members:

Helen Grimditch, Bucks Wema Kibona, London Freddie Burgess, Edinburgh Nigel Fawkes, London Proches Tairo, Nottingham