TGNP MISTREATS JOURNALISTS AT GENDER FESTIVAL 2011 IN DAR

Miss Lilian Liundi, the TGNP Communication Officer

AS per invitation, journalists turned to the Gender Festival-2011 at TGNP Mabibo in Dar es Salaam from 13th September, 2011 to September 16th, , but were disappointed by the way they were treated by Kenny Ngomuo-TGNP, Lilian Liundi-TGNP and Ananilea Nkya-TAMWA.
In fact these three people are very dangerous to the media fraternity. They are the ones who were there to mistreat journalists.
TGNP should take note of these people if they want to continue working in harmony with journalists in Tanzania.
Once journalists are invited to attend any of the programmes, it is essential, as a matter of hospitality, to be paid some allowance for taking their time on the matter.
But alas, on Friday September 16th September, 2011 during the closing ceremony last week, things turned ugly as journalists left TGNP offices disappointed, when Lilian Liundi, the Communications Officer broke out news that no allowance was available to them, as per agreement prior to the festival.
Lilian, with no respect at all to the journalists said that no allowance was available to journalists from Dar es Salaam, unless they produced cuttings of their reporting of the festival events, while other participants, including upcountry journalists and gays were being paid on their presence.
She said: “You are not entitled to any allowance unless you bring your cuttings, showing how you have reported the event.”
This is a disgrace to the journalism profession, showing how journalists are being mistreated by TGNP and her partners.
Please make sure that journalists are paid their due whenever they attend any of your functions and if you cannot pay them, please do not invite them at all.
Due to act of disregard to journalists, we have decided that no journalist will ever attend any of the functions conducted by TGNP in future and editors should take note of that.
Journalists are not there to be used to foster TGNP campaigns and then ignored in that manner.
According to reports, most journalists who had been reporting the event fo four consecutive days, left TGNP offices without having any food as nothing was served to them, who were there since morning.
Time has passed when journalists were used as mere tools to send messages through, just to be ignored like that.
Journalists must be respected due to their profession so that they could perform their duties diligently.
I think this message will be heeded in order to have a good working relationship with TGNP and other such organisations in future.

TGNP WALETA WASENGE KWENYE TAMASHA LA JINSIA 2011

KITENDO CHA TGNP KULETA WASENGE KWENYE TAMASHA LA JINSIA 2011 HUKO MABIBO WIKI ILIYOPITA NI CHA KULAANIWA. SERIKALI INAPASWA KULIANGALIA SUALA HILO KIKAMILIFU NA IKIWEZEKANA KUWAFUNGIA KABISA WATU HAWA AMBAO WANATAKA KUTUPELEKA PABAYA.

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MR.Thomas Mihayo
MR.Thomas Mihayo, the Retired High Court Judge has brushed speculations from amongst the people in the country that a top government stalwart exerted pressure on judges to impose harsh life imprisonment on Nguza Viking 'Babu Seya' the accredited musical practinioner and his sons.
He said: “It’s not true at all…I went through the proceedings of the case and came to realise that what was being said in the streets about this case was purely gossip, with no elements of truth.”
He said surprisingly, the media were reporting these gossips,in full gear.
Judge Mihayo, the incumbent Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) Ethics Committee, said he had thoroughly read court proceedings of the sodomy case against Babu Seya and his sons, as prepared by the Kisutu Resident Magistrate, before making a final verdict.
Since it has no jurisdiction to determine on the matter, the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court received initial facts on the case, and forwarded it to the High Court for its ruling.
“In fact, as a high court judge who presided over this case, and made final verdict by sentencing Babu Seya and his sons to life imprisonment,” he confessed.
He added that in the course of reading these documents and proceedings of the case from the lower Court (Kisutu Magistrate's Court), I realised that what people had been saying on the streets was not true.
“It was not true that there was a certain top official in the government who put pressures on the judges in arriving at such a verdict,” he said.
According to him, he spent time to talk to the children alleged to have been molested by Babu Seya and his sons and noticed that these children had infact been sodomised, the acts which had been going on for some months before.
Judge Mihayo said he heard the story of the children and got the real picture of what transpired in the acts.
"Therefore I came to realise that parents of these children were not aware of the behaviour of their children," he said.
Babu Seya and his son are still in jail, serving a life sentence after being convicted of molesting the school children.
On February 12, last year Nguza Viking (55) alias Babu Seya (R) and his son, Johnson Nguza (27) alias Papii Kocha- lost their appeals against the life imprisonment.
But the Court of Appeal, sitting in Dar es Salaam, acquitted and set free two other Babu Seya sons - Nguza Mbangu and Francis Nguza – of the defilement charges for which they had been similarly convicted and jailed. It cited lack of evidence with which to uphold the earlier ruling.
Judge Mihayo said some media were giving wrong reports on Babu Seya and sons’ case, noting: “Had journalists conducted extensive investigative journalism, they would have uncovered the truth.”
“The bad thing is that journalists did not do thorough investigations on this case, otherwise they would have known the truth,” said Mihayo.
Investigative journalism is lacking in Tanzania, he noted, urging members of the media fraternity in the country to read the newly launched MCT print monitoring report with a view to identifying their weaknesses and correcting them

YAH: KUOMBA RADHI KWA NDUGU ZETU WALIOPATWA NA MAAFA YA AJALI YA MELI HUKO ZANZIBAR .

Bwana Hashimu Lundenga, mratibu wa Miss Tanzania

USIKU wa kuamkia Jumamosi tarehe 10 / 09/ 2011 tukio kubwa na la huzuni lilitokea huko Zanzibar.
Wananchi wengi walipoteza maisha yao na wengine kujeruhiwa kutokana na ajali ya kuzama kwa MELI iitwayo 'Zanzibar Spice Islanders' iliyokuwa ikitoka Unguja kwenda kisiwa cha Pemba.
Kwa bahati mbaya siku hiyo ya Jumamosi taasisi yetu ilikuwa inakhitimisha fainali za taifa za mashindano ya urembo ya Miss Tanzania-2011.
Kama waandaaji wa Mashindano haya na wenye Mamlaka kamili ya maamuzi juu ya ama kuendelea au la kuahirisha jambo hili, tulipatwa na mshituko mkubwa sana juu ya tukio hilo .
Kamati yetu ilikaa na kutakafari katika tukio hilo kwa kuzingatia mambo yafuatayo:
Taarifa kamili ya maafa hayo tuliipata rasmi saa tisa na nusu mchana siku ya Jumamosi ambayo ilikuwa ni masaa machache tu kabla ya fainali za miss Tanzania kuanza katika ukumbi wa Mlimani City.
Pamoja na msiba huo, wenzetu wa TFF waliendelea na mechi zao za ligi kuu, ikiwemo mechi kati ya Yanga na Ruvu Shooting.
Na katika kumbi za starehe ikiwemo mabaa na burudani za muziki wa bendi na kumbi za disco ziliendelea kama kawaida.
Muda uliokuwa umebakia kuwakilisha jina la mshiriki wetu kwenye fainali za Miss World zilikuwa zimekwisha hivyo kulikuwa na hatari ya kupoteza nafasi hiyo.
Pia tamko rasmi la kusimamisha shughuli zote za burudani lilianza tarehe 11 septemba 2011 kuomboleza kitaifa msiba huo.
Hata hivyo kama waandaaji tulifanya mashindano tukiwa katika maombolezo kwani kabla ya kuanza shindano Watu wote waliokuwepo ukumbini walisimama kimya kwa dakika moja na hata washiriki walipoingia kwenye jukwaa kwa mara ya kwanza walikuwa wamevaa vitambaa vyeusi katika mikono yao ikiashilia maombolezo.
Hali hii imetupa mkanganyiko na kujikuta tukiendelea na mashindano kitu ambacho tunaona tumewakosea Watanzania wenzetu.
Kama Waandaaji tunapenda kusistiza kwamba tunawajibika kwa hayo yaliyotokea na si Taasisi yeyote au Kampuni yeyote na tunaomba ichukuliwe kama ni makosa ya kibinaadamu hasa ukizingatia mazingira magumu tuliyokuwa nayo kwa wakati huo na mkanganyiko wa matukio na taarifa za tatizo hilo.
KUOMBA RADHI
Hata hivyo shughuli hiyo inawezekana imewakwaza watu wengi na kwa sababu hiyo na pia hali halisi ya janga hilo na kwa niaba ya viongozi wenzangu na wadau wa shughuli zetu tunatoa tamko la dhati kwa familia za ndugu wote walikumbwa na maafa haya, wale wote walionusurika katika ajali hiyo na Watanzania wote kwa ujumla.
TUNAWAOMBA RADHI KWA MKANGANYIKO ULIOTUTOKEA HADI KUFIKIA HALI HII. Hatuna neno zaidi ya kusema na kusisitiza ila kuomba radhi...
Mwenyezi MUNGU aziweke roho za marehemu mahali pema peponi,
ameen!

Hashim Lundenga
MKURUGENZI
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BREAKING NEWS FROM TANZANIA: Man on ARV develops abnormal breasts

A.N Mvati, AfricaNews reporter based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania recently wrote:
"SOME Tanzania men on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs have experienced abnormal breast enlargement similar to that of women. There are even cases where women taking the life prolonging drug against HIV are also complaining of queer side effects including becoming disabled.
Joseph Mkanda, 43, one of the victims, said he developed strange symptoms plus growing breasts after taking the drugs. Initially, he suspected the cause to be lack of a balanced diet. But he soon realised that the main problem was the type of drugs he was taking.
“I feel very much ashamed to go out of my house, because I have developed breasts like a woman. …I fear that other people would laugh at me,” he said from his Mtwara-base.
“I went to one of the medical doctors in my village, who told me that such signs were normal for people suffering from AIDS who have been taking the drugs for a long time. At the moment, I don’t know what to do or where to go,” said Mkanda.
Salima Omar, 36, from Mtwara said she developed strange symptoms after taking the drugs. Salima, a mother of seven, said one of her daughters died shortly after birth in 2006 when she had undergone the HIV test.
Changes in body
One of her sons is also HIV positive and has been taking ARV drugs since October 2007.
She explained they had both been taking the drugs, but due to unknown reasons, she started noticing changes in her body.
But she believes the changes were caused by the fact that she has been unable to follow the instructions of taking the ARVs. She said the drugs were very strong and required the users to get a balanced diet. But Salima was unable to follow the instructions and at times stopped taking the medicine.
“These drugs are very strong; if you take them without enough food you become very weak. But there are days when I'm forced to take them without eating anything, especially when I get seriously sick. In other words, I take the medication irregularly,” she explains. The family lives off the earnings of her husband who repairs bicycles.
After spending the money on alcohol, which Salima admits she likes very much, there is little left to support a big family like theirs, especially for buying food. Actually, she has been forced to sell all the family goats in order to keep the family alive.
Like many families in Mtwara District, Salima’s has been experiencing food shortage since 2007, a situation complicated by the recent long drought in the district, forcing many people to survive on only one meal a day.
She feels very weak on days she does not take the medication. “I have even started developing some complications …I believe it is due to my inconsistency in taking the drugs. My left side is developing rashes, and I suffer much pain," she says.
Despite her HIV-positive status, Salima had until recently insisted on having more children. Three months ago she gave birth to twins. One died, and the other is very weak. While pregnant, Salima’s doctors gave her treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to her babies.
Hassan has agreed they will not have more children, although Salima is not convinced. She particularly dislikes his refusal to use a condom when having a sexual intercourse.
There is no alternative to taking ARVs by HIV positive persons, even though it is challenging to adhere to the treatment because of lack of resources to get proper diet.
Combination
According to health community reports certain drugs should not be used together because of the way they interact. For example, Idovudine and Stavudine should not be used together, and Zalcitabine should not be combined with Didanosine, Stavudine, or Lamivudine.
Dr Lilian Mtei, who has been working with people taking the life-prolonging drugs at Muhimbili National Hospital advised patients who develop strange symptoms to see a doctor immediately so that the medication can be changed.
She said there are many side effects caused by the reaction of different types of ARVs on an individual.
For his part, the Management Development for Health (MDH) and Africa Academy of Public Health (AAPH) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Chalamilla Guerino, said such strange symptoms in patients are caused by Stavudine and AZT drugs when taken by a person for a long time.
“Such patients need to see a doctor whenever they notice any strange symptoms developing,” he explained.
According to the doctor, Stavudine ARVs were phased out this year because of the symptoms, but AZT is still being given to people although it has the same side effects.
For her part, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Lucy Nkya said all patients who have developed such strange symptoms should be referred to regional hospitals where they can get more assistance.
She clarified that AZT was also phased out and so could only be in the market illegally.
She explained that AZT was only given to pregnant mothers, but later the government decided to phase it out because of the side effects.
The deputy minister said that medical employees based in the rural areas receive training continuously especially those dealing with HIV/Aids cases so as to be able to face the challenges of helping the patients.
Meanwhile United States of America confirmed that it has phased out the Stavudine ARV drug because of its side effects. Despite its users developing a number of disorders, including some men using it growing breasts, Stavudine ARV is one of the drugs still being used in the country.
Ilya Levin First Secretary Director, Public Affairs Section in the US Embassy in Tanzania, told the Guardian in an exclusive interview that the side effects include lipodystrophy hyperlactatemia and polyneuropathy.
Lipodytrophy is a disorder of fatty tissue characterised by a selective loss of body fat.
Hyperlactatemia is increased levels of lactic acid in the blood while polyneuropathy is a condition in which many peripheral nerves are afflicted with a disorder.
According to Levin AZT drug is still being prescribed and used in the US under the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents - January 10, 2011.
The purpose of the changes to the guidelines is to bring them in line with international recommendations and ensure the use of more efficacious drugs, including the phasing out of Stavudine from the national ART programme.
ART initiation criteria have changed. All pregnant women and people with HIV and TB co-infection with a CD4 count below 350 would start on lifelong ART. All HIV-infected children under the age of 1 would also be started on ART, irrespective of CD4 level. All other patients would still commence treatment at a CD4 level of 200 and below. HIV-infected pregnant women with a CD4 above 350 would receive the normal PMTCT dual therapy regimen.
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SAYINGS OF THE WISE:
"That which is good is never finished." - Sukuma, Tanzania
"Generosity is not limited by income or wealth, only by passion and creativity."
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MSAADA WA RAMBIRAMBI WA VODACOM WAKATALIWA ZANZIBAR

SERIKALI ya mapinduzi ya Zanzibar imeukataa msaada wa maafa uliokuwa utolewe na kampuni ya simu za mikononi ya VODACOM kufuatia wananchi kuilalamikia kampuni hiyo kuendesha mashindano ya miss Tanzania wakati Wazanzibari wapo katika msiba wa kitaifa.
Waziri wa nchi ofisi ya makamo wa pili wa rais Mohamed Aboud alithibtisha kuwepo kwa taarifa hizo za SMZ kukataa msaada wa maafa uliokuwa utolewe na kampuni ya simu ya mikononi ya VODACOM.
'Ni kweli tumekataa kupokea msaada huo ingawa hatujuwi ni kiasi gani cha fedha....unajuwa wananchi wengi wametoa malalamiko yao na kukerwa kwa wafadhili hao wa mashindano ya urembo kuendelea na unesho lao wakati huku taifa limepatwa na msiba mkubwa'alisema Aboud.
Alisema wadhamini hao walikuwa wanatakkiwa kufahamu wajibu wao kwa jamii zaidi wakati inapokutwa na maafa kama hayo ya kuzama kwa meli na wananchi zaidi 197 kupoteza maisha yao.
Aboud alisema haielekei hata kidogo kwa kampuni hiyo iliyodhamini mashindano hayo kuendelea wakati huku rais wa jamhuri ya muungano Jakaya Kikwete ametangaza msiba wa taifa pamoja na rais wa Zanzibar dk.Ali Mohamed Shein.
Wananchi wengi wa Zanzibar walikerwa na kitendo cha kuendelea kufanyika kwa maonesho ya urembo ya kumtafuta miss wa Tanzania katika kipindi ambapo taifa lipo katika msiba mkubwa.

GENDER FESTIVAL 2011

Women activists at The TGNP gender festival 2011 held at Mabibo in Dar es Salaam from 13th September, 2011 to 16th September, 2011

A Trip to the USA

Mr. Kenneth LuePhang, Contracting Officer for USAID at the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam presents a ticket to an International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) participant Dr. Hawa Juma Ngasongwa, a Medical Officer at the Department of Internal Medicine and member of the Tanzanian People's Defense Force who will participate in the Public Health and Infectious Disease Education and Prevention Program in the United States of America.

tgnp gender festival 2011

TGNP GENDER FESTIVAL-2011