TANZANIA: THE East African integration drive has received a boost after Barrick Gold donated 10,000 US dollars for its awareness creation among the youth.
The money will be channelled for awareness creation among secondary school students on regional integration efforts by the EAC. The cash was handed over to The Fungua Trust, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in January last year and dedicated to improving the livelihoods of vulnerable people.
The donation was made after the NGO won the prestigious NVeP (Nos Vies en Partage) award from Barrick, a multinational mining firm with a footprint in Tanzania.
The Fungua Trust founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Shogo Mlozi-Sedoyeka received the money during an event held at Bulyanhulu Gold Mine in Kahama, Shinyanga Region.
“Fungua Trust would like to thank Barrick Gold for their unmatched generosity,” she said in a speech read on her behalf by the NGO’s Head of Operations and Finance, Ernest Mwamala.
According to her, the donation will support the implementation of the Inua youth project being undertaken there. The project has two components. The first component is designed to assist secondary schools in promoting students’ understanding of the functions of the East African Community (EAC).
“The aim is to nurture a population which has a strong desire to become an active part of regional integration,” said Dr Mlozi-Sedoyeka, who is a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). The second component of the ambitious Inua Youths project aims at improving menstrual hygiene for around 1,200 secondary school female students. “This support comes as a lifechanging opportunity for school girls to whom lack of proper menstrual care was threatening their pursuit of education,” she stated.
According to Dr Mlozi-Sedoyeka, Inua Youths is the first project that Fungua Trust implements under Barrick’s support through its NVeP and other windows. The Fungua Trust was established in January last year with a vision to improve the lives of vulnerable children, women, youth and people living with disabilities.
To date, the Trust has implemented a total of five programmes, all of which fall within its five major areas of interventions, he explained. The interventions are capacity building, digitalisation and innovation, climate change and environment, policy and leadership and research and publication.
Awareness creation for students on the EAC is prompted by the fact that the organisation operates at a regional scope, the Tanzanian EALA MP explained. Barrick Gold support has been lauded for having contributed to increased access by people to essential social services such as health, education, water and employment.
The Trust is committed to empowering Tanzanians and people in the EAC region striving to build a brighter future for themselves. It is anticipated that the support will enhance the capacity of the communities to exploit the opportunities available for sustainable development.
According to Dr Mlozi-Sedoyeka, the Fungua Trust envisions improved livelihoods of people to fulfil the country’s Vision 2050 as desired by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
“We are passionately committed to seeing more Tanzanians adequately equipped to take full advantage of social and economic opportunities brought about by the regional integration,” she said.
The EALA member said this was the first project that Fungua Trusts is implementing under the Barrick support and called on the mining firm to continue to support communities through its NVeP and other windows.
