Umoja Newsletter Tanzania
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
UMOJA NEWSLETTER TANZANIA Issue No. 93 WINDA’S STORY: SAYING NO TO FGM November - December 2020 HIGHLIGHTS • Young people advocate with MPs on their agenda for change • Refugee twins among the first to receive birth certificates in Tanzania • SIDO: Local transformation through investment • Prevention of disease: All Staff at Borders Must Be UNFPA is supporting efforts to accelerate progress towards the global goal of on Alert zero FGM by 2030 and a better and more equal world for girls like Winda. Photo: UNFPA Tanzania inda* was 13 and in communities where FGM is regional disparities exist and Wjust about to start seen as a ‘rite of passage’ and in Mara Region Winda’s birth- secondary school when her where girls who are ‘uncut’ place 32 percent of women father told her he wanted her are stigmatized and often aged 15 to 49 still undergo to be cut (undergo FGM). “He unable to marry saying no can FGM. told me I was now grown up mean losing your community, and I had to be cut so that your family and friends. Winda had been educated my family could be proud of about the harmful impacts me and be respected in the Female genital mutilation of FGM; ending FGM activists community,” she recalls. has been illegal in Tanzania had visited her school. She since 1998 and the govern- knew she could suffer serious With the obvious devastating ment is committed to ending short and long-term impacts, effects, it seems like it should the practice, as articulated even death, and was terri- be an easy decision to say no in national, regional and fied. She pleaded with her to FGM. But for Winda and global development agendas, family not to cut her with her millions of women and girls and evidenced by national brother’s support – around the world – who live decreases in the practice. But Continues on page 2 This newsletter is published by the UN Communication Group in Tanzania. To subscribe and provide feedback, please contact us at: [email protected] | Website: tanzania.un.org | Tel: (+255) 22-219-5021 1 Continued from page 1 a doctor. ing of the policy environment but they refused to listen. in Tanzania and across its Winda is among the many borders to the bolstering of Winda made the courageous young women who are saying prevention and response sys- decision to run away from no to FGM in Tanzania, and she tems; increased awareness home and walked for three is not alone. Young men, par- raising in communities and days to reach the Police Station ents, and communities have schools and the scaling up of at Mugumu. Here she met made the decision that they alternative rites of passage. Sijari, a police officer at the do not want to carry this prac- As we approach the Police Gender and Children’s tice forward, that they want a International Day of Zero Desk, who took Winda to a better future for their children Tolerance for girls like Winda safe house run by Hope for a better and more equal world and many others like her we Women and Girls, Tanzania, for their daughters. echo the clarion call around in Serengeti. Winda is now 17 the world: “This is no time for and is still at the safe house. UNFPA remains committed to inaction: Unite, fund and act She is being supported to con- accelerating efforts to reach to end FGM”. tinue her education and says the global goal of ending FGM she still dreams of becoming by 2030 from the strengthen- WAD 2020: USING INNOVATIVE HIV SERVICES TO EXPAND AND ENSURE CONTINUED HIV CARE he world has made Tsignificant progress since the late 1990s, but HIV remains a major global public health issue. And like many other major health issues, it faces additional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. On 1 December WHO, UNAIDS, UNESCO and UNICEF, joined the Government of Tanzania, partners, programme imple- mentors, civil society and the public in paying tribute to all those working to provide HIV services, and in calling on global leaders and citizens to UN Resident Coordinator, Zlatan Milisic (left), welcomes Prime Minister Kassim rally for “global solidarity” to Majaliwa (right) to the UN booth at World Aids Day commemorations in Moshi district, Kilimanjaro region. Mr. Milisic reiterated the UN’s committment to maintain essential HIV ser- continue supporting the Government of Tanzania in the fight against HIV/ vices during COVID 19 and AIDS. Photo: Deborah Kaluzi/UN Tanzania beyond. It is a call to focus on vulnerable groups who are coverage to children and already at risk and expand adolescents. The Prime Minister, Hon. Continues on page 3 2 Continued from page 2 life-saving antiretroviral med- whereby nine high burden Kassim Majaliwa, graced the icines (ARVs) for children, regions were supported to national commemorations in adolescents and adults living develop operational plans for Kilimanjaro Region and noted with HIV. focused, targeted and prior- with concern that youths itized HIV Testing based on aged 15—24 accounted for The UN, in collaboration with disease burden. 80 percent of new transmis- partners, has supported the sions. The high rate of new country to develop the HIV Self On his side, UN Resident transmission among youth Testing (HIV ST) framework Coordinator, Zlatan Milisic is critical to Tanzania’s prog- as an additional strategy for reiterated the UN’s commit- ress towards Sustainable HIV testing in different popu- ment to ending AIDS. “The Development Goals in health, lation groups. The framework UN works in close collabo- that target to decrease new has been utilized as the basis ration with the Government transmission among popula- for the matching funds and with the common objective tions, including youth. applying to the Global Fund of ensuring an equal distri- for the period 2021-2023. bution of development gains The work of the UN in the fight across the country, and to against HIV/AIDS in Tanzania In the year 2020, the UN end the AIDS epidemic by has focused on policy making has been instrumental in 2030 that will make a posi- and providing guidance that assisting translation of the tive impact on the people of aim to halt the increase of new Accelerated Plan for HTS ser- Tanzania,” he said. transmissions and guarantee vices to the sub-national level REFUGEE TWINS AMONG THE FIRST TO RECEIVE BIRTH CERTIFICATES IN TANZANIA Zeomary and her twins at Nduta refugee camp in Kibondo district, Kigoma region. Photo: Maimuna Mtengela/ UNHCR Tanzania Continues on page 4 3 Continued from page 3 s Zeomary Rudashi rushes Atowards the registration center in Tanzania’s Nduta refugee camp, her excitement is palpable. Today is a special day and not even the heat of the sun can dull her mood. She leans forward to balance the weight of one of her twins, tied snugly on her back and urges on her seven-year-old daughter, who is carrying the other baby. “Today is a great day for Zeomary during the birth certificate registration process. Photo: Maimuna Belyce and Jaqueline who are Mtengela/ UNHCR Tanzania only three weeks old,” she says with a broad smile as she who were born in Tanzania itive development will confer joins the queue. “They will get will receive legal documen- important legal protections birth certificates. I feel like tation, together with some on them.” they belong somewhere.” 13,500 other refugee children under five years. This is the He added that while the lack Zeomary, a Burundian ref- first time that such an exer- of birth registration itself ugee, is a mother of seven cise includes refugee children does not make children state- and has been living in Nduta like Zumary’s. less, its absence can hamper camp for the past five years. the ability of people to prove She fled Burundi’s political The #IBelong Campaign aims their descent and place of upheaval in 2015, finding to end statelessness by 2024 birth, which are the two main refuge in Tanzania. Since and is commemorating its elements to establish an enti- she left her family’s belong- sixth anniversary this year. tlement to the nationality of ings and documents behind, World leaders are urged to any State. she often worries that her include and protect stateless children may not be recog- populations and make bold The registration exercise, nized as Burundians and risk and swift moves to eradicate which took place in Nduta becoming stateless. statelessness. camp as a pilot, will soon be rolled out in Mtendeli and But thanks to a birth registra- UNHCR’s Representative Nyarugusu camps. In total, tion exercise, led by Tanzania’s in Tanzania, Antonio Jose some 55,000 children who lack Registration Insolvency and Canhandula, has applauded official birth certificates will Trusteeship Agency (RITA), the the Tanzanian Government’s benefit.“My lucky twins have Ministry of Home Affairs, the move to include refugees in certainly come with blessings UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, the initiative. “The right to a for the community. “I can’t the Norwegian Refugee name, identity and registra- wait to show my husband the Council and other stakehold- tion at birth is a right for all documents,” she beams. ers, Zumary’s three children children,” he said. “This pos- 4 YOUNG PEOPLE ADVOCATE WITH MPS ON THEIR AGENDA FOR CHANGE “As a young person, we have the obligation to make sure the water systems in our schools and in our country are upheld so that children are protected from infectious diseases. Children can be WASH heroes too!”- Rose Mweleka, UNICEF Young Champion and University Graduate says while addressing members of Parliament.