September 26^th, 2008

The Friday afternoon started with employees of the Lindi Urban Water and Sewerage Authority (LUWASA) filing into Chamikumbi Hall. The Hall is located on top of a jagged cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean. It served as a fitting venue for the particular theme of this event: Living with HIV.

The organizers’ intend was to highlight not only the dangers of infection, but also the opportunities that exist for people with HIV even in Tanzania. Therefore, two short films by Maweni Farm were presented followed by open discussions. Elisa Joseph was the special guest of this event. Living with HIV, her life story was featured in one of the short films. She is a healthy-looking woman in her twenties, with a quite yet determined voice.

Director Lars Johansson documented her story through a series of brief, authentic interviews and recreated scenes. He lets Elisa and the people who influenced her life recount their memories. The viewer is taken back to the pivotal places, where Elisa’s life took turns for better or worse. The result is a great short film: Hayena Square. The documentary carries both substance and emotions convincingly.

A lively discussion followed this first short film. Participants had many personal questions about Elisa’s situation. One woman in the front row wanted to know, if Elisa possibly wanted to get married and have kids. Someone else inquired how she is able to support herself. Other employees had work-related questions: “What if an employee is found victim, will he or she get fired? Should all workers be informed?” One controversial commented came from a middle-aged man, suggesting to make HIV tests compulsory for all Tanzanians.

LUWASA’s new internal HIV coordinator, Esther Msemo, was busy acting as a moderator. She reminded about facts like that 1.1 million Tanzanians are currently estimated to carry the virus. Esther mentioned that the HIV prevalence in Lindi is, with 3.5%, comparatively lower than in places like Mbeya (14%), but should not be underestimated[1]. She urged about the necessity of testing: “You cannot tell if anyone is affected, just by looking at the person.”

After the discussion, Love in the Time of AIDS was shown. This short film also offered several memorable moments. One was when an emaciated boy with HIV urged a surrounding crowd to not discriminate. One lighter moment was certainly when a group of young boys demonstrated how to build a ready-to-use soccer ball from just a condom and a few textile strings. The subsequent laughter was inevitable.

Both short films and the related discussions made the event thought-provoking and engaging. Participants were especially touched by the story of Elisa Joseph. Her real-life experiences gave a sincere insight on living with HIV and how to carry on resiliently.

Franz Becker, DED management advisor LUWASA

LUWASA currently organizes two HIV-related events for its employees annually. The German Development Service (DED) supports these events financially and through its local development worker.

Dr. Laiser, AMC; J.Kangalu, TCCIA; business representative

The Arusha Municipal Council (AMC) and the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) held on the 29^th of January 2008 a joint meeting which brought together for a first time the Municipal authority and the business community to clarify the role of local taxes and levies. TCCIA considered this a breakthrough and a very rare opportunity to discuss issues which concern both parties. Around 50 representatives of companies participated in the event.  The meeting took place in a very amicable atmosphere and helped to eliminate misunderstandings about local taxes. The business community got a better understanding of the need of local taxes and the Municipal authority learnt about the obstacles which face companies running their businesses in the municipality. Both sides agreed that they will work closer together in future. It is intended to repeat a joint meeting in three months.

Participants of the Water Rights Workshop in Ongoma Village

German Development Service Tanzania (DED) and the company Block and Blocha (B&B) (www.macharecoffee.com) engaged in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project which aims at improving irrigation water management in four villages of the Uru North ward located on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. These villages are neighboring the Uru Estate coffee plantation managed by B&B.

After the first construction activities had taken off in early August 2007 another DED partner, the non-governmental organisation PAMOJA Trust (www.pamojatrust.com), entered into the project to facilitate training workshops on Water Right Application. As the local population in the project area uses irrigation techniques since pre-colonial times, the introduction of the concept of official water rights is a controversial issue in the villages. However, after dissemination of proper information and the discussion of advantages as well as disadvantages of possessing water rights, all villagers agreed with a vast majority on applying for water rights for their newly built water schemes. They are interested in securing their future water use in times of increasing competition for this natural resource. Therefore, they implement the Tanzanian National Water Policy on community level.