Dar holds special prayer service to honour deceased Tanzanian seafarers

DAR ES SALAAM: SEAFARERS in Tanzania have been urged to uphold the dignity of their profession by performing their duties with professionalism, maintaining self-discipline, and promoting unity, love, and cooperation to earn greater respect within society.

The call was made by Father Johnson Lameck of The Mission to Seafarers while speaking to journalists during a special prayer service held to honor and remember deceased seafarers.

Father Lameck said that unity, mutual respect, and cooperation among seafarers would encourage them to work harder, improve efficiency, and create a supportive working environment.

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“When seafarers work with love, unity, and cooperation, they inspire one another to remain committed, work together effectively, and treat each other with respect,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Acting Secretary General of the Tanzania Seafarers Association, Hamisi Urembo, called on the government to improve the country’s seafarer employment system, making it more accessible and creating greater opportunities for Tanzanians to secure jobs, increase their incomes, and contribute to national economic growth.

Urembo said unemployment remains one of the biggest challenges facing many qualified seafarers despite the availability of skilled professionals capable of meeting industry demands.

He noted that some recruitment agencies send Tanzanian seafarers abroad without coordinating with the Tanzania Seafarers Association.

As a result, when these seafarers encounter difficulties while working overseas, they often fail to receive assistance because the agencies distance themselves from responsibility.

He emphasized that joining the association would provide seafarers with legal protection, professional guidance, and support in claiming their rights and employment benefits whenever challenges arise.

Urembo also pointed out that the Dar es Salaam Maritime Institute (DMI) continues to produce a large number of qualified maritime graduates each year, yet many remain unemployed due to limited job opportunities.

He urged the government, through the Ministry of Transport, to work closely with the Tanzania Seafarers Association to create more employment opportunities for local seafarers, stressing that the country has many skilled maritime professionals who are ready to contribute to the sector.