NYANJA INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

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YANJA INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (NYANJA IRUDI) is registered by the Tanzania Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children as a national Non-Governmental Organization, Act 2002.The organization is registered as national NGO to cover Tanzania Mainland.

The organization is managed by the Executive Chairman Ellison Tekere Mujungu, Ph.D.,  retired UNHCR staff and holds three PhD degrees in (1) Public Health-Community Medicine.(2) Business Administration-Management, Planning and Leadership (3) PhD in Education with Advanced Diploma in Financial Management and Sexually Transmitted Disease and HIV/AIDS Prevention and Response,  with vast experience in supervising, monitoring and coordinating  Community services activities including sports, HIV/AIDS at the work place  and youth activities in UNHCR programs  in Tanzania, West Africa,(Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana),Sudan-Blue Nile, West Darfur and Kenya refugee programs. To run the organization effectively is assisted by experienced, Secretary General (Graduate, B.Sc.: in Economics, Taxation and Accounting) Treasurer/Accountant (CPA holder) Project Coordinator, Three Field officers.  3 Drivers, secretary, Security guard and office cleaner.

The organization is community based owned and run by the community, each village is having a committee team comprising of Chairman, Vice chairman, Secretary, Vice secretary, Treasurer and five members who will be responsible and oversee the organization’s activities and other issues.

At the main office, the Organization Executive Chairman is responsible for the overall management, implementation and accountability of the organization to the donor, providing overall management support to the organization in regard to coordination with other agencies and evaluation, fully responsible for planning, management and timely implementation of proposed organization components

The Treasurer\Accountant ( CPA-holder) provides budgeting , financial control /management and reporting support  to  the  organization  staff in order  to   monitor expenditure, preparing monthly/Quarterly Programmatic and financial reports to the donor  and  assist  with  costing  projections.

The Secretary General (Graduate, B.Sc. in Economics, Taxation and Accounting) is responsible for project management issues, accountable for organization resources and assets, coordinating, planning for donor meeting and organizing of writing Project proposals for fund raising.

Nyanja territory was one of the power engines for social economic development during pre-colonial time in the Lake Victoria zone. Its geographical location in the South-east part of Lake Victoria was strategic for its advancement as the habitats of this area were interacting with other tribes in the Great Lake Regions of Central Africa, mainly Baganda of Uganda, Gaya (Lwoo) of Kenya and Sukuma (Gwe) from the southern part of Lake Victoria. When German Missionaries landed in the southern East shores of Lake Victoria (Nyanja) territory they found a prime ground to launch schools and preach Christianity an experience that was built on the acquaintance with exotic influences from their neighbours in the Great Lake Region which enhanced development. As a result of cherishing education, the pre- independence Nyanja territory was producing trained teachers, agriculture experts, medical experts, Lawyers and preachers that served all over East Africa. This is no longer the case. The wave of Social-economic changes that hit the country four decades ago had a negative impact to education attainment, subsistence fishing activities, agriculture and livestock keeping eroding years of achievements. Worse still is the rampant serious deforestation of the entire villages of Nyanja division. Over the past few decades the area has experienced frequent droughts erratic perspirations falling land productivity and law fish catch declining food security .This scenario is mainly attributed to land degradation as vegetation and forests are disappearing at an alarming pace, owing to unscrupulous handling of resources by the rapidly expanding population .Food and water insecurity is becoming a common phenomenon. More often people buy water from water vendors who bring water from distant places .Those who lack money are compelled to travel great distances in search of water. A lot of human resources and time are wasted. Currently Nyanja division is having 17 wards, 61 villages, 19 secondary schools and one under construction, 28 dispensaries and health Centre which was recently upgraded to a hospital. The division is situated in the southern part of Mara region (Musoma rural) Tanzania mainland, located between latitudes 0̊ - 1.5̊ south and 34̊ - 35̊ East .Its elevation above sea level is 100m. It is an area with Soil originated from weathered sedimentary rocks. There are scattered mountains comprising granitic and sedimentary rocks, having 17 wards, 61 villages, 19 secondary schools, (The 20^th under construction in Bulinga ward) 28 dispensaries and one Health Centre which was recently upgraded to a hospital.

                               

               THE CURRENT ALARMING SITUATION OF NYANJA DIVISION.

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yanja division ranked the highest at independence dawn, in terms of population density, literacy level, economic contributions and general investment in human development, of all the eleven Chiefdoms in former South Mara District Council. Today, Nyanja division ranks the lowest because of its geographical periphery and the lack of development initiative among and between its people.

The recent needs assessment done by NYANJA IRUDI (NA) identified the following acute alarming situations:

Nyanja division is confronted with serious social and economic problems such as inadequate teachers’ houses, lack of laboratories, libraries, congested class rooms, lack of girl’s hostels,

Poor infrastructure (old worn out and poorly constructed schools’ buildings) inadequate teaching and learning materials leading to poor academic performance in the national examinations. In 2011, 2012 and 2013, failure rates in the secondary schools Ordinary level national examination were 55% 66.20% and 42.72% respectively and in  2013 total of 1144 girls in 19 secondary schools registered for the Form two national examination, only 965 set for the examination and 56% % failed the examination) The high drop-out rate (17.52%) and poor academic performance among girls is attributed to a myriad of problems girls face, including the community’s generally negative perception of girl child education, early and forced marriage, unwanted pregnancy, excessive domestic chores leaving limited time and energy to study, security concerns, distance to school, lack of uniforms and sanitary materials, lack of role models.

Some of the identified causes were listed as follows:

·         The lack of qualified secondary school teachers.

·         The lack of housing for teachers.

·         The absence of science laboratories, libraries and textbooks.

·         Over-crowded classrooms with an average of teacher to student ratio: 1:82.

·         The absence of water, electricity and hostel for girls.

·         The lack of motivation among learners.

·         The long distance covered to and fro schools.

·         The lack of parents/guardians to motivate their children

·         Students playing hooky in order to obtain some paid jobs at the fishing villages and in small scale mining centers.

·         Unsatisfactory learning environments because of the absence of electricity at nights

The lack of Essentials learning and teaching materials in our schools and the acute poverty in Nyanja division contributes significantly to the failure of  students in the national examinations leading to the creation of a group of unemployable youths, who, later, take to unbecoming habits of smoking marijuana, drinking, prostitution, and wasting their energy and time playing pool (snooker).

Simply put, we are creating many youths who are unemployable and who continue to exacerbate the existing problems in many parts of Nyanja division.

Despite the poor roads, the population is excellently accessible to frequent transport from the area to Musoma region capital town which is about fifty kilometres away.

According to this logic, helping the sunken boat of Nyanja division, all Nyanjanians, wherever we are, we must strive hard to design feasible strategies in conjunction with the government, public corporations, United Nations organizations, agencies, religious hierarchies and the communities at large in order to improve the level of education and save Nyanja

“A child’s right to free education is emphasized within the 1966 International Covenant on Economic and Social Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)”

• Investments in education are investments into the future. The educated of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. In the modern world there is a need to learn skills for life-long learning that starts with the early childhood of a person and continues through primary, secondary and tertiary education if given the chances. Life-long learning does not only refer to formal education systems but includes all forms of learning
• Education prepares individuals for the future. In its most fundamental form, education supports individuals’ development and the attainment of their full potential.
• Basic skills of literacy and numeracy increase the ability of children to access services; decrease child mortality; increase the likelihood that parents will send their children to school; enhance an individual’s capacity for self-reliance; and leave children better prepared for the future.
• An educated person will be more conscious about his/ her health status; will be less likely to attract HIV/AIDS and other diseases; be more gender sensitive and generally more productive, therefore increasing the chances to find a job, generate income and become self-reliant.
• Formal education, especially primary and secondary, is vital to supporting the long-term well-being of children.
• For youth, education provides them the knowledge and skills for employment and also provides a venue for them to develop their individual identity and responsibilities within their community. Non-formal technical and vocational education plays an equally important role in providing a means for children to sustain themselves.

According to report on POVERTY AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF 2005 produced by the Research and Analysis Working Group of the government of Tanzania Poverty Monitoring System. Over 50% of Nyanja populations live below basic needs poverty line. This is attributed by adverse climate, land degradation, declining fish catch and consequent fall in land productivity.

The state of hunger is increasingly continuing to unleash alarming humanitarian crises in the area; Death and food deficiency related diseases are common of all the people in the area, secondary school students are the most affected.

As they come from the poor families they spend most of their school years under hunger and thirsty .Owing to consequent stress resulting from this rigorous situation, the academic performance is becoming poor every year.

School dropouts, absenteeism early marriages prostitution unwanted pregnancies diseases juvenile delinquencies criminality and general misdemeanors are but some of the negative impact resulting from escalating poverty.

There is a need to empower NYANJA to soar into new heights again. There are no other people who could shoulder this task except the people of Nyanja themselves, who should re-dedicate and re-commit to show some felt-need political will of re-gaining their lost confidence and diminished swagger.

To accomplish that noble goals, an attempt is being made here to solicit supportive interests from the rich reservoirs of interested NYANJA professional retirees, and those who are still active employed at home and abroad, and to take advantages of their offer of invaluable voluntary services for the rapid recovery and growth of NYANJA; and to seek the same from any other individual or group that considers itself to be a friend of people of NYANJA.

                          

REPORT OF MUSOMA COUNCIL’S SECONDARY SCHOOLS INFRASTRUCTURE 2013.
GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS
S/N	SCHOOL	ADMIN BLOCK			TEACHERS’HOUSES			CLASSES			MATUNDU YA VYOO			LABORATORY			LIBRARY
		Requirements	Available	Shortage	Requirements	Available	Shortage	Requirements	Available	Shortage	Requirements	Available	Shortage	Requirements	Available	Shortage	Requirements	Available	Shortage
1	KASOMA	1	-	1	25	9	16		-	-	-	-	-	3	1	2	1	-	1
2	MUGANGO	1	-	1	16	4	2	16	12	4	32	16	16	3	-	3	1	-	1
3	NYAMBONO	1	-	1	25	2	23	17	13	4	30	14	16	3	-	3	1	-	1
4	BUKIMA	1	1	-	23	1	22	20	11	9	37	13	24	3	-	3	1	-	1
5	SUGUTI	1	-	1	16	2	14	16	-	-	25	6	19	3	-	3	1	-	1
6	TEGERUKA	1	1	-	14	3	11	16	7	9	24	5	19	3	-	3	1	-	1
7	NYAKATENDE	1	1	1	11	2	9	16	9	7	18	7	11	3	3	-	1	-	1
8	BUGWEMA	1	1	1	10	1	9	16	4	12	32	16	16	3	-	3	1	-	1
9	ETARO	1	1	1	15	2	13	16	12	4	28	6	22	3	-	3	1	-	1
10	MAKOJO	1	1	-	10	2	8	16	9	7	20	5	15	3	-	3	1	-	1
11	MTIRO	1	1	-	12	1	11	16	10	16	25	12	13	3	-	3	1	-	1
12	KIRIBA	1	1	-	16	2	14	16	13	3	15	6	9	3	-	3	1	-	1
13	NYANJA	1	1	-	10	1	9	16	9	7	20	8	12	3	-	3	1	-	1
14	MURANGI	1	1	-	12	1	11	16	8	8	28	18	10	3	-	3	1	-	1
15	MKIRIRA	1	-	1	10	2	8	16	10	6	25	7	18	3	3	-	1	-	1
16	MABUI	1	-	1	10	-	10	16	4	12	20	8	12	3	-	3	1	-	1
17	RUSOLI	1	-	1	10	-	10	16	4	12	30	4	26	3	-	3	1	-	1
		17	10	7	245	35	210	261	135	126	409	151	258	51	7	44	17	-	17

Source: Musoma rural District Educational officer’s report, January 2014