WANANCHI ISIMANI WAPATA MSAADA

 Baadhi ya misaada iliyotolewa na jamii ya waislamu kutoka Iringa Mjini na Wilaya ya Iringa vikiwa vinagawiwa kwa wananchi wa Kijiji cha Isimani-Tarafani wilayani Iringa waliyokumbwa na tatizo la chakula kutokana na ukame. Waislamu hao alitoa sembe tani mbili (2), maharage kilo 1,500, mafuta ya kula, sabuni na sukari vyenye thamani ya milioni saba (7m/-).

 Mkazi wa Isimani-Tarafani akimsaidia mlevu kusukuma baiskeli iliyoshehena msaada wa chakula bbad ya kupata mgawo.

 Mwakilishi wa waislamu waliotoa misaada mbalimbali kwa wananchi wa Isimani-Tarafani wilayani Iringa, Mkoa wa Iringa Bw. Elimi Shams (kulia) akizungumza na waandishi wa habari muda mfupi kabla ya kuanza zoezi la kugawa misaada kwa wananchi waliokubwa na uhaba wa chakula kutokana na ukame.

 SHEIKH Sharrif Abdullah Hussein-Kateshi na kiongozi wa waislamu mkoani Manyara (kulia) akibadilishana mawazo na Sheikh wa Tarafa ya Isimani Athumani Hussein Mfilinge (katikati) pamoja na Mwakilishi wa Msafara Elimi Shams (kushoto) leo wakati wa  hafla ya ugawaji chakula cha msaada pamoja na mambo mengine kwa wananchi wa Kijiji cha Isimani-Tarafani waliyokumbwa na upungufu wa chakuala kutokana na ukame.

 Wakazi wa Isimani-tarafani wilayani Iringa, Mkoa wa Iringa wakiwa wanasubiri kuchukuwa chakula cha msaada kilichotolewa na waislamu kutoka Iringa mjini na Wilaya ya Iringa Jumanne baada ya wakazi hao kukumbwa na upungufu wa chakula kutokana ukame.

IRINGA MUSLIMS DONATES FOOD AND CLOTHES

MUSLIMS in Iringa have donated various items including food and clothes to Isimani-Tarafani villagers who are facing food shortage due to prolonged drought that they have experienced for consecutive three year now today.

Among other things that was donated to the residents of Isimani by muslims included Maize flour (2tons), beans (1,500 kgs), sugar, cooking oil and clothes worth more than 7m/-, according to the representative.

According to Shams Elimi, who is also an Executive Secretary for Dhi Nureyn Islamic Foundation in Iringa Region, the items donated to residents of Isimani came from various Muslims who were moved by the situation that residents were facing.

More than 200 Isimani-Tarafani residents, about 40 households’ mostly vulnerable pepole and those living in hardship conditions were among the beneficiaries of donations.

“We have organized ourselves us Muslims both from Iringa Municipal and Iringa District and contributed some money and others so that we can help our friends who are facing food shortage because blessed is the hand that is giving than the one receiving and there is a reward in doing so,” Shams said on behalf of Muslims in Iringa.

However, Village Chairman Daudi Kombole thanked the Muslim community for their donations given to his people and urged other people to emulate from Muslims and come forward assist them to come out poverty which was brought by lack of enough rainfall which had not rained for three years now.

The residents who received food stuffs and clothes were from four sub villages of Mti Ulaya, Lugolola, Lianika and Luang’a.

He noted that Isimani as whole is facing a double misfortunes including lack of food and acute shortage water for domestic purposes, which affected the way of living in area.

Parents and guardians were able to take the children to school due poverty as result of prolonged drought because people cannot produce crops from which they can make money to take their children to school after selling their produce to market.

According to village chairman, the problem of water also has contributed poor attendance of pupils because they a lot time looking water which is not available despite of water points in the village.

There are about 70 water points in the village but there is nothing is coming out, it water comes once in a week because of ration and sometime they go without water weeks.

On the part of education sector, Isimani Primary school also face a lot challenges on providing quality education because there were no enough desks, textbooks and even teachers.

Pupils were forced to seat six on one desk and sharing one textbook as per desk, but books that are  needed to the school include English, mathematics, history, geography and science.

WATER STAKEHOLDERS MEET AND DISCUSS

MEETING IN PROCESS AT VETA IN IRINGA REGION

THE ASSOCIATION of Rural Cooperation in Africa and Latin America (ACRA) Country Coordinator-Tanzania, Luca Todeschini said, if water projects and water supply systems will include water users participation in the management of water supply can be important for systems sustainability. 

He said that most of the water projects in many areas were not sustainable managed and dies due to lack community ownership and support to take care off.

Todeschini made the appeal on Monday during a two-day water point mapping stakeholders workshop held in Iringa, in which eight local government authorities and regional secretariat of Iringa, international NGOs and representatives from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation were attended.

The workshop which was funded by ACRA in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MOWI) was meant to bring stakeholders together so that they can share experience and come up with common understanding on the implementing of water point mapping systems.

“Water point mapping is an essential tool towards the achievement of the water sector development program and in long run to meet the MDG” he emphasized.

He said water projects after constructed by let' say, the government or a non-governmental organization should be handed over to legal WUAs, which are users associations that will be in charge of the operation and maintenance of the water systems and their cost recovery.

ACRA is a non-governmental organization founded in 1968 and recognized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union, which has been working in Tanzania on water and sanitation since 2005, with projects in the Iringa Region and in the Zanzibar archipelago. 

The ACRA projects focus on two topics: ensuring access to water infrastructures and improvement of sanitation, and making their management sustainable through direct involvement of users.

According to country coordinator, ACRA considers water a public good and fundamental human right, which is often denied, and for ACRA, dealing with water means first of all to deal denied rights.

“ACRA considers water a public good and improvement access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is crucial towards the achievement of the millennium development goals” he noted.

However, ACRA is working hand in hand with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and support it to achieve in water point mapping and to find out how many water points that are functional and non-functional and work on the challenges.

According to the Assistant Director in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Eng. Gibson Kisaka, the workshop was meant to come up with common understanding and share of experience with other stakeholders hence implementation of the water sector development program and MDG meeting.

Kisaka said water point mapping systems will be done in 60 local government authorities countrywide before the end of December this year which will enable district water engineers to collect data water points that are operating and non-operating in their respective areas as is an essential tool for achievement WSDP objective.

He mentioned that the communities through legal water users entities will be trained so that they can be able operate the water schemes and make sure that they were responsible for management and maintenance hence sustainability.

However, the water point mapping systems are tools that will help LGAs and MOWI to carryout effective monitoring and evaluation water point operation and will help district water engineers to collect data on operation water point projects to avoid duplication of distribution water resources in one area.