Factors Affecting Community Participation in O and OD Planning and Implementation Approach among Cattle Keepers in Mbeya Region in Tanzania: The Case of Kyela District

The purpose of the study was to assess community participation in O andOD planning process and to explore factors which affect effective implementation of development activities in Kyela District. Various projects were implemented in the district through the O and OD planning approach in the district. The study selected cattle dipping as one of the projects implemented which showed great success at start but later dropped in number of cattle taken for dipping. The trend led to the need to investigate the causes for this drastic change. The objectives were to determine procedure in O and OD planning, investigate the factors that led to the drastic drop in number of cattle taken for dipping, and to establish the measures taken by the district leadership in addressing the problems. Data was obtained by interviewing 90 cattle keepers and 18 district and community leaders while secondary information was obtained through reading various documents. The methods used to collect data were through Focus Group Discussion, Participatory Rural Appraisal, Observation and interview. Both Qualitative through content analysis and Quantitative through univariate analysis were applied in data analysis. The findings indicated that, 84% of cattle keepers were involved in the O and OD project process. A management committee was elected and trained to manage the project and funds from dipping fee to meet costs for the dip maintenance. Challenges experienced included long distances of walking to the dips, poor management of funds, lack of subsidies for chemicals for dips which increased the dipping charges. Alternative measure taken was to use hand sprays by cattle keepers. It was further found out that, district leadership have not made follow up of the problems due to inadequate number of staff, lack of transport and funds to subsidize for the chemicals used in dips. It is recommended that, O and OD planning be applied in all the development projects as community members gain knowledge, skills and develop capacities in managing projects. This also creates a sense of ownership of the projects. District leadership should educate people continuously and monitor closely implementation of the projects to ensure success and sustainability of the projects.Key Words: O and OD Planning, Community Participation, Participatory Rural Appraisal, Cattle Dips, Capacities of Community in Managing Project

Swahili technical terminology: problems of development and usage in Kenya

It is a fact that modern science and technology from the west has reached Africa through European languages. Historically, these languages have also served as the vehicles of formal education in Africa to the exclusion of Swahili and other local languages. The deficiency of African languages such as Swahili in scientific and technical registers is both artificial and historically understandable. Secondly, it is easily remediable given that the basic core of the said vocabulary is shared and international in nature (Alexandrie, 1961 ). Therefore such a deficiency should present no barrier to Swahili serving as a medium of instruction in higher education. Whereas English, German and French can boast of self-sufficiency in literature in all fields of study, Swahili is a relatively much younger language of education and lacks literature even in the most basic aspects of the language itself. This situation often forces lecturers in the universities teaching Swahili to undertake `translation´ of concepts or even loan words in order to communicate with their students. Therefore, quite often, lecturing in the Swahili medium entails being able to translate from English into Swahili because most of the material to be taught is sourced from English original publications. As far as the use of Swahili in teaching natural sciences and other technical subjects at the tertiary level is concerned, Chimera (1998) suggests that this should be done gradually as the language grows and develops in its technical domains. If Swahili is to develop and modernise, it has to be more liberal in expanding its technical and scientific domains. The two registers should more or less be of comparable size as is the case with English (Chimera 1998: 37). However, the question that naturally arises here is, how is this ideal to be achieved? Perhaps, by deciding to teach linguistics and literature in Swahili, East African universities want to face the terminological challenge and solve the problems as they occurred. After decades of experimenting, the time has come for all stakeholders to come to terms with the problem

The Impact of Women Economic Group Conflicts on the Development of their Projects: The Case of Women in Kinondoni Municipality

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships among women and their impact on the success of their economic projects. The objectives of the study were to identify the economic activities run by women in groups based on friendship relations, investigate the relationship that prevails among women in running group economic activities, and to assess the effects of such conflicts on their economic group projects. The target group was the petty business women in Kinondoni municipality. This was a case study research which used both qualitative and quantitative data. Identification of study population was done using non-probability sampling procedures, especially through purposive and snowball sampling procedures. Methods used to collect data included face-to-face interview, focus group discussions for qualitative data while questionnaire administration with closed ended questions was used to collect quantitative data. Both content and SPSS statistical programme were used to analyze data. The findings indicated that, women are mostly involved in unsatble relationships with each other in their groups. It was also revealed that, women are involved in different economic group projects which, in principle, are expected to be of significant contribution to their economic empowerment. However, group members find themselves in conflicts and confrontations which weaken their relationships and consequently affect the economic growth of their projects. There is need to train women to work in groups through education and life skills and to orient them on how to manage their conflicts rationally and amicably

Special and Vulnerable Groups on Access, Success and Equity on Open and Distance Education in Tanzania: The Case of The Open University of Tanzania

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) assisted by the use of ICT, has proven to create significant opportunities for potential learners especially people with special needs including those living with disabilities and inmates to access higher education. ODL as a mode of instruction with the use of ICT can promote access to higher education for people with disabilities and those with special needs (the inmates). The concern is on whether the people living with disabilities and those with special needs have full access, success and equity to higher education despite the existing potentials for education. The use of ODL in higher learning institutions assisted by ICT proves to have a number of challenges especially when students with disabilities are involved in accessing and utilizing ICT, in particular the assistive technology like text-to-speech software, alternative keyboards and mice, and specialized software for students with learning disabilities. In-depth interviews were conducted to both students, academic and non academic staff from four OUT regional centres namely Kinondoni, Ilala, Morogoro and Iringa. Findings indicated that, there are various challenges in accessing education through ODL and related ICT facility due to high cost implications related to the establishment of assistive infrastructure for the students with disabilities for individual institutions to undertake; Inadequacy of personnel and especially academic staff trained to attend such students; lack of text-to-speech software, alternative keyboards and mice, and specialized software for the students; Inadequate funds to lay down the required infrastructure and related equipment. It is recommended the government and generous institutions to mobilize resources to fund the establishment of the infrastructure and purchase the related equipment to enable ODL with the use of ICT to effectively provide the education required by PLW and inmates as a human right to all. ODL through ICT can reach the unreachable in the remote areas for PLW including jailsKey Words: students with disabilities, open and distance learning, information and communication technology, access, equity and success, The Open University of Tanzani

Ikääntyvien turvallinen ja viihtyisä asuminen digitalisaatiota hyödyntämällä : Hyvinvointi ja terveys

Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli kerätä tietoa erilaisista laitteista, joita voitaisiin tulevaisuudessa käyttää hyödyksi, kun suunnitellaan ja rakennetaan ikääntyville turvallista ja viihtyisää asumista digitalisaatiota hyödyntämällä. Opinnäytetyössä selvitetään ikääntyvien ihmisten asumiseen liittyviä asioita hyvinvoinnin ja terveyden näkökulmasta. Peruslähtökohtana on, että ikääntyneet voivat toimia ja ohjata omaa elämäänsä mahdollisimman pitkään itsenäisesti. Teoriaosuudessa käydään läpi hyvinvoinnin ja terveyden perusajatuksia, geronteknologiaa, nykypäivän ikääntyneiden tietoja ja taitoja omaksua uutta tekniikkaa ja digitalisaatiota. Työosuudessa käydään läpi jo markkinoilla olevia ikääntyvien ja muistisairaiden ihmisten yksinasumista helpottavia laitteita ja palveluita. Opinnäytetyön lopussa pohditaan ja visioidaan tulevaisuuden näkymiä. Lopputuloksena on, että tunnistustekniikka, tiedonkeräys ympäristöstä, kodinkoneiden etäohjaus ja älytekniikka ovat kasvamassa suuressa määrin tulevaisuudessa.The purpose of this thesis was to gather information about different types of equipment that could be used when designing safe and comfortable living by exploiting digitalisation. This thesis was pondered from the viewpoint of the comfort and health of the elderly. The basic idea was that the elderly could be in charge of their own life as long as they want. The theory part of this thesis contains basic knowledge of comfort and health, gerontechnology, the knowledge and skills of the elderly concerning new technology and lastly digitalisation. The main part of this thesis contains different types of equipment and services that could help the elderly to live better on their own. In the end of this thesis there is envisioning about the future of technology. The conclusion was that the use of identification technology, data gathering from the environment, remote controlling of the household machines and intelligent technology are going to grow significantly in the future

Matatizo ya matumizi ya lugha katika vyombo vya habari: mifano kutoka Kenya

Lugha inaweza kutumiwa kwa njia ya ubunifu wenye ufasaha ufaao ili kuwasiliana au pia ikatumiwa visivyo na kwa njia potovu. Ni nini hasa maana ya kutumia lugha kwa njia potovu? Pengine ni rahisi kueleza kinyume chake. Mtumiaji wa lugha mwenye ubunifu huzingatia rasimali zote za lugha. Mwandishi maarufu wa fasihi barani Afrika, Chinua Achebe, huitumia lugha kama kituo kilicho hai na pia kuendelea. Katika juhudi za kuifanya lugha kumwezesha kutoa maoni, maelekezo, habari na hisia, mtumiaji kama huyu hutambua kuwa lugha ikitumiwa ipasavyo huleta uhai katika taaluma ya mawasiliano. (Luvai, 1991: 60) Hata hivyo, katika Kenya, kiwango che ubora wa uandishi kwa jumla kimeshuka sana katika miaka ishirini iliyopita. Makala hii itachunguza kwa muhtasari ushahidi wa matumizi yasiyofaa ya lugha ya Kiswahili katika vyombo vya habari km. redio, televisheni na magazeti

Geochemical Distribution of Trace Elements in Groundwater from the North Mara Large-Scale Gold Mining Area of Tanzania

Research Article published by Ground Water Monitoring and RemediationThe infl uence of large-scale mining operations on groundwater quality was investigated in this study. Trace element concentrations in groundwater samples from the North Mara mining area of northern Tanzania were analyzed. Statistical analyses for relationships between elemental concentrations in the samples and distance of a sampling site from the mine tailings dam were also conducted. Eleven trace elements (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined, and averages of Fe and Al concentrations were higher than levels accepted by the Tanzanian drinking water guideline. Levels of Pb in three samples were higher than the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and United States Environmental Protection Agency ( USEPA ) drinking water guidelines of 10 and 15 µg/L, respectively. One sample contained a higher As level than the WHO and USEPA guideline of 10 µg/L. The correlation between element concentrations and distance from the mine tailings dam was examined using the hierarchical agglomeration cluster analysis method. A signifi cant difference in the elemental concentration existed depending on the distance from the mine tailings dam. Mann–Whitney U -test post hoc analysis confi rmed a relationship between element concentration and distance of a sampling site from the mine tailings dam. This relationship raises concerns about the increased risks of trace elements to people and ecosystem health. A metal pollution index also suggested a relationship between elemental concentrations in the groundwater and the sampling sites’ proximity from the mine tailings dam

Between dependence and deprivation: The interlocking nature of land alienation in Tanzania

Studies of accumulation by dispossession in the Global South tend to focus on individual sectors, for example, large‐scale agriculture or nature conservation. Yet smallholder farmers and pastoralists are affected by multiple processes of land alienation. Drawing on the case of Tanzania, we illustrate the analytical purchase of a comprehensive examination of dynamics of land alienation across multiple sectors. To begin with, processes of land alienation through investments in agriculture, mining, conservation, and tourism dovetail with a growing social differentiation and class formation. These dynamics generate unequal patterns of land deprivation and accumulation that evolve in a context of continued land dependency for the vast majority of the rural population. Consequently, land alienation engenders responses by individuals and communities seeking to maintain control over their means of production. These responses include migration, land tenure formalization, and land transactions, that propagate across multiple localities and scales, interlocking with and further reinforcing the effects of land alienation. Various localized processes of primitive accumulation contribute to a scramble for land in the aggregate, providing justifications for policies that further drive land alienation.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146303/1/joac12271_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146303/2/joac12271.pd

Challenging Masculinity in CSR Disclosures: Silencing of Women’s Voices in Tanzania’s Mining Industry

This paper presents a feminist analysis of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a male-dominated industry within a developing country context. It seeks to raise awareness of the silencing of women’s voices in CSR reports produced by mining companies in Tanzania. Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in Africa, and women are often marginalised in employment and social policy considerations. Drawing on work by Hélène Cixous, a post-structuralist/radical feminist scholar, the paper challenges the masculinity of CSR discourses that have repeatedly masked the voices and concerns of ‘other’ marginalised social groups, notably women. Using interpretative ethnographic case studies, the paper provides much-needed empirical evidence to show how gender imbalances remain prevalent in the Tanzanian mining sector. This evidence draws attention to the dynamics faced by many women working in or living around mining areas in Tanzania. The paper argues that CSR, a discourse enmeshed with the patriarchal logic of the contemporary capitalist system, is entangled with tensions, class conflicts and struggles which need to be unpacked and acknowledged. The paper considers the possibility of policy reforms in order to promote gender balance in the Tanzanian mining sector and create a platform for women’s concerns to be voiced

Use of medicinal plants for human health in Udzungwa Mountains Forests: a case study of New Dabaga Ulongambi Forest Reserve, Tanzania

RefereedThe dependence of local people on plant medicine from natural forests has a long tradition in Tanzania and is becoming increasingly popular among rural and urban communities due to among others increase in living costs. The study on utilization of medicinal plants for meeting heath care needs was carried out between March 2001 and March 2002 in New Dabaga Ulongambi Forest Reserve, Tanzania. The study aimed at generating necessary data for the Udzungwa Mountains Forest Management project to draft sound Joint Forest Management plans. Specific objectives of the study among others were to assess knowledge associated with utilization of medicinal plants for health care needs as well as factors associated in using plant medicines in the study area. A questionnaire survey, market survey and literature review were used to collect information. Tools used for data analysis were Statistical Packages for Social Science and content analysis. A total of 45 plant species were documented curing about 22 human diseases. Medicinal plants were readily available throughout the year and plentiful in the forest reserve. Roots and leaves were the plant parts harvested for medicinal purposes. Processing of plant medicines involved boiling, pounding, soaking in water and chewing. Distance to health facility, income level of the household and beliefs contributed to the use of plant medicines. The study concluded that medicinal plants play an important role in providing primary health care to the rural communities. It is recommended that in achieving joint forest management (JFM), villagers adjacent to the forest reserve should be sensitised on the importance of JFM through seminars, workshops, drama, school songs or video show. During the development of a joint draft management plan, villagers as an informal institution must define their priority needs of use of parts of the forest in collaboration with the Udzungwa Mountains Forest Management project.Udzungwa Mountain Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Projects (UMFM