Newsletter for MS-Tanzania

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

It’s closing in. The next holiday is approaching. Luckily we are in Tanzania, so we are not part of the kind of celebrations unfolding in Europe and the northern part of America. And it wouldn’t make any sense walking around with a big white beard, dressed in warm red clothes and big boots. Or riding a sleigh for that matter.

Well – whatever we are celebrating – it’s soon xmas time! And it still has something to do with loving your neighbour, giving presents and eating good food.

Here is what I found on the internet for the typical Danish family:

Contains: 2600-2800g of Danish duck (not raised in captivity off course…) - 1500g pork steak (with no bones) - 1000g of ribs - 1500g of beef meat - 2x500g xmas-sausage - 2x500g minced beef - 2x500g miced pork - 500g xmas pate’

Is it expensive, is it overdoing it, is it xmas? I don’t know. Let’s hope they enjoy the parcel. Maybe the food will last a couple of days.

Merry Xmas everybody!

November month has been spent with partner reviews, evaluations and partnership agreement development for me. It has been very exciting, educative and not at least the chance to get out of the office and assess personally the realities that the programmes are facing.

December month is the month were we are financially closing the year - in the beginning of the month - and we are very busy trying to make ends met, in preparation for the opening of the financial year 2004. It is still premature to come with an exact statement on how it ended with all the budget lines, but generally it seems that we managed well. In this month five DW's will leave the Southern hemisphere to go back to the North and from the CO we will wish them all the best for the future and happy re-integration in Denmark. A seasonal greetings card will be sent to you soon with the end of the year philosophizing – I will limit it to drawing your attention to the fact that the office will be closed for Christmas from Monday 22^nd December to 2^nd January (both days included).

The Roadshow ‘Mwandishi wa Habari’ in Dar es Salaam was supposed to have taken place 19^th to 21^st November at the MS country office. But due to lack of enrolments for the venue, it was cancelled. Only two persons – and they were not even partners of MS – replied to the invitation. If Dar partners want the workshop to be a reality some time next year, then let me know.

Finn Petersen and Joan Lohay have been visiting the partnerships in Mugumu and Ukerewe in November and they are now back in office.

And our media visit from Denmark is over. The photographer Adam Amsinck and the journalist Jens Laerke moved on to Uganda and will finish their African journey in Mozambique this month. Hopefully they will create some awareness in Danish media on the work of MS-Tanzania.

A new programme officer has been chosen among the candidates. Simon Lugandu – a former employee with Plan International and Concern - got the job at the country office. He is now living in Lindi, but will be moving to Dar shortly.

Kjeld Silkjaer from Mugumu had an injury in the beginning of November. After some checks at the hospital in Dar, he finally went to South Africa for a knee operation the second week of November. And now Kjeld is already fit again – maybe not running yet, but the swift reaction and operation worked very well.

An old DW is returning to Tanzania. And he was only gone for a few months. Jesper Bosse Joensson has been appointed for the position as DW for CORDS in Arusha.

This coming month is full of farewells. A lot of DW’s are leaving us for Denmark. Tove Kufaa from Losinoni already left one week ago, and she’s now back in Jutland. The family from Njombe – Marianne Stark, Claus Lyngby Petersen and their children Veronika and Oskar - will be leaving the countryside in the southern part of Tanzania in the beginning of December. Inger M. Olsen is also getting ready to break away from Njombe. She is flying back to Denmark at the end of December.

The contract also expires in December for Hans-Jakob Hausmann who will spend a bit more time in Tanzania before he goes back to Denmark, though. Jens Aagesen is right going through the tough process of saying goodbye to Iringa and the village of Kilolo, where he worked for so many years. He will leave for Denmark in January.

To all of you – have a brave start to life in cold Denmark! May the cultural clash with the Danes be a smooth one. We will miss you!

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