Tanzania Newsletter August 2006

Editor: Information worker Lisbeth Jensen
Editor-in-chief: Director Flemming Winther Olsen

Letter from the Director

Much has been said and written about the new Bank of Tanzania headquarter, not least about the cost and the budget overrun. Few seems to question that not all economic transactions related to the construction have been entirely transparent and few seems to question that somebody have got their pockets full in the process.

There are two serious issues at stake here. One is the question as to which extend – if at all – corrupt practices have taken place. The other is that most people seem to be in no doubt that it has taken place.

As for the first it is of course highly unacceptable if the massive budget overrun in any way can be related to corrupt practices. Corruption at such potential scale and in such obvious circumstances related to a high profile public investment is eroding public confidence in government’s willingness and capability to fight the corruption evil. Ordinary citizens can find it increasingly hard to take the fight against corruption serious and can be found to increasingly tolerate this socio-economic cancer.

As for the second issue: the public perception that corrupt practices are to explain the bulk of the budget overrun, the mere fact that such perception is widespread is a serious indication of the poor public confidence in the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. Amongst our MS partners we often meet a certain level of resignation when it comes to a discussion on corruption.

“Look at the big guys” or “we are just trying to make things working at this level” are common ‘reflections’. The point is that to the extend ordinary citizens believe that corruption takes place, ‘benefiting the big guys’, it will not be possible to reduce it, let alone eradicate it in society at large.

The MS Tanzania Code of Conduct clearly states that corruption cannot be tolerated and the Code of Conduct single out corruption as an evil we all are responsible for fighting in all our dealings. That Code of Conduct will, however, come to nothing if not supported by high level war on corruption. Any Bank of Tanzania scale of potential corruption will make it so much harder for MS Tanzania partners so continue the fight and to achieve results. But there are no alternatives to continue the war. Corruption is probably the most anti-poor of all ‘economic evils’ and the poor and their representatives must continue to expose and fight it and must continue to use all democratic tools at their disposal to gather support for this fight.

Agricultural Policy Forum

The large and economically and socially important small scale agricultural sector is not performing according to expectations. While recognized as the backbone of the economy in Tanzania the agricultural sector is facing a number of constraints and is struggling to realize its full potential. To reach the growth targets set out in the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, the MKUKUTA, a new dynamic must be developed and new development strategies and approaches must be added to the ones in play.

A number of NGOs are actively engaged in the agricultural sector and so is MS Tanzania. Roughly half of our partner organisations are agricultural based and in terms of livelihood, agriculture is by far the biggest sector in which our partners are engaged. Realizing the importance of agriculture a group of NGOs have taken upon them to establish an Agricultural Working Group. Members of this group are Oxfam GB and Ireland, VECO, Concern Worldwide, Phelum and MS Tanzania. In addition the two national farmer organisations the Agricultural Council of Tanzania and MVIWATA are also members. Both these organisations are MS partners.

The objectives of the Working Group are:

• Advocate for a pro poor and conducive policy environment where CSO and Private Sector effectively engage with and influence Government policies and practices
• Effective analysis of existing policies and provide alternative views/directions
• Provide a platform for learning, sharing, networking and coalition building around best practices and key issues
• And last but not least: Render institutional capacity support to the two farmer organizations in the Working Group

The first major activity will be participation in a large agricultural sector review being undertaken by government and development partners. MS Tanzania has been given the task of coordinating the Working Group participation in this review and MS Tanzania will for the time being act as secretariat for the Working Group.

News from the Topic Teams

The three Topic Teams in the MS Tanzania programme section have during the last months worked on the recommendations from the workshop in June.

The programme officers have gathered information from partner visits and during the coming month’ information material will be written and published. For that exercise a short time advisor has been contracted.

In Topic Team 1 on organizational development the core group is participating in a course at EASUN (East Africa Support Unit for NGO’s). After that the group will set up content for flyers and manuals.

In Topic Team 2 on PPP the flyer is at the printer. A row of meetings with district council authorities and regional business councils and MS partners in different regions will be held the months to come. There have been visits to partners already using PPP agreements as a tool to development.

Topic Team 3 on strategic planning, networking and fundraising is planning three workshops for the members. And the flyer is already in the writing process.

Before the end of the year the implementation of the Topic Team approach will be completed.

World Social Forum

The coordination of the World Social Forum is hosted at TANGO office with two coordinators.

Just now the Tanzanian steering committee is organizing mobilization on The Caravan. The Caravan is the participants from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia coming together in busses through Tanzania to end up in Nairobi.

The Tanzanian steering committee hopes many Tanzanians will join The Caravan.

Organisations and individuals can now register for The Caravan or the event in Nairobi at TANGO jukwaatz@yahoo.com  .

All cost for transport and accommodation must be arranged by the participants.

The fee to participate in the Forum in Nairobi from the 20^th to the 25^th of January 2007 is 7 Dollars for individuals and 35 Dollars for delegations. It is also possible to rent space in stalls for non commercial purpose.

For further information contact the coordinators at TANGO office.

Research fund

On the annual meeting several partners expressed a need to conduct research for better planning of their work.

MS Tanzania has applied to MS Copenhagen for additional funds for this purpose and has been granted 65 million TSH. The amount will be used to conduct a workshop on research modalities and to fund small fact finding studies by the partners. An invitation for applications has brought in more than 10 qualified proposals. Many more than the fund can cover.

The programme section at country office will now go through all applications and select the best ones.

New MS TCDC website

In the beginning of July MS TCDC implemented a new website. (see www.mstcdc.or.tz  ) Since then the site has been tested and improved, digital material has been altered to correspond with the new design, and now, a few weeks later, we are finally ready – and proud – to present our new MS TCDC website.
The overall purpose of the new website is first and foremost to give visitors better and more frequently updated information about courses and activities at MS TCDC. We have for example already published information about all the courses for 2007 It is also possible to download the course catalogue as a pdf

B.A. students graduate from MS TCDC

Friday the 7th of July 36 participants received a B.A. degree in Development Studies from HETAC (Higher Education and Training Awards Council).The graduation was celebrated at a major ceremony where each participant received their degree.
The centre welcomed at the same day a new group of B.A. students. The new group is the biggest group attending Development Studies at MS TCDC so far - 50 students.
The degree is offered in cooperation with the Irish University, Kimmage.
Click here to read more about the B.A. in Development Studies offered at MS TCDC.

New DW’s

Merete Holm, journalist, started first of July as information and communication advisor at Agricultural Council of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam. She is accompanied by husband Hans Lind, free lance journalist.
Katrine Plesner, M.Sc. in international development and public administration, starts first of September as organizational and programme development advisor at Agricultural Council of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam. She has worked in Laos for UNDP and at different projects in Denmark. She will later be joined by husband Stig Christensen, cook.
Hanne Lindberg, M.Sc. in business administration and marketing started first of July as financial advisor based at the MS country office. She has been an accountant in Denmark and Greenland, and has also been teaching both places. She is accompanied by husband Kasper Juul-Nielsen who is M.Sc. in business administration and law.
Jesper Guhle Mogensen, M.Sc. in IT, design, communication and media, starts first of September as IT advisor based at the country office. He has worked for MS in Afghanistan and at TCDC, Tanzania.
Marianne Buhrkal Soerensen, M.Sc. in economics and business administration and international marketing started first of August as information and communication advisor at MVIWATA in Morogoro. She has worked in private international companies within the field of communication.
Anders Peter Pedersen, M.Sc. in forestry, PhD in forest genetics, starts first of October as public-private partnership advisor at MVIWATA in Morogoro. He has worked in Vietnam and Tanzania from these four years in Morogoro and thus speaks Swahili.

South DW

Webster Miyanda, B.Sc. in agriculture and natural resources, started the 15^th of June at MVIWATA branch in Mbeya region as capacity advisor. His nationality is Zambian, but his experiences are from both Southern and Eastern Africa. He took his education at Africa University in Harara and he had been working as facilitator, consultant, advisor and trainer in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia and Mozambique. He brings spouse Cathrine Nyajeke and two children, Emmah and Victoria.

Short term DWs

Thorkil Green Nielsen, journalist, started first of August at the country office in the programme section to facilitate the writing of working papers and information materials in the Topic Teams. He has previous worked in Mozambique for Ibis, a Danish NGO. Spouse Lisbeth Jensen, information advisor. It is a five month contract.
Kasper Jacoby, M.Sc in public administration started first of August at the country office with the task of building up a resource center of information. He has worked for UNDP in Zimbabwe. Spouse Lene Godiksen, organizational advisor at Envirocare. It is a five month contract.

Trainee

Lene Aagaard Nielsen, student for M.Sc. in development and international relations at Aalborg University, Denmark, will be trainee at the country office attached to the Topic Team 3 in the programme section. In addition the trainee will be attached to a few partners, primarily to Envirocare in Dar es Salaam. Lene will stay in MS Tanzania from 15^th of August to 15^th of December.