Vijana wa Mara Kaskazini waaswa kujishughulisha na kuacha utegezi wa mgodi

 Na Matinde Kesonko
Vijana katika eneo la Mara Kaskazini waombwa kuwa wabunifu wa miradi mbalimbali ya kujiendeleza kimaisha na kuacha utegemezi wa migodi, maneno haya yamesemwa na Afisa Mtendaji wa kijiji cha Msege baada ya kukutana na vijana kutoka Sauti ya Mara Kaskazini.
Mtendaji huya ameyasema haya baada ya vijana waliokuwa waanajihusisha na uvamizi wa mgodi wa Mara Kaskazini kupungua na wengine kuacha huku wengi wao wakishinda vijiweni bila kufanya mambo ya msingi.
Pia vijana hao wameombwa kufanya shughuli ndogo ndogo za kukidhi mahitaji yao binafsi. Shughuli hizo ni kama ufugaji, kilimo na ujasiriamali ili waweze kuondokana na umaskini na vitendo viovu wanavyofanya kama uvutaji bangi na kushinda vijiweni wakipiga porojo.
Vilevile vijana hao wameomba kutengewa maeneo na serikali iliwaweze kufanya shughuli za uzalishaji iliwaweze kuondokana na umaskini, vijana hawa wametoa maoni haya na kusisitiza kwamba kazi ya uvamizi wa mgodi ni ngumu na wanakumbana na matatizo mengi kama ulemavu, vifo na hata migogoro ya wenyewe kwa wenyewe.
Hivyo basi serikali imeombwa kutilia maanani hili swala kwani vijana wengi hawana ajira katika eneo la Mara Kaskazini. Vijana hawa wameomba kupewa mikopo mbalimbali waunde vikundi mbalimbali ya ili waweze kujiendeleza.
Kwa kuhitimisha, ni dhahiri vijana wa Mara Kaskazini wanahitaji msaada wa kimawazo, kifikra na kifedha kutoka kwa wadau mbalimbali kutoka asasi binafsi na serikali kwa ujumla.

Kauli mbiu ya ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ yapunguza uvamizi wa migodi Nyamongo

Na John Honga Wambura
Kauli mbiu ya Rais John Pombe Magufuli ya ‘HAPA KAZI TU’ imesaidia kupunguza idadi ya vijana wanaojihusisha na shughuli za uvamizi wa mgodi uliopo Mara Kaskazini. Hili ni baada ya wanachama wa Vilabu vya Umoja chini ya usimamizi wa shirika la Search for Common Ground kufanya utafiti kwa njia ya mahojiano kati ya wanachama hao na wanakijiji wa kijiji cha Genkuru mwezi wa sita mwaka huu na kubaini kuwa vijana wengi kwa sasa wameacha kujihusisha na shughuli za uvamizi wa migodi inayomilikiwa na mwekezaji wa ACACIA iliyopo Mara Kaskazini.
Lakini pia, imeelezwa kuwashughuli hizo zilikuwa zikifanyika kwa lengo la kujipatia kipato ili kujikimu katika maisha yao
Pia katika mahojiano hayo wanakijiji wengi wamekubali kuwa walishawahi kujihusisha na shughuli za uvamizi lakini pia kuna wachache kati yao ambao hawajawahi kufanya shughuli za uvamizi wa migodi.
Hivyo basi, katika mahojiano juu ya umuhimu wa kauli mbiu ya ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ katika kupunguza uvamizi wa mgodi wengi waliweza kutoa maoni yao kama ifuatavyo:
Kauli mbiu ya ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ imesaidia kwa sababu, vijana siku hizi hawachagui kazi ya kufanya kama awali ambapo vijana wengi walikuwa wanaona kazi muhimu ni uchimbaji wa madini katika eneo la mgodi. Hivyo, kauli hiyo imesaidia sana kupunguza vijana na kufanya vijana wengi kuwa na mwamko wa kazi.
Kwa upande mwingine, kauli mbiu ya Rais Magufuli ya ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ imesaidia kupunguza idadi ya vijana wanaojihusisha na shughuli za uvamizi wa mgodi kwasababu imepelekea vijana kujiajiri wenyewe katika kazi nyinginezo ambazo ni kama kilimo, ufugaji na biashara ndogo ndogo pia ameeleza kuwa pamoja na kauli mbiu ya Rais, pia idadi hii imepunguzwa na uhaba wa madini kuliko hapo awali ambapo yalikuwa yana mwagwa kwa wingi.
Kwa kuzingatia umuhimu wa kuli mbiu ya Rais Magufuli vijana wengi wavamizi wa mgodi wamepungua sana kwa kuwa polisi wamekuwa makini na kazi yao na kuacha uzembe.
Hata hivyo, pamoja na kuwa wanakijiji wengi walikubali kuwa kauli mbiu ya Rais Magufuli imesaidia kupunguza idadi ya wavamizi mgodini ila kuna wanakijiji wengi waliokuwa na mtizamo tofauti wakisema yafuatayo:
Ni jambo lisilo na uhakika kuwa kauli mbiu ya ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’ imesaidia vijana wanaojihusisha na shughuli za uvamizi wa mgodi kwasababu ni kweli kwamba, kwa sasa idadi hiyo ya vijana imepungua lakini ni kutokana na ulinzi kuwa makini pamoja na vijana wengi kukosa madini
wanapokuwa wanaenda mgodini kwani kwa sasa idadi kubwa ya madini yamepungua kwakipidi hiki cha sasa si kama ilivyokuwa hapo awali.
Katika mahojiano haya na wanakijiji wamependekeza ya kuwa ili kauli mbiu ya Rais Magufuli iweze kufanikiwa kupunguza idadi ya vijana wanojihusisha na uvamizi wa migodi nimuhimu vijana wapewe elimu ya ujasiriamali na pia nafasi za ajira na hata mikopo ili waweze kujikwamua kiuchumi.
Kwa kuhitimisha, kwa sasa wakazi wa vijiji wanaozunguka mgodi wa Mara Kaskazini wameanza kuonyesha mabadiliko kwa kuanza kufanya kazi tofauti na uvamizi wa mgodi ikiwa ni sehemu ya kuheshimu kauli mbiu ya Rais Magufuli ya ‘Hapa Kazi Tu’.

Elimu bure yasaidia watoto waliokuwa wanajihusisha na uchimbaji wa madini

Na Ghati Mahenye 
Watoto katika vijiji vinavyozunguka mgodi wasaidiwa na mchakato wa elimu bure ulioanzishwa na Rais John Pombe Magufuli. Maneno hayo yamesemwa na wanakijiji wa Genkuru na kueleza ni jinsi gani elimu hiyo imesaidia Watoto hao wengi waliokuwa wanajihusisha na uchimbaji mdogo wa madini wamerudi shule kwani kwa sasa ada za shule zimefutwa na imepuguza kikwazo kikubwa kilichokuwa kinawafanya wasiend shule, hivyo watoto hao wameona hamna haja ya kuvamia mgodi huo. Pia wameeleza ni kwa jinsi gani elimu bure imewasaidia na kuwaokoa katika madhara makubwa waliyokuwa wakiyapata wawapo mgodini kama vile; kukosa elimu, kufanya kazi ngumu machimboni na hata kupata kipato kidogo ambacho hakikutosha kukidhi mahitaji yao. Wanajamii kwa upande mwingine, wamelipokea hili swala kwa furaha na wameomba viongozi wa viijiji watilie mkazo watoto wote warudi shule kwa kuandaa mikutano ya hadhara ya kuhamasisha wazazi kuwasomesha watoto wao kwani ndo taifa la kesho. Elimu bure imeonekana kuwa na mchango mkubwa katika vijiji vilivyo kuwa vinauzunguka mgodi kwani wameondokana na jamii ambayo watu hawasomi na sasa kuwekeza kwenye elimu. Kwa kuhitimisha, wanakijiji wamesisitiza nijukumu la kuwasaidia watoto hao na kuhakikisha wanamaliza masomo hayo bila vikwazo vyote.

Conflict transformation by the Umoja Peace Clubs kicks off

By Emmanuel Mabodo

The project has been very successful in the last six month of implementation from June to December in 2015. The project’s success has been due to great efforts done by Umoja Peace Club members of both Ingwe and Bwirege Secondary schools of North Mara.

The approaches and efforts used last year (2015) by the UPC members will be applied this year in order to continue transform conflict for children involved in mining activities.

This year UPC will continue to gather information through data collection and recorded programs. The findings will be shared through the local radio (SACHITA FM), recorded radio programs will be available in this blog and the rest will be printed in the main stream media.

This project last year was ended with a conference on children in mining which brought different partners to discuss and developed a plan of action that will see each partner work towards reducing children involved in mining activities.

The report of the conference will be shared will the partners so that each partner remembers all that was agreed during the conference in order to achieve the intended results.

I take this opportunity to welcome all the partners who supported us last year and wish to continue this year to support the UPC members so that they can continue with the great work they did last year.

I welcome you all to support the reduction of children in mining.

A two-day major conference organized by Search for Common Ground(SFCG) to lay out strategies aimed at stopping children from working in mining areas which begins at blue sky hotel in Tarime today in pictures

                                         
SFCG Country Director Mrs Spes Manirakiza delivers her speech. Close to her from right is Tarime District Commissioner(DC) Mr Glorious Luoga and looking on from left with glasses is SFCG Manager at Tarime Office Mr Jacob Mulikuza.

   

                                         Tarime DC Mr Luoga opens the conference

                                           

A section of child protection stakeholders attend the conference

Voices of North Mara Youth project impresses child protection stakeholders

                                             

  Ghati Mahenye(right) and Samwel John(left), both from Voices of North Mara Youth explain  on how they had participated in implementing a project called Youth in Transformation of Conflict in Artisanal and Small- Scale Mining (YTCASM) during a child protection conference organized by Search for Common Ground (SFCG) . The two- day conference was opened by Tarime District Commissioner (DC) Mr Glorius Luoga on Thursday morning .Many delegates congratulated the peace clubs saying they have done an amazing job.

“”It was  good project and the students of the peace clubs  were well prepared to implement the project and they have many things to tell that can bring positive changes”, said Mr Emmanuel Johnson Tarime District Education Officer In-charge of Primary Education

A section of participants follow the proceedings of the SFCG child protection conference