Yes students need quality education regardless where they live.

CHILD MARRIAGE IS A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, BUT IS ALL TOO COMMON

Marriage before the age of 18 is a fundamental violation of human rights. Yet among women aged 20 to 24 worldwide, one in four were child brides. 

 Many factors interact to place a girl at risk of marriage, including:

1.  poverty
2.  the perception that marriage will provide ‘protection’
3. family honour
4.  social norms
5.  customary or religious laws that condone the practice
6.  an inadequate legislative framework and the state of a country's civil registration system. 

Child marriage often compromises a girl’s development by resulting in early pregnancy and social isolation, interrupting her schooling, limiting her opportunities for career and vocational advancement and placing her at increased risk of domestic violence. Child marriage also affects boys, but to a lesser degree than girls. 

Cohabitation – when a couple lives ‘in union’, as if married – raises the same human rights concerns as marriage. When a girl lives with a man and takes on the role of his caregiver, the assumption is often that she has become an adult, even if she has not yet reached the age of 18. Additional concerns due to the informality of the relationship – in terms of inheritance, citizenship and social recognition, for example – may make girls in informal unions vulnerable in different ways than girls who are married.

The issue of child marriage is addressed in a number of international conventions and agreements. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, for example, covers the right to protection from child marriage in article 16, which states: "The betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have no legal effect, and all necessary action, including legislation, shall be taken to specify a minimum age for marriage...." The right to 'free and full' consent to marriage is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says that consent cannot be 'free and full' when one of the parties involved is not sufficiently mature to make an informed decision about a life partner. Although marriage is not mentioned directly in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, child marriage is linked to other rights – such as the right to freedom of expression, the right to protection from all forms of abuse, and the right to be protected from harmful traditional practices – and is frequently addressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Other international agreements related to child marriage are the Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

CHILD MARRIAGE AMONG GIRLS

Across the globe, rates of child marriage are highest in South Asia, where nearly half of all girls marry before age 18; about one in six were married or in union before age 15. This is followed by West and Central Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa, where 42 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively, of women between the ages of 20 and 24 were married in childhood.

Worldwide, 1 in 4 women were married before age 18, with the highest rates of child marriage in South Asia

Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years who were first married or in union before age 15 and after age 15 but before age 18, by region

* Excludes China.

** CEE/CIS: Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Notes: Estimates are based on a subset of 122 countries covering 79 per cent of the global population of women aged 20 to 24 (excluding China, for which comparable data are not available in UNICEF global databases). Regional estimates represent data covering at least 50 per cent of the regional population.

Source: UNICEF global databases, 2015, based on Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and other nationally representative surveys, 2003–2014.  

MARRIED ADOLESCENTS

Globally, one in six adolescent girls (aged 15 to 19) are currently married or in union. South Asia has the highest proportion of married adolescents (29 per cent), followed by West and Central Africa (25 per cent) and Eastern and Southern Africa (20 per cent).

Almost 1 in 3 adolescent girls in South Asia are currently married or in union, compared to 1 in 20 in East Asia and the Pacific

Percentage of girls aged 15 to 19 years who are currently married or in union, by region

Note: Estimates are based on a subset of 115 countries covering 84 per cent of the female population aged 15 to 19. Regional estimates represent data from countries covering at least 50 per cent of the regional population.

Source: UNICEF global databases, 2014, based on DHS, MICS and other nationally representative surveys, 2005–2012

CHILD MARRIAGE AMONG BOYS

Child marriage affects girls in far greater numbers than boys, and with more intensity. However, data on the number of boys affected by child marriage are limited, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions on its status and progress. Nevertheless, available data confirm that boys are far less likely than girls in the same region to marry before age 18.

In eight countries, more than 10 per cent of boys are married before age 18

Percentage of men aged 20 to 24 years who were first married or in union by age 18, in the eight countries where prevalence rates for child marriage are above 10 per cent

Source: UNICEF global databases, 2014, based on DHS and MICS, 2007–2012.

- See more at: http://data.unicef.org/child-protection/child-marriage.html#sthash.xkVIFhUV.dpuf
SMGEO AS ORGANIZATION WE ARE READY TO EDUCATE THE SOCIETY, LET US SHARE IT TO START THE PROJECT.

WOMAN BEATEN AFTER DAUGHTER IMPREGNATED

A woman who lives at Gongo la mboto, Dar es Salaam was beaten by her husband last week after their daughter of 16 years old was discovered to be pregnant. According to this woman, who chose to remain anonymous due to safety issues, said that her husband has blamed her for what has happened to their daughter, saying that she was not responsible for her.

The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) Media Survey of 2012 has recorded a record number of incidences of Gender Based Violence in Tanzania such as Neisisiri Mokoroo (25), who was attacked by her husband with a stick while pregnant and died shortly after. The husband claimed that he was not responsible for her pregnancy accusing her of being unfaithful. Neema Ngoko (17), from Tamuker village in Tarime was brutally beaten by her husband and locked indoors for two weeks despite being pregnant.

Speaking to a daughter who was impregnated, she said that “my mother has nothing to do with this. Besides, she was the one insisting on being careful with men and not allowing them to touch me. But I’m the one to be blamed because I did not put into consideration what my mother was telling me.”

Ally Abdallah Banana, another resident in the area, had this to say, “A woman is the one responsible for taking care of the children and if children misbehave then she is the one to be blamed and being beaten is acceptable so she can learn a lesson.”

According to Anna Jerry Vingunguti, a resident, “caring for children is the duty of all parents and not the mother only, since a child is the product of both parents and if something bad happened to the kid, parents have to cooperate in solving the problem instead of putting all the blame to a woman.”

Manyaki Ntiba, a resident of Kitunda, said “wife beating is the behaviour of most Tanzanian men and for the women? we have just to bear with it, because there is nothing we can do. They are men you can’t compete with.”

On the other hand, Jacob Emmanuel, a Kinondoni resident, represented a different point of view.

“Wife beating is an outdated thing and a man practicing that is a fool. You married your wife so as she can help you in your life and not for you to beat her. She is not a little kid so if she makes a mistake just talk to her, she will understand,” he said.

He also added that there is no woman who would want her child to misbehave, so is not right to beat a woman when a child commits a mistake because she also suffers a lot for the child.

The Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania (1977) guarantees equality of all citizens. Therefore, men and women are all supposed to be treated equally.

SMGEO are ready to work on this with all members in the society.

WIDOW INHERITANCE AND CLEANSING PRACTICED WIDELY IN TANZANIA

Most women in Tanzania are subject to gender based violence whether they are aware of it or not. The situation has become a major problem in the country as a majority of women have had their rights violated, which has caused them to suffer physically and psychologically.

Ms. Neema Ellison, who has been married for 12 years, said “I have been with my man since he got married to me, he never listens to me and wait for what I need to say to him. He always beats me up and I could never do anything for that simply because he is my husband and I never knew that my rights as women were being violated.”

Neema added that her husband doesn’t allow her to have job, because he wants her to stay at home and take care of the children. When she tried to educate him on this issue, her husband beat her brutally and told her that she is just a woman and he is the head of the family, so she has to listen to him on what he says and wants.

In various societies women have been discriminated by men and others. They don’t have the right to own property and they are often regarded as simply a tool for enjoyment.

Isabella Tarimo, an entrepreneur from Dar es Salaam, said “most men, they just take women for granted and regard them as weak since they cannot react to them and so they take that opportunity to torture them and violate their rights.”

According to the Tanzania Legal and Human Rights Centre 2012 Report, some of the tribes in the country have been practicing widow inheritance and cleansing. This act involves the widow to be taken or inherited by one of the husbands relatives, typically a brother or younger brother of the deceased husband. There are also those who are forced to undergo a sexual act with one of the husband’s relatives on account that they have to be cleansed or purified. The practice of widow cleansing is common in Makete District in Njombe region as well it is prevalent in the Lake Zone regions.

“The practice of widow inheritance and cleansing puts women at risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The Legal Human Rights Centre considers widow inheritance and cleansing as some of the effects of the Law of the Marriage Act due to its silence on bride price. The LHRC suggests that there ought to be some amendments of the Law of the Marriage Act to safeguard personal liberties of widows in the country.

John Stewart, who lives in Dar es Salaam, said that women in Tanzania need more education concerning their rights and that they have to know their rights as women, and know everything that surrounds them, so they know how to stand on their own instead of relying on men so as to avoid the problems which violate their rights as women.

Monitoring and Evaluation Training

Why is Monitoring & Evaluation important for NGOs?

Monitoring and evaluation are separate practices dedicated to the assessment of your NGO’s overall performance. Monitoring is a systematic and long-term process that gathers information in regards to the progress made by an implemented project. Evaluation is time specific and it’s performed to judge whether a project has reached its goals and delivered what expected according to its original plan.

First of all, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) are important for you to assess that your project is achieving set targets. For instance, by monitoring the development of the project you will easily understand whether strategic changes need to be made and act accordingly. Second, M&E are relevant to donors who need to assess whether your NGO is a reliable partner. By reviewing milestones and final outcomes of your projects, donors will decide on the accountability of your NGO, upon which further collaborations could be established. As such, to develop a strong M&E plan is of vital importance.

Monitoring is for NGOs, not for donors!

What you have to consider while developing an M&E strategy:

1)   Evaluation. 

Clearly state what are the milestones of the project and what are the final outputs. On the one hand, this will strengthen the overall consistency of the project proposal. On the other hand, you will make sure that the donor has concrete ways to assess the partial and final results of the project, thus contributing to guarantee a successful communication.

2)   Monitoring of outputs.

Clearly elaborate on a methodology able to constantly monitor the development of the project so that the evaluation of partial and final outputs is consistent with the monitoring process. For instance, if your output is to train 10 students to use a specific software, make sure to monitor the progress they make every week. In this way, you will be able to provide evidence on how the final output has been reached.

3)Monitoring of outcomes and impacts. 

Outcomes and impacts are more difficult to assess. Whereas it is clear how to measure the success of an implemented project by stating that a certain goal was reached, to measure the impact of an activity in community dynamics is more challenging. Thus, find your way to monitor what happens ‘around the project’. For instance, you can elaborate on a strategy able to prove that not only these students are learning how to use new software, but also that by acquiring a new skill the quality of their lives is somehow improving. By designing a monitoring strategy able to assess outcomes and impacts, you will succeed in proving to your donor that the implemented activities will have a positive, long-term effect in the community. Further, you can draw on the results of your monitoring practice to design new follow-up projects or to ensure potential new donors on the NGO’s capacity to proactively engage with real problems and positively affect the lives of those you and with whom you are working.

Overall, you should also consider the M&E exercise as a way to make the activities of your NGO transparent and easy to account for. There is nothing worse for a donor than not being able to understand how an NGO is administering a given budget or implementing a project. Thus, everything you do – including difficulties you face and changes you made to overcome contingent problems – needs to be visible. Monitoring serves the purpose of making what you do visible in the sense that it provides tools and instruments to communicate with your donor and the wider public throughout the implementation of the project.

Monitoring and Evaluation makes us to know exactly a way forward for our organization activities in every steps we do .

Thank you Foundation for Civil Society.

SMGEO-Managing Director.

Cultural Norms and Respect: Tanzanian Style

Social Mainstreaming for Gender Equality  we are major advocates of knowing before you go to our country, as evidenced here and here. Remember this plans; we want our society to know that "gender equality must be part of our culture"

 In order to truly understand and appreciate another country’s culture it is important to learn about their social norms and the proper etiquette there. 

As you start your journey to explore another country, don’t you think it would be nice to know a little about where and what you are diving into? When you are packing for your much needed vacation I urge you to take some time to research the cultural expectations and norms common to your host country.

Over the next couple of weeks I will give you some extra helpful information on what to know before you go, starting with Tanzania cultural norms and expectations. I will give you some advice on how to be a green and respectable tourist.

Disregarding the cultural norms and customs of the country you are visiting is extremely offensive to the local people. Your waiter, taxi driver, tour guide, and the local people will be greatly appreciative of you making the extra effort to understand their culture and demonstrating this. Even if you think you have already read about the culture, make the extra effort and learn about a certain cultural tradition that they have to make your experience that much better, and gain a deeper understanding of the local people and customs. There are plenty of dos and don'ts that people should know about before taking their excursions across the world. Simply being respectful to the local people and showing that you want to learn about their culture and day to day way of life will go a long way in enhancing your cultural experience.

Tanzanian Culture Norms:

Tanzania is a harmonious culture that’s mostly based on a subtle but strong social code of respect and courtesy. Tanzania is a country that is extremely rich in traditions and culture and they treasure their heritage and pride. The official language in Tanzania is Swahili but many people speak English. Tanzanian people are known to be extremely friendly and polite.

Some important things to know before making your journey to Tanzania are:

Greeting People: In Tanzania, handshakes are extremely important in social etiquette. Most Tanzanians continue to hold hands throughout the entire conversation. Something to keep in mind is that the right hand is mostly used for eating where as your left hand is usually used for toilet duties. Try your best not to pass things with your left hand if possible. Lastly, when receiving an item from someone, receive the item in your right hand only or both hands.

Food: Tanzanians greatly value and respect the person who cooks the food. One rule to keep in mind is to not smell your food. Smelling your food indicates that the food is bad and so is the cook. In general, smelling anything implies that it is rotten or smells unpleasant. When offered food or drink in someone’s home don’t refuse, as this is considered rude. Take a small portion of it even if you are not hungry.

Clothing: The way you are dressed is highly valued in Tanzania. To respect the culture it is recommended to keep most of your body covered. You are able to dress much more casual while you are at home, but when going out in public you are expected to dress professionally. Tanzanians do not approve of tank tops, short shorts, ripped or dirty clothing.

Respect for elders: Tanzanian people are extremely conscious of age. Respect for their elders is very important within their culture. Tanzanians feel as if the older you are the more knowledgeable you are. Elders expect those younger than them to treat them with a high level of respect and appreciation.

Public affection: Public display of affections also known as PDA is frowned upon due to the fact that love is related to sex, which Tanzanians believe should be kept in private. Hugging and kissing in public is seen as offensive and rude, and should be done “behind closed doors”.

Tanzania has many amazing things to offer, including the beautiful snowy mountains of Kilimanjaro, the endless plains of the Serengeti and the flawless white beaches of Zanzibar. The country of Tanzania has the most wildlife of all of Africa and plenty of breathtaking experiences. The more time you take to respect the Tanzanian culture the better experience you will have overall.

As Tanzanians we are glad to invite all people around the world to visit us in order to know how we live according to our culture.

You are welcome Tanzania.

Contact us : smgeo@gmail.com

HEBU ZIFAHAMU SIFA ZA BINADAMU ANAYEJITAMBUA

Katika makala hii tunajifunza juu ya binadamu anayejitambua.Makala hii inaweza kukukumbusha mambo mengi kwa kifupi na hivyo kukufanya uchunguze juu ya maisha yako na kuyatumia vyema kwa wakati huu ulipo hapa duniani.

Kutambua ndani yako hakuhitaji uende shule na kusoma sana,na hakutokani na maamuzi ya mtu mwingine bali ni maamuzi yatokayo ndani mwako

Ni mguso unaotaka ndani mwako, ufahamu unaokua toka ndani mwako. Ni uchimbuzi wa chemchem zitokazo ndani mwako, Ni kumtambua Mungu kupitia mguso ndani ya moyo wako, kisha kuanza kutumia kipawa ulichonacho kwa ajili ya utukufu  wa Mungu . Ni hisia za ndani zitakazofanya umfahamu Mungu na si kufikiria tu.Upya ndani ya binadamu hutokea wakati wote  kwa kuunganisha moyo wako na ulimwengu wa hisia na kuendelea kujifunza kila wakati na kukuza nafasi ya moyo wako kuwa mpya.

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Je ni kwa namna gani unamtambua binadamu anayejitambua?

Mtu anayejitambua hubadili mtazamo wake kutoka kwenye mtazamo wa jamii unaofuata mila na desturi/kawaida kuelekea kwenye fikra za kuijenga dunia mpya na yenye fursa mpya.Hujenga dunia ambayo wanaomzunguka ni wanadamu wanaotambua utu na nafasi ya kila nafsi.Akiwa na misingi ya ujamaa na usawa, hufanya majukumu yake kutoka kujitazama yeye binafsi na kuanza kuwatazama wengine.Uchaguzi wake na matendo yake husukumwa na  maono na mtazamo wa mbali kwa ajili ya binadamu wote na viumbe vyote.Hutazama sio kila kiumbe kwa ajili yake,bali kila kiumbe kwa ajili ya wote.

Anayejitambua habagui jinsia bali hutambua jinsia kuwa ni matokeo ya fikra za Mungu yaliyokusuduia kutoa fursa.Huheshimu, hutambua wengine na kuthamini nafsi zao na uchaguzi wao.Hutengeneza dunia dunia ambayo jinsia zote huwa na uhuru wa  kutumia vipawa vyao, kutambua sauti zo,nuru ndani mwao na kutumia kwa ajili ya viumbe wote. 

Mtu anayejitambua hasukumwi kutenda na maamuzi ama fikra za wengine. Anatazama ndani yake.Hajifananishi na nafsi zingine na hivyo hatumii nafasi yeyote kuwakandamiza wengine.Husimama kwa miguu yake mwenyewe. Anawasikiliza wengine isipokuwa hatoi nafasi kwa wengine kumuamulia maisha atakayoishi. Anayaona mambo yajayo na hivyo huanza kuijenga kesho yake katika wakati tunaouita sasa. Ni alama ya uwezo wa Mungu uliopo ndani ya binadamu. Na alama ya maisha yake huishi enzi na enzi.

Mtu anayejitambua huchukua hatua juu ya hisia zitokazo ndani mwake na hivyo kutambua matokeo ya matendo yake.Hutenda kwa msukumo wa moyo. Hutambua mambo ambayo hayamletei faida na kutoyafanya na pia hutambua yale yanayomletea faida ..akitambua kuwa anapotenda kwa wengine anajitendea mwenyewe. Husikiliza hisia za ndani mwake na kujifunza lugha ya moyo wake.

Huishi maisha yenye sababu. Husikia muito alioitiwa na kuuuishi. Haridhishwi tu na maisha ya tokanayo na matukio kama kuamka,kutembea,kulala,kula bali hutambua kuwa yupo hapa duniani kwa sababu maalum,hivyo huchimba ndani mwake kuijua sababu na kuiiishi. Kila wakati anasukumwa na sababu hiyo  ya yeye kuishi ,kuendelea kuishi kwa dhati akitengeneza na  kuifuata njia inayomfikisha huko.

Hakimbii majukumu yake . Hajitoi katika kutafuta suluhu ya changamoto na wala halaumu wengine. Hutambua makosa yake na kujifunza kupitia hayo. Husanifu maisha yake na kuyafanya mapya kila wakati.

Hujifunza toka ndani mwake na kutoka kwa wengine. Hutilia mkazo katika mafanikio ya ukuaji ndani mwake kuliko mafanikio ya nje., hutengeneza ndani mwake. Hutafiti na kuvumbua chemchem zinazojenga na kubomoa nafsi na kutumia chemchem hiyo kuifanya dunia kuwa sehemu bora ya kuishi.Hivyo aliyejitambua ni picha tosha ya uwezo na uwepo wa Mungu ndani ya binadamu. Hutengeneza msawazo kati ya chemchem ndani mwake na matokeo yaonekanayo halisia.;

Binadamu anayejitambua hutazama kila jambo kama fursa

Anayejitambua hatafuti usahihi katika utendaji bali hutenda kwa kujitolea katika nguvu na uwezo wote.Hufanya kwa uwezo wake wote.

Anayejitambua hujikita katika kutenda kuliko kusema tu.Huweka bidii katika kazi . Huanzisha na kutenda mambo ambayo hufaidisha viumbe wote . Husema pale inapohitajika,huheshimu mawazo yake na huwa tayari kuchukua malipo ya maneno yake mwenyewe.Hakimbii kivuli chake. Hayupo tayari kuona wengine wakikosa uhuru  kupitia yeye. Anatambua kuwa wakati wote huvuna alichopanda..

Anayejitambua huweka mkazo katika uhusiano mwema na nafsi zingine. Huthamini mahusiano yenye thamani. Mahusiano kwake hutokea ndani, hujengwa ndani na hivyo hudumu. Upendo kwake ni lugha ya moyoni, huleta furaha, mshikamano na amani.Zitokeapo changamoto katika mahusiano,huwa tayari kuyatatua kwa ajili ya kuyakuza zaidi.

Anayejitambua hutambua kuwa hapa duniani hatupo katika kushindana,ushindani kwake haupo,hushirikiana na ushindi kwake ni furaha katika kutimiza wajibu wake. Huandaa silaha zake ndani na kuteketeza kila kisicho na manufaa kwa binadamu. Baada ya milima na mabonde katika maisha yake ushindi huzaliwa ndani mwake. Hutumia uwezo wake kwa ajili ya Wengine na si dhidi ya wengine..

Huishi katika hali ya kujitolea na bidii. Huwa ni zawadi ya aina yake hapa duniani. Haogopi kutenda. Huendeleza mambo yaliyojenga utu,ubinadamu na misingi bora ya kuishi yaliyojengwa na binadamu waliomtangulia. Maisha yake hufundisha wengine.  Hutambua juhudi za wengine na wote wanaompa msukumo wa kutenda zaidi hasa pale anapokutana na  changamoto. Hutambua kuwa hayuko peke yake,bali dunia imejengwa kwa muungano wa nafsi zinazotimiza majukumu kwa dhati.

Haogopi ukweli hata pale unapoumiza. Hutoa nafasi ya kusamehe kila wakati anapokosewa. Hujisamehe yeye pia anapofanya makosa. Hushiriki katika ujenzi wa maisha yake.

Hutambua kuwa kila jambo hutoa fursa,kila kiumbe ana fursa. Hakusanyi ama kujilimbikizia kwa ajili ya sifa. Hutazama wengine kama anavyofanya kwa nafsi yake. Inapostahili hujitolea alichonacho,hutoa kwa wale walioshiriki kwa yeye kupata. Hutengeneza maisha yake yawe ya kutoa fursa kwa wengine badala ya kuwanyang’anya wengine .

Anayejitambua haichukuliai dunia kama chanzo cha maumivu bali hugundua kuwa dunia humpa kila mmoja kadiri anavyohitaji.Dunia husikiliza kutoka kwenye uwezo  ulio ndani mwetu tuliopewa na Mungu.Hata mara moja hajichukulii kuwa ni bora kuliko binadamu wengine na wala si dfhaifu kuliko wengine. Hutambua kushabihiana na kutegemeana kati ya kiumbe kimoja na kingine.Hivyo anatambua kuwa kama ikiharibu mazingira ,ni sawia na kuharibu nafsi yake.

Binadamu anayejitambua huyajenga na kuyatunza mazingira yanayomzunguka

Anayejitambua hamlaumu Mungu hata mara moja. Uhusiana wake na Mungu ni wa heshima,urafiki na huwa na umoja naye . Mienendo yake yote humwelekea Mungu .Anawaheshimu wanaoamini sawia naye na wasio amini sawia naye. Hashiriki kutumia imani ama dini kama njia ya  utengano kati ya binadamu,ama binadamu na mazingira yake.

Ni mfano wa sifa njema ya binadamu. Huchukua majukumu yake. Ana faida kwa viumbe wote.Hulinda, hujenga, huheshimu, Huishi vyema duniani. Ni mfano wa aliyeletwa kuifanya nuru ya Mungu ing’ae. Ni halisi,haishi maisha bandia. Ni wa kutumainiwa, si mbinafsi. Wakati wake kuwepo duniani ukifikia tamati,huondoka kwa furaha ya kutimiza alichotumwa,na kuacha dunia ikimlilia.Ni wewe na mimi.

- See more at: http://pongujoseph.blogspot.com/2013/09/sifa-za-binadamu-anayejitambua.html#sthash.JYyOmX8Q.dpuf