About 50 orphans and vulnerable children came together here yesterday for Happy New Lunch organized by Help Rural Orphanage Association (HROA), a local non- profit making organization. - HROA used the function to handle over school uniforms and stationeries to about 40 primary and secondary school students for the 2012 academic year, according to the project coordinator Ms Alice Warukira. The function she said was sponsored by the North Mara Gold Mine General Manager, Mr Basie Maree, the Mine's Social Club and Nancy Fisher from the United States of America. Based in the Tanzanian Northern Tarime District, HROA is a non- profit making organization that provides direct services to b…

Life of Mahenye Ndege (13) has changed to be good after he was put in the media by the Voices of Africa mobile reporter based in the Northern Tanzania in July this year. - Rural Help Orphanage Association (HROA) is now taking care of the young boy who lives with his old grandmother after both parents died of HIV/AIDS. Gamasara Primary school Head teacher Ms Mayasa Gellege handled part of the donation provided by HROA to the boy recently. The donation included a mattress, shoes, school uniform, soaps and exercise books. Before that Mahenye has been walking to school without even shoes for years. 'On behalf of the school I thank HROA for supporting Mahenye. This is a good example …

- Grumeti does not supervise wardens Mugini Jacob, Africa News reporter in Serengeti, Tanzania The Management of Grumeti Reserves Ltd does not supervise three Village Game Scouts (VGS) who are being held by police in Serengeti District over murder allegations, the company said in a brief statement yesterday. “There was a secondment agreement of the VGS in 2009 and from that time they have been working under the government supervision”, he said. The agreement was signed between the Director of Wildlife in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and Grumeti Reserves Ltd in March 21 2009, according to the statement made available to this reporter. The Tanzanian police fo…

Lack of small desks that fit nursery pupils in Tanzanian public primary schools compels thousands of children to stand up when taking notes and doing class related tasks. This leads to poor handwriting among other things. - Peter Mwara, an English teacher at Rebu primary school which is situated in Northern Tanzania adds to that lack of teaching aids like textbooks.

- Tanzania: Buffalos terrorize civilians, kill one Mugini Jacob Africa News Reporter in Serengeti, Tanzania Buffalos hailing from the world famous Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) have killed a civilian at the interior remote village of Masurura in Tarime in the northern Tanzania , police confirmed yesterday. “ It is true the buffalos have killed one person in the village and my subordinates including Officer Commanding District (OCD) have rushed to the scene to gather more information”, Acting Regional Police Commander for Tarime special police zone Mr Eliackimu Masenga told reporters on Wednesday. The deceased has been identified as Wambura Ginchi abo…

A local preacher in the Tarime district in northern Tanzania has questioned the age-long tradition of keeping children long hours behind cattle instead of sending them to school. - Pastor Jacob Chacha says it is wrong for children to be given such a heavy responsibility at the time when they are supposed to expand their intellect. Majority of rural populations in Tanzania depend on traditional livestock keeping and substance farming to earn their living.

Mahenye Chenge a standard four pupil at Kiterere primary school is one of the children feeling the pains of HIV/AIDS in rural areas of Northern Tanzania. - The 13 years old boy has lost his parents due to HIV/AIDS and is now living with her grandmother in a one-room grass-thatched house.He walks to school without shoe something which exposes his legs into health risks especially when using the school latrines.

An English medium primary school for young children starting the age of two years has opened in the Tanzania Northern Tarime District by a local NGO called Machella Foundation. - The school offers a variety of games to the young children aged between two and six years, according to it's headmistress Madam Kibwe.

Baraka Joseph, a five-year old boy, is now living a hopeless life marked by malnutrition. - The young boy is among the six children of Ms Magrethi Seronga, a woman married to another woman at Kitenga village, in Tarime District. The boy has been hospitalized at the Tarime District Government Hospital along with other several children facing the same problem for several weeks now. ‘He has been sick for a long time but the situation worsened a few months ago’, Ms Magrethi says. Tarime District Medical Officer, Dr Kagumilwa Kaijage, confirmed that many children under five years are facing malnutrition problem in the area.

Despite being albino, 9 year old Samweli Chacha is now the brightest pupil in Standard three class at Mapinduzi primary school which is located in Northern Tanzania. - The young boy has always been scooping position one in continues assessment tests, midterm and annual examinations since he joined the old public primary school in Mara Region, according to his teachers. He is the only child with albinism in the school that accommodates over 1500 pupils in the area. ‘I spend most of my time studying in order to pass examinations and my dream is to become a doctor of medicine as it has been the case with my grandfather’, Samweli told Voices of Africa recently. His excellen…

School children in public primary schools in the Tanzania Northern Tarime District spend many hours to work on their teachers' farms during class hours. - The pupils have expressed concerns over heavy duties, saying that they deny them sufficient time to attend class lessons, hence affecting their academic performance. ‘Working on teachers farms is dangerous and you can even be attacked by snakes’, Petronia Nyamsekela, 14, a standard six pupil at Kibumaye primary school laments. Another pupil Kabula Charles, 9, says: instead of attending classes we spend many hours working on teachers farms and collecting firewood for them. Some primary school teachers are also not h…

Ten reporters from the Democratic Republic of Congo's Northern Kivu province received a mobile reporting training in early May, when Voices of Africa Media Foundation (VOAMF) trainers explained the basics and techniques to the new candidates. - The one week training and the entire DR Congo project is supported by the Hague-based Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) which has been active in Congo for a number of years. ‘About two years ago now we have trained them in radio and print journalism and we felt that this was the right them to move video reporting by using mobile phones because they are small and not expenses’, Ms Melanie Gouby, IWPR director in charge of…

Heavy rains have swept several classrooms at Buhemba primary school in the Northern Tarime District of Tanzania leaving some 400 children without classrooms early this week. - The school teachers say they might be forced to suspend classes for unknown period due to lack of funds to repair the damaged rooms. ‘Our school has old building that have never undergone repair since 1970s and we thank God that nobody was hurt by this incident’, Mr Gabriel Ikorongo , one of the school senior teachers told the Voices of Africa soon after the incident. They accused the Tanzanian government for neglecting the public school, which accommodates about 1000 children. ‘This school …

- TANAPA accused of killing 5 men in Serengeti Mugini Jacob Africa News reporter in Mara, Tanzania The Tanzanian National Parks (TANAPA) rangers are alleged to have shot dead five men , all residents of Gibasso village in the Tanzanian Northern Tarime District which is close to . The men have gone missing while either grazing poaching in the Serengeti National Park for six months now. Police force in Tarime has admitted that efforts to trace the men have proved almost proved failure with parents and relatives losing hope. ““This is a very complicated issue that needs an in-depth research before making any conclusion because we have even failed to get their remains…

Fear is increasingly growing that close to 400 households comprising thousands of people in the Tarime District of Mara Region in Tanzania might face hunger if stray elephants hailing from the Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) continue to destroy crop farms that are almost ready for harvesting. - Fear is increasingly growing that close to 400 households comprising thousands of people in the Tarime District of Mara Region in Tanzania might face hunger if stray elephants hailing from the Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) continue to destroy crop farms that are almost ready for harvesting. Local leaders have called for immediate measures to prevent the destruction before the situation gets out…

The use of university graduation gowns by children studying in private owned nursery schools in Tanzania has caused a hot debate with a section of Tanzanians saying the act undermines status of the gowns. - A number of teachers interviewed by the Voices of Africa suggests introduction of different gowns to be used by nursery kids during their graduations and do away with gowns used by university students. ‘This is undermining the gowns. Better if they use different gowns when stepping to next classes’, Mr Paul Marwa a headmaster of one of the popular English Medium pre-primary schools situated in the Northern Tanzania says. His statement was echoed by Ms Helen Maginga who i…

A number of street children residing in Iringa town which is situated around 600 kilometers from the capital Dar es Salaam are ready to go back to school if they get financial support from well-wishers. - The children say in an interview with the voices of Africa at the weekend that they only lack money to enable them peruse primary education. ‘After death of my mother I failed to continue with my studies because there was not body to help me. I came to Iringa town and joined other street children but I am ready to go back to school if somebody can help me money to buy uniform’, one of the street kid indentified as Neto from the rural village of Ibogoro says. On his side Ja…

The Dar es salaam based Children's Dignity Forum (CDF) has started an aggressive campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) in various rural villages of the Tanzanian Tarime District. - The campaign is meant to rescue thousands of young girls who are lineup for circumcision in the district next month.Some young girls interviewed say they will reject to be mutilated after realising the effects of FGM through the campaign that starts here last weekend. ‘I will not be circumcised because I have heard consequences of FGM in this campaign’, Joyce Wangwe, a standard three pupil at Rebu primary school says. The campaign involves a senior doctor from the Tarime District …

Unlike other parts of Tanzania majority of public nursery schools in Mara Region have been going without playing grounds. - A good example of such school is Sababa which is situated in Tarime town , according to class teacher Ms Azamwe Msira. ‘Young kids like to play different games but we don't have playing grounds and this is big problem facing our nursery school’, she says. Mr Bakengeza Christopher, a secondary school teacher and a sport stakeholder advises the government to start allocate budget that will be supporting development of nursery schools in the country. But Ms Azamwe also cites shortage of the text books as the serious problem facing nursery schools…

About 150 primary and secondary school teachers working with public schools adjacent North Mara Gold Mine have been angered by a tour which they made into the mine recently . - The tour was organised by the Barrick African Gold, a Canadian giant miner which operates the mine as part of the company's efforts to improve it's relationship with the surrounding communities. The teachers had expected to visit several areas including the gold processing plant but end up visiting rich ponds that contain water containing acid. ‘We are not satisfied with this tour because we have not been taken to essentials areas that we wanted to visit’, most of the teachers lamented shor…

Heavy rains have again destroyed a large number of food crops belonging to small peasants in the northern Tarime District of Tanzanian leaving scores of crop farms. - The crops included maize, beans, bananas and cassava which is the major food crop in many districts of Mara region. Mr Elias Nyantori and his wife Zaniabu say that the rains have left them without hope to harvest during this season. ‘Already we have hunger and I am appealing for food aid because I have many children’, Mr Nyantori laments. Mrs Zaniabu Nyantori remarks: Cassava is our major food crop but we have left with nothing and this means famine. The Tarime District Agricatures Officer Mr Silvanus …

Faith leaders in Tanzania are urging voters not to vote for corrupt leaders in forthcoming general elections slated for October 31 this year. - They also want leaders who will not divide them on tribal or religious elements, hence disrupt peace and tranquility in the country that is estimated to have around 40 million people. ‘We want candidates who will fight against corruption which the big problems in this country, we want a leaders who know that Tanzanians have the right to benefit from the local available resources’, Rev David Orese from Northern Rorya District said. This was echoed by Rev Christopher Hassan from Pentecost church who underscored the importance of elect…

Tanzanian government has along way to go in order to end the problem of water blues facing its' people not only in rural areas but also in many towns of the East African country. - In Tarime town hundreds of women and children are being forced to fetch water in the road's drainage system citing lack of reliable water sources. This week the Voices of Africa witnesses scores of women and children fetching water from the drainage system from one of the major roads in the fast growing town of Mara region. ‘There is big problem of water here in Tarime town. We have been fetching water from pits whose infrastructure is linked with latrines and that is why we are looking for o…

The relationship between villagers living near the North Mara Gold Mine and Barrick Africa Gold, a Canadian miner which operates the mine is likely to improve following introduction of soccer competitions that bring the two sides together. - The relationship between villagers living near the North Mara Gold Mine and Barrick Africa Gold, a Canadian miner which operates the mine is likely to improve following introduction of soccer competitions that bring the two sides together. The first match that involved teams from the local villagers and workers of the mining company was held here last weekend. The villagers welcomed the initiative, saying that it might help to end poor relationship…

Heavy rains accompanied with strong wind have destroyed many hectares of banana farms in the Northern Tanzania. - It is estimated that over 100 families have been affected by the rains in Tarime District of Mara region. Banana is the second cash crop in Tarime after coffee. Some of the affected farmers say that the heavy down pour has plunged their lives into darkness. Mrs Rodha Peter a mother of three children says she doesn't know where she will get money to educate her children. ‘We have suffered a big loss because all banana plants have fallen down and children are in school’, she complains. Another woman identified as Mrs Bhoke Peter says: this wind has cau…

Form IV graduation ceremonies have been gaining momentum in rural parts of Tanzania in the recent years following increasingly awareness on the importance of education in many societies. - Recently the Voices of Africa witnesses a colourfully graduation ceremony at Mwera Vision secondary school which is situated in the out skits of Tarime town. The ceremony which involved 75 students was officiated by Tarime District Commissioner (DC) Mr John Henjewele. Peter Gregory and Modesta Mwera, are some of the graduands who described the ceremony as a historical event. The school deputy headmaster Mr Abdi Yongo says the ceremonies was a clear testimony that many communities in Tanzanian were…