Thursday, August 13, 2009
The 22nd of July, leadership training for young women at Mzumbe University
The Dean of student Ms Mariam Matao Ngowi, assisted me to get participants and gave me a go ahead to conduct the leadership training seminar. The seminar was held in the evening after the student had had their supper. It started from 7:30 pm until 10:00pm. Mzumbe University students were more enthusiastic than students from the University of Dar-Es-Salaam. They seemed to be more aware of the challenges that are facing leaders of today in Tanzania, Africa and the World as a whole, such that they have to pay-back to the financial supporters of their campaigns (most of them are businesspersons), while at the same time fulfill the needs and wants of their voters and the general citizens---conflict of interests.
Please take a look at educational video clips that were used to get the message across.
I will soon post articles that were written in Swahili and English in Tanzania local newspapers.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The 10th and the 11th of July
After securing the venue on Friday afternoon, I contacted students who had registered for the leadership training workshop via sms and informed them about the place where the workshop is going to be held and the start and ending time, which was 9:00am until 2:00 pm. I was then left with bites and drinks for the day. I arranged to get the bites and drinks delivered to the venue on Saturday morning.
The morning of the 11th of July, the guest speakers and students arrived as expected. The workshop started with introduction (getting to know you), followed by a power point presentation that was given by me, guest speakers talk Regia Elastus and Mama Gemma Akilimali and Q and A session.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The mid and the end of the second week of July (up to the 9th of July)
Well luckily enough, I was able to get 48 students who registered to attend the workshop on Saturday the 11th from UDSM. I then went to the University College of Land Evaluation and Management (UCLAS) and asked to get five female students from their department to take part in the leadership training. After I got all the names and contacts of the students who wanted to take part in the leadership training. I had to make sure that I had the venue, projector and guest speakers for the workshop.
I went out and started looking for women political leaders---members of the parliament who are from the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the opposition, Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA). As far as getting political leaders is concerned,it was hard to get members of the parliament, because nearly all of them were in the parliament, taking part in the general assembly, etc. Luckily, one member of the parliament, Halima Mdee of CHADEMA, referred me to a youth activist, who is working with CHADEMA, Ms Regia Elastus Mtema to act on her behalf. So, I went ahead and connected with Regia and invited her as a guest speaker to the leadership training workshop---the major theme of her talk was to get young women involved in politics and run for political posts, whenever they are open as well as getting them jazzed up to be active members of their communities.
Knowing that I had Regia to cover the theme on political leadership, I knew that the young women leadership training would not be complete if I don't have a gender issues expert to address the challenges women face when they are at work or assuming leadership posts. Thus, I also tried to connect with an NGO, which works towards gender equality, equity, social and economic justice, known as Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP). Through TGNP, I managed to get Mama Gemma Akilimali, who is an expert on gender issues, a social activist and has trained women members of the parliament on leadership,worked with DANIDA, NORAD,SADC and so forth as a consultant on gender issues, etc.
After knowing that I had my guest speakers, I knew that now it was up to javascript:void(0)me to make sure that I have everything ready.
The first week and the beginning of the second week of July in Dar-Es-Salaam
Working with the university student governing body was a very good idea, simply because it was easy to organize and galvanize the female students from various disciplines at the UDSM and the University College of Land Evaluation and Management (UCLAS). I was able to get about 50 students who registered to attend the workshop.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
My first 10 days in Dar and my experience with UWT
I arrived in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania from Boston, Massachusetts, USA on the 23rd of June 2009. Officially I came to Tanzania to conduct leadership training workshops for young women who are enrolled at universities across the country. Initially, I was to conduct these workshops in partnership with Umoja wa Wanawake Tanzania (UWT). Unfortunately, UWT did not want to take part in this initiative, after knowing that I did not have a basket of money to shower them with. The UWT Principal Secretary (PS) started giving me excuses that UWT will not work with me, because I don’t have an authorization from the UWT committee … and the next committee meeting will be held in the mid August. The secretary went on further to suggest that I should apply for funds from USAID to sponsor/fund the workshops that I were planning to conduct on July 2009. This made me question PS’s reasoning, I wondered if she had any idea about budgeting. I would expect a PS to know that any organization usually sets an annual budget a year or months before it starts being implemented or used (the chances that I was going to get the money to use for setting up the workshops were very minimal). This situation made me realize how hard it is to do anything educational and fruitful to my people. The country has changed; people want instant rewards or gratification. The PS was not thinking of the long-term rewards for the country and UWT as a whole. She was mainly thinking of her-self and what she was going to get at that time (monetary rewards). Therefore, I left UWT and started to find ways to do and organize the workshops at universities on my own.