Masai girls wedge war against
banning circumcision
NGO working to spread
awareness faces stiff resistance as girls refuse to part off with tradition
By Nestory Ngwega,Tanga.
Maasai girls, in their vow to adhere to the tradition, have voted strongly
against banning women circumcision.
During a campaign conducted by one of the leading NGOs in the country, Maasai
girls stood against the move united and claimed that they were not prepared to
part off with their custom at any cost.
In fact, they went to the extent of claiming that even if their elders were
convinced and would prefer to refrain from perfoming the rituals, they would
circumcise themselves. Apparently some of the elders were in support of
abandoning this long established tradition.
The announcement was made by the Maasai girls recently during a sensitization
and seminar conducted by Tanga Inter African Committee (TIAC) in order to
persuade Maasai girls to abandon the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) themselves
and spread awareness against this painful and unhygienic practise. The NGO
receives its funding from Germany.
Girls said they were not ready to see their tradition abandoned and they blamed
their elders for trying to get rid of their custom.
They asked why the Maasai elders would agree to stop women circumcision and
described the campaign against women circumcision as one of killing their
identity.
“People who tell us not to circumcise are not good. Someday they will tell us
not to keep cows. They want to kill us together with our tradition and as youths
we are not ready to see it happening,” Said one Elizabeth Toroa of Kichangani
village.
But the chairperson of TIAC Ms Imelda Hyera said that despite the resistance
from the Maasai community, activists would continue to educate the Maasai people
to quit such bad habit.
She stressed that the campaign was not aiming at Maasai community alone but at
all communities in which women circumcision is practiced.
She described women circumcision as a barbaric custom which hurts women. “Often
people die due to severe bleeding and infection of diseases like AIDS because of
unsterilized equipment used,” she said.
Goitre incidence reduces
By Kizitto Joseph
Incidence of Goitre, a deadly disease affecting glands in the upper
respiratory tract, has decreased from 25 per cent in 1980 to eight per cent in
2003 among the population in the highlands districts.
Announcing this, Minister for Health Anna Abdallah claimed six million people
were distributed iodine tablets recently as a preventive measure under the
sponsorship of the Swedish government through its development agency (SIDA).
She was speaking at the opening of the annual meeting of Tanzania Salt Producers
Association (TASPA) at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam.
She said the disease was serious in the districts located in highlands but the
government had taken measures to rectify the situation by distributing iodine
tablets.
She stressed that the long term measure, however, was to make sure that all the
salt produced in the country was iodized. “The target of WHO is to have 90 per
cent of availability of the minerals at family level had not been reached,” she
admitted. A study in 2001 showed that the situation was worse in the Islands,
specially in Unguja and Pemba where the incidence rate was 25 and 32 per cent
respectively.
Workers Association asks to
reduce taxes
By Kim Aidan, Morogoro
The Industrial Workers Association (TUICO) has advised the government to rectify
taxation system in a bid to give its civil servants relief and morale in
speeding up poverty reduction strategies.
“If the taxes are not removed then the government will be going against its own
poverty reduction policy, adding that the workers have been subjected to pay
lots of taxes as a result hampering their efforts to untrap in economic
problems,” said TUICO’s Secretary General, Morogoro Region, Augustino Lutengano.
“There have been lots of deductions in workers salaries, this is an affront to
the continuing efforts to fight poverty” he stressed.
He offered workers in the informal sector to join workers' associations, TUICO
in particular so that they can qualify to secure loans in banks and financial
institutions.
UK Sends money to WFP
The United Nations World Food Programme has today welcomes a British Government
donation of three million Pound Sterling (Tsh 6 billion) to refugees in western
Tanzania.
“The contribution from the United Kingdom comes at a critical time allowing
purchase food desperately needed in the region,” said Patrick Buckley, the
Representative and Country Director.
Matumla win colours Christmas
music festival
By Burton Brown
The spectacular win of Tanzanian professional boxer, Hassan Matumla
over his Kenyan opponent, Steven Esonga added colour to the Christmas Music
Festival which took place over the weekend at the Leaders Club ground.
Matumla beat Esonga on 80-75 decision in a friendly bout as part of the
Christmas celebrations.
Also in the same occasion, Anthony Mathias out punched Issa Selwe in the
undercard bout before Rashid Ally taking a slim win over Obote Ameme.
In retrospect, Tanzania’s popular comedian, Mwinshehe Kingwendu was among the
stars of the Christmas Music Festival staged from December 24 to 26 at the
Leaders Club.
Kingwendu who won music fans approval with his hit Mapepe displayed unique
showmanship on the stage.
Also excelled in the festivals were Tanzania’s veteran bands, DDC Mlimani Park,
Ottu Jazz who played under Dance Music category.
JKT Taarab, Babloom and East African melody starred the Rusha Roho Taarab scene
while Muungano Dancing troupe, Nsenene, Juma Nature and Wanaume Family, H.
Mbizo, Dudu Baya and African FM Academia and Kenyan group Gidi Gidi Maji Maji
also performed in the festival.
School results improve
By Kim Aidan, Morogoro
Ulanga District Council is leading in primary school examination results against
all districts in Morogoro Region. According to a statement released by Morogoro
Regional Education Officer Ezekiel Kibona, the success rate have risen from
19.85 per cent last year to 32.5 per cent.
(38.9 per cent) passed in A, B and C classes compared to 7,490 (31.04 per cent)
last year.
back to headlines
Fallacies plague primary
education
Girls forced out due to
untimely pregnancies, boys for lack of opportunities
By Kizitto Joseph
Thousands of eligible children will not be registered in primary
education system of the country this academic session in Dar es Salaam Region.
The reasons being as weird as early pregnancy for girl students and lack of
schools for boys which force them to sit out.
While the number of children has increased manifold, the number of schools have
not increased proportionately in the Region. The gap between demand and supply
will force many of these children to sit out this session.
On the other hand, government surveys recently has revealed that a large number
of girls are forced to drop out from primary education system as they become
pregnant and are forced to go without education before completing school.
Experts have called for a two way solution for the problem. While they want to
admit girls at a younger age so that they can complete high school before
attaining puberty, they want the boys to start school a year later to solve the
problem of lack of schools and give room to the girl child.
“We have already closed registering students and are now sorting out names of
those registered. As soon as the list is ready, it will be sent to the regional
office,” said a woman teacher at Maendeleo Primary School in Mbagala.
“Most girl students fail to complete their studies due to pregnancies resulting
from early puberty in schools, Minister for Education and Culture, Joseph Mungai
said.
He called upon the head teachers to register a six and a half years old girl
child to start Standard One so as to complete schooling before puberty.
To tackle the congestion, it has been ordered in Dar es Salaam Region to split
into two or more schools to create more seats. As, this region experiences many
students missing their chances for registration this year as there is an
increase in the number of students compared to the available chances in
schools.
Some education officials related the problem with the agreement within education
sector to register a six and half years children for primary education instead
of seven years of age.
“Registering a six and half years child for primary education is increasing
congestions in schools. This age group should remain at home for health growth
to reduce this congestion,” said Oluoch of the TTU.
Water level in lake Victoria
receding, restoration initiated
By Berdina Nyakeke, Tarime
Water level in Lake Victoria has been decreasing for unplanned
destruction of the resources and human activities across the area. This is not
only contributing to environmental degradation but also harming the long term
interest of people living in the region.
Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) has started a conservation project of river Mara
(WWF) as a first step to restore the ecological balance in the area in
Tarime district as a way of motivating them on concept and water resources.
“The main reason behind such destruction is due to lack of initiative to
alleviate poverty in the region. “Serious health hazards, lack in food
production facilities and the economic growth of the residents surrounding the
basin is suffering which makes them more dependent on the natural resources,”
said Water Officer with Victoria Basin, Rayson Muhabuki, adding, “priority
should be given to forest preservation, improvement of agriculture and
conservation.”
Eye patients need medication
in Nzega
By Sebastian Gabunga, Nzega
About 1,600 eye patients in Nzega district in Tabora need urgent medical
attention to remove cataracts which pose imminent danger for blindness.
The Nzega District Coordinator Dr. Michael Lazaro disclosed the problem during
the campaign to remove cataracts implemented by Lions Club of Mwanza.
Lazaro said all the patients are from 134 villages of the district, in its
efforts to limit the problems Lions Club has vowed to conduct 600 operations by
the end of this month.
The president of the Club, Sajad Rai said until mid this month the Club had
already conducted operation to 268.
He added that those patients are among other 4,500 who were given the service
and corrective lenses in Tarime and Musoma District.
He added that other patients who had complications were referred to Nairobi
Hospital for further treatment.
Experts urge govt to
facilitate technology transfers
Mining industry hit
hard by lack of stone crushing machines
By Angela Mazula
Manual stone crushing was reducing productivity and harming the
health of the labourers in the country. Experts have urged installing stone
crusher machines in Tanzania quarries to alleviate the misery of workers and
increase productivity.
“It can particularly reduce the drudgery and hardships faced by artisanal
miners, mostly women who spend long hour in work,” said Dr, Emrod Elisante of
University of Dar es Salaam in Chemical and Process Engineer department.
Excavating and crushing using manual tools like pickaxe, crow-bars, and
sledgehammers, is common even in big cities like Dar es Salaam, Mwanza and
Arusha labourers work round the clock.
Use of machine can boost productivity in low-cost housing sector, small scale
mining industry and used in crushing gold ore prior panning and limestone before
burning in kilns as well.
However, Dr, Ambrose Itika of University of Dar es Salaam said a model of
financial analysis show that if an entrepreneur operates the crusher for 10
hours per day after allowing 12 per cent depreciation and 25 per cent income
tax.
He said the cost of the machine was Tsh. 1.9 million not an affordable
proposition, even with loans from the existing micro-finance institution.
“It is expected that crusher technology will be disseminated and transferred to
the industry in order to fill the technology gap left out by large-scale capital
intensive equipment” he said.
New crushers are being developed in neighboring countries like Kenya, Uganda,
Cameroon and South Africa where the crusher is now undergoing extensive
field-test at the Kundichi Mtongani quarrying site where a pilot group of women
miners take part in crushing limestone.
In order to ensure that the innovation benefits more people, the government
should provide financial support for widespread dissemination of the technology,
he stressed.
Teachers demand medical
facilities
By Sebastian Gabunga, Mwanza
Teachers in Ukerewe District in Mwanza Region have requested for
special dispensaries and doctors in order to avoid problems associated with
controversial National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) when seeking medical
services.
They made the appeal during a special symposium organised by Haki elimu in
collaboration with teachers association in the district (CWT) so that the
teachers' can air their grievances at work places.
The teachers said they know implementation of their demands is difficult, but
they are forced to disclose the problem due to troubling procedures.