Ramadan and its virtues on humanity

Since the dawn of history, man did not find any means better than fast to ascend above yielding to his desires and worldly wishes, attain spiritual upliftment, return to spirituality, and renounce contemptible habits to which he became addicted and which led him to perdition. Divinely revealed creeds have equally been familiar with fast. Muslims, Jews and Christians observe certain types of fast. Moses, peace be upon him, observed fasting for forty days at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:8) During that period he was granted the heavy responsibilities embedded in the Ten Commandments. Jews used to (and some still do) fast during times of grief and mourning and when exposed to danger. Jesus, peace be upon him, and his disciples fasted the forty days observed by Moses before him (Mathew 4:2) This set the precedence for the pre-Easter fast and other forms of fast among some Christians.
Fasting in Islam
Islam gives so much importance to fasting that it is considered to be a pillar of faith. Man in Islam must purge those traits of character which are detrimental to his perfection and dignity so that he may foster constructive and pure habits attain the maturity necessary to be better man and gain proximity to God. Pursuant to that man must take stock of his inner self. A strong will, accompanied by correct attitude and surging enthusiasm are necessary to make and implement a resolute decision. Islam holds that self-consciousness and a strong will play an important role in self reform. In this respect Islam has extensive teachings which are related to all the aspects of human life and cover all human needs, whether material or spiritual, individual or social, cultural or economic and so on. The sum total of these teachings constitutes the programme of Islamic Fasting in the month of Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan has been aptly named the spring of the Qur'an. During this month, which is brought about by the lunar calendar of Islam, Muslims set aside more time than usual, to understand the word of Allah, to learn and ponder over its verses. The month is dubbed the season of the Quran as the desire to learn and understand the word of Allah blooms and flourishes, just as the natural world blossoms in the spring.The fasting time lasts from dawn to dusk.
To a Muslim, Ramadan fasting is not just refraining from eating and drinking but carries the added significance of worship, psychological comfort, morality and legislation. It is neither the irrational motionless 'Imsak' of pre-Islamic Arabs nor the mere abstaining from eating and drinking, but is, in fact, the building of one's character, control over desires, and an inspiration towards social and scientific creativity.
God has commanded this sanctified duty and enjoined it on the Muslims, as He had enjoined it on the believing nations before. 'Fasting is (exclusively) for Me and I will reward it.' He assigned the blessed month, the month of Ramadan, for every adult and healthy Muslim as a period of fasting. Hence, fasting is one of the pillars of Islam and a religious duty for all those who believe in monotheism.
A Muslim's abstaining from food, drink, sexual intercourse, etc., during the prescribed hours is the very manifestation of obedience to the Creator's will. This self-deprivation represents a state of self-control and of overcoming carnal pleasure, desire, and enjoyment, for the blissful love of God, His proximity, and the eagerness to desires. Traditions (hadith) of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, succinctly explain this fact: "A fasting person is in a state of worship, even when (asleep) in bed, except when he backbites another person."
The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, described the sleep of a fasting Muslim, even the very breathing, as acts of worship, because they emanate from a body regarded as being in a state of continual worship through abstaining from tasting delicious and lawful things, solely out of obedience to the Creator. He Himself extols fasting and attributes it as a special blessing for mankind.

Virtues of Fasting
The practices of Islamic fasting are designed to divert human mind towards righteousness through a process of self-denials. Fasting constitutes a process of self-purification, self-righteousness, and spiritual development of one self. The spiritual, social, economic, political and psychological benefits of fast are intertwined, each affecting the other. A combination of fast, prayers, and meditation is considered as the best dose for any and all psychological, financial, and spiritual ills from which one may be suffering.
The month of Ramadan inculcates among Muslims, the ability to curb their desires and check them against transgression, extravagance, and the yielding to lower desires, all of which generate man and bring him to the pit of self-destruction and annihilation. Fast fosters a strong will, teaches patience and self discipline, the ability to bear hardship and tolerate hunger and thirst i.e victory over illicit desires and selfish impulses. Fasting trains the body to submit to spiritual impulses and help safeguard the body's health by protecting it against extravagance.
Fasting in Islam is considered a moral education and nourishment of supreme virtues. It teaches the believer to abandon vices, to control emotions and instincts, to curb the tongue against saying what is wrong or inappropriate and the conscience against contemplating upon wrongdoing or subversion.
Fasting enhances the spirit of unity among members of the fasting community, teaches them humility and humbleness and instills in them a feeling of equality before God. The rich have to observe fast as well as the poor, the women as well as the men, the influential and powerful as well as the weak and downtrodden. Imam Ja'afar may Allah be pleased with him, is reported to have said: ‘Allah made fasting incumbent upon every Muslim to hold equity between the rich and the poor. A rich man does not feel the pains of hunger to have mercy for the poor, since he is able to obtain whatever he likes. By enjoining fasting, Allah wanted to put His creatures on an equal fooling by making the rich taste the pain of hunger, so that he may pity the weak and have mercy on the hungry...' Thus through fasting, a person acquires the virtues of empathy and sympathy for others.
Fasting promotes the spirit of charity and compassion towards the poor and the needy, and it reminds each believer of the needs of other believers. Muslims share with each other God's blessing unto them. The month of Ramadan is considered as the month of giving. It is the month of productive social inter-activity. Feeding the hungry or giving to the needy is considered an act of great reward during this month. Everyone desires to do good to everyone and passions and ill-feelings are subjugated to a certain extent. Such is the fascinating effect of the month of Ramadan on Muslims that it leaves its positive imprints on even the souls of the poorest and most oppressed people.

Elections fever grips Zambia

Elections are around the corner and time is fast running out for political parties and their candidates. Campaigns have reached fever pitch and it is a hive of activity as excitement coupled with campaigning continue to grip the nation.


Campaigning in style!. . . Bongoblast caught up with these supporters who were doing everything in their means to campaign for their party and candidates.

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A vendor passes by a poster bearing campaign messages for the incumbent president, Rupia Banda,at Lusaka's main bus terminus, in Zambia recently.

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Not to be outdone, some party officials use what ever at their disposal to make sure that their messages are put across. In this case, these party supporters were driving around, hooting and shouting while posters of their candidates were stuck on the windows of the vehicle.

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Travellers wait for buses at Lusaka's main bus terminus where campaign material has flooded the area.

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Adverts such as this one have been placed strategically in major cities and towns to encourage wananchi to campaign and vote peacefully.

Masaai and the challenges of women empowerment

Training can transform Masaai women's lives.jpg

ALOYCE NDELEIO
Dar es Salaam

WHEREAS women the world over have embraced the principles of women’s empowerment, Masaai women seem to lag behind as they continue to remain inferior to men and have little opportunity for advancement without help.

This situation has forced some philanthropists and people of goodwill to champion and put their effort in rescuing these women from such unacceptable environment bearing in mind that salvation of women from gender suppressions issues lies the hands of fellow women, specifically the educated ones.

Among them is Leila Ansell, the founder of the Karatu Masaai Women Group who says: “After having gained education in western countries I returned back to my home country Tanzania ...Here my mum has established a safari business. This indeed has meant decades of hard struggle for acceptance in the male dominated African business world.”

“At the beginning I experienced the role which gender still plays in my country. However, nowadays I’m running a very successful hotel business and have several women employed here, who I strongly encourage to climb the ladder and expand the role of women in society.

“Nevertheless, I also explored that women still do not equally gain from these changes. Those resing in remote areas are in particular still victims of suppression. The worst example for this can be found in the Masaai tribe,” she contends.

Paradoxically, whereas the Masaai men nowadays enjoy the gains from modernization, their women are still being suppressed far away from civilization just as they were hundreds of years ago.

Focusing the life of Masaai women Leila noted: “You might wonder why especially the Masaai have caught my attention. Indeed, I believe that these people are one of the smartest people in this country. No wonder I have employed several of their educated men in my business”.

The population of Masaai is about 1 million and are dispersed throughout Tanzania and Kenya. They typically live in more rural and isolated communities. As such, they are generally poorly educated (if at all) and lack access to health care.

The women are burdened by the strong traditional gender roles that give women an inferior status in Masaai culture. Women are left as the sole providers of childcare without any sort of medical care during pregnancy, birth (with the exception of a midwife), or post pregnancy care or advising.

Leila says she strongly considers the Masaai women to have capacity to become Tanzania’s leading figures of the future adding: “Nevertheless, to become our women of the future these women first have to be empowered with the help of other women, to eventually also breach the obstacle of a male dominated society”.

Thus, the Masaai women are suffering from a traditional gender comprehension which is probably incredible for all women enjoying the freedom of western countries. “Hence, it became my key concern to make a change to the Masaai women in Tanzania, by empowering them through education,” she adds..

She however points out that due to the fact that this is an enormous project she will not be able to make it up on her own only with donations from her clients. So far standing behind her is a non-governmental organization, Zara Charity which has been established by her mother that includes the project under their patronage.

Masaai Women's Group

Masaai women receive even less education than men and have little opportunity for advancement. Moreover the women are poorly lagging behind, due to their burden of a traditional inferior role within their community.

In order to rescue them from such appalling traditions, under the auspicious of Leila, Masaai Women Group was formed which focuses specifically on the plight of Masaai women in Ngorongoro area.

Nevertheless the specific goals of this group are to help women obtain education, health care, and skills they need to realize their full potential and empower them to pursue their own dreams and ideals.

Training Centre for Masaai women

In order to rescue women from such a predicament, Leila is determined to build a training centre that will be used to make change to the lives of Masaai women within their societies.

She says education represents the key to their empowerment adding: “Only if these women could contribute to the income of the villages they would be increasingly respected by men. Hence, the women strongly need some simple skills for example in accounting, health education and languages to improve their lives”.

Leila says her aim is to purchase land outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in order to build a Masaai Women’s Vocational Training Educational Centre in the highlands of Karatu. “We have already contacted an architect, who has made a budget for the project of about $ 555,000,” she further explains.

“We take this amount as a goal. This might sound a lot for African construction in the beginning. However, not only a class room but also accommodation for students and teachers as well as washing and dining houses have to be built,” she points out adding: “Moreover, running costs have to be added such as food, materials and salaries for the teachers”.

According to Leila, it is important to build the education center in that way because it is only by granting women a total living that they could concentrate away from their daily tasks solely on their education for a certain period.

Indeed, for their future the skills learned at the center shall help these women to rise above their restricted positions in society and to grant their family a better living by establishing their own businesses or getting employed. Eventually, they can realize their full potential and be empowered to pursue their own dreams and ideals..

-ends-

Mobile blackboards, lap desks: Crucial teaching aids in under resourced schools

ALOYCE NDELEIO
Dar es Salaam

Various programmes including the Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP)have been developed with the aim of achieving the Millennium Development Goal on Education for All by 2015 and making education more accessible despite facing some challenges especially when it comes to the learning environment..


A Tigo official shows Themi Primary School pupils on how to effectively use the donated lap desks in Arusha recently.

The most important of all challenges include insufficient number of classrooms, however, the solution has been to build as many primary schools in order to make sure all children who reach compulsory school going age could be admitted.

Another challenge faced in such a programme is insufficient furniture including desks even the chalkboard hence creating a difficult teaching and learning environment. Moreover, some schools lack even sufficient reference books. In such a case the situation in some schools is appalling.

However, in such a situation, the private sector has a role to play. Companies and business entities can come in handy in rescuing the future generation from an appalling environment, giving them hope and the zeal to continue pursuing their studies.

Mobile blackboard and lap desks

In a move to combat and rescuing the school children from such an appalling situation various institutions have joined force in the campaign in a move that can be commended as a public-private partnership in which 1000 lap desks were donated to two primary schools in Arusha recently by Tigo.

The donation was accompanied by a supplementary personal donation of mobile blackboards on behalf of Christina and Max Stenbeck, major shareholders of Millicom International Cellular (MIC), the holding company of Tigo Tanzania.

Eleven mobile blackboards were donated to the primary schools to assist teachers in need of the tools to improve education in their regions. As an added bonus, these teachers will be able to use the mobile blackboards in different environments, even outside the classrooms, boosting the morale of the students and introducing new and fun ways for children to learn.

The mobile blackboards make a perfect synergy with the lap desk donation done by Tigo, as they will both provide a mobile tool for the improvement of Tanzania痴 education. 的t is only proper for Tigo, a company that provides mobility to its customers, to help Tanzania痴 education in a mobile fashion Christina Stenbeck mentioned during a phone interview while she continues her visit to other countries where Tigo operates in Africa and Latin America.

By making this donation, Tigo continues to invest in Tanzania痴 education. This will also help in easing the teaching environment for teachers that experience challenges at the schools.

Tigo is continuing to support education by donating lap desks which are used as teaching aids for children, helping them to learn the alphabet, different shapes, mathematics time tables and the different colours, even in adverse conditions where they lack desks to perform their school duties. This is continuing to campaign to donate as part of an initiative to help education.

The company's representative in Arusha, Gaudens Mushi, said that he hoped that the lap desks would be seen as educational tools that would help children to learn more even when they are not at school.

“It is our obligation to contribute as much as we can to Tanzanian children痴 education and, for this reason, we decided to donate the lap desks, along with the Stenbeck痴 personal donation of mobile blackboards,he said.

The Arusha event is the second one by the private sector in education as when it started in Dar es Salaam, early this year, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam North, 1,000 lap-desks and chairs to Misewe Primary School of in Ilala Municipality in Dar es Salaam.

So long as the primary education is the most vital in a child痴 life and in Tanzania many schools, currently lacks the basic teaching aids, both institutions stated that they have decided to step in and help the country's future leaders.

A crucial teaching aids

Since lap-desk are designed ergonomically to suit the needs of the children, they can use them
sitting on the floor with their legs crossed or sitting on a chair while on the other hand it has a wing so that they can carry them easily.

As far as many schools have little or no furniture lap-desks as a substitute for a conventional desk, they gives the pupils appropriate conditions for learning such skills and accomplishments as reading and writing, arithmetic, mathematics, drawing, painting, etc.

Being the most important teaching aid lap desks have space to put a notebook and a book side by side, it helps children to learn, both in the classroom and while at home doing homework and other exercises.

Such tool represents valuable support to the school community in general and to the pupils in particular whilst creating difference spheres in learning conditions in particular suffice to say it improves the quality of education.

It is suggested by vision therapists that students using a lap desk stabilize material at the appropriate working distance from their eyes. The 20-degree tilt provided by the lap desk improves postural control of the entire body and aligns the eyes with the material more easily.

This makes focusing, eye movements and eye teaming more comfortable and efficient. The lap desk is portable and can go with the child as s/he sits on the floor or bed, or travels in the car. Having her or his own lap desk can be a good motivator for doing homework...and its fun!

On the other hand among the most important of all teaching aids used by teachers the mobile chalkboard surpasses all especially in impoverished environment where buildings' wall doesn't provides as suitable blackboard.

Ends

Libyan ambassador ordered to leave Zimbabwe

Harare

LIBYAN Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Taher Elmagrahi and his embassy staff have been ordered to leave the country immediately after they defected to the NATO-backed National Transitional Council on Wednesday.
The rebels this week claimed to have taken control of Libya after its leader Muammar Gaddafi reportedly fled and his whereabouts are still unknown.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said a lot of enquiries had been made to the ministry regarding the status of the Libyan Jamahiriya in Harare thereby making it necessary for the Ministry to clarify its status.
The ministry said the Government of Zimbabwe had relations with the government of the Libyan Jamahiriya.

"It does not have such relations with the National Transitional Council. If the Ambassador of the Embassy of the Libyan Jamahiriya in Harare and his staff defect to the National Transitional Council, they will cease to have legal status in Zimbabwe and will be requested to leave the country immediately. Flying the flag of the National Transitional Council in Harare is an illegal act under the laws of Zimbabwe," read the statement.

Ambassador Elmagrahi defected to the rebels on Wednesday and hoisted the NTC flag at the Libyan Embassy in Harare. Mr Elmagrahi wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announcing his defection on Wednesday. He then ordered the pulling down of the Libyan flag, replacing it with that of the rebels. He also witnessed the destruction of President Gaddafi's portraits by Libyans resident in Zimbabwe.

Mr Elmagrahi defended his decision saying he was following the will of the people. "We have a transition. We will follow our friendship with them (Zimbabwe). We will respect all our agreements with them. I represent all Libyans. I follow what they want. When they are like this, I follow them. I follow what they choose," he said.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Magrahi yesterday bemoaned foreign direct intervention saying it had denied constructive direct dialogue between Libyans despite efforts by the African Union.

"H.E the Ambassador Taher A El Magrahi, is obliged to express his profound gratitude to His Excellency, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe and the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe for the pivotal role and spirited effort at the Africa Union Peace and Security Council, aiming at finding a peaceful settlement for the Libyans crisis without foreign interference and African initiated solutions for African problems.

"Unfortunately this did not happen and the gravity of the crisis was compounded by the foreign direct intervention that denied any form of constructive direct dialogue between Libyans," he said.
Ambassador Magrahi said his appointment was done to represent the interests of the Libyan people and to enhance bilateral relations between Zimbabwe and Libya and "not representing the continuously changing political figures".

"The new flag that has been hoisted at the Embassy is the original flag of Libyan independence in 1951. This is the original Libyan flag of the independence of Libya, highly respected by all Libyans and has nothing to do with the changes that have taken place," he said.
Ambassador Magrahi said he would continue to stand by the side of the Libyan people "by representing their interests, freedom of choice and will no matter whatsoever, knowing that the volatility of the protracted Libyan crisis has created a new situation on the ground.

"Any decision taken by anyone regarding the new changes that have taken place requires a high degree of far-sightedness, judiciousness and candidly balanced approach taking into consideration the sensitivities of tormenting consequences of this horrific bloody conflict that has claimed an overwhelming number of victims and painfulness of the devastation caused and continued suffering of ordinary Libyans," Ambassador Magrahi said.

Social scenes

Stranded!






ROAD BLOCK!. . . Travellers to different destinations were recently stranded along the DAR ES Salaam-Tunduma Road after an accident occurred just near Morogoro, blocking the high way. The situation was helpless as stranded travellers, most of them cross border traders from Zambia, DRC, Zimbabwe and other surrounding countries were counting their losses as this was not only strenuous but also an inconvenience . A long queue of vehicles stretching for more than three kilometres formed and some of the passengers in those vehicles had no option but to sleep under the shade to avoid the burning sun.

Vendors at Work


An egg vendor attends to a customer in Dar es Salaam recently.



Vendors display their wares to attract potential customers in different buses at a bus terminus in Morogoro recently. With the cost of living continue to rising and life becoming difficult for many, a lot of youths have solace in vending to eke a living. It is, however , unfortunate that in most cases, they find themselves running battles with municipal police officers, who in most cases confiscate their goods. A permanent solution should there be found so that these people can operate without fear of harassment

Fuel shortages, power blackouts and traffic jams: Tanzania's dangerous combination

When my sister and her husband visited me last week, they wanted to take the opportunity of being in Dar es Salaam to sample some commodities from one of East Africa's largest markets, Kariakoo. The situation was nothing out of the ordinary as the streets were seemingly busy, congested with people of all walks of life thronging the place for various reasons.

It's not everyone who visits this place has good intentions. As we were walking along one of the busiest and crowded streets, I was surprised to find my right foot knocking against something. What surprised me is that I had scanned the road while walking, I hadn't seen any stone or boulder on the tarred road. When I looked down, I discovered that I had stepped upon someone's foot.

I quickly turned around to see the owner of that foot and apologise since I believe in making peace with everyone. I was surprised that the guy was becoming aggressive, pointing at his foot as if it had been stepped upon by a tractor or something heavy. He was strategically positioned so that I turn my heard towards a certain angle. He also made sure that he caught the attention of the other guys I was walking with. When everyone was busy trying to come to terms with this guy - whose dressing left a lot to be desired and whose skin showed that it had not been washed for a long time, the clothes were not only tattered but were dirty – another guy was busy searching my pockets.

The guy succeeded to get all the money that I had from the pocket but was very unlucky as I detected his intentions and got hold of his hand before he could successfully fish-out the money out of the pocket. In fact, I intercepted his hand while it was almost out of the pocket and had it not for the shirt that I was wearing, he could have succeeded.

When he saw that he had been discovered, and when we learnt that the whole scenario was a set up, it was our turn to turn the tables and start scolding them. As peace-loving citizens we did not resort to violence but left them walking away with their tails in between their legs like dogs. Such is life.

After that narrow escape, I became more careful and no one could play the same trick again. In fact I was now vigilant to such an extent that I did not want anyone standing closer to me for no reason. We continued with our journey and as we went into most of the shops, especially those that are located inside some buildings or in corridors and so on, business in those areas was almost zero as there was no electricity. In fact, the shops were engulfed with darkness to such an extent that shopkeepers had to use torches.

Upon trying to figure out the problem, I discovered that electricity had been cut due to load-shedding. I knew that that was common but wondered as to why the owners had failed to purchase generators them knowing very well that electricity was problematic. The shop owners told me that they had the generators but could not operate them as there was no fuel. I quickly remembered the problem of fuel that was gripping the nation and upon a closer look on the streets, I also discovered that vehicles in the area were very few.

Under normal circumstances it will be impassable in Kariakoo as vehicles, pushcarts, pedestrians and everyone will be struggling to pass through these narrow roads, but on this day, it was a different tune. Only pushcarts and pedestrians were visible due to the fuel crisis.

Since time was not on our side, we were left without a choice but to buy some clothes and other items under those conditions. We then proceeded to a certain shop where , by the use of a torch, bought a lady's suit. The suit was not only unique but good. After paying, trying out various sizes and colours, the shopkeeper packed it for us and we left there convinced and happy. We went around buying other items, but it was until we got home that we noticed that the suit we had bought was of two different colours. The skirt had a slightly darker colour as compared to the jacket. The differences could not be seen using the torch but were clearly visible under day light.

We had no option but to return the suit the following day to the shopkeeper who was equally elated that we had brought it back because she was going to run a loss since no one could have bought a similar suit that had remain in the shop. These are some of the problems that wananchi come across due to the shortage of fuel and power. Many businesses are bleeding because of the shortage of these two precious commodities, not to mention the problem of traffic jams that is making it almost impossible for someone to move from one part of the city to the other.

The government should do something to solve these problems. On the problem of fuel, the media reported last week that two major fuel suppliers in this country have remained adamant while closing shop as their service stations are still to operate. It is a shame that things have come to that level and I believe that the government should take deterrent measures when dealing with this problem.

BP Oil Company is said to have defied a government directive to resume supplying the commodity by Wednesday evening, last week. Engen is also said to be under probe. I believe that the government should never be held at ransom by such investors. I know there is need for the investors to make a profit and this means the government should not cut fuel prices for the sake of it, or for political gains. If operators cannot make profits after these fuel cuts then the government should revise the price cuts and put in place measures that makes it profitable.

Wananchi are tired of these problems and the sooner they are solved the better. Traffic jams are a nuisance in this city and only those who are escorted by the police and having the roads opened for them don't know what it is like to be in a traffic jam. With the fuel being scarce, it becomes counterproductive to stay long hours in traffic jams, consuming the little fuel that the motorists have.

It is unfortunate that wananchi are the ones to suffer. They are the ones who are left without a choice as their options are limited. Traffic jams, fuel shortages and power blackouts becomes a dangerous combination for the ordinary person on the street who does not have any option but to endure them all. The government should do something touchable to deal with these problems. God bless us allegations

bongoblast@thisda.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Woman gives birth to a snake

Swaziland

A DEVIL worshipper in Swaziland said she has given birth to a seven-headed snake and vomited up live starfish. Patience Tsabedze (27) is a self-confessed former devil worshipper married to a police officer.

According to the husband, Constable Mfanzile Malaza, his wife turned her back on devil worship just two months ago, when she was "saved" by notorious exorcist Pastor Muzi Manana.
Since quitting devil worship, Patience has complained of many strange ailments, mostly involving the vomiting of live animals such as spiders, fish, worms and even starfish.

The creatures are usually spewed up along with "gallons" of blood and disposed of down the lavatory. On the 7th of July Patience told husband Mfanzile that she was suffering from what she could only describe as labour pains, the police constable told her to go to the toilet and "push out" whatever was inside her.

Patience complied and subsequently squeezed a seven-headed serpent through her vagina, according to Mfanzile's account of the incident.
"It was my first time seeing such a snake, a seven-headed one with glittering eyes.

"I tried to kill it but it hid inside the toilet so we decided to flush it," he said.
"He tried to kill it using a log but as he fought it, it hid inside the water and it was flushed away," Patience also explained. "Just a few days ago, I vomited live worms which I flushed in the toilet," she added. - Umusoto

Of Ewura, fuel prices slashing confusion and the fuel scarcity drama

Reaping what we sow is always the destiny of humanity, and, in most cases we either enjoy the fruits of our sweat or we suffer the consequences of our actions. Whether we like it or not, what we do everyday always have a direct bearing on what we will be tomorrow.

It is always human tendency that when ever they become successful after embarking on an adventure such as a business, they quickly acknowledge their efforts and what they would have done in the past to get where they would be. But, if it turns the other way round and become a complete failure and a disgrace, they tend to play it safe and embark on blame game. In most cases, they blame others for their failures or look for silly excuses, forgetting that it's what they either did or did not do that lead them to that miserable situation.

This rightly applies to our situation in this country. A lot of things have been happening and at the end of the day we end up crying foul without digging deeper at the causes of these problems. The events that rocked the country lately are not an exception. Fuel suddenly disappeared, in fact service stations, over night, ran dry simply because fuel prices had been cut. It's a shame that wananchi had to suffer because of some people who were sitting on their laurels.

The situation was pathetic; the bulk of service stations had no fuel. I was one of the victims of this inhuman and deliberate move. I got stuck as my vehicle ran out of fuel. The little that was in the tank could not take me home. A friend of mine had to come to my rescue as she offered me five litres of petrol she had reserved for her generator. The old age adage that says, where two elephants fight the grass suffers, rightly applied during that period as Ewura and fuel service stations owners were fighting over fuel prices.

The problem with us in this country is that we take things casually and don't mind whether the promises made to us are fulfilled. This has seen most of us being taken for a ride by these politicians. We are tired of empty promises especially during elections. When some of these guys are campaigning, they promise us of many developmental projects and instead of fulfilling them after we vote for them, they disappear into thin air only to come back when the next elections are drawing closer. What surprises me is that even if they cheated us the last time, we quickly forgive them and forget at the sight of khangas and money for beer. This leads us into voting for incompetent people who bring no development at all. We no longer mind whether the promises are fulfilled or not.

On the same footing, when announcing the budget in June, Minister Mkulo promised wananchi that fuel prices were to drop at the beginning of July, but when that date came no one made a fuss out of it. Business continued as usual and even the regulatory body, Ewura remained tight lipped. The same filling stations rushed to raise the prices of kerosene without waiting for Ewura's directive.

It was sad because from the day that fuel prices were expected to come tumbling down in July, and every time motorists drove to fuel stations, their hopes were dashed when they discovered that the prices hadn’t shifted a bit. Asking the petrol attendants proved to be a mere wastage of time as they were also in the dark. They simply didn’t know and in fact they seemed not to know anything.

Many people deliberately delayed to fill the tanks of their vehicles hoping that the prices were to come down but this seemed to remain just but a dream.

As one of those waiting for this day I was then shocked when I came across an announcement from Ewura in newspapers saying that it was impossible for fuel prices to come down because the shilling was not doing well in the financial market. Out of anger, I wrote the following two paragraphs but did not publish them.

“This is absurd to say the least because it had been announced and was expected that the regulatory body will announce new prices for fuel on the 1astof July. Many media organizations ran stories to that effect and I believe Ewura was not supposed to wait for expectations of people to become so high and then after some few days of silence, after the D' day, they drop a bomb shell.

Where was Ewura when the whole nation was building castles in the air. They should have come with a rejoinder there and then quashing fuel price drop expectations. Again, it doesn’t make any logic to ordinary wananchi that after all those taxes and charges were scrapped, the prices remain the same. There might be need for further explanation.”

I really don't know why I failed to finish the analysis I intended to write but what is interesting is that the whole saga has taken a new twist. Barely a month after Ewura announced that it wasn't feasible for the prices to be reduced, they finally gazetted the slashed prices. It now remains confusing as to why they made a U-turn and ended up slashing the prices. Something is fishy here.

It shows that something is not right here. All these inconsistencies should be explained and it won't be surprising if no adequate measures were taken to counter what happened last week. Ewura should have anticipated resistance from the owners of service stations and should have taken measures prior to that. Most of these service providers were arguing that they could not reduce prices because they had bought the commodity at a higher price. This could have been averted if the government had started by slashing those taxes maybe three or so days before gazetting the new prices so that operators could clear all their old stock.

Service providers on the other hand should not be thick headed as it is expected for a business at one point or the other to run at a loss. It only becomes disturbing if the business continues to run at a loss. If a few thousand litres, bought before tax reductions are sold at a reduced price, will this lead these companies to bankruptcy? After all they have been making a lot of money for a long time. It is always normal for these operators to hike prices without thinking twice once Ewura gazettes price hikes but when it comes to reductions, they cry foul.

The whole issue revolves around us. Wise people say what goes around comes around. And, this is exactly the situation we are in right now. We continue crying over spilt milk while we have the power to change the situation. The country is facing a lot of crises right now and what do we do, we watch as if everything is okay.

When I came across one of the discussions on the internet, one person summarized everything when he said: "Mafuta yapo hayauzwi, umeme upo hauwashwi, . . .magamba yapo hayavuliwi.. . ". Which can be loosely translated, we have fuel but it is not being sold, we have electricity but it is not being turned on and we have ‘scales’ but they are not being shed. What else can I add? God bless us.

Bongoblast@thisday.co.tz, symeniah.blogspot.com, 0657651300

Tanzania: Adequate health care services vital in fighting HIV,AIDS

Tusekile Mwambetania and Nora Muchaki
Dar es Salaam

Accessibility and availability of adequate health care and HIV & AIDS services is vital not only for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) but also health service users whose lives are endangered once they lack these key services. It is, however, unfortunate that these important services are difficult to access for many in this country due to various reasons, many of them avoidable.

A recent visit by Sikika, a non governmental organisation, to Kondoa and Mpwapwa districts in Dodoma revealed a sorry state of affairs as people there face challenges when it come to accessing health services. The situation there showed the sad reality of many challenges, in accessing quality health services, for Tanzanians especially in rural areas.

This is so despite the government's effort to try and curb the problem of inadequate health facilities. The government intends to construct and make sure that there is a health care facility in each village, as the Primary Health Development Programme instructs, but it is common to find a newly constructed facility, not operating because of lack of health workers.

The shortage of health workers is a problem that has been affecting this country for a long time and it is now a tired story. The situation is worse in rural areas which trained professionals shun because of unconducive working and living environment.

Kondoa District is one such example where in Makorongo Ward; there are two clinics in Khubunko and Maziwa that were built and remained closed because there are no health workers. In Chase Ward, a dispensary was forced to close down because the only health worker who was in charge had died.

For the few facilities that are operational, some are manned by very few staff members who can be as few as four per facility. These attend to between 20 – 70 patients a day, including PLHIV. During month end, these workers have to travel to town to collect their salaries and either leave one staff who will endure all the workload or they close the clinic all of of them go.

Why can’t easy ways of receiving salaries for health workers in rural areas be sought without them leave their duty stations? Tanzania already has a Human Resource crisis in the health sector and deliberate efforts should be sought to provide incentives in order to retain the available health workers. This will reduce stress on the part of available few health workers and ensure continuity of the health services throughout the year.

Some clinics only offer Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT), which only provides counseling and testing services. It will then require patients to travel far for Care and Treatment Centres (CTCs) mostly in town for treatment and for CD4 count. This has its challenges because transport cost is not affordable to most villagers. As if that is not enough, most health facilities in rural areas have CTCs but do not have a CD4 count machine, which again requires patients to travel far to have the CD4 check or not go at all because they can’t afford; they continue taking their ARVs for years without checking the status of CD4. This is not right because treatment is effective if it considers patient’s CD4 count for the purpose of monitoring patients.

A clinic in Kisese Ward, Kisese Health Center has a CTC but does not have a CD4 count machine. Other centers are Hamai in Songolo Ward, Busi Ward, and Kwamtoro ward to mention just a few. Patients are required to travel to either Kondoa or Dodoma town for CD4 count services. Other wards that have health centers in Mpwapwa without CD4 count machines are Kibakwe, Rudi, Mima and Pwaga, and the list continues.

Some health facilities for instance in Mpwapwa (Mpwapwa District Hospital), do not have not only the CD4 count machine but also a malaria test kit. Malaria is one of the major opportunistic infections, which goes hand in hand with HIV & AIDS treatment. According to service users, for Mpwapwa District Hospital this problem has existed for more than a year now. With situations like this, the number of PLHIV who undergo CD4 count will continuously decrease instead of increasing despite its importance.

Priorities and needs of PLHIV are not included into national plans and hence aren’t budgeted for. The channel through which citizens can be involved in plans and monitor the implementation of plans is HIV & AIDS committees. It is a pity that these committees that were government initiative are not functional. Like in most parts of the country, Kondoa and Mpwapwa are not exceptional; The committees have been formed, the procedures to select the representatives were not always followed because the composition is not as it is stated in the guideline for forming committees that came from the Presidents Office. In Kondoa and Mpwapwa most committee representatives that Sikika spoke to were not aware of their responsibilities. According to these representatives, government promised to conduct capacity building sessions to all committees on their roles and responsibilities after they were just formed but it is more than five years now, they are still waiting for them to come. The committees also do not receive any financial or other basic support from the government. Most committees do not even conduct regular meetings as it is stated in the guideline.

In order to fight the HIV & AIDS epidemic effectively at the local level, the AIDS Control Committees were formed at the village, mtaa, ward, district and city municipality levels. Some of the roles of AIDS committees are to collect views and ideas of all stakeholders in order to assist in the management, documentation and implementation of HIV & AIDS programmes. The committees should also work closely with citizens in order to evaluate and give recommendation based on the AIDS situation in the areas such as infection rate, number of those infected and contributing factors to the disease. If the committees are not empowered, HIV & AIDS will remain a national catastrophe and will continue to affect many people.

The health policy of Tanzania clearly states its aim of improving health status of all Tanzanians especially the marginalized by having good health systems that will benefit citizens and prolong their lives. The vision is to have a healthy society that will contribute productively in the development of the country. With the health trend in the country currently, can we really say we are on the right track?

The writers of this article, Tusekile Mwambetania is the Head of Department of HIV & AIDS while Nora Muchaki is an Intern at Sikika

A lighter side of life

Mayor runs over illegally parked car in tank

A Lithuanian politician has been filmed using an armoured vehicle to crush a car parked illegally in a cycle lane.
Arturas Zuokas, the eccentric mayor of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, says in the clip: "That's what will happen if you park your car illegally."
The apparent owner then arrives to see his wrecked Mercedes being towed away.
"In the past few days, expensive cars have been illegally parked in almost this exact place - a Rolls-Royce and a Ferrari," Mayor Zuokas said.
"What should the city do about drivers who think that they are above the law? It seems that a tank is the best solution."
The stunt was shot over the weekend for a popular Swedish TV series, 99 Things You Should Do Before You Die, and has been posted on YouTube.
In the video, Mr Zuokas ticks off the car's owner, sweeps up the broken glass from the wreckage and then hops on a bicycle and rides off.
"You have to have a sense of humour in my line of work and I thought this would be a way of drawing attention to the fact that the city intends to be proactive in its fight against illegal parking," the mayor said.- Ananova.com


Man's 1,000 mile hike to win bride


A Chinese Proclaimers fan got more than she bargained for when she jokingly told her boyfriend she would only marry him if he walked 1,000 miles.
Ling Hsueh, 23, made the comment in reference to the Scottish duo's song 500 Miles after Liu Peiwen, 29, proposed to her.
The chorus goes: "But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the man who walked a thousand miles, to fall down at your door."
But before Ling got around to telling Liu that she was only joking, he had bought a rucksack and set off from Henan province on the marathon hike.
He said: "The distance from here to her hometown in the Guangdong province, in southeastern China, is 1,600 kilometers - which is exactly 1,000 miles.
"When I get there I hope she is waiting for me and I will ask her again - and I hope she says yes."
Ling told local media: "He's such a fruitcake. I would have married him anyway and was only joking when I said he had to walk a 1,000 miles."
She added: "He was already on the way when I realised."
The trip is expected to take six weeks and Liu added: "I love walking and always wanted to see more of the country - but my love was the final push I needed to set off."

Fuel scarcity drama in pictures

The following pictures show various scenes taken across the city. Some fuel stations were deserted while others were a hive of activity. Where the precious liquid was being sold, wananchi were scrambling for it while some fuel attendants were left without an option but to sit as there was no fuel to sell.

Tanzania Newspapers Today

Fuel crisis continues

Today's newspapers continue focusing on fuel crisis gripping the country. They show how pathetic the situation was yesterday. A survey, conducted by Bongo Blast this morning, however, tells a different story. A number of service stations have began selling the commodity. Some are limiting the quantities, while others are not serving those with plastic containers and those with motorcycles. Just like The Citizen has mentioned, this is a test to the country and everyone is waiting to see how this drama will unfold until its end.

The drama continues. . . .






Source: www.johnbadi.blogspot.com

Whither to Ewura as Tanzania runs dry

(Read the Editorial for more)
Tanzania's service stations overnight have run dry after EWURA gazetted fuel prices slash. A snap survey in Dar es Salaam by Bongo Blast revealed that most service stations are not offering services claiming that they don't have fuel. Ewura should take deterrent measures before the situation gets out of hand.



href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOq9z0f6k6dk8aoLF5HgvQOgdTSvc3kPIUO2omZrRLRKib-wTm-cx5xID8PbdoW7d60dyy_1fYeQL7xF_ngGjuoEskiKfO9-8vRUtSXegtAHTRHEoiN4dS4DTmuZx4p-rLgMT1BwfjLdN/s1600/fuel+2.JPG">

The situation in Mbeya is not encouraging as the above pictures show. Some petrol stations are deserted while the few one with fuel are failing to cope as wananchi scramble for the precious liquid. (Source: Full Shangwe blog)

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Paying the price of fuel reduction in Dar es Salaam. (source Bongoweekend blog)

Tanzania Newspapers Today

Today's mainstream newspapers extensively covered the 9 percent fuel prices cuts. In fact this was the lead story for most of the newspapers. Though it is good news especially to wananchi whose pockets have been strained for a long time by the ever rising cost of living. Another story, related to the main one, is that of 2,549 tonnes of imported fuel intercepted by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) at Dar Port after it failed to meet local standards. The petrol will be returned to the country of origin. There are, however, other stories such as the one on fish imported from Japan that made headlines recently as the authorities raised fears overs the consignment having exposed to possible radiation. This story also, was covered by many newspapers on their front pages. (See editorial for the lead story comment)

Zombe 'atishia' kujinyonga

Aliyekuwa Kaimu Kamanda wa Polisi Mkoa wa Dar es Salaam, Abdalah Zombe akizungumza na waandishi wa habari nje ya Mahakama Kuu jijini Dar es Salaam jana asubuhi.

Katika maelezo yake Zombe alisema kuwa anamshangaa Mbunge wa Arusha mjini, ambaye pia ni Waziri Kivuli wa Mambo ya Ndani ,Godbless Lema kwa kitendo chake cha kuhoji kuhusu uhalali wa hukumu ya Zombe katika kesi iliyokuwa ikimkabili ya Mauaji ya wafanyabiashara wa madini kutoka Mahenge.

Zombe alisema kuwa Lema, haijui Katiba ya Tanzania na kufafanua kuwa Lema kama mbunge, Bunge ni muhimili wa Dola unaojitegemea na vile vile pia Mahakama ni muhimili wa Dola unaojitegemea. Hivyo alimshangaa Lema kuwa hakutakiwa kuhoji maamuzi halali ya Mahakama.

Aidha aliongeza kusema kuwa Wabunge wa CHADEMA hawajui watendalo bungeni na kuwa endapo Chadema watapata ridhaa ya kuongoza nchi, yeye Zombe atajinyonga.

"Endapo kama CHADEMA watatawala nchi hii, mimi nitajinyonga kabisa" Hiki ni chama cha hovyo na wabunge wake ni wa hovyo. "Hawaijui Katiba",alisema.

Zombe alimaliza kwa kusema kuwa anamfahamu Lema siku nyingi na kwamza alikuwa ni mmoja kati ya wanamtandao wa wizi wa magari kutoka nchini Kenya akiwa na wenzake.

Source: Daily Mitikasi

Journalism colleges to participate in broadcasting competition

Simbarashe Msasanuri

Four journalism colleges will battle for honours as they lock horns in a broadcasting competition to be held at Royal College on Friday at 10AM.

According to the Coordinator of Studies at Time School of Journalism (TSJ), Madam Blandina Semaganga, during an exclusive interview with Bongo Blast, four colleges will participate in the competition and they are: TSJ, Royal College, Dar es Salaam School of Journalism (DSJ) and DACICO.


TSJ Principal Caroline Setumbi

“Preparations are at an advanced stage and lecturers from these colleges last week, held a series of meetings to iron out many issues such as that of judges and choose a committee,” she said adding that TSJ students were to visit Royal College studios today (Wednesday) for a familiarization tour so that they get used to the studios before the competition.

The competition will see students from these colleges airing various radio programmes such as news, entertainment, serious programmes, interviews and so on. Winners will walk away with various prizes while every participant will get a certificate of participation.


TSJ Coordinator of Studies Blandina Semaganga

According to Semaganga, all the students from these colleges are invited to witness the competitions.

Also speaking to Bongo Blast in an another exclusive interview, TSJ Principal, Madam Caroline Setumbe hailed the competition as a positive move in as far as providing exposure to students is concerned.

“The competitions will benefit our school and our students in that they get exposure. Besides them advertising the college and themselves, they will interact with media stakeholders, opening doors for employment opportunities,” she said.

She, however, pointed out that she was confident that TSJ was going to win the competitions. Only time will tell.

Of demystifying HIV/AIDS and diluting male sexual appetite

A Tanzanian legislator has come under fire from different sectors of the society after courting the limelight by saying that all those who contracted HIV did it deliberately. What surprises most is the fact that the legislator has stood by his words, he simply refused to withdraw his statements.

The MP for Nkasi North, Mr Ally Kessy Mohamed, has insisted that he will never withdraw a statement he made in Parliament that people infected with HIV got it deliberately.

Whether it's a matter of ignorance , on AIDS, or was a deliberate move to court controversy by the legislator remains debatable but the fact remains that it’s a shame that people who are supposed to lead by example especially in fighting stigma and discrimination are the ones promoting it.

The coming in of the dread HIV/Aids seems to have brought with it confusion to humanity. This has seen many people doing or saying absurd things about the virus that a normal thinking person will never dare. The problem of mystifying HIV/AIDS has contributed to the stigma and discrimination those who contracted the disease are facing.

So many people have been segregated, chased out of their lodgings or lost their jobs simply because they contracted HIV. It is a shame that stigma and discrimination continue to rear its ugly head at a time where the whole globe is supposed to unite in fighting a common enemy.

It seems when it comes to the disease, our leaders sometimes lose it as they continue to give not only fun but also awkward suggestions as to deal with the problem. A Senator in Zimbabwe, was last week quoted as proposing that there be a drug to be injected on men to reduce their insatiable sexual desire so that they can have sex once a month, claiming that would curb the spread of HIV.

Sithembile Mlotshwa, the representative for Matobo, urged the Senate to support scientific research “into a substance that will make men lose (sexual) appetite”.

“We have looked at the use of condoms and abstinence but I still think we have to look at the rate of mating of human beings because through their mating, HIV is being spread,” Mlotshwa said while contributing to a debate on HIV/Aids and access to treatment.

She went on: “The only avenue left is for us as parliamentarians to decide or suggest reducing the appetite of men and their insatiable greed for women.

"If the scientists that we have here look into the issue of trying to inject men with a substance that will make them lose appetite, and use that chance once a month at home, I think that might help.”
Another bombshell erupted from Swaziland where a member of parliament came under fire for suggesting making HIV tests compulsory and branding warning logos on the buttocks of those with the disease.

"Before having sex with anyone, people will have to check their partners' buttocks before proceeding," he explained.

All these are contributions from legislators voted by people, who expect them not only to represent them in parliament but also to come up with sound policies that will go a long way in solving their problems such as HIV.

It is high time we deal with stigma and discrimination. There is no need to segregate those living with the virus because no one is immune to the virus. The problem with those people who segregate others is that they are living in darkness, they have never gone for an HIV test and they simply don't know their status. In most cases, it is a matter of a pot calling another pot black. Gone are the days of thinking that someone with the virus is an outcast especially if we do not know our status.

This leads to many people going into self denial when they later get tested and find out that they are HIV positive. I know of many people, including my relatives, who ended up dying, denying that they had the virus despite the doctors having told them so. They sought solace in witchcraft as they spent their fortune and time going around consulting traditional healers, who in most cases tell them what they want to hear. They are told that they had been bewitched by their relatives who are jealous of their progress in life. What a shame.

I think it is high time we demystify this disease and begin treating it like any other. We know that it is compulsory, in some countries, for children to undergo immunization against the five killer diseases such as polio, typhoid, measles and so on then why can't it be compulsory for HIV.

The secrecy surrounding the disease is the one that is killing us. If testing could be made compulsory and made mandatory that the results are not secretive as they are now, then all the mystery surrounding HIV will disappear and in the long run, will be treated as any other disease where people will be open about it. I believe that the reason we have a lot of stigma and discrimination is the fact that AIDS has been mystified and is viewed as taboo.

Governments, through out the world, especially in Africa should put in place laws compelling men and women to first of all get tested before getting married. Many lives could be saved that way as many people will get into their marriages knowing the status of their loved ones. This will then make them take precautionary measures and avoid infecting each other.

A lot of ground still have to be covered in as far as fighting this disease is concerned. It only takes us to change the perception we have of the disease. God bless you all.
Bongoblast@thisday.co.tz/symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300

Tanzania: End the legislators expulsion drama

The recent events rocking the Parliament should not be tolerated if the sanity of the House is ever to be maintained. Last week alone, four legislators were ordered out of the House in circumstances that have seen many people branding it the house of comedy.

The first to be kicked out was the Nyamanga MP, Ezekiel Wenje, who was accused of being “disrespectful” to the chair, following a heated debate with the House Chairperson, Sylvester Mabumba. As if that was not enough, the following day, three more opposition legislators were ordered not only out of the debating chamber but off the Bunge grounds for ignoring the deputy speaker's directive not to switch on microphones without permission from the chair.

The legislators are Tundu Lissu (Singida West), Rev Peter Msigwa (Iringa Urban) and Godbless Lema (Arusha Urban). What boggles the minds of many is the fact that all the legislators that have been shown the door so far belong to the opposition camp and this proves right an old adage that where two elephants fight, the grass suffers. The two camps might be trying to prove a point here but that is hardly needed right now. There are more pressing issues the House should deal with rather than embarking on a fight or a struggle to prove superiority and show who is better between those in the ruling party and the opposition.

The growing and disturbing trend of disruptions in the House where legislators end up being chased has received mixed feelings among the people. But, what is important when it comes to this issue is that the people who are disadvantaged are the ones who voted these legislators into parliament. Firstly, those legislators who end up being chased out will be having important issues to iron out, of which the bureaucracy and procedures of the House seem to stifle; hence they remain defiant, in a bid to fully represent their constituencies.

The powers that be in the House should be tolerant and find other ways of punishing legislators they feel are being respectful. This is so because chasing them out of the house is tantamount to chasing the whole constituency as no one will be there to represent them. This is a disservice not only to wananchi but to the country as a whole as Parliament needs these legislators' contributions for it to come up with sound policies and resolutions.

The chaos cannot be tolerated and legislators should find common ground. As long as there is no threat to human life, the justification of expelling a person out of the House remains questionable and as there could be other means of dealing with these problems. This has to be nipped in the bud and failure to control it at this stage will prove disastrous as chaos will reign supreme in the House, a move that might see more legislators being thrown out of the house.

Constituencies sent legislators to the House, not to sleep as others often do, but to represent their interests and make sure that a lot of things are ironed out. When legislators who are trying to express themselves and having issues clarified are chased out of the House then who will blame them if they go and sleep, without contributing anything. Maturity and tolerance are needed in the House for progress' sake. Legislators have a duty to perform, not to fight personal battles, so discipline should be upheld without disadvantaging wananchi who elected them. (ends)