Dina Marios: Using microphone to change lives

 The Tanzania Women Achievement Awards (TWAA) hosted its fourth awards giving ceremony at Serena Hotel last week. The event, meant to honour women who made a difference in this country, saw scores of them walking away with various prizes for their sterling work and sacrifices.

But, the top honours went to none other than Dina Marios, a lady with an angelic voice that has turned the fortunes of many disadvantaged Tanzanians.

Dina is arguably one of the few people who can make use of their talents for the benefit of the community. Through her radio programme, Leo Tena, listeners’ lives never remain the same; she thrives to fight for the empowerment of women and children living in difficult circumstances.

This paper tracked the winner to her hub, Clouds FM, where she revealed that the award has motivated her to continue with her efforts of supporting women in the country through her radio programme.

Explaining more on the popular radio programme, Leo Tena, that has revolutionized the face of broadcasting in this country, Dina said it rocks the airwaves from Monday to Friday at 10:00am to 13:00pm.

She added that the programme that attracts thousands of women listeners, not to mention men, is an interactive one and has three different segments that deal with women and children affairs.

Dina believes that it was the radio programme that saw her scooping the Best Woman Awards 2013 and she has every reason to be proud once she looks back at what she has achieved in helping the disadvantaged.

“You know, as a young woman I am so proud of my achievement. This TWAA award has real made me proud of my work and I have been creating different radio segments aimed at discussing women affairs," she said.

Through her radio programme Dina embarked on a massive fundraising campaign to support children at Mwandaliwa Orphanage Center located at Mbweni in Dar es Salaam, who were on the verge of returning to the streets to beg.

Dina said that she got wind of the sorry state of affairs from one of her listeners, who tipped her on the goings on at the orphanage and how children were suffering.

She took the initiative to visit the center where she talked to the owner of the centre, who explained the situation on the ground.

During the interview with the owner, Dina noticed that the centre was in dire need of money to support various activities as some children had dropped out of school due to lack of school fees.

Lack of food was also among major problems rocking the orphanage as some children could spend a day without eating anything.

After getting the full details, Dina got back to the studio and started a campaign to support the center.

It took her three days to raise six million shillings and different food stuffs such as rice, beans and flour as well as other important basic needs.

Dina revealed that she also participated in trying to save the life of a famous film actor, Said Kilowoko known as Sajuki. She used her radio programme in soliciting for funds for his treatment.

She appreciates the radio management: the MD, Joseph Kusaga and Sebastian Maganga the Radio Programmes Manager for their support and encouragement.

“I remember when I was continuing with my programme of fundraising for Sajuki’s treatment, one of the bosses Rugemalila Mutahaba came and also joined the effort by organising artists to sing a song known as Mboni Yangu that was used to encourage people to contribute towards the cause.

“As a result, politicians and other people joined hands in supporting it,” she said.

In her radio programmes, Dina encourages listeners to donate what they have no matter how small it is.

She also takes the opportunity to preach about the role each member of the community can play in changing the lives of people surrounding them.

Since the majority of her listeners are women they easily cope and follow her advices.

"I have that power in me. I can convince people to follow my advice that means I can use the power of the microphone in changing the community," she said.

Asked on what set her onto the path to become one of the most powerful broadcasters in the country, Dina said people used to tell her that she had a good voice for broadcasting. So one day, one of her friends, who were attached at Times Radio, took her to the studio and showed her how things are done.

The experience had to change her life forever as she was inspired to realize the dream. So, she went to Arusha where she joined Radio 5 on a three-month attachment.

From there she had short stints with Triple A radio and Time FM on part time bases before she joined Clouds FM in 2006.

"After I joined Clouds FM, I realize that it is a radio more inclined to entertainment so I had to arrange my programme in the same format while giving priority to community issues in a different way," Dina said.

Dina mostly uses Taarab music to entertain her listeners and as a platform to deliver her messages to the people.

The 26 years old diva from Kagera Region has also assisted in the organisation of Mwanamakuka Awards backed by the United Women Friends (UWF) aimed at honouring women.

Through her Leo Tena radio programme, Dina promotes the awards and became part of the Mwanamakuka Awards where they support budding entrepreneurs.

Touched by the plight of house helps in the country, Dina is the founder of awards for house girls in Tanzania held every May and has been in existence for the past three years.

She believes that if the community recognizes the importance of house girls and offer effective support, financially and materially, they will continue with their vital work in the community.

Dina said that house girls are very important in our daily lives as they take care of our families through cooking, washing dishes as well as rearing our children.

She added that as a radio presenter, she understands the importance of house girls that’s why she launched awards for them.

"In these awards we offer certificates as well as money to the winners and their bosses, who are responsible for writing letters of recognition to us, that shows the extent they recognize the contribution made by the girls in their lives," She said.

Speaking about her experiences in dealing with house girls, Dina said that she had an opportunity to meet a house girl who had worked for a certain family for 30 years.

She also met another house girl who had lived with a certain family for 25 years and she continued with her work even after the mother and father of the house had died.

Dina honoured the two ladies with awards as some cash and urged members of the community to borrow the same leaf.

"What I can say is let’s support them, give them love and together we can make the society free of any kind of harassment to house girls," she argued.