Govt strengthens welfare support for elderly through housing projects
ZANZIBAR: THE Zanzibar Government has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a supportive and enabling environment for the elderly by providing safe and decent housing, as part of broader efforts to address accommodation challenges.
Second Vice-President (2VP) Zanzibar, Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, made the remarks recently after inspecting the ongoing construction of an elderly housing project in Welezo during his continued tour of development projects in the Urban West Region.
He said the government will continue to value and care for older persons by ensuring they have access to essential needs, including living in safe, friendly and enabling environments tailored to their requirements.
Mr Abdulla noted that President Dr Hussein Mwinyi is delivering on his campaign promises, particularly in promoting the welfare of the elderly, especially those in need of greater government support.
He also urged contractors to speed up construction of the Welezo project to ensure it is completed on time and meets the required standards, allowing elderly residents to move into the modern facility equipped with essential social services.
Minister for Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Anna Athanas Paul, said it is encouraging to see the President’s commitment to improving the lives of older people through better living conditions, pension payments and continued access to free healthcare services.
She called on the elderly to remain patient during the construction period, noting that the ministry is closely supervising the project to ensure timely completion and highquality standards.
Project engineer Anna Fransisi from Salim Construction Ltd said the facility, expected to be completed in September this year, will cost over 5bn/- and will accommodate about 112 residents, with an average of four people per room.
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During the tour, the Second Vice-President also inspected the construction of a maritime training institute at Bait el Raas and a multi-storey secondary school at Kama.
He stressed that the education sector is a key driver in producing skilled professionals, underscoring the need for a conducive learning and teaching environment for both students and teachers.
He said the government will continue to prioritise education by strengthening infrastructure, constructing modern facilities, providing learning equipment and recruiting qualified teachers while improving their welfare as resources allow while the government through the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training continues to increase funding for the Higher Education Students’ Loans Board.
He urged students to study hard and remain focused on their goals, noting that the nation requires an educated workforce to drive development.
Inspecting the construction of the KVZ multi-storey hospital and the JKU Agency office in Mtoni, he expressed satisfaction with the efforts of special departments under the Zanzibar government in building modern service facilities, which will improve working conditions and service delivery for personnel.
