It was Awesome

This is the last day of the training hope it’s not the last day to post in my blog am looking forward to be more serious about this.

Today as the last day it was more tiresome as I have to concentrate for hours searching for materials to write my assignment which was about Gas in Mtwara, I was able to compile something though I was not satisfied due to lack of time.

From the research assignment I have realised that for a good journalist it is really important to stay current rather than being like lay man, from the assignment I have learned that the community really need journalist not for entertainment and information only but educating them is really crucial

I learnt a lot of things which at first never came to my attention including having my own blog at first I thought writing on newspaper was enough for me but I have realised that in this globalised world through blog I will be able to reach many people.

Through the training I got a chance to meet with new people whom I believe they are potential in my career as most of them have been in the media industry for a very long time than me.

The training days should be extended at least for five days; otherwise I really enjoyed the class of Mr Peik Johansson I would recommend him to provide trainings even to junior journalist as they also need assistance.

I would also like to prolong my gratitude to my colleagues who most of them happen to be fun and Ms Cecilia Mung’ong’o who took care of logistics during the training

 Thanks to Mr Peik Johansson.

The Untold Story Of Mtwara Gas

A lot has been alleged concerning the gas matter in Mtwara something which led me to ask myself is it a curse or blessing that we have finally found what God has blessed the land of Tanzania with.

 Mtwara region did not have great attention from the media and was regarded as sleeping giant multinational corporations or the Tanzania government until the discovery of oil and gas something which grasps attention of the whole world.

Tanzania has, for decades been involved in extractive industries exploration, development and production. The country has excellent opportunities for oil and gas exploration and development in the ‘unexplored’ but highly potential sedimentary basins.

I have realised that it is important that Tanzanians are aware of the main players in the oil and gas industry in the country. It is feared though, that lack of information, together with weak public knowledge about the institutions involved, may cause complications for public access to oil and gas appropriate information.

 

As it seems like at the first place there were conflict of interest which led to riots and the community at large was not having a good knowledge about gas which I believe up-to-date though the government through Ministry of Energy and minerals has sent some community members to Thailand for training concerning the gas issue still some people are not pleased.

Lessening information gap in the oil and/or gas industries is vital for reinforcing transparency and accountability along the value chain of the duo extractive industries in Tanzania, especially now when the country is the ExtractiveIndustries Transparency Initiative (EITI) implementing country.

The Msimbati Bay is potential for natural gas where large deposits have been discovered. Exploitation programmes are yet to be concluded and this could yield the region and neighbours with an abundant alternative source of domestic energy.

Since 2005, however, and especially in the last couple of years, far more interest has been paid to the region in light of massive offshore natural gas discoveries. Now more than ever, southern Tanzania (and particularly Mtwara town) is in the process of being dragged into the global capitalist economy – notwithstanding the infamous Groundnut Scheme.

These opposition parties are gaining traction in calling for greater transparency over the contracts that the government has signed with natural resource extraction companies. There are further demands for the publication of all of the contracts signed with foreign governments, especially regarding the construction of the pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam that is to be funded with a discounted loan from the Chinese government.

 

Failure to manage expectations surrounding the natural resource discoveries coupled with an existing perception of a ‘hidden agenda’ against Mtwara. Whether such an agenda exists is secondary to the perception it does, and this should have been considered in all dealings. The most sceptical analysis might point to the failure to learn key lessons from the Niger Delta in spite of a rhetorical claim to have done so.

However, this seems to believe the fact that the companies working on gas extraction in Mtwara are predominantly from Europe and North America such as BG Group (UK), Statoil (Norway), ExxonMobil (US), Ophir (UK). Brazilian company Petrobras – an increasingly significant global actor – is also involved, while the only major and publicised Chinese involvement is the aforementioned low cost loan for the construction of the controversial pipeline.

 Spreading such thinly-veiled rumours is perhaps a diversionary tactic to absolve the Tanzanian government of the burden of responsibility, which would make sense in light of how excessive the response of the police and the army seems to have been.

Tanzania is endowed with diverse energy sources including biomass, natural gas, hydropower, coal, geothermal, solar and wind power, much of which is untapped. Wood-fuel accounts for up to 90% of total energy supply with about 2% from hydro-electricity and 7% from oil-derived products and 1% from other sources. Nonetheless the downstream oil industry is an important sector of the country's economy absorbing on average 55% of the country's foreign exchange earnings.

Government policies are directed at petroleum product substitution by exploiting indigenous resources. In the upstream oil industry, oil and gas exploration and production is also being encouraged. Extensive gas fields have been identified off the coast at Songo Songo and Mnazi Bay which are currently under production, and the just discovered gas fields off Mafia Island shores that are being developed.

Current natural gas resources are estimated to be 40 trillion cubic feet (tcf), which is quite substantial. At present, most of the gas produced from these fields is used in power generation. However, natural gas can be a raw material for a multitude of more valuable petrochemical industries.

The human resource is certainly the most important factor of production because it is capable of transforming all the other factors for the betterment of human life and human welfare. Developing and utilising this resource effectively increases its productivity and its capital value. Thus, human resources development must be one of the leading objectives on the nation's development agenda.

Given significant discoveries of natural gas, there is apparent demand for petroleum and petrochemical engineers. There is a need to exposing this potential and disseminate the status of the industry particularly its potential contribution to the development of Tanzania.

speaking about potential benefits to Tanzania only 0.3 per cent of the total sales on gas would be retained to run various social and economic activities for the people of Mtwara and Lindi regions.

Other benefits are construction of fertilizer and cement industries. America’s Symbion company branch would be set up in Mtwara Municipality for the generation of 400 Mw of electricity.

Additionally, a transmission line of KV 220 would be constructed from Mtwara to Songea by the US Schlumberger company based in Houston, which is currently constructing a big equipment workshop for gas and oil extraction.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Upcoming

It’s a second day of the training little bit exhausted as we have been working with computer the whole day but am happy as when we are done with this I will be a good example and teacher to my colleagues.

What I admire the most about this class is the way Mr Peik explains things to us in a manner that we easily understand though sometimes I wish he could go fast but I have realised that he understands what is best for us.

We did not learn much today but there is a thing which is very crucial mentioned by Mr Peik that, “You better spend 80 per cent of your time on research and little time on writing and editing your text,”

As it is a new experience gathering material online and come up with a story in your own words as we have been taught it’s not that easy as your mind need to be at ease and concentrate as there are other information in the internet are not useful.

We were given three topics and told to choose one and write something about it as you have seen I choose “Smart Kigali” which took me sometime to finish it.

Am coping with this new experience which I believe with more practice I will be good someday as for today it took me sometime to finish my assignment.

Change is not a change until you change, so I will be the one to change first before imparting this knowledge to my colleagues at work.

 

Eid Mubarak.

East African Digital Race

In attempt to increase city tourism, business and travel, Rwanda’s capital city Kigali has turned out unveiling free wireless internet access in popular areas within the city for business users and tourists.

Under the ‘Smart Kigali’ initiative, a public-private partnership between the City of Kigali, the Rwanda Utilities Regulator, the country’s mobile service provider, Rwanda Hotel and Restaurant Association and Rwanda Development Board, the agency in charge of marketing Rwanda as a tourist destination; access to free Wi-Fi has been rolled out in public parks, restaurants and designated commercial buildings in the capital.

Smart Kigali also aims at assisting people, especially visitors in using the already established online direction navigator that demands the newly named streets and home address information on Google maps while also facilitating online payments.

Specific areas which the new initiative covers include Union Trade Centre, Kigali City Tower, Kigali City Market, Centenary House and downtown hotels and restaurants. Service providers Tigo and Airtel are leading the internet accessibility initiative.

Fifteen of Kigali Bus Services’ large buses have also been equipped with the service.

A masterplan of Kigali City under Vision 2020. [photo/topboxdesign.com]

The country’s Vision 2020 hopes to transform Rwanda into a middle-income country and move from an agrarian economy into an information-rich, knowledge-based society by 2020.

 

Allow me to quote from Rwandan Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana

 

Mr Nsengimana argues that Smart Kigali is not a project to benefit only the elite who can afford smart gadgets but will extend to the majority of Rwandans after the government launched Vizio, a programme that will see it negotiate with manufacturers and banks to offer smart gadgets to low income citizens.

He also noted that though Internet is being provided free of charge, telecommunication companies stand to make gains as more hotels and businesses come on board. The government has also established necessary infrastructure by way of a fibre optic cable throughout the country.

I believe from Rwanda experince other East African countries will learn and follow what they are implementing though the challenge is still high especially to rural dwellers who most of them have no knowledge about ICT.

All the Best Kigali

 

 

 

 

The sky is the Limit

                                                                                           

Using computer for several years yet I was not able to use some of the features  available in various search engines as if I was restricted but simply because I was not aware on how to use them and its importance.

The first day of our training was incredible as the facilitator Mr. Peik Johansson (from VIKES) introduced us to some of the things which seem to be minor but very crucial in our daily work.

We learnt various things about investigative journalism as Mr Peiks take us through various articles such as investigative journalism manual which explains its meaning.

The journey did not end there as we also learned about investigative internet journalism and here is when I got to know various articles which I never come across before such as, “ How investigative reporting makes use of internet,”

What I like the most about the training is the method used which is participatory that support us in a better way.

Last but not least, I learnt how to utilise the search engine properly and in an easy way without wasting time for instance we were told to search about how world press freedom day was covered by Tanzania Media here is when we were taught how to search by date, month and country it was very easy.

Today is the second day just excited to learn more, it’s a new experience which am enjoying.

Don’t miss to visit here tomorrow

 

 

Day One

Dear Readers

This is my first post from training course arranged at the Tanzania Global Learning Agency(TaGLA) Hilda Mhagama are my names working with Daily News Tanzania as a reporter.

This week I will be attending three day training on, ‘Investigative Internet Journalism’ conducted by the Media Institute of Southern Africa, Tanzania Chapter (MISA-TAN) in collaboration with VIKES (Finnish Foundation for Media, Communication and Development).

The three -days training started today October 14, 2013, at Tanzania Global Learning Centre (TGDLC) in Dar es Salaam, expecting to get new knowledge on how to go about the internet on investigating stories.

So far I have realised that I have been limiting myself especially using social networks in my career, previously I used the internet for searching background information, reading online newspapers and other publications.

In this new digital era it’s really important to get used to exhausting from the internet on various matters especially in grooming my career as there are also valuable information and easily accessed and also easy to get feedback from readers.

Welcome.