Newsletter for MS-Tanzania

For MS partners and development workers in Tanzania.

April 2005

Editor: Information worker Tina Loevbom Petersen and Michael Bech
Editor-in-chief: Director Finn Petersen

Solidarity – strength - development

The first issue of ‘MShikamano’ is now printed and ready to be sent out to all of you. The common effort between the MS-offices in Kenya , Uganda and Tanzania is dealing with the new East African Community (EAC) in the first edition of the magazine. Why should the EAC work out this time, when it failed last time around?

It is our hope that MShikamano will be an important linkage between the three MS-programmes. We can share experiences, learn from other East African partnerships, combine efforts and use the strength to improve development in the partnerships and in our countries. We have more in common than Lake Victoria .

Read about the differences between the three countries and the things that unite East Africans. What is the ambition of the politicians and what is in it for the ordinary East African? Common trade and maybe a common army could be near future and already now, it has been decided that an East African Federation or super-state should be in place in 2010. Did you know that?

News from the director

Administrator Pia Norgaard will finish her contract in July and we were not successful in identifying a replacement in the first round of interviews. The position has been re-advertised with an application deadline of 1^st April 2005 . We hope that we will be lucky in the second round.

I have as well decided to shorten my contract, because my wife has developed a heart condition which needs certain facilities for her recuperation. Therefore, I will finish my contract in July/August 2005. We are very sorry to leave, it is prematurely, but sometimes things happen which is beyond one’s control, and you just have to follow suit.

News from the Policy Advisory Board (PAB)

The PAB held their first meeting this year at the country office on the 30^th and 31^st of March.

New PAB members were welcomed: Ms. Mai-brit Rasmussen (DW), Mr. Hans-Jakob Hausmann (DW) and Humphrey Polepole (Partner rep.), the latter having become a permanent PAB member after the departure of Mr. Jackson Muro. Muro has left Ilaramatak for a new job in TAPHGO (Tanzania Pastoralist Hunter and Gatherers Organisation).

The PAB meeting was conducted with particular focus on the conclusion of the ‘Code of Conduct on Good Governance’ paper, which is being finalised by the PAB Task Force. The official ‘launch’ of the paper will take place at this year’s MShikamano meeting in September. Furthermore, the MShikamano meeting this year will evolve around the issue of ‘Intercultural Cooperation’ alongside a yet to be determined topic. In addition, a thematic meeting will be conducted in June this year.  

The next PAB meeting will be held at the country office on the 5^th & 6^th of July 2005. 

Milk tank for Bagamoyo

The MS-partner Naramatisho in Bagamoyo has recently received the long-awaited milk tank from MS-Djursland. The tank has a capacity of 1000 litre’s and is expected to be run by the cooperative society and they will undertake training on how to manage the ‘business’ related to the milk tank (collection and sales of milk).

Contact for the Newsletter: michael_bech@net.dialog.dk – mobile 0744 - 87 40 80