Twaweza….. and IyaDedE

Twaweza have a really nice website now. Seems to explain what they do pretty clearly, which is pretty much what you want.

Lets kiss and make up – and then let’s go all electro pop with iyaDedE, while thanking Kate Bomz for the tip.

Ethnic people group information

Despite Nyerere and CCM’s best nation building efforts, many a hotel or guest house register in Tanzania still requires one to state one’s tribe. Given that such data are not collected in the census, you would think that guest house registers might be the best source of information, if only proxy, on population by tribe.

The Joshua Project wants to change all that:

The Joshua Project exists to highlight the ethnic people groups of the world with the least followers of Christ. Accurate, regularly updated ethnic people group information is critical for understanding and completing the Great Commission.

That’s not the Africa Commission, or even the Commission for Africa but the resurrected Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples to spread their new belief.

And a Commission like that needs data – data now to be found in the Joshua Project’s fascinating database. The Tanzanian data can be found here. It is remarkable for a number of reasons. The list of tribes given is exhaustive, with some surprising inclusions. The Chagga, Luguru and Gujurati are to be expected. The inclusion of the British, French Germans and Greeks is less so. But all of those are outnumbered by the “Han Chinese, Mandarin” – numbering a gobsmacking 68,000.

Bear in mind too that is notable for its lack of information on sources. It is also notable for its joyless classification of us all. Its simple minded and clichéd “People Photos” while initially making the viewer wince, and then guffaw, betray a lack of any real desire to understand you or me. Which is maybe not surprising.

Thanks to Roving Bandit for pointing out the Joshua Project

..they use their own kind as carts.

Giraldus Cambrensis, or Gerald of Wales, was to become one of the most prolific writers of the 13^th century. His debut work, The History and Topography of Ireland is endlessly fascinating – and still selling.

Sent across the sea by England’s Henry II in 1185, he came across many a tall tale and a myth. And set them down. His account of the island’s wildlife is fantastical and engaging. When discussing ‘the badger and its nature’, he had this to say on their tunnelling technique:

Some of them are born to serve by nature. Lying on their backs, they pile on their bellies soil that has been dug by others. Then clutching it with their four feet, and holding a piece of wood across their mouths, they are dragged out of the holes with their burden by others who pull backwards while holding on here and there to the wood with their teeth. Anyone that sees them is astonished.

No doubt, I am sure. The beaver is similar, “… they use their own kind as carts.” Both unfortunates “are distinguished by a certain uncertainty of shape and a worn bare patch upon their backs.”

Gerald of Wales is the principal source for what is known of Ireland during the Middle Ages.

Twaweza listens, by the looks of things.

I’m boring myself at this stage, so this is the last Twaweza post ever.

The John Githongo and Jamie Drummond piece which originally appeared in the Toronto Globe and Mail was notable it’s positive spin on Twaweza’s work without mentioning the minor issue that John Githongo works for Twaweza in Kenya. I gave out about that.

The piece has been re-run today by allAfrica.com, with that little issue amended. Which is good.

Note to Twaweza: social media seems to be a big part of what you want to do. If you want to understand it…… use it. Participate. Join the conversation.

Agitate, educate, organise

“[I]t is possible to organise in Ethiopia without foreign money. I know because I have done it both as a student and a guerrilla fighter.”

Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi is ruthless and brutal. And also very, very smart.

He was speaking to the Irish Times.

The O’Neill brothers were on The Tube.

Even better than the real thing: Part le Pili

I had thought that Twaweza was behind me…. until this popped up in my feed reader this morning, pointing me to this piece here in the Globe and Mail. It’s John Githongo and Jamie Drummond calling for a “bottom up citizen led strategy for sustainable development.” Drummond is of course the head of ONE – Bono’s advocacy baby. Githongo needs no introduction, of course. Or maybe he does? Read on…

I really don’t know where to start. Their talk of accountability, empowerment and transparency suggests the importance of integrity in public life.

But transparency does not just apply to government budgets. It also applies to those in public life but outside government – Civil Society. Same goes for integrity.

The article is clearly aimed at global level rich world policy makers (aka donors). And it says this:

African accountability efforts by civil society and think tanks must be expanded dramatically. Efforts such as Twaweza, an East African citizen accountability movement, can be scaled up across the continent and deliver great returns on investment by empowering citizens to demand their rights.

“Returns on investment”…. that is so Davos. But seriously, if Twaweza is to be scaled up that would surely be on the basis of solid results that have been achieved already in the Twaweza programme. What are they and where can I read about them? As Githongo and Drummond say:

One of the great scandals in development is the lack of good statistics to measure progress – this area needs much more investment.

Exactly.

And if transparency is so important, why does the bio of John Githongo at the end of the piece not mention that he is the Twaweza director for Kenya. Surely that is relevant? The piece has been up since Thursday and it could so easily be corrected, as it was on Friday when one statistic was amended.

So I guess that Twaweza will get in touch with the Globe and Mail when they see the piece and ask for a correction on Githongo’s bio?

Chuck D and Flava Flav…. once again….. take it from the top

I see your name in lights. We can make you a star.

Zitto Kabwe: young, smart and good looking. The Chadema MP for North Kigoma quickly made a name for himself in this parliament. From being suspended for awkward questions on mining contracts to having the temerity to challenge his own party leader in internal Chadema elections, he’s never been far from the news.

Such a high profile can only lead to one thing: a celebrity Q&A in Dar’s notorious udaku scandal sheets. Sani got the scoop, with Zitto answering questions texted in by readers. Sani doesn’t have a web presence – get yours at Posta.

And don’t be a snob. The questions are insightful and more direct and to the point than most Dar microphone holders can manage.

Selected questions and answers below, in translation. But the question I wanted to ask him was…….. Zitto, are you really in business with Captain John Komba, as the Captain himself once claimed in Dar’s short lived Bongo Sun? Komba of course is the CCM MP for Mbinga and leader of Tanzania One Theatre, who I can assure you puts on a good show.

Honourable Zitto, do you have any plan to leave Chadema or is it just rumours? Zitto: I have never planned to leave Chadema. There are people who want me out for their own personal interest. I just tell them I’m not leaving. I’ve never been a member of any party other than Chadema.

Hey, it’s said that you are known for having affairs with younger MPs and that you’re No. 1 when it comes to breaking up marriages. Is this true? That’s not true at all. It’s just gossip

Big Up, Uncle! So, are you gonna run for president? I’m not old enough. The constitution stipulates that one should be 40 years old at least to qualify to contest the presidency.

That young one Kinyonga – the Bongo Flava singer – is it true that you’re with her and how many kids have you had with her? I’m not with her and have had no children with her.

I congratulate you for your performances in parliament. I need to talk to you if you’re ready. Lizzy in Morogoro. I’m ready to communicate with all Tanzanians in building the nation.

What plan do you have in mind for Mwananchi newspaper which raises so much conflict between you and your party leaders? Mwananchi is the only newspaper in the country  which is not owned by a politician or someone with political influence. I greatly respect Mwananchi.

I was a great fan when you were fighting grand corruption, but now you’ve gone quiet. Why? Have you started eating too? Afraid you’ll be uncovered? A good leader is one who sticks to his agenda to the end. My agenda is mining and I’ll stick with that until the new mining legislation is passed. I’m not the type of politician who will chatter about anything. I’m an educated politician  and I can stand over everything I say.

Is it true that you’ve become a bit of a loose cannon in  the party because of your popularity in the constituency? I don’t have such tendencies and I respect my party.

Further education and writing, OK that’s your choice. But don’t you see that God chose you to be the defender of the downtrodden? Teachers can best defend the rights of the downtrodden by giving them the knowledge they need to get on in life. That’s the work I like more than any other.

Time and age turns our pages

Maybe it was Twaweza’s bad luck to have Bono extolling their work on holding local governments accountable when there’s little evidence to point to in the matter. But time and again funding NGOs, bilateral donors, ‘local’ NGOs claim credit for stuff that…. well…. they haven’t actually done.

I remember the discussion with someone who had got a lot of money to do Public Expenditure Tracking. He didn’t know how to do it, his staff didn’t know how to do it. They didn’t even know if it was worth doing or not in their District. I asked him to level with me. We looked at each other over our mugs of tea and he replied: “ah, si unajua dunia ya wahisani?” Don’t you know the donor world?

I remember bringing ‘celebrity’ advocates (I had actually never heard of them) to see a ‘partner’ organisation’s  work. None of what we saw was directly supported by us (we supported their HQ costs and some benighted advocacy work). All was presented to the visitors as having been funded by us.: the big modern market place; the dynamic women’s group now selling to a supermarket; the road that took us there. Our HQ trumpeted the same stuff in newspapers back home.

I remember the NGO that was funded to do certain stuff in villages even though it had…. already done that stuff and it didn’t need doing again. Was the donor interested when I told them? Not really. Was the recipient NGO worried? Not particularly.

Thankfully most of my employers have been a lot more honest. But those examples aren’t so extreme.  From what I know, Twaweza is working on some interesting and innovative stuff. I just don’t know exactly what it is and obviously neither does Bono. And to be fair, they are happy to raise some awkward questions about how this business is conducted (over 2mb..). But if you’re going to end up in the NYT, then be prepared for people to google in follow up.

The overwhelming need to keep telling positive stories that keep the money flowing is a trap. Don’t be caught in it. Do things in sequence……… which takes time.

Nneka

Even better than the real thing

Tanzanian initiatives don’t make the New York Times too often. So when Bono mentions an NGO initiative such as Twaweza and it gets blogged here and there and eventually works its way back to me in Tanzania…. I start to think. The first thing that comes to mind is that I’d rather see Profesa Jay bigging up Twaweza in the Tanzanian press than Bono in the US press.

Fr. Bono, in his end of year homily, tells us of pyramids of power being turned upside down; of new technologies emancipating the down trodden. His only evidence?

for example, Twaweza, a citizen’s organization, is spreading across East Africa, helping people hold local officials accountable for managing budgets and delivering services. (Twaweza is Swahili for “we can make it happen.”)

So what work is that exactly? Visit the Twaweza page on the Hivos website (one of their funders) and you’ll see outlines of work on improving “water point functionality” in Tanzania in cooperation with Daraja, “deepening dialogue about public accountability” in Kenya, literacy and numeracy assessment across East Africa and some TV spots.

Clicking through the Daraja link on water points and I can’t find anything solid on how Twaweza helps to:

a) share information about water point functionality to the public in accessible formats, primarily through the media and b) enable citizens to update functionality information in real time via SMS, and c) analyze and publicize responsiveness of government to citizen notification.

The work in Kenya on public accountability is via the Zinduko Trust. Click on the link yourself and check the information available.

No information is available on the Twaweza page on any on the “ ‘citizen movement based’ literacy initiative that is Uwezo”, though a quick google gives some a little info from other sources.

And I’ve yet to see the TV spots. But then, I don’t have a TV.

None of the above is a criticism of Daraja, the Zinduko Trust or the Uwezo initiative. But it is a criticism of  Twaweza allowing hype to overcome reality and a criticism of Bono for not taking East Africa seriously. How Bono came to name check Twaweza in the NYT is anyone’s guess. But it leaves Twaweza and its partners exposed (even Bono, indeed) if there isn’t easily available evidence of how Twaweza is doing what Bono says it does.

What Twaweza wants to do is positive and deserves support. But if it comes off, it willl take time and patience.

Disclosure: I occasionally collect an allowance from Hivos.

Chuck D and Flava Flav

Try and keep up

You need to have your wits about you to follow the tractor saga. The state owned Daily News reported that the tender process was to be suspended, as requirements of the Public Procurement Act had not been followed. Quoting our graft busting PM, we were told:

“The alarms awakened and we realised we could have fallen into another graft trap. We want to satisfy ourselves that the procedures in awarding the tender were followed and we’ll decide on the next course of action to make sure the project goes on smoothly,” Mr Pinda said.

But setting out to satisfy yourself that correct procedures were followed is just more grandstanding. Words mean things and in this case they mean that we will be satisfied that etc. etc.

And sure enough, the army boys are steaming ahead. The Daily News again, on the appearance of the Army’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Shimbo, before the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (buried in the last para):

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff said the army in collaboration with National Service and Nyumbu Plant, plan to import and assemble tractors to support ‘Kilimo Kwanza’ initiatives. He said his office was finalising the agreement with the government of India on the matter in question. The committee met the Chief of Staff and all army units.

Satisfied?