UN, TEF Vist UN projects in Lindi and Mtwara

The second Zonal Media Training covered regions in the southern zone of Tanzania. The workshop took place in Mtwara region with journalists from Pwani, Ruvuma, Lindi and Mtwara. In Lindi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, the UN and TEF made a courtesy call to Lindi Regional Commissioner, Mr. Godfrey Zambi before visiting two projects in the region.

The first was a UNICEF project that supports salt farmers and producers to ensure that there is an adequate amount of iodine in their salt. Iodine is important for the brain development of children and reduces the risks of pregnancy complications. Since 2015, the project has provided Sh978 million of support to over 200 small scale salt farmers which have had an estimated reach of over 1.8 million people in both Lindi and Mtwara who consume locally produced salt.

The second project was a UNDP initiative supporting a community in Climate Change Adaption. The project began in 2015 and has resulted in over 20 solar panels being installed at Rondo Junior Seminary School and one of the local health facility. It has also managed to build three water tanks on the school and health facility premises that can hold up to 600,000 litres of water. Over 20 women’s groups have also been given livelihood support for activities such as raising chickens and farming sunflower seeds. The project has impacted over 3,000 people, with a budget of around Sh500 million.

The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, commended the projects and highlighted the impact they have had on people’s lives. “Iodine deficiency is not talked about much but can have a very serious impact on one’s health. The work that UNICEF is doing with the government to improve production and consumption of salt that has an adequate amount of iodine is commendable,” said Mr.Rodriguez. He also commended UNDP’s climate change adaptation project explaining that, “The impact of climate change means that we have to be more efficient in our approach to development and the solar panels and related infrastructure that UNDP has installed at the local health centre and at schools in Ngala Village hows that we can find sustainable solutions for energy that can improve people’s lives.”

“The UNDP project is one of the best projects we have visited. Health, energy, economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, clean and safe water, education, agriculture are all being supported in in one village,” said TEF Secretary, Mr. Neville Meena.  “The impact is vivid from the villagers’ faces and the healthy and happy children.”

In Mtwara, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UN and TEF officials and journalists from Mtwara made a courtesy call to the Mtwara Regional Commissioner before visiting a UNICEF Birth Registration Project for children under-five in Mtwara. Since the implementation of the project began last year, approximately 170,000 children have been registered in Mtwara representing 94 per cent of the under-five population in 2017. The project is also being implemented in Lindi since last year where it has resulted in approximately 120,000 children being registered to represent 101 per cent of the under-five population in 2017.