Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Zanzibar villages seek their niche in tourism

Women in Fumba display their ornaments to visiting journalists


CORRESPONDENT GLADNESS HEMEDI MUNUO


Tourists are swarming all over the beaches of the Zanzibar archipelago not for adventure, but there is definitely something there for everyone to make a trip of a lifetime.

Of late, these East African off-coast islands have seen increased investment in tourism infrastructure and facilities, which in a way are reviving Zanzibar’s visibility that had blurred with the decline of the clove industry.

A visit to the islands takes one, informatively and entertainingly, through their long cultural and trading history with mainland Tanzania and the Arab world.

Though scarred by long years of Arab slavery and suffering, the islands today are uniquely enchanting and welcoming with their changing landscape.

Authorities on the isles, however, face immense challenges to modernize its transport and communication systems both on land and at sea. In addition, there is a glaring need to develop all the ephemera that go with holidaying such as guide books and adverts that would enable tourists find their place of interest.

Tourism here is obviously still in its infancy and as an industry it provides minimal employment to the rising force of local job seekers, men and women as well.

“The government, let alone the society in general, pay little attention to the plight of women”, said 29 years old Rahma Mussa, who was married at age 17 to an ordinary fisherman.

According to Rahma, many women on the islands are frustrated with their banal rural and suburban life despite the efforts they make either individually or as groups to break ground into small business ventures.

Fortunes and industries that usually accompany a booming tourism into new destinations such as Zanzibar still elude the local population.

“Tradition and outdated customs keep housewives in coastal areas in coastal areas economically dependent on their husbands who make very meager earnings from fishery business,” explained Rahma, a resident of Fumba village.

Thanks to a brief visit to the village last year by a staffer of the British consulate in Zanzibar, the women of Fumba village have picked skills that could, with modest incomes over time, make a big difference in their way of life.

Rahma recalls the visit as an eye-opener that gave the women an insight of the natural resources around the village that could be exploited to transform their lives.

“Over the course of some days the diplomat taught us how to make earrings, necklaces and decorations from seashells. We are now in full business. We sell these items to various visitors, especially those who want mementos of their trip to Zanzibar”, she added. Other groups, bringing men and women together, have been set up at Fumba Bondeni, Bweleo Villages and Chaza craft Association to grow seaweed, manufacture soap and make handicrafts.

The words earrings, necklaces have feminine overtones, but the idea of manufacturing such decorative items at Fumba village foreruns the need for transformation of the East African coastal people’s economic way of life.

With that notion, founders of Western Indian Ocean Maritime Science Association (WIOMSA) set out in 1994 to advance regional cooperation in all aspects of coastal marine sciences and management for sustainable development.

The association groups marines scientists and coastal practitioners as well as related institutions of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Comoro, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius and the small Island of Reunion in research and development.

At the end of the day WIOMSA has relised that its R and D work, tourism and the people’s income generating activities have to run in tandem to make appreciable impact on national development. But this raises the question of how to maintain the linkage.

Though the association did not state its partner for keeping all sides connected, by hosting a journalists’ regional workshop on coastal marine issues it affirmed their vital role to keep the public well informed on the issues that preoccupy the coastal communities. Journalist from Kenya, Tanzania and Seychelles took part attended the workshop in Zanzibar.
Women in Fumba display their ornaments to visiting journalists
The sandy beaches of Zanzibar are a great attraction to tourists

SYLVESTER NA DANIEL WAFURAHIA SIKU YA WAPENDANAO


TUDUMISHE UPENDO KATI YA NDUGU, MARAFIKI NA MAJIRANI

Valentine iwe siku ya kudumisha upendo kati ya ndugu

Mwezi Februari wa kila mwaka au kama unavyojulikana kwa walio wengi mwezi mzuri wa wapendanao, nchini Tanzania kama ilivyo katika nchi nyinginezo barani Afrika na Ulaya kote si haba kuona pilika pilika kwa vijana na wazee, watoto na wazazi wao, ndugu kaka na dada, mke na mume na hata wachumba au marafiki kila mmoja kwa wakati wake akitafuta vitu kama maua, zawadi na mishumaa ya rangi kwa ajili ya kusherehekea kilele cha siku ya wapendanao ambayo ni tarehe 14 ya kila mwezi wa 2 kwa kila mwaka. Mwandishi wa kujitegemea Gladness Hemedi Munuo wa Taasisi ya Jinsia na Habari kusini mwa Afrika Tawi la Tanzania, anafafanua zaidi…..


Imekuwa ni jambo la kawaida kabisa sasa hivi kwa Watanzania waishio sehemu za mijini kutakiana heri ya ‘wapendanao’ kwa wiki nzima kabla ya siku yenyewe husika, ambapo siku ya kilele shamrashamra, shangwe na bashasha huzidi kipimo kwa jinsi wapendanao wanavyoonyesha upendo kati yao kwa njia mbalimbali. Katika Lugha ya kiingereza hujulikana na wengi kama “Valentine Day”.

Siyo siri kwani kwa karne hii Valentine Day inashabikiwa sana na kundi la vijana pamoja na wazee, ushabiki unaonekana waziwazi pale ambapo wapendanao hao au wale wanaoiadhimisha siku hiyo wanapokuwa na kivazi rasmi kwa siku hiyo ambacho ni nguo zenye rangi nyekundu au wekundu na pinki ili mradi tu rangi nyekundu ambapo hufananishwa na ua rose inaonyesha upendo.

Siyo ajabu kuona hata kwa siku za kawaida kijana au baba au msichana au mama akichukua ua jekundu na kumkabidhi ampendaye ikiwa ni alama ya mapenzi au upendo kati yao.

Katika kukamilisha shamrashamra za ’siku ya wapendanao’, siyo kitu cha ajabu kuona kwenye baadhi ya maduka yauzayo kadi za matukio mbalimbali pamoja na maua kwa jina maarufu kama ’stationeries’ kuanzia tarehe za mwanzoni mwa mwezi Februari watu wakijivinjari kwa kununua vitu mbalimbali kulingana na mada ya ’wapendanao’. Utashuhudia makundi ya vijana pamoja na watu wazima wakichagua aina nzuri za kadi kwa maana ya maneno na maua ili wapate kuchagua moja wapo inayomfaa mpenzi au mpendwa wake kwa ajili ya kuadhimisha “Siku ya Wapendanao” au “Valentine Day”.

Kadi za heri ya siku ya ‘Wapendanao’ huandamana pamoja na maua mazuri ya waridi . yenye rangi ya wekundu. Wakati mwingine wapenzi au washabiki wanaojua kuadhimisha vema siku hiyo hutumiana hata zawadi mbalimbali ikiwa kama kumbukumbu kwa siku hiyo na mapenzi makubwa waliyonayo.

Majumba ya mengi ya starehe na kumbi za burudani bila kusahau hoteli hasa zile maarufu kwa pamoja hawako nyuma katika kuhakikisha wanafanya kila kivutio ili kuweza kuwateka wateja lukuki wakati wa ’wapendanao’ ili kuweza kutoa burudani mwanana wakati mwingine vikiambatana na vyakula na vinywaji vya uhakika.


Siku ya wapendanao kama inavyojulikana haijafungamana na matakwa ya dini yeyote wala aina ya mtu umpendaye kwa wakati huo. Hii ina maana kuwa salamu za wapendanao unaweza kutuma kwa Mama au Baba yako mzazi, kaka, dada, mume, rafiki wa kiume au wa kike, watoto n.k.

Leo basi nilitaka sote pamoja tufahamu nini chanzo cha siku ya Wapendanao na ni kwa nini ikaitwa Valentine Day, badala ya kuendelea kushabikia bila kuelewa chimbuko la siku hiyo muhimu duniani kwa wale wote ‘wapendanao’, kwa mujibu wa makala zilizoandikwa Birgit and Roger pamoja na www.history.com.

Katika historia ya kanisa Catholic huko Rumi, miaka 2000 iliyopita inasadikiwa kuwa taifa hilo lilikuwa kwenye vita ambapo Rumi kama mataifa mengine walihitaji askari wa kutosha kwa ajili ya shughuli hiyo.

Ilikuwa ni karne ya tatu wakati nchi ya Rumi ambayo kwa wakati huo ilikuwa ikitawaliwa na mtawala Cladius wa pili ambaye alitoa hoja ya kuhitaji askari vijana waajiriwe kwa wingi kwa ajili kwenda katika mapambano.

Kwa imani aliyokuwa nayo wakati huo, Mtawala Cladius wa pili aliamini kuwa askari mwanaume kijana ambaye hajaoa huwa ni askari shupavu sana awapo katika mapambano ya vita. Hivyo basi, uongozi wa wakati huo ulipitisha amri ya kuwa vijana wote waliopo wajiunge na jeshi na iwe marufuku kwa kijana yeyote kuoa au kufunga ndoa ili waweze kushiriki kikamilifu katika kazi ya jeshi.

Baada ya amri hiyo kutolewa, raia wote walitii katika nchi ya Rumi. Ilikuwa ni uamuzi mzito sana hasa kwa vijana. Lakini kama tujuavyo, panapokuwa na jambo zito kama hilo si ajabu kwa binadamu kama tujuavyo kuanza kuwa na mbinu mbadala. Nilazima kutakuwa na mambo ambayo yatajitokeza katika kuzuia au kukwamisha amri kama hiyo ili mradi tu kuwe na mpango fulani bila kujali kuwa ni wa kujenga au kubomoa usifanikiwe kwa asilimia fulani.

Basi alikuwepo Kasisi mmoja wa kanisa Katholic ambaye aliamua kuendelea na kufungisha ndoa kwa vijana lakini kwa njia ya siri sana. Kasisi huyo alijulikana kwa jina la Valentine au Valentinus na ilikuwa ni miaka kati ya 270 baada ya Kristo (270 AD).

Valentine alifanya kazi ya kufungisha ndoa kwa vijana wengi. Aliifanya kazi hiyo katika usiri mkubwa sana. Hivyo, siku jinsi zilivyokuwa zikisonga, mtawala Cladius alishangaa kuona vijana wengi aliowatarajia kuifanya kazi ya jeshi wengi wao walikuwa wameshafunga ndoa.

Jambo hili halikumpendeza kabisa Mtawala Cladius maana ilikuwa ni kinyume na matazamio na matarajio yake kutokana na amri aliyokwishatoa.

Siku zilivyozidi kwenda, siri hiyo iligundulika na Kasisi Valentine alikamatwa na kufungwa jela kwa kosa la kukiuka amri ya Mtawala wao. Alipokuwa kifungoni, kulikuwepo na makundi ya vijana ambao waliunga mkono huduma yake aliyokuwa anaitoa huduma kwa jamii, kwani waliamini kwa kufanya vile Father Valentine alikuwa akiwaokoa vijana wengi wakirumi kutokwenda kuishia jeshini. Vijana hawa walikuwa wakimtembelea mara kwa mara na kumtia moyo.

Historia inasema kuwa, katika watu hao pia alikuwepo binti mmoja ambaye Valentine alimpenda na siku moja kabla kesi yake haijatolewa hukumu Father Valentine alimwandikia barua binti huyo na mwishoni aliweka sahihi yake kama ‘Kutoka kwa Valentine’ au kwa lugha ya kiingereza tungeweza kusema ni ‘From your Valentine’ maneno ambayo mpaka leo yanatumika kama Valentine ni mpendwa au mpenzi wako.

Hali hii inadhihirisha kuwa, Fr. Valentine ndiyo aliyekuwa mtu wa kwanza kuhamasisha jamii kuendelea kupeana salamu za upendo kwa kila mmoja na kuita kuwa ni salamu za Valentine. Hivyo basi Fr. Valentine ndivyo alivyokuwa, nay eye ndiye Muasisi wa siku ya wapendao.

Jambo lingine la muhimu, ni kufahamu kuwa kwa nini sherehe hizi zikachaguliwa ziwe zinafanyika mwezi wa Februari katika tarehe za katikati ya mwezi huo, hii ni kwa sababu Fr. Valentine baada ya kuhukumiwa alipokuwa kifungoni, hukumu yake ilikuwa ni kunyongwa, na alinyongwa katika majira hayo hayo ya katikati ya mwezi Februari hiyo ndiyo sababu ya kuweka tarehe 14 Februari kuwa ni siku ya ‘Wapendao’ au ‘Valentine Day’ kwa kuzingatia kuwa mwezi February una siku kati ya 28 au 29 tu.

Vilevile, inahisiwa kuwa mbali na siku ya wapendanao kuhusishwa moja kwa moja na Fr. Valentine, vilevile hii ni siku ambayo mazao ya nafaka ambayo ni chakula kizuri kwa watu wengi wakati huo ndio majira ya uvunaji na upandaji wa mazao mbalimbali katika nchi ya Rumi (Roman).

Pia wapo waliokuwa wakisema kuwa, mwezi Februari umetambulikana kama ni ‘Siku ya Wapendanao’ katika nchi yetu na kwingineko, kwani wakati huo huwa ipo aina Fulani ya ndege jike huwa ndiyo majira yao ya kukutana na ndege dume. Ambapo hii hudhihirisha kuwa tarehe 14 ya mwezi wa pili ni siku ya wapendanao na kwa wale wenye kuwakumbuka wazazi wao ama ndugu wa karibu.


Nchi kama Uingereza, tarehe 14 Februari ya kila mwaka kuanzia karne ya 17 na 18, pia huadhimisha siku ya ‘Wapendanao’, kwa wapenzi na wachumba. Jambo hili lilianza kuzoeleka kidogo kidogo na baadaye kuweza kujengeka katika nchi ya Rumi yote na baadaye kusambaa kidogokidogo.

Siku za mwamzoni, watu wengi walikuwa wakitumiana salamu hizi kwa kuandikiana barua, ambapo baadaye kidogo kwenye karne ya kumi na nane hali hiyo ilianza kwisha na kuingia kwa Kadi maalumu ambapo zinakuwa zimejaa katika maduka mbalimbali pamoja na maua ya kupeana kwa wale wapendanao. Na sasa baada ya teknolojia kuongezeka salamu zinatumwa mno kwa njia ya text meseji za kwenye simu za kiganjani.

Tafiti mbalimbali zimeonyesha kuwa karibia kadi za Valentine bilioni moja zilikuwa zikinunuliwa na kutumwa sehemu mbalimbali hapa duniani, hii inafanya kuwa ni sikukuu kubwa ya pili duniani kwa watu kutumiana kadi, sikukuu ya kwanza ni X-mass ambapo inakisiwa karibu kadi zipatazo bilioni 2.6 hutumwa sehemu mbalimbali za dunia katika kutakiana heri ya X-mass.

Aidha, imegundulika kuwa, pamoja na wanunuzi au waandalizi ya shughuli hii kuwa wengi, lakini inakisiwa kuwa asilimia 85 ya washabiki wa masuala hayo ni wanawake.
Kwa ufupi kutokana na ufafanuzi huu, angalau wengi twaweza kufahamu nini kinajiri katika suala zima la Valentine Day.

Namalizia kwa kusema, maadhimisho ya ‘Siku ya Wapendanao’ yaanzie katika familia zetu, majirani zetu na hata makazini. Waandishi wa habari tupendane wenyewe kwa wenyewe ikiwa kama ishara ya kudumisha nia na malengo ya kazi zetu katika kuielimisha jamii. Happy Valentine Day!!!!

gladym@hotmail.com
www.gladnesshemedi.blogspot.com
www.ngajilanag.blogspot.com

Friday, February 13, 2009

THE CUT

I was only six years oldwhen they led me to the bush,
to my slaughterhouse.Too young to know what it all entailed,
I walked lazily towards the waiting women.
Deep within me was the desire to be cut,
as pain was my destiny:it is the burden of femininity,
so I was told.Still,
I was scared to death . . .but I was not to raise an alarm.

The women talked in low tones,each trying to do her tasks the best.
There was the torso holdershe had to be strong to hold you down.
Legs and hands each had their own woman,
who needed to know her tasklest you free yourself and flee for life.
The cutting began with the eldest girland on went the list.

Known to be timid,
I was the last among the six.
I shivered and shook all over;butterflies beat madly in my stomach.
I wanted to vomit, the waiting was long,the expectation of pain too sharp,but I had to wait my turn.

My heart pounded, my ears blocked;the only sound I understood,
was the wails from the girls,
for that was my destiny as well.

Finally it was my turn, and one of the womenwinked at me:
Come here, girl, she said, smiling unkindly.
You won't be the first nor the last,
but you have only this once to prove you are brave!
She stripped me naked.
I got goose pimples.A cold wind blew,
and it sent warning signsall over me.
I choked, and my headwent round in circles as I was led.
Obediently,
I sat between the legs of the womanwho would hold my upper abdomen,
and each of the other four women grasped my legs and hands.
I was stretched apart and each limb firmly held.
And under the shade of a tree . . .
The cutter begun her work . . .the pain . . .
is so vivid to this day,decades after it was done.

God, it was awful!
I cried and wailed until I could cry no more.
My voice grew hoarse, and the cries could not come out,
I wriggled as the excruciating pain ate into my tender flesh.
Hold her down! cried the cursed cutter,
and the biggest female jumbo sat on my chest.

I could not breathe, but there was nobodyto listen to me.
Then my cries died down, and everything was dark.As I drifted,
I could hear the women laughing,joking at my cowardice.
It must have been hours later when I woke upto the most horrendous reality.

The agonizing pain was unbearable!It was eating into me,
every inch of my girlish body was aching.
The women kept exchanging glancesand talked loudly of how I would go down in history,
to be such a coward, until I fainted in the process.Allahu Akbar!
they exclaimed as they criticized me.

I looked down at my self and got a slap across my face.
Don't look, you coward, came the cutter's words;
then she ordered the women to pour hot sand on my cut genitals.
My precious blood gushed out and foamed.

Open up, snarled the jumbo woman,
as she poured the sand on me.
Nothing they did eased the pain.
Ha! How will you give birth?
taunted the one with the smile.I was shaking and biting my lower lip.
I kept moving front,
back, and sideways as I writhed in pain.

This one will just shame me!
cried the cutter.Look how far she has moved,
how will she heal?My sister was embarrassed,
but I could see pain in her eyes . . .
maybe she was recalling her own ordeal.
She pulled me back quickly to the shed.
The blood oozed and flowed.
Scavenger birdswere moving in circles and perching on nearby trees.

Ish ish, the women shooed the birds.
All this time the pain kept coming in waves,
each wave more pronounced than the one before it.
The women stood us up but warned us not to move our legs apart.
They scrubbed the bloody sand off our thighs and small buttocks,
then sat us back down.
A hole was dug,malmal, the stick herb,
was pounded;The ropes for tying our legs were ready.

Charcoal was brought and put in the hole,
where there was dried donkey waste and many herbs—these were the cutter's paraphernalia.
The herbs were placed on the charcoal,
and we were ordered to sit on the hole.
As I sat with smoke rising around me,
I could hear the blood dropping on the charcoal,and more smoke rose.
The pain was somehow dwindling but I felt weakand nauseated.
Maybe she is losing blood? my sister asked worriedly.
No, no. It will stop once I place the herbs, cried the cutter impatiently.

The malmal was pasted where my severed vaginal lips had been,
and then I was tied from my thighs to my toeswith very strong ropes from camel hide.
A long stick was brought and the women took turnsshowing us how to walk,
sit, and stand.

They told us not to bend or move apart our legs—This will make you heal faster,
they said,but it was meant to seal up that place.
The drop of the first urine,
more burning than the aftermath of the razor,
passed slowly, bit by bit,one drop after another,
while lying on my side.

There was no washing, no drying,
and the burning kept on for hours later.
But there was no stool . . .at least, I don't remember.
For the next month this was my routine.
There was no feeding on anything with oil,or anything with vegetables or meat.Only milk and ugali formed my daily ration.

I was given only sips of water:
This avoids "wetting" the wound and delaying healing,
they said.We would stay in the bush the whole day.
The journey from the bush back home began around four and ended sometimesat seven.
All this time we had to face the heatand bare-footedly slide towards home . . .
with no water, of course.

We were not to bend if a thorn stuck us,
never to call for help loudlyas this would "open"
us up and the cutterwould be called again.
Everything was about scary dos and don'ts.
I stayed on with the other fivefor the next four weeks.

None of us bathed;
lice developed between the ropes and our skin,
biting and itching the whole day and night.
There was no way to remove them,at least not until we healed.

The river was only a kilometer away.
Every morning the breeze carried the sweet scent of its waters to us,
making our thirst more real.
The day the cutter was called backeach of us shivered and prayed silently,
each hoping we had healed and there would be no cutting again.

Thank God we were all doneexcept one unlucky girlwho had to undergo it all again,
and took months to heal.Our heads were shaved clean.
The ropes untied,
lice dropped at last.
We were showered and oiled,
but most important was the drinking of water.
I drank until my stomach was full,
but the mouth and throat yearned for more.
It was over.

All over my thighs were marks from the ropes,
dotted with patches from the lice wounds.
Now I was to look after myself,to ensure that everything remained intactuntil the day I married.

—Maryam Sheikh Abdi "The Cut" (R) 2006 Maryam Sheikh Abdi.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Editors and Trainers from various Media Houses and Media Institute while the training is going on 6th February, 2009.

FIVE DAYS OF INTERNET TRAINING TO EDITORS AND TRAINERS –DAR ES SALAAM

Editors from various media houses including printing and electronic media in Dar es Salaam attended a five days training on Journalism in the age of Internet from 2 to 6 February, 2009.

Internet Training was being taught by the veteran journalist from Finland Mr. Peik Johansson, he also completed the same training to the other two batches here in Dar es Salaam.

In Tanzania, learning about internet journalism is a new subject because it is not taught practically in most of the journalism colleges except for Tumaini University file://www.tumaini.ac.tz whereby most of the products/candidates are not practising journalism per se but they rely on Public Relations Officers.

Making of Blogs is a major component of this training which all participants were joyful to know the steps of making their own blogs. In making these major achievements Mr. Peik was assisted by the veteran blogger Mr.Majid Mjengwa (http://www.mjengwa.blogspot.com).

Being a participant to this course, I am happy that, now I will be able to circulate my information by creating my own blog www.gladnesshemedi.blogspot.com and www.ngajilanag.blogspot.com.

In this training I came to understand that Google is a search engine which is a solution to everything. In brief every information you are looking for as a researcher, journalist, trainer etc can be easily obtained by searching from the Google.

I master on how to create a blog, posting of text and pictures as well. But also I need more training on link option, as you can read from my text you will see that I need more training on that, but am sure I will get it from one of my colleagues.

Briefly I would like to sum up by saying that big up to Vikes Foundation for providing this important scholarship and bravo MISA-TAN for the good supervision and organisation as well. My advice is that, there are so many veteran journalists in up-countries, VIKES foundation and other funders could think on that as well.

Thanks.

Binyavanga Wainaina (Author of African short Stories, a Kenyan born)

Binyavanga Wainaina: “I am going to significantly impact world affairs”



38 years old a Kenyan author of various books Binyavanga Wainaina started to write at the time he was attending High School in Lenana Secondary School, in Nairobi.

His efforts made him to be well known all over the world after he received The Caine Prize for African Writing in July 2002 due to his short story known as ‘Discovering Home’.

The Caine Prize Award an Award for African Writers founded in England in 2000 is awarded annually to any an African short story writer, the story should be published. The name Caine came from the memory of the late Sir Michael Harris Caine former Chairperson of Booker plc for almost 25 years. (Source: www.caineprize.com)

Being an African Writer, Wainaina has an opportunity of being invited in so many Colleges and Universities in Africa and outside Africa for the purpose of facilitating trainees on the ABC of writing secret especially on African writing.

Wainaina in a way of showing that what he does and says about African Writing is serious, he has a book title “How to Write About Africa”. In one of the chapters of that book he insisted that when you writing about Africa always use the word ‘Africa’ or ‘Darkness’ or ‘Safari’ in your title.

He also said that I quote “Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their soul, eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat...”, and he added that, he is going to significantly impact world affairs.

Writing about Africa needs a writer to make sure that he has all the loves with Africa, this can easily put on the reader. I t will be like a music or poem to a reader. You need to make on such a way that a reader has to have feelings of love to a mentioned continent or country.

The 2002 Caine Prize Winner, Wainaina further said that when you write about Africa you should build your characters according to African culture, for example, you can build your character as a man who can struggle day and night, this is according to www.granta.com.

Beautiful and all the attractive areas and things within Africa should be mentioned, this including animals like elephants. Descriptions of these airmails are very vital. For example you can explain about elephants as a nice animal who can provide manual composite and provide foreign currency as one of the tourists attractions. The animal also can be trained and make funny to viewers as well www.binyavangawainaina.com.

I brief I would like to say that, it is good to praise our African writers for the good job.
Bibi Gladness Hemedi Munuo, Mratibu wa GEMSAT akitoa ufafanuzi wa uzinduzi wa siku 16 za kupinga ukatili dhidi ya wanawake barani afrika, pamoja na uzinduzi wa kalenda ya siku 365 na robo dhidi ya harakati hizo, katika ukumbi wa TGNP tarehe 20/11/2008.

Wanachama wa GEMSAT wakimsikiliza Mkurugenzi msaidizi wa Watoto kutoka Wizara ya Maendeleo ya jamii Jinsia na watoto (Hayupo pichani) wakati wa uzinduzi wa kalenda ya siku 365 na robo za kupinga ukatili dhidi ya wanawake barani Afrika, tarehe 20/11/2008.(Source: GEMSAT)

Mheshimiwa Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Rais wa awamu ya nne, Serikali ya Jamhuri ya Tanzania.








Mheshimiwa Andrew Chenge, Mbunge wa Bariadi Magharibi akipokewa na umati wa watu wakiwemo ndugu zake mkoani Shinyanga, baada ya kitendo chake cha kishujaa kutangaza kujiuzulu baada ya kashfa mbaya ya kesi ya Radar kuibuka, mwaka 2008.


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

KNOWING OF VARIOUS WEBSITE

In a third day of my study on Internet facility in relation to journalism, personally I found very interesting. The theme of the day was ‘Internet in everyday Journalism’.

I am very interested with the way internet can simplify journalistic job. It does not matter whether you are an employed Journalist or unemployed so long as you have all the necessary facility it is easy to get all the news on that particular day or even what they call archive news.

As a professional journalist you are needed to have in mind or in a diary all website which create news to readers or where you can read news. For example, news from various media houses from your country, regional or continent as well as in the world.

The good thing of the internet is that, you will not take too much time when you want to read or view various information from various sources. This is interesting. My self I prefer to view on Free Media website www.freemedia.co.tz. This website structure is very simple. You can see the highlights headlines on top, so if you want the details you just click from the highlights headline only.

Unfortunately, each media house has its own website structure or appearance, what I learnt from today’s lesson is that, some website from the media houses are not easy to follow the written stories, such as www.thisday.co.tz.

Also, today I learnt that, some are very famous newspapers here in Tanzania yet they are not seen the useful of the website may be they want to rise up sells of their newspapers through hardcopies only.

From this media house websites, for Tanzania I found commercial adverts are not appeared in the website. I think they have some very strong reasons on that, I do not know, wish I remember and ask this to Mr. Peik.

The most interesting part of today’s lesson is about so many languages from world to nation have been systematically collected and written in the internet through the common engine search known as www.google.com. This is very interesting.

Knowing about various countries profiles, profiles of our leaders etc is added value on the Training of Internet to journalists in Tanzania. Feature writers like myself this is a big advantage.

Thanks VIKES, hope we are going to extend this informative and technological knowledge to our colleagues, especially GEMSAT as I said before, GEMSAT uses most of their activity on IT, even the theme of this year 16 Days of Activism was ‘Making IT Work for Gender Justice’. For more information about GEMSA and its chapters including Tanzania kindly visit www.gemsa.org.za.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

STARTING MY BLOG

STARTING MY BLOG

The second day of training started with a highly enthusiasm. Everyone wanted to open her or his own blog.

Blog is not a new term to most of the Tanzanian journalists, but few of them managed to have their own blog. Others including myself do not have our blog. This is due to lack of technology on how to open and go thru.

In order to begin with anything like IT, one needs to be capacitated. I am saying this because it is not easy for one to operate or to make his or her own blog or anything on IT categories without being assisted.

It is true that, for a journalist who is always a writer and a reader he/she should have a blog where his or her clients (readers) can get all the information from one place. In other word I would like to call that a blogger is like a personnel file of somebody, if you manage to open you can get everything concerning with information. Like general news etc.

Thanks to our Lecturer Mr. Peik who’s since yesterday speaking to us without being tired on how to go about in Internet in relations to our professions.

In today’s lecture we also look and read up on Ruderp Murdoch, a famous journalist in America. In his speech he mentioned all about using of new technology on getting or reading of news. Although he was insisted that print media will exist but he shows how faster and reliable on digital news and all issues on soft copy materials information’s.(Kindly visit google and then write Speech Ruderp Murdoch American editors)

From now on I would like to announce that, you are welcome to visit my Bloggs www.ngajilanag.com or www.glandesshemedi.com

INTERNET WORKSHOP INTRODUCTION COURSE

INTERNET WORKSHOP INTRODUCTION COURSE

On 26th January, 2009 I received an invitation letter from the Media Institute of Southern Africa Tanzania Chapter (MISA-TAN), requesting me to attend an Internet Workshop for Editors and Trainers at Global Development Learning Center from 2nd to 6th February, 2009.

Being a trainer , free lance journalist and gender activist I found that this training is very vital for me with my daily activities as a Country Facilitator for Gender and Media in Southern Africa Tanzania Chapter (GEMSAT) and a trainer, most of the activities we do they involve IT.

My duty as trainer for various projects within Media Houses and being a country facilitator, we use IT for communication and even meeting through Cyber Dialogue.
Today’s lecture as a first day, to me it seems time is too short. I could not imagine that Internet can save for so many things around us. Such as Knowing about travelling, current issues, etc. To me it is an added value. I will apply all these to my facilitating.

Bravo to VIKES foundation, I would advise to provide more training to the journalists who are in up countries. It is my great hope that this will be done.