GIJ STUDENTS FACE ACCOMMODATION CHALLENGES

Students at the Ghana Institute of Journalism have expressed their concern over lack of hostels at the institute, something that forces them to rent private hostels which are  expensive.

Speaking in an interview scores of  students renting in a private hostel at Osu, few minutes walk from the institute said  the hostels are expensive and does not match to the standards.

They complained of lack of  sanitation facilities such as places to dispose garbages and dilapidates buildings.

Fourth Year student Reginald Kyere appealed to the authorities of the institute, one of the oldest journalism schools in Africa to take action to solve the problem.

 Reginald Kyere

However, the Dean of GIJ Mr. Frimpong Manso acknowledged the problem but said it was above the institute's capacity and that  students are  informed well in advance before they join that they are responsible for their own accommodation.

MWANHUZI: NEW TOWN WITH PROMISING FUTURE

Mwanhuzi is an emerging town and the headquarters of Meatu district. The town’s wider roads are dotted with cyclists and pedestrians during the day, rests under the shade thorny bushes.

You can count the number of private cars on the roads and the main bus stand is 

deserted throughout the day and gradually comes to life in the evening when buses 

return from Shinyanga.

                          

                                           Elephants in the NGORONGORO

Meatu district is part of Shinyanga region and in the 1980s it was declared a desert 
by the late President Julius Nyerere. A project aimed at restoring the bush and 
woodlands using indigenous techniques in natural resources management called
 Ngitili was launched.

The back to green project was named HASH (Hifadhi Ardhi Shinyanga). Ngitili is a Kisukuma 
word meaning enclosure slowly restored Shinyanga’s vegetation. HASH was initiated 
by the government through the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources.

The desertification at that time was largely caused by overgrazing, destruction of forests 
to wipe out tsetse flies and increased demand for fuel wood prompted desertification in 
the 60s and 70s. Under HASH, villagers were taught through recorded dramas,
 newsletters and workshops on how to manage soil conservation, forest restoration 
and livelihood security.

Basically there are two main ways of accessing Mwanhuzi, either through Shinyanga
 town at the cost of 6,000/- by bus, a three to four hour drive on a rough road. 
Alternatively, one can hire a self drive car from Arusha via Ngorongoro Conservation
 Area, Maswa conservation and Makao Wildlife Management Authority -a six to seven hour drive.

was part of a group of lawyers and journalists on a mission to assess the situation

 of farmers and pastoralists forcefully evicted last November to pave way for the
 establishment of a Wildlife Management Area formed by eight villages in Meatu. 

Wildlife Management Area are sections of community land and residents have usage 
rights over the wildlife resources. It is a concept introduced by government to 
reduce the loss of wildlife populations at the same time ensure that residents
 benefit from the conservation. We left Boma Road in Arusha at 1pm for Mwanhuzi 
in a new Land Cruiser and it took us seven hours with a half hour stop at Karatu town for lunch.

Despite the speeding it was a memorable trip passing through a number of landmarks
 along the way. A couple of landmarks along the way are the Monduli Military 
Academy and Makuyuni township lying on low land where heavy downpour last
 November swept away homes and claimed lives.

At 3:00pm we checked in at the gates of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and 
left the tarmac road from Arusha to Karatu behind. A debate is ensued in the car as 
we drove along the rough road in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. 

Some of the passengers were in support of a tarmac for the road to link Arusha to 
the Lake Zone while others were against it. Those for the tarmac said that it 
would attract more tourists as well as make movement of people and goods
 between the Northern and Lake Zones so much easier.

The anti- tarmac supporters argued that the improved road would lead to the shift
 of wild animals to other places including our neighboring country as the animals 
would flee the increased traffic. Probably disturbed by the dust and rattle of 
the windows the number of supporters for the tarmac road exceeded the ones of 
the anti tarmac road.

“There are rumours going around that our neighbours are campaigning against the
 construction of the tarmac road so that they take advantage of more tourists 
shunning the poor roads in Tanzania,” one of the passengers said. 

The debate came to a halt as we crossed over Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s rear
 gates when the driver instructed passengers to shut the windows to avoid tsetse
 flies as we approached the land protected buffer zone.

The bite of a Tsetse fly is painful and can cause sleeping sickness which if not 
treated promptly is fatal. Tsetse fly bites affect the central nervous system 
causing confusion, sleepiness and personality change. At 7:00pm, our car approached. 

By MONICA LUWONDO, Tanzania Daily News