Sababu tatu zachangia kuua mamia ya vichanga Mwanza

By:
On:
In: Swahili News

Mwanza. Zaidi ya watoto wachanga 1,452 walifariki dunia mwaka 2023 mkoani Mwanza huku sababu ya kukosa hewa na maambukizi, zikitajwa kuchangia vifo hivyo.

Akizungumza Novemba 5, 2024 wakati wa uzinduzi wa programu ya utoaji huduma za afya kwa watoto wachanga (NEST360) katika halmashauri tano za Mkoa wa Mwanza, Kaimu Mganga Mkuu wa Mkoa huo, Dk Silas Wambura amesema watoto hao walifia tumboni na wengine kufariki muda mchache baada ya kuzaliwa.

“Na sababu kubwa zinazochangia watoto hawa kufariki ni kukosa hewa, maambukizi na wakati mwingine wajawazito wanakuja wamechelewa kwenye vituo wakati wa kujifungua na wakati mwingine wanakuja vituo vya afya wakiwa wametumia dawa za kienyeji kuongeza uchungu,” amesema Dk Marwa.

Ameongeza kuwa wajawazito hao wanatumia dawa za kienyeji ili kuharakisha uchungu, hivyo dawa hizo zinawaathiri watoto wakiwa tumboni na wengine kufariki muda mfupi baada ya kuzaliwa.

“Na wakati mwingine hizo dawa zinasababisha kizazi kuchanika na kuhatarisha uhai wa mtoto kabla hajazaliwa, wakati mwingine ni maambukizi kwa sababu wanapotumia hizo dawa wengine wanaziweka ukeni, zile dawa zinaleta maambukizi yanayoweza kuwapata watoto wanapozaliwa na kufariki muda mfupi baada ya kuzaliwa,” ameeleza Dk Marwa.

Dk Marwa amewataka wajawazito kuwahi vituo vya afya wanapohisi dalili za uchungu kwa kuwa kuchelewa kwao husababisha wakati mwingine mtoto kumeza maji ya tumboni na kukisababishia kichanga kupata shida ya upumuaji.

“Mtoto asipopata huduma ya haraka anaweza kufariki kwa sababu mfumo wake wa kupumua una changamoto, kwa hiyo mpango huu utasaidia kuondokana na vifo hivi kwa sababu kwanza utawajengea uwezo watumishi wetu, pili utatusaidia kununua vifaa na vifaa tiba ambavyo kwa maeneo mengine bado ni changamoto,” amesema.

Kwa mujibu wa Mkurugenzi Mkazi wa NEST360 nchini, Dk Mariam Johari zaidi ya asilimia 80 ya watoto huzaliwa hospitalini, lakini bado watoto milioni 2.3 hufariki kila mwaka duniani.

“Asilimia 80 ya vifo hivi vinaweza kuzuilika. Tanzania imechukua hatua kubwa ya kupunguza vifo vya watoto wachanga ambavyo kwa mwaka 2004/5 vilikuwa vifo 32 kwa kila vizazi hai 1,000 na kupungua hadi vifo 24 kwa kila vizazi hai 1,000 mwaka 2002. Ili kufikia lengo la Maendeleo Endelevu la kuwa na vifo vya watoto wachanga visivyopungua 12 kwa kila vizazi hai 1,000 ifikapo mwaka 2030, Tanzania inapaswa kuimarisha juhudi zake,” amesema Dk Mariam.

Amesema awamu ya kwanza mpango huo ulitekelezwa mkoani Dar es Salaam, Mbeya na Kilimanjaro ambapo vitengo vya huduma za watoto wachanga vilipanuliwa, kutoa vifaa muhimu vya huduma, pamoja na kuwajengea uwezo wahudumu wa afya, awamu ya pili Zanzibar na Mwanza zikiongezwa.

“Katika awamu ya Pili nchini Tanzania, NEST360 imewekeza dola milioni 7.1 kusaidia juhudi za Serikali za kupunguza vifo vya watoto wachanga. Ufadhili huu utazinufaisha moja kwa moja hospitali 28. Hospitali 25 kati ya hizo ni katika mikoa minne ya Tanzania Bara na hospitali tatu Zanzibar,” amesema Dk Johari.

Amesema mpango huo unahusisha ukarabati miundombinu, ununuzi na utoaji wa vifaatiba, kujenga uwezo kwa madaktari na wahandisi wa vifaatiba ili kutoa huduma bora.

Akizindua mpango huo wa miaka minne kuanzia 2024 hadi 2028 katika Halmashauri za Buchosa, Sengerema, Misungwi, Nyamagana na Ilemala, Kaimu Katibu Tawala mkoani Mwanza, Chagu Nghoma amewataka wataalamu wa afya kutumia utaalamu wao ipasavyo kudhibiti vifo vya watoto wachanga.Continue Reading

Tanzania’s President Takes On Forced Evictions of Maasai Community

By:
On:
In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News
Tanzania’s President Takes On Forced Evictions of Maasai Community

Meaningful Consultations, Accountability Needed in Ngorongoro Conservation Area

On December 1, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced the establishment of two committees to address land disputes in the country’s northern Ngorongoro district, renowned for its wildlife. The first will investigate complaints made by residents; the second will examine the government’s “voluntary” relocations of residents from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Msomera village in Handeni, Tanga Region, more than 600 kilometers away. The government claims “conservation”as grounds for the relocations.

Since 2022, as Human Rights Watch has documented, the government has made life increasingly difficult for the estimated 100,000 Indigenous Maasai pastoralists who live in the conservation area by downsizing essential public services, including schools and health centers. This has forced many to relocate. Government rangers have also attacked and harassed residents who failed to comply with rules restricting movement in and around the conservation area.

The president set the stage for these investigations in August, when she pledged that education and hospital services be “fully provided” and polling stations be set up in the conservation area to enable residents to vote in local elections in November.

Since then, the government has set aside funds for building a school dormitory in the conservation area and removed a vehicle fee for area residents.

President Hassan’s steps so far are significant, but more needs to be done. The government should halt its plan to relocate people from the conservation area, prohibit all forced evictions of residents, and consult with the affected communities. These consultations should be meaningful and include women. The authorities should also hold to account, through appropriate disciplinary and legal actions, park rangers including commanding officers who have harassed, beaten and otherwise abused residents, who should promptly receive fair compensation.

Ultimately, the government should respect the human rights of the Maasai communities as an Indigenous group, and the legal systems, traditions, and practices they have employed to manage their ancestral lands for generations.

Oryem Nyeko, Senior Researcher, Africa Division

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

Wajiolojia wataka bodi ya usajili

By:
On:
In: Swahili News

Chama cha Jiolojia Tanzania (TGS) kimeitaka Serikali kuharakisha uanzishwaji wa bodi ya usajili wa wataalamu wa jiolojia wa Tanzania, kikisisitiza umuhimu wake katika kufanikisha malengo ya maendeleo endelevu ya sekta ya madini yaliyoainishwa kwenye Dira ya Maendeleo ya 2030 ya Tanzania.Continue Reading

How an App Transformed Farming for Rural Tanzanian Women

By:
On:
In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News

Kilimanjaro, Tanzania — In the sun-scorched soils of Moshi, where every drop of rain counts, two female farmers have defied the odds through technology. Mwajuma Rashid Njau and Mumii Rajab, once locked in a daily struggle to survive, have found a mobile phone their best ally.

For years, farming was a way of life they struggled to master. Their fields, a patchwork of red earth and wilting crops, symbolized hardship rather than prosperity. Pests came with the seasons, the soil quality deteriorated, and their harvests barely provided enough to feed their families. But now, a simple app–Kiazi Bora–has changed everything.

On a sweltering afternoon, Njau was out in the field, staring helplessly at the rows of wilting sweet potatoes ravaged by pests, when he realized things could be different. She had no idea how to stop it–until she opened the Kiazi Bora app on her phone.

“This app has changed everything,” Njau, 38, says with a tired but hopeful smile. “I didn’t know where to start, but now I can check my phone, and it tells me exactly what to do.”

The Kiazi Bora app, designed specifically for small-scale farmers like Njau and Rashid, focuses on helping them grow nutritious orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) to feed their families and earn income. The app offers simple instructions on planting and pest control to farmers with little education.

The app, Kiazi Bora (“quality potatoes” in Kiswahili), wasn’t just another farming tool–it was powered by cutting-edge AI voice technology. And for the first time, it spoke their language.

Creating Kiazi Bora wasn’t easy. Kiswahili, a language spoken by over 200 million people, presented unique challenges for AI developers. The problem? There simply wasn’t enough high-quality voice data to train the technology.

“One of the biggest challenges has been the availability of diverse, high-quality data,” said EM Lewis-Jong, Director of Mozilla Common Voice, a global project dedicated to making AI accessible to speakers of underrepresented languages.

“Kiswahili is a diverse language with many regional variants, and our tools are primarily designed for English, which complicates things further.”

To solve this issue, SEE Africa, the nonprofit behind Kiazi Bora, turned to Mozilla’s Common Voice platform. Unlike other AI data collection methods, which often rely on scraping the web or underpaid gig workers, Common Voice harnesses the power of community. “We use a crowd-sourced model where people voluntarily contribute their voice data,” explained Lewis-Jong. “This ensures that the data reflects the true diversity of the language, including different accents and dialects.”

This community-driven approach has already seen tremendous success. In Tanzania, the Kiazi Bora app is now used by over 300 women, empowering them with knowledge on how to grow and market their crops. “These women are learning in Kiswahili, their first language, which makes a huge difference,” noted Gina Moape, Community Manager for Common Voice. “We’ve seen firsthand how access to information in their own language improves both their nutrition and their ability to participate in economic activities.”

But Kiazi Bora is just one example of how voice-enabled technology can make a real impact.

For Mozilla, these projects reflect a broader vision: democratizing AI so that it serves everyone, not just speakers of dominant languages. “If data creation is left to for-profit companies, many of the world’s languages will be left behind,” said Lewis-Jong. “We want a world where people can create the data they need, capturing their language as they experience it.”

That’s why Mozilla’s Common Voice is not just a tool but a movement. Its open-source platform allows communities to collect and contribute voice data that anyone can use, fostering local innovation across Africa. “We’re particularly excited about the potential for African languages,” Lewis-Jong added. “Our long-term vision is to integrate more African languages into global voice recognition technologies, and Common Voice is a critical part of making that happen.”

For Rashid, 42, who had once lived in uncertainty, the app was a useful tool. “Before, I felt powerless,” she recalls. “When pests attacked, I would just watch as my crops withered. Now, I can fight back. I know what to do.”

Both women have honed their skills and improved crop yields. The app taught them how to manage soil health, optimize planting schedules, and handle pest outbreaks.

Their orange-fleshed sweet potatoes stand out in contrast to the dusty earth, a sign of resilience and renewal.

The duo, who were entangled in a cycle of poverty, now speak with pride about their success.

“We’ve learned to control our future,” Njau says.

Through Kiazi Bora, Njau and Rajabu have unlocked opportunities to improve their livelihoods and break free from poverty.

Njau, who had to drop out of school when her family moved to a remote village, calls the app her “teacher.” She explains, “I never completed school, but this app has taught me everything I need to know about farming. It’s like a teacher that’s always there when I need it.”

The voice-enabled Kiswahili features make it user-friendly. “The app speaks to me in a language I clearly understand,” Njau says.

Through the app, Njau and Rajabu learned how to process potatoes into flour and pastries, which fetch a higher market price.

Rajabu explains, “I didn’t know you could make flour from sweet potatoes or that you could sell it for more money. Now, I have customers who buy the flour because it lasts longer than fresh potatoes.” This new skill has allowed them to diversify their income.

In just a year, their income increased from zero to USD 127 per month. The extra income has enabled them to take care of their families, reinvest in their farms, and secure a better future. “With the money I’ve made, I’ve been able to send my children to school and even save some for emergencies,” says Njau.

The potatoes, which are rich in vitamins, have helped them fight malnutrition in their communities. While neither Njau nor Rajabu had children with malnutrition, they both knew families who struggled with it. Thanks to the app, they now understand the importance of incorporating OFSP into their daily meals to ensure their children stay healthy.

Rajabu was quick to share the app with her relatives. “I told my sister about it, and now she’s also growing OFSP. Her children are healthier, and she’s even making money from selling sweet potato flour,” she says proudly.

For both women, the app has empowered them as farmers, businesswomen and community leaders. “I feel confident now,” Rajabu says. “This app has changed my life, and I know it can help other women like me.”

Both Njau and Rajabu see immense potential for Kiazi Bora to help other rural women. They advocate for expanding the app beyond OFSP farming to include other crops like vegetables and edible roots, as this could further diversify their income streams and enhance food security in their communities.

“Women in rural areas need this technology,” Rajabu emphasizes. “We need to make sure that we can feed our families and earn better incomes.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

Tanzanian Women Highlight the Path From Bodily Autonomy to Sustainable Development

By:
On:
In: Tanzania Foreign Investment News

“When I learned about family planning, I felt like I had control over my life,” said Mwanaisha Rajabu, a 28-year-old mother of three living in Fuoni, a village on the Unguja island of Zanzibar, in the United Republic of Tanzania. “It’s not just about preventing pregnancy; it’s about planning a better future for my family.”

Family planning is often regarded as a taboo subject, an issue that is sensitive and even sexual in nature. But Ms. Rajabu’s comments highlight the profoundly important role of family planning – and the information, health services and medicines that enable it – to the well-being of women, their children, their futures and their communities.

Family planning is essential to enabling women to choose the timing and number of their children, if they want to have children at all.

For Ms. Rajabu, the ideal family size has always been clear. In a country where the average fertility rate is estimated to be 4.5 children per woman, she says, “I always wanted to have a smaller family. But I didn’t know how to access the right information and services.”

The need for options

According to the most recent estimates, some 19 per cent of Tanzanian women who are married or in a union have an unmet need for family planning. Yet filling this need is not always simple.

Decades ago, lack of awareness about and access to contraception were leading reasons for not using any; today, it is fear and concerns over potential side effects. To address these issues, a range of methods must be made available, alongside accurate information about the benefits, side effects and efficacy of each.

Though she wanted a smaller family, Ms. Rajabu had not been using modern contraceptives until health educators, working with a community outreach initiative supported by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, explained the various methods available.

After seeking more information from a community health worker, she was able to select an option that suited her needs.

“Family planning has given me the power to choose how many children I want and when to have them,” she said.

A cascade of benefits

The ability to plan ahead enables women like Ms. Rajabu to invest in themselves as well as their children. They can pursue their education, invest in small businesses and allocate resources in ways that improve their health, earning potential and long-term outcomes.

Cumulatively, family planning benefits not only individuals and families but communities as a whole.

“Access to family planning has changed our shehia,” said Juma Abdallah, a local community leader, referring to small administrative areas within Zanzibar.

“Families are healthier, and women are more confident in making choices about their futures,” he said.

Tatu Omar Sharif is one of those women. She lives in Uondwe, an area on the Pemba island of Zanzibar, with her husband and eight children.

“My husband and I didn’t intend to have many children – I was often surprised that I was pregnant again,” she described to UNFPA.

She and her husband learned about family planning together at a UNFPA-supported clinic, and saw it as an opportunity to safeguard their children’s future.

“We want to use a family planning method so we can take good care of the children we already have.”

Focus on a better life

UNFPA works with the health ministry to strengthen family planning services, including widening the range of contraceptive methods available. These include oral contraceptive pills, long-acting reversible contraceptives, injectables, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and condoms.

From January 2023 to November 2024, with financial support from the United Kingdom, UNFPA delivered enough reproductive health commodities to prevent an estimated 999,000 unintended pregnancies, 271,000 unsafe abortions and 1,300 maternal deaths.

UNFPA also works with governments, NGOs, community-service organizations, faith-based groups, young people and the private sector to strengthen community-based and youth-friendly reproductive health services.

They, like Ms. Rajabu and Ms. Sharif, recognize how reproductive health information and care have benefits that ripple outward from the individual to the family and community, from the present into the future.

“Now,” Ms. Rajabu said, “I can focus on giving my children a better life.”

Source: allafrica.com

Continue Reading

Samia asema atatafutwa mrithi wa Dk Ndugulile WHO

By:
On:
In: Swahili News

Dar es Salaam. Rais wa Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan amesema nafasi ya aliyekuwa Mkurugenzi mteule wa Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) Kanda ya Afrika, Dk Faustine Ndugulile itaelekezwa kwa Mtanzania mwingine mwenye sifa.

Rais Samia amesema hayo leo Jumatatu Desemba 2, 2024 katika hafla ya kuaga mwili wa Dk Ndugulile, aliyekuwa mbunge wa Kigamboni iliyofanyika viwanja vya Karimjee, jijini Dar es Salaam.

Dk Ndugulile alifariki dunia Novemba 27, 2024 nchini India alikokuwa akipatiwa matibabu. Mwili wake utazikwa kesho Jumanne, katika makaburi ya Mwongozo, Kigamboni.

Alifikwa na mauti ikiwa imesalia miezi michache kwenda kuanza kutumikia nafasi yake mpya WHO Februari, 2025. Alichaguliwa kwenye nafasi hiyo Agosti 2024, akiweka rekodi ya kuwa Mtanzania na mwana Jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki wa kwanza.

Katika salamu zake, Rais Samia amesema nchi ilimpata mwakilishi: “Wanadamu tunapanga yetu, lakini Mungu anatupangia, Dk Ndugulile ameiweka nchi pazuri lakini Mungu amechukua kilicho chake.

“Tutaingia tena kwenye mashindano tutatafuta Mtanzania mwenye sifa anayeweza kushindana na ulimwengu, tutaingia tena na tutaweka mtu mwenye sifa ileile kutuwakilisha,” amesema Rais Samia.

Rais Samia amesema amepokea salamu nyingi za pole kutoka ndani na nje ya nchi, huku akiwashukuru viongozi waliofika kumuaga Dk Ndugulile hasa kutoka WHO.

“Mengi yamesemwa na tumeyasikia mengi katika mchango wake kwa nchi na duniani, uongozi wake, mchango wake katika taaluma ya tiba na siasa hasa kwa wananchi wa Kigamboni,” amesema.

Rais Samia amesema wajibu wa nchi ni kuimarisha uwakilishi wa Tanzania ndani ya nchi na Afrika hasa katika Shirika la Afya Duniani.

“Katika kuimarisha ushiriki wetu ni azma ya Serikali kuhakikisha sasa Watanzania wabobezi tunaweka kila aina ya nguvu watuwakilishe katika fani za kimataifa.

“Dk Ndugulile alikuwa mwanamajumuia kutokana na imani yake ndicho kilichomsukuma akagombee nafasi hiyo na Serikali ikamuunga mkono tukajaliwa kupata nafasi ile, mwanadamu hupati unachokipata unapata majaliwa,” amesema Samia.

Walichokisema WHO

Awali, Mkurugenzi wa Shirika la Afya Duniani WHO Kanda ya Afrika, Dk Matshidiso Moeti amesema Dk Ndugulile alikuwa na maono ya kufanya mageuzi makubwa katika shirika hilo.

Amesema tangu aliposhinda nafasi yake Agosti 2024, alishaanza kuandaa namna atakavyoliongoza Bara la Afrika katika nafasi yake mpya.

Amesema kupitia nafasi yake, tayari alianza kuandaa mambo kadhaa kwa kushirikiana na ofisi yake.

“Alitutembelea mwezi uliopita na alizungumza nasi mambo mengi kuhusu kile atakachokuja kukifanya na mageuzi anayoyataka. Tulijiandaa kufanya vizuri zaidi katika uongozi wake na wengi walijiandaa wakiwemo wafanyakazi na wengine ambao tumekuwa tukifanya nao kazi,” amesema Dk Moeti.

Kwa mujibu wa Dk Moeti, taarifa za kifo cha Dk Ndugulile ziliwashtua si tu ofisi ya WHO Afrika iliyopo Brazzaville DRC Congo, bali katika ofisi kuu za WHO Geneva, Uswisi.

“Leo nimeongozana na viongozi wengi, wakiwemo wakurugenzi wa WHO Afrika, mawaziri wa afya na washirika wengine.

“Baada ya taarifa za kifo, nilipokea meseji nyingi na simu kutoka nchi mbalimbali duniani. Machozi ni ya wengi kuondoka kwa Dk Ndugulile na wengi wameumia kuona kiongozi mwenye maono anaondoka bila kutumikia nafasi yake,” amesema Dk Moeti.

Amesema wakati huu wa majonzi ni kubaki kushangilia maisha yake, kwani ni mtu aliyekuwa na uwezo mkubwa katika afya ya umma na waliamini uwezo wake angeutumia zaidi katika sera za kiafya kuhakikisha analeta mabadiliko Afrika.

Dk Moeti amesema kifo cha Dk Ndugulile kimemtonesha kidonda cha Dk Mwele Malecela.

“Kwa niaba ya WHO natoka pole kwa Tanzania na Serikali ya Tanzania na Rais wa Jamhuri ya Jamhuri ya Tanzania, watoto na mke wake,” amesema Dk Moeti.

Tamsa, MAT wamlilia

Chama cha Madaktari Wanafunzi Tanzania na (Tamsa) na Chama cha Madaktari Tanzania (MAT) wamesema wataenzi mema aliyoyaacha Dk Ndugulile.

Akisoma salamu za Tamsa, Makamu wa rais wa chama hicho, Dua Almas amesema walizipokea taarifa za kifo cha cha mlezi wao Dk Ndugulile kwa masononekana na wanahisi wamepoteza kioo kuelekea kutimiza ndoto zao.

“Dk Ndugulile alikuwa mwanachama hai na alihudumu nafasi mbalimbali katika chama chetu, ikiwemo katibu mkuu na alipohitimu masomo aliendelea kuwa mwanachama na kutoa michango yake, alikuwa anatupa moyo siku moja tunaweza kufanikiwa zaidi yake,” amesema Almas.

Amesema Dk Ndugulile alikubali kuwa mlezi wa chama hicho tangu 2023 na alikuwa msaada mkubwa, hivo kifo chake ni pigo kwao.

Kwa upande wake, rais mteule wa MAT, Dk Alex Msyoka amesema Dk Ndugulile alikuwa daktari bingwa wa afya ya jamii pamoja na kwamba alikuwa mwanasiasa, hakuweka kando taaluma yake.

“Tutamkumbuka kwa mambo mengi, ikiwemo alipokuwa mstari wa mbele kukabiliana na ugonjwa wa Uviko 19, na alikuwa kinara kwenye kupambana ya maambukizi ya ugonjwa wa Ukimwi,” amesema Dk Msyoka.Continue Reading

Ndoa za utotoni kichocheo cha ukatili kijinsia

By:
On:
In: Swahili News

Dar es Salaam. Wakati Tanzania ikiungana na mataifa mengine duniani katika kampeni ya siku 16 za kupinga ukatili wa kijinsia, moja ya vitu vinavyotajwa kuchochea ukatili huo ni ndoa za utotoni.

Miongoni mwa changamoto zinazotokana na ndoa za utotoni ni unyanyasaji wa kimwili, ikizingatiwa wanaoolewa kuna nyakati hukumbana na vipigo na mateso kutoka kwa wenza wao na hata ndugu, hivyo kukiuka haki zao za msingi.

Si hayo pekee, ndoa hizi husababisha ukatili wa kijinsia wa kihisia na kisaikolojia. Watoto wanaolazimishwa kuingia kwenye ndoa mara nyingi wanakosa uwezo wa kujieleza, kushiriki maamuzi ya familia, au kudai haki zao. Wanapozuiliwa kujieleza, wanapewa jukumu la kuwatunza watoto au familia wakiwa bado hawajakomaa, jambo linalowaathiri kisaikolojia.

Pia husababisha unyanyasaji wa kiuchumi, watoto hukosa fursa ya kupata elimu na kushiriki katika shughuli za kiuchumi.

Kukosa elimu na fursa za kiuchumi kunawaweka katika hali ya utegemezi wa kifedha kwa waume zao, hivyo kusababisha hatari ya kunyanyaswa kijinsia kwa kutokuwa na uwezo wa kujitegemea.

Ni kutokana na ndoa hizi, watoto huathiriwa kwa kuzaa mapema kabla miili yao haijakomaa, hali ambayo huongeza hatari ya matatizo ya kiafya kama vile fistula, kifafa cha mimba na hata vifo vya uzazi.

Ndoa za utotoni huwanyima wasichana nafasi ya kujenga mahusiano yenye usawa, badala yake, wanajikuta wakitumikishwa nyumbani, na kubaguliwa.

Kwa mujibu wa Utafiti wa Afya ya Uzazi na Mtoto na Viashiria vya

Malaria Tanzania (TDHS-MIS) mwaka 2022, asilimia 20.3 ya Watanzania wenye miaka 15-19 wameolewa, wanaishi pamoja au walikwisha kuwa kwenye mahusiano na wametengana. Kati ya walioolewa wa umri huo asilimia 30.6 wanandoa zilizosajiliwa na wana vyeti.

Vilevile takwimu hizo zinaonyesha wanawake wenye miaka 25-49 waliolewa wakiwa na wastani wa miaka 19.8.

Utafiti unaeleza elimu na hali ya umasikini vinachangia kwa kiwango kikubwa, kwani wastani wa umri wa wanawake wasio na elimu na ni masikini kuolewa ni miaka 18.1 ukilinganisha na wale waliohitimu sekondari au elimu ya juu walioolewa na miaka 23.7.

Hata hivyo, takwimu zinaonyesha wanawake huanza kujihusisha na ngono miaka mitatu kabla ya kuolewa wakiwa na wastani wa miaka 17 na wanaolewa wakiwa na miaka 19.8.

Baadhi ya viongozi wa dini wamekuwa na maoni mbalimbali yanayopingana na ndoa za utotoni.

Padri Longino Rutangwelera anasema Kanisa Katoliki haliungi mkono ndoa hizo, akieleza maana ya ndoa katika mustakabali wa dini.

Padri Rutangwelera anasema katika dini ndoa ni maagano ya watu wawili waliokomaa kimwili na kiakili na si vinginevyo.

“Ndoa ina wajibu wake, misingi na haki zake inamtaka mtu awe na ukomavu wa kiakili na kiimani pia, unapomlazimisha msichana kuingia kwenye ndoa za utotoni unapingana na uhalisia,” anasema.

“Kumuoza binti ambaye hajakomaa kiakili, kimwili na kifikra ni kupingana na matakwa na mapenzi ya Mungu na kupingana na uhalisia.

“Unapomlazimisha mtoto kuingia katika ndoa anakosa elimu na kuingizwa kwenye makubaliano ambayo kwa akili na ukomavu wake hana uelewa wa kutosha, hivyo atapata watoto wakati uwezo wake wa kuwa mama au baba hautoshi, ni vema wakaachwa hadi wawe wakomavu, kimwili, kiakili na kihisia ili kupokea majukumu hayo kikamilifu,” anasema.

Kwa upande wake Mwenyekiti wa Halmashauri Kuu ya Baraza Kuu la Waislamu Tanzania (Bakwata), Sheikh Khamis Mataka anasema kuna umuhimu wa kutenda uadilifu kwa kuwapa nafasi sawa watoto wa kiume na wa kike, ikiwamo suala zima la kupata elimu kwa kadri ya uwezo wao.

“Hata hivyo, bado kuna changamoto kwa mtoto wa kike, ikiwamo ya kuozwa katika umri mdogo na kukosa haki yake ya kielimu.

“Ninachokitamani ili kuondoa ukatili huu, kuwepo sheria ambayo itamsaidia mtoto wa kike kutoingia kwenye ndoa za utotoni,” anasema.

Akifafanua kuhusu Sera ya Elimu ya mwaka 2014, Sheikh Mataka anasema imeweka kidato cha nne kuwa ni elimu ya lazima.

Kiongozi huyo anasema kama sera itaongezwa na kudadavua kwamba elimu ya lazima iwe kidato cha sita, itamsadia mtoto wa kike.

“Hadi atakapohitimu kidato cha sita, huyu mtoto atakuwa amefikisha miaka 17 hadi 18, katika umri huu changamoto cha ndoa za utotoni itakuwa imeondoka,” anasema.

Anasema Sheria ya Ndoa namba 5 ya mwaka 1971 nayo itamke mwanafunzi wa elimu ya lazima haruhusiwi kuoa wala kuolewa na Sheria ya Elimu namba 5 ya mwaka 1978 iseme mtoto haruhusiwi kuoa wala kuolewa hadi ahitimu elimu ya lazima, hivyo itasaidia kuwalinda watoto wa kike.

“Atakapohitimu elimu ya lazima atakuwa amepata ukomavu ambao hata akiolewa atakuwa na uwezo wa kulea familia,” anasema.

Mchugaji Monica Lugome wa Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutheri Tanzania (KKKT), Dayosisi ya Mashariki na Pwani anasema ajenda kubwa ya kumlinda mtoto wa kike na ndoa za utotoni ni kutoruhusu aolewe chini ya miaka 18.

Anasema anapoolewa chini ya umri huo ni mateso kwake na hata vitabu vya dini haviruhusu hilo.

“Biblia inatuagiza kumlea mtoto katika njia impasayo ikiwamo kuhakikisha anapata haki zake katika nyanja zote ikiwamo elimu. Unapomuoza katika umri mdogo ni kumnyima haki yake ya msingi,” anasema Mchungaji Monica.

Mjadala wa kitaifa

Taasisi ya kimataifa ya Norwegian Church Aid iliandaa mjadala wa kitaifa kujadili umri sahihi wa kuoa au kuolewa, uliowahusisha wadau mbalimbali kutoka mikoa 10 nchini.

Msimamizi wa miradi wa taasisi hiyo Tanzania, Sarah Shija anasema mjadala huo uliofanyika Novemba 28, ulilenga kukosoa na kushauri kuhusu changamoto zinazosababisha ukatili wa kijinsia.

“Hii itasaidia kuleta mabadiliko, kuna makundi kama viongozi wa dini yana nafasi na ushawishi katika mabadiliko ya kisheria, hususani kwenye umri wa binti kuolewa na madhara ya ndoa katika umri mdogo,” anasema.

Rebeca Gyumi, Mkurugenzi wa Taasisi ya Msichana Initiative anasema pamoja na mambo mengine, mjadala huo pia umeangalia uzoefu wa nchi mbalimbali kwenye masuala ya mabadiliko ya umri wa ndoa.

Rebeca aliyefungua kesi za kikatiba kupinga vifungu vya 13 na 17 vya Sheria ya Ndoa vilivyotoa mwanya kwa watoto wa kike kuolewa wakiwa na umri wa miaka 14 kwa kibali cha Mahakama na umri wa miaka 15 kwa ridhaa ya wazazi, anasema mchango wa viongozi wa dini ni mkubwa ili kufikia lengo la kutokomeza ukatili wa kijinsia, hususani ndoa za utotoni.

Rachel Boma, kutoka Shirika la UN Woman Tanzania anasema nchi mbalimbali zimefanya mabadiliko ya kisheria na kuweka umri wa ndoa kuwa miaka 18.

“Nchi kama Indonesia au Misri ambazo mfumo wao wa sheria ni kama kwetu, Serikali ziliona mabadiliko katika sheria zao na wao umri wa kuolewa ni miaka 18, hivyo katika mijadala kama hii tuna vitu vingi vya kujifunza kutoka kwa wenzetu.

Akizindua kampeni ya siku 16 za kupinga ukatili wa kijinsia hivi karibuni jijini Dar es Salaam, Waziri wa Katiba na Sheria, Profesa Palamagamba Kabudi, alisema Serikali itayajadili maombi yote yaliyotolewa na mtandao wa kupinga ukatili wa kijinsia (Mkuki) ikiwamo suala la kutunga sheria mahususi ili kushughulikia masuala ya ukatili wa kijinsia na kuyatokomeza.

Alisema watakaa pamoja kuyajadili ili kuona namna gani hatua mbalimbali zinaweza kuchukuliwa.

”Katika sheria zetu mbalimbali tuna sheria nyingi zinazopinga ukatili wa kijinsia na zinaelezea masuala hayo na kutoa adhabu kali ikiwemo Sheria ya Kanuni ya Adhabu Sura ya 16 mkiisoma sheria hiyo imeelezea ukatili katika maeneo mengi,” alisema.

Kampeni hiyo iliyozinduliwa Novemba 23 itafikia tamati Desemba 10. Kaulimbiu ni ‘Kuelekea miaka 30+ ya Beijing, Chagua kutokomeza ukatili.’

Kaulimbiu hiyo inawakumbusha watu kujitafakari na kitathmini yale yanayofanywa kama yana tija.

Mwenyekiti wa Shirika la Wanawake katika Sheria na Maendeleo Barani Afrika (WiLDAF), Dk Monica Muhoja anasema kuna haja ya kutungwa sheria maalumu kupinga ukatili wa kijinsia.

“Mwaka huu tumekuja na maombi mengine ikiwamo kufika kwenye ajenda za kiusalama kuhakikisha masuala ya ukatili wa kijinsia yanaingizwa rasmi katika mipango na mikakati ya kiusalama ya kitaifa,” alisema.

Mkurugenzi wa WiLDAF, Anna Kulaya alisema dhamira ya kampeni hiyo ni kushawishi na kuhamasisha jamii kuondoa mitazamo inayochochea unyanyasaji na ukandamizaji wa kijinsia huku ikikuza usawa, heshima na haki kwa wote.Continue Reading

Waziri Mkuu kuongoza matembezi ya kusaidia wenye ualbino

By:
On:
In: Swahili News

Dar es Salaam. Waziri Mkuu Kassim Majaliwa ataongoza matembezi ya hisani kwa ajili ya kuelimisha jamii kuhusu watu wenye ualbino.

Matembezi hayo yaliyoandaliwa na Taasisi ya Lions Club ya Dar es Salaam, Tanzanite na Sky kwa kushirikiana na Chama cha wenye ualbino Tanzania (TAS), yatakwenda sanjari na uchangiaji wa fedha kwa ajili ya kusaidia mahitaji ya kibinadamu kwa kundi hilo.

Akizungumzia matembezi hayo yaliyopewa jina la Sunset Charity Walk, Kaimu Mwenyekiti wa TAS, Abdillah Omar amesema watu 1,000 wanatarajiwa kushiriki kwenye matembezi hayo.

Matembezi hayo ya kilomita tano yatafanyika kesho, Jumamosi ya Novemba 30, 2024 saa 11 jioni, kuanzia Ocean Road kwenda hadi daraja la Tanzanite.

“Tunaamini watu wengi watajitokeza kuungana nasi kutuunga mkono katika matembezi haya ambayo tunayafanya kwa mara ya kwanza kwa kushirikiana na Lions Club,” amesema.

Gavana wa Lions Club Tanzania, Habil Khanbhai amesema hii itakuwa mara ya kwanza kwa taasisi hiyo kusaidia watu wenye ualbino na wanatarajia kuendelea kushirikiana nao na kuwaunga mkono.

Mbali na elimu itakayotolewa kwa jamii ili ipate uelewa kuhusu watu wenye ualbino, pia matembezi hayo yanalenga kukusanya fedha kwa ajili ya kusaidia mahitaji mbalimbali ya kibinadamu kwa kundi hilo.

“Tunatarajia kuwa na watu 300 wenye ualbino, watu 100 kutoka Jeshi la Polisi na watu wengine kutoka maeneo mbalimbali,” amesema Khanbhai akisisitiza jamii kujitokeza kwa wingi kushiriki na kuliunga mkono kundi hilo sambamba na kujisajili kwa gharama ya Sh20,000.

Mkuu wa Utafiti wa Jeshi la Polisi, SACP Ralph Meela amesema jeshi hilo limekuwa likishirikiana kwa karibu na kundi hilo ikiwamo kuzielimisha jamii ambazo zimekuwa na imani potofu kuhusu ualbino.

“Kwa muda mrefu tumekuwa tukifanya hivi na hata matukio ya kikatili dhidi ya ndugu zetu hawa (wenye ualbino) yalitulia na tangu 2022 tulikuwa tumeyasahau, hivi karibuni ni kama yameibuka , tunaendelea kuyatokomeza,” amesema.Continue Reading