Category: The Citizen

Dar es Salaam. Businesswoman Jenifer Jovin (26), popularly known as Niffer, and 21 others have appeared before Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court facing treason charges.

Niffer and her co-accused appeared in court on Friday afternoon, November 7, 2025, where they were read three charges, one of conspiracy to commit an offence involving damage to infrastructure, and two counts of treason. The charges were read by Senior State Attorney Clemence Kato before Senior Resident Magistrate Aaron Lyamuya.

The prosecution is continuing to formally read the charges against the accused. .

By Joanne Mwita The boardroom at Mwananchi headquarters was bathed in late-morning light, quiet but alive with anticipation. Moments before her arrival, the hum of conversation softened, and then she appeared.

Dressed in a crisp tailored suit, her crown gleaming just enough to remind everyone of its weight, Naisae Yona, Miss Universe Tanzania, stepped into the room not just as a beauty queen, but as a woman on a mission. There’s something magnetic about her presence.

She carries herself with poise but also with a kind of warmth that puts you instantly at ease. The tone of our conversation was friendly and fluid, less a formal interview and more a heart-to-heart between two women who care deeply about purpose, identity, and faith.

Naise admits that she had never competed in pageantry before. “I’ve always admired it,” she says with an easy smile, “but I never really thought I’d be in it.

” The opportunity came unexpectedly, through a simple Instagram post announcing auditions. At first, she hesitated.

“I was juggling a lot, I’m a mother, I run multiple businesses, and I honestly didn’t know how I’d balance it all,” she says. But something in her heart nudged her forward.

“Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith,” she adds. “If God puts something in your path, He will also give you the strength to walk it.

” For someone new to the world of pageantry, the learning curve was steep. “I had to start from zero,” Naise laughs.

“How to walk in heels, how to pose, how to answer questions gracefully everything!” She recalls long evenings spent practising her walk, recording herself, and replaying clips to notice her posture or gestures. “At first it was awkward, my feet hurt, and my confidence wavered, but with time, those challenges became my strengths,” she says.

“It taught me patience, and that growth always starts with discomfort.” Balancing motherhood, business, and pageant preparations wasn’t easy.

Some nights were sleepless, some days overwhelming. Yet Naise pressed on, powered by her belief that purpose and perseverance go hand in hand.

When asked what inspired her to join Miss Universe Tanzania, her answer comes without hesitation: love. “My pure love of pageantry, of beauty, of what it represents,” she says softly.

“Every little girl dreams of wearing a crown, not just for the sparkle, but for what it symbolises strength, confidence, and hope.” For Naise, the pageant was more than a personal dream.

It was a platform, an opportunity to inspire and educate others, especially women. “I wanted to show people that whatever you put your mind to, you can do.

You just need faith and the grace of God behind you.” Her faith runs deep.

It’s the thread that weaves through every part of her story. “Everything I am and everything I do is because of God’s grace,” she says with quiet conviction.

“This journey isn’t about perfection; it’s about purpose.” It’s rare to find someone so comfortable intertwining spirituality with ambition, but Naise does it effortlessly.

Her faith doesn’t just anchor her, it propels her forward. Beyond the glitz of crowns and cameras, Naise is a woman of action.

She runs a non-profit organisation focused on supporting women and children, especially those affected by cerebral palsy. Her voice softens as she talks about it, and her eyes light up with genuine compassion.

“It’s about giving hope where it feels distant,” she says. “Sometimes, just knowing that someone believes in you can change your whole story.

” Her advocacy isn’t a pageant talking point but her calling. Every project she undertakes, every campaign she supports, stems from a deep desire to make others feel seen and valued.

“For me, beauty is not just about appearance,” she says. “It’s about the ability to uplift others, to use your platform for impact.

” Among all her titles, ‘mother’ remains the one that defines her most deeply. She speaks about her child with tenderness, describing motherhood as both her grounding force and her greatest motivation.

“Being a mother reminds me daily why my advocacy matters,” Naise says, her eyes bright with emotion. “Every child deserves a chance to grow, to dream, and to be loved without limits.

” Balancing motherhood with her crown has taught her resilience and grace. “You learn to prioritise, to trust yourself more,” she adds.

“Motherhood doesn’t take away from your dreams it makes you dream bigger.” It’s this balance of strength and softness that makes Naise not only a representative of Tanzania but of womanhood itself, multifaceted, powerful, nurturing, and unafraid.

As she prepares to represent Tanzania on the Miss Universe stage in Thailand, Naise’s excitement is palpable. She speaks passionately about her country, its warmth, its spirit, and its adaptability.

“One of my biggest motivations is to showcase Tanzania to the world,” she says. “Not just through beauty and poise, but through our culture and character.

Tanzanians are open-hearted people. We connect easily, we welcome everyone, and we find joy even in challenges.

That’s the spirit I want to carry with me.” Representing her country comes with enormous responsibility, but Naise wears it with gratitude.

“It’s not just about me,” she insists. “It’s about showing the world the strength, resilience, and grace of Tanzanians.

When I walk onto that stage, I want people to see Tanzania through me, to feel our warmth, our hope, our strength.” Her tone is calm, yet firm.

There’s no nervousness, only purpose. For her, the Miss Universe platform isn’t a competition; it’s a conversation with the world.

When our conversation wrapped up, she stood, thanked everyone warmly, and walked out the same way she had entered: confident, poised, and anchored in purpose. Watching her leave, it was impossible not to feel that Miss Universe Tanzania isn’t just carrying a title , she’s carrying a story.

A story of faith, resilience, and representation. A story of a woman who believes that beauty shines brightest when it serves others.

And perhaps most importantly, a story that reminds us that grace isn’t just how you walk in heels, but it’s how you walk through life. .

During the tense days following the elections and the curfew in Dar es Salaam, one memory from my Mass Communication lectures at the then Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (Tudarco), now Dar es Salaam Tumaini University (DarTu), came vividly back to me. It was a lecture on the Magic Bullet Theory which is also known as the Hypodermic Needle Model and its relevance that struck me in ways I had not anticipated.

Every time my phone rang, relatives, friends and neighbours were asking what was happening in the country. Surprisingly, I could easily tell that each caller already had their own answer before asking the question.

Attempting to offer a different perspective was almost impossible as any deviation from what they believed would immediately brand you as either “pro-government” or “anti-government”. There was no middle ground and this reminded me sharply of the assumptions behind the Magic Bullet Theory.

The theory assumes that media messages are like bullets fired directly into a passive audience. The audience, often described as a “sitting duck”, is expected to receive the information without question and they must absorb it entirely.

It assumed the public as vulnerable and incapable of filtering or resisting the messages sent their way. What made this theory particularly relevant was how it demonstrated the enormous influence information could have on behaviour, especially during moments of uncertainty and fear.

In those chaotic election days, this theory unfolded in real time. Each phone call I received claimed to deliver ‘reliable information,’ yet upon closer inspection, much of it was clearly unverified or misleading.

People were like doves, absorbing whatever bullets of information were sent their way without questioning the source. One friend phoned, insisting that certain media houses were being targeted by youth groups staging protests.

Another friend claimed that several political leaders had fled the country. Moments later, yet another caller said elections had been cancelled.

The next call insisted that prominent politicians’ homes had been set ablaze, with some occupants reportedly dying from shock or injury. A caller from Mbezi claimed that those injured were foreign mercenaries, allegedly sent by powerful external actors with an agenda to destabilise certain Tanzanian businesses.

Then came a particularly disturbing claim: that protestors had poisoned a major water source supplying households in Dar es Salaam. I cross-checked this with other trusted contacts and quickly established that it was a fabrication.

Yet when I relayed the truth to those who had been convinced, they refused to believe me. “We were told there would be no protests, and yet they happened.

Why should we trust anything they say now?” one individual said, steadfast in their mistrust. This exchange revealed the core of the Magic Bullet Theory in action: the audience’s perception, once shaped by a message, whether true or false, was incredibly resistant to correction.

Fear and uncertainty amplified the effect. In the span of a few hours, misinformation spread rapidly, each claim adding to a growing cloud of confusion and panic.

People were not merely misinformed; they were emotionally invested in the narrative, making reasoned analysis almost impossible. The curfew and related unrest did more than restrict movement; it exposed a vulnerability in our collective information culture.

Despite the proliferation of smartphones and digital media, people were still as susceptible as the “passive audiences” theorised decades ago. Rumours spread faster than verified facts, and the volume of misinformation often outweighed any attempts to correct it.

In moments of crisis, the Magic Bullet still strikes its mark. The Dar es Salaam curfew was a real-life demonstration of how fear, uncertainty and unverified information can shape public perception and behaviour.

Even in 2025, long after communication theories were first taught, the lessons remain profoundly relevant: in times of unrest, the power of information and misinformation can dictate outcomes in ways that no single official statement can immediately counter. The experience left me reflecting on the responsibility of both media and the public.

While journalists must strive for accuracy, the public must develop the ability to question, verify and critically analyse the flood of information they receive. Only then can society mitigate the effects of the Magic Bullet and ensure that truth, not fear, shapes our collective response to crises.

Samuel Tindwa is the News Editor of The Citizen .

Dar es Salaam. Imagine witnessing someone being killed or seriously injured.

Picture young people turning chaotic and destroying private and public property, assets they should have been protecting in incidents like those that unfolded in Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Mwanza and Arusha last week. Psychologists warn that about 30 percent of people who experience disasters develop trauma-related conditions, underscoring the need for patience and coordinated efforts in national healing.

They say recovery requires time, compassion and cooperation among the government, religious leaders, and citizens to address the mental health impact of the recent political unrest in Tanzania. Clinical psychologist Saldeen Kimangale said some citizens may face psychological challenges after witnessing, hearing, or seeing distressing events.

Such memories, he noted, can affect people’s wellbeing and may lead to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, or other psychiatric disorders. “As much as healing is a process, I call for the establishment of emergency counselling hotlines to listen to victims’ concerns,” he said.

“Some people may not have been physically present but were still affected by the sounds of gunfire, smells, or what they witnessed indoors.” He said that it is vital to promote desensitisation by encouraging open conversations, warning that suppressing or avoiding discussions only prolongs pain and bitterness.

Mr Kimangale also advised against sharing graphic or disturbing images and videos, as some individuals may be vulnerable to worsened trauma. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 10 and 15 percent of Tanzanians suffer from mental health problems.

To keep these figures low, Mr Kimangale urged both the community and government leaders to focus on promoting healing rather than issuing ultimatums or bans. When asked whether the government has specific programmes to support citizens affected by the unrest, the Director of Curative Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hamad Nyembea, said psychological support is available at centres across different levels.

He explained that anyone experiencing such challenges can access these services and that mental health education is being provided in healthcare facilities and through online platforms. A family still searching A resident of Tabata Kimanga, Ms Mariam Hamis, 45, is among those who lost loved ones during the unrest.

She said her family has been searching for her missing relative, who left home on election day to visit a sick friend in Kitunda but never returned. Ms Hamis said the family has visited several police stations and hospitals with no success.

“We are deeply worried about what might have happened to him. Our mother has refused to eat and spends most of her time crying,” she said.

When asked whether they had taken their mother to hospital for treatment, Ms Hamis said they are consulting an expert who advised the family to prioritise rest as they continue the search. They were also advised to limit social media and phone use in the evenings to avoid triggering distress and to promote better sleep.

“We were told that if symptoms of mental distress worsen–such as persistent pain, anger, thoughts of self-harm or harming others, or sleeplessness lasting more than three days–we should visit the nearest health centre or call emergency numbers 110, 111, 115, 116, or 119,” she said. Ms Hamis added that although the information was helpful, the cost of professional help remains a major challenge, with each counselling session costing about Sh50,000, a fee many low-income families cannot afford.

Hope in healing Commenting on the issue, a mental health expert, Dr Raymond Mgeni, said that even in difficult moments, life must go on–even when the heart resists and keeps dwelling on the past. “Let’s strengthen one another and strive to understand those going through tough times by trying to feel their pain,” he said.

“In the midst of suffering, it’s often hard to believe that light still exists–but that’s a natural part of life.” He added that life is a gift and that challenging times teach valuable lessons.

“People should use these lessons to prepare for the future, as none of us knows what it holds,” he said. .

We’ll kick off today’s edition of this column by re-stating our perennial dismay towards Bongo scribblers’ lack of punctuation sense. And in this case, we’re lamenting in regard to the print media as a whole.

Even a mildly critical look at our newspapers will shock you, given the way some writers pen their articles with little concern–or knowledge– of what it means by a “full sentence”. You’ll always come across pieces, including op-eds penned by “veterans,” who’ve been granted the privilege that classifies them as columnists, lumping three or more sentences into one! To them, a comma often used to mark the end of a sentence, after which another is started! Our free advice here is: Media chiefs should organise more in-house training with a special focus on punctuation.

This should go hand-in-hand with tutorials on some basics of grammar like: what is a sentence? Having thus lectured (bah!), let’s proceed with dishing out what we picked up from the local English media over the week. Here we go Page 4 of Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet of Saturday, October 25,has a stand-alone photo whose caption reads, “Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Agriculture, Mr Gerald Mweli, explains about 250 sprinkler machines that will be distributed FOR ‘approximately’ 2,264 farmers across seven regions” Distributed ‘for’? Nope! We say, distributed TOFurther on, we’ll beg to differ on the idea of qualifying the figure 2,264 with the adjective “approximately” since the number is precise.

It looks exact. Saying approximately 2, 260 would be okay.

Or, you may say: at least 2,260 farmers. Or: nearly 2,300 farmers.

From the same title of Monday, October 27, there’s a Page 1 story with the headline, ‘TZ records 10pc decline in mobile money fraud’, in which the scribbler writes in his intro: “Tanzania has recorded a SIGNIFICANT 10 per cent decline in mobile money fraud attempts between June and September this year” Hello! Once you’ve provided a figure defining the rate of decline–that is, 10 per cent–you don’t need to tell your readers that the figure is significant. Let them determine that for themselves based on the facts that you provide in your story.

You have no business ramming redundant qualifiers down the throats of your readers! We note that the lead story headline reads, ‘Safe, orderly vote ASSURED’ while that of the earpiece goes thus, ‘Observers ASSURED of free, peaceful polls’. Now irrespective of what the details are–including the similarity of the messages–we aver that having two headlines on the same page with each bearing the verb “assured” is ill advised.

It depicts of intellectual laziness! Here’s our alternative headline for the earpiece: ‘Expect peaceful, free elections, observers told’. That kills one “assured”, ridding the front page of the echoing.

Page 4 of the broadsheet has a story with this headline, ‘Stakeholders/ push 20pc national/ budget education’ (our slash separates the decks as per the page designer’s dictates or the template). No one, we’re certain, can tell what the headline writer is trying to say! For our part, we only manage to uncover what the jumbled up headline is all about after looking at the intro, which reads: “Education stakeholders have urged the government to allocate at least 20 per cent of the national budget to the education sector” There we are; so how about this alternative headline: ‘Call for upped/budget to/boost education’.

Note: Penning a headline to fit a multiple-decked template is sub-editors’ worst nightmare. May God’s mercies be upon sub-editors! On Page 6 of Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet, there’s a headline for an opinion that reads, ‘Low oxygen chocking Lake Victoria, before adding fishing nets pollution’.

We find the headline hard to decipher, but on reading the text, we conclude that it could have been rewritten this way: ‘Low oxygen chocks Lake Victoria/fishing nets pollution makes matters worse’. Ah, this treacherous language called English! Send your photos and linguistic gems to email [email protected] or WhatsApp on Tel No 0688315580 .

Dar es Salaam. Israel has confirmed that Hamas handed over the body of Tanzanian national Joshua Mollel as part of the US-brokered truce arrangements in Gaza.

Officials said the remains were conclusively identified following forensic examinations at the National Centre of Forensic Medicine, after which the Foreign Affairs ministry informed the family of the 21-year-old. Mollel, who had been undertaking an agricultural internship in southern Israel, was among those caught in the October 7, 2023, attacks, when Hamas-led fighters raided several communities near the Gaza border.

He was killed at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and militants subsequently removed his body. Israel said that, with his return, six deceased hostages, five Israelis and one Thai citizen, are still held in Gaza.

Mollel was one of two Tanzanian students who went missing during the October 7 assault and were later officially declared dead. According to Israeli authorities, both Mollel and his compatriot, Clemence Mtenga, were kidnapped by Hamas at the onset of the attack.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister January Makamba wrote on his X account that the Israeli government had informed Tanzania that Mollel was killed shortly after being abducted. “The Tanzanian government is preparing to send Mollel’s father, another family member, and officials to Israel to meet the authorities and obtain further information regarding the circumstances surrounding the student’s death,” it was reported.

Mtenga was also confirmed dead, and his body was repatriated to Tanzania for burial. In a statement on Thursday, the Israeli prime minister’s office expressed condolences, saying Israel “shares in the profound grief of the Mollel family and all families of the fallen hostages.

” It added that Hamas was obliged under the ceasefire terms to transfer the bodies of all deceased captives and pledged to continue efforts “until every fallen hostage is brought home.” Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the return of Mollel’s remains offered some comfort to relatives who had endured prolonged uncertainty.

“Amid their sorrow, his return provides some solace after an unbearable wait,” the group said. Hamas’s military wing claimed it had retrieved the body from Gaza City’s eastern Shejaiya neighbourhood before handing it to the Red Cross on Wednesday evening.

In recent days, Israeli forces have permitted limited access for Hamas representatives and Red Cross teams to search for bodies in the area, which remains under Israeli control. On Tuesday, Israeli and US dual citizen Staff Sergeant Itay Chen’s body was also recovered there.

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Dar es Salaam. Young Africans (Yanga) striker Clement Mzize has been nominated among 13 players shortlisted for the 2025 Goal of the Year Award by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The recognition follows his spectacular long-range strike in the CAF Champions League earlier this year. The 2025 CAF Awards ceremony will be held on November 19 in Morocco, where Africa’s finest players, coaches, and teams will gather to celebrate outstanding achievements in the game.

Mzize’s inclusion marks a major milestone for Tanzanian football, highlighting his growing impact at the continental level. The Yanga forward earned the nomination for his stunning equalizer against DR Congo’s TP Mazembe during a CAF Champions League encounter at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in January 2025. Mzize unleashed a thunderous 30-yard shot that flew past the goalkeeper, sparking wild celebrations as Yanga went on to secure a 31 victory.

The memorable strike not only turned the match around but also earned Mzize the CAF Player of the Week accolade for that round of fixtures. His goal has now been recognized as one of the continent’s most outstanding finishes of the year.

According to CAF, the shortlist was curated by its Technical Panel and features 13 goals scored in CAF competitions between January 6 and October 15, 2025. The selected goals represent the finest examples of skill, technique, and composure under pressure, reflecting Africa’s football artistry and competitive spirit. CAF unveiled the nominees through its official platforms, announcing that supporters will once again play a decisive role in determining the winner.

Unlike other categories, the Goal of the Year Award is decided entirely by fan votes, which will account for 100 percent of the final outcome. Voting officially opened on Thursday, November 6, and will close on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. Fans can cast their votes through a dedicated online hub at a or via CAF’s official social media channels.

The winner will be announced during the CAF Awards Gala in Morocco, where CAF will honor players, coaches, and teams whose performances defined the year under review. Besides Mzize, other nominees include Abdellah Ouazane (Morocco), Anas Roshdy (Egypt), Asharaf Tapsoba (Burkina Faso), Barbra Banda (Zambia), Calvin Fely (Madagascar), and Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco).

Also on the list are Ibrahim Adel (Egypt), Jean-Claude Girumugisha, Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo (South Africa), Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco), Refiloe Jane (South Africa), and Soufiane Bayazid (Algeria). Mzize’s nomination underscores Tanzania’s growing presence in continental football and his rising reputation as one of the region’s most promising attacking talents.

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Dar es Salaam. Denmark-based striker Kelvin John has been recalled to the Tanzania national football team (Taifa Stars) ahead of their FIFA international friendly match against Kuwait, set for November 14 in Cairo, Egypt.

John, who plays for Aalborg BK in Denmark, has been out of the Taifa Stars setup for several years. His return marks a significant moment for the 21-year-old forward, whose once-bright international career had stalled due to inconsistency and limited playing time.

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) announced the squad, which will be led by interim head coach Miguel Gamondi, who also manages Singida Black Stars, assisted by Ahmad Ali and physical trainer Mohamed Mrisho Mohamed, popularly known as Xavi. The team is scheduled to enter camp on November 10 before flying to Cairo for the friendly.

John made his senior debut for Taifa Stars in 2018 against Kenya at just 15 years old. He was once hailed as one of Tanzania’s most promising young talents after excelling in the national youth teams.

However, in the six years since, he has earned only five more caps, underlining a career that has yet to reach its full potential. Gamondi’s decision to recall him suggests a renewed belief in his abilities and an opportunity to reignite his international journey.

“Kelvin is a talented player with great potential. We believe this is the right time for him to rejoin the team and contribute,” a source within the technical bench said.

Among the notable inclusions in the squad are Yakoub Suleiman (Simba SC), Hussein Masalanga (Singida Black Stars), and Zuberi Foba (Azam FC). The defensive unit features several experienced names, including Ibrahim Abdulla “Bacca”, Dickson Job, Bakari Mwamnyeto, and Mohamed Hussein (all from Yanga SC), as well as Shomari Kapombe and Wilson Nangu (Simba SC), Haji Mnoga (Salford City, England), and Pascal Msindo (Azam FC).

This blend of local and foreign-based defenders offers balance, composure, and depth. In midfield, Gamondi has opted for a strong mix of creativity and control.

The lineup includes Mudathir Yahya (Yanga), Feisal Salum (Azam), Alphonse Mabula (Shamakhi, Azerbaijan), and Tarryn Allarakhia (Rochdale AFC, England). They are joined by Novatus Dismas (Galztepe FC, Turkey), Habibu Idd (Singida Black Stars), Morice Abraham (Simba), and Charles M’mombwa (Floriana FC, Malta).

The attacking department is spearheaded by Abdul Suleiman (Azam FC), Suleiman Mwalimu (Simba SC), Paul Peter (JKT Tanzania), and Kelvin John. John’s inclusion adds pace, flair, and finishing instinct and qualities that could prove vital against Kuwait.

Overall, the squad represents a balanced blend of experience, youth, and versatility that attributes Gamondi will rely on as Taifa Stars prepare for upcoming competitive fixtures. The inclusion of several foreign-based players reflects TFF’s intent to strengthen the team’s international exposure and tactical range.

Gamondi, appointed interim coach following the departure of Hemed “Morocco” Suleiman, is expected to use the Kuwait friendly as a testing ground to assess his team’s readiness and chemistry. Taifa Stars’ most recent international outing ended in a narrow defeat, and the side will be eager to rebuild momentum and confidence with a strong showing in Cairo.

For Kelvin John, the match offers a chance at personal redemption and an opportunity to remind Tanzanian fans of the prodigious talent he once was, and perhaps, to reclaim his place among the national team’s future stars. With a fresh sense of optimism and an exciting mix of local and international talent, Gamondi’s Taifa Stars will head to Egypt not just seeking a result, but aiming to rediscover belief, cohesion, and pride in the national jersey .

Nairobi. It is mid-morning in Mbale, Vihiga County, Kenya, the atmosphere is bustling with activity.

Women are arranging bundles of sukuma wiki and tomatoes into crates while three men inspect the beehives that buzz softly at the farm’s edge. Once a midsized solar pump is activated, it transports water via narrow tubes that wind between columns of vegetables.

This is the Vihiga Mixed Farmers’ Cooperative, composed of 24 families overseeing 12 hectares of diverse crops and bee species. They cultivate vegetables, maintain beehives, and care for passion fruit vines that ascend the hills behind their houses.

“We keep everything running by ourselves,” explains Maryanne Waswa, the cooperative chair, flipping through a small ledger covered in neat handwriting. “For example, we recently experienced a water pump breakdown and you see when that happens, the vegetables die.

Nobody else pays for such.” Every season, the team pools resources to sustain their irrigation systems, purchase drought-resistant seeds, and upgrade equipment harmed by erratic weather.

It is expensive, yet they have limited options. “When a season does poorly, we forfeit not just our harvest, it drops down to us delaying to pay school fees, others opt for short-term loans.

It becomes an additional expense that directly impacts our finances,” Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the group’s secretary general, explained. Throughout Africa, millions of farmers similar to Waswa and Wanyonyi’s group are funding their own climate resilience.

They allocate resources to water tanks, soil restoration, and innovative seed types with minimal or no outside assistance. The extent of that self-financing is now apparent in recent research by Climate Focus, created by the Family Farmers for Climate Action coalition, which represents 95 million small-scale producers throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific.

The report estimates that smallholders worldwide need about $443 billion every year to adapt to climate change. Yet, current global spending that actually reaches them covers less than one percent of that need.

Most adaptation finance is routed through big international agencies, and very little trickles down to the farms where the real work happens. In Africa alone, the financing gap is stark.

According to the report, smallholders in East Africa require $34.6 billion annually to strengthen a sector that supports over 75 percent of the region’s employment. In West Africa, US$11.1 billion is needed each year to protect the livelihoods of nearly 2 million cocoa farmers, whose output underpins Europe’s $50 billion chocolate industry.

In Southern Africa, an annual $13.2 billion is required to avert drought-driven crop failures that left 21 million children malnourished in 202324, while North Africa needs $8.9 billion to safeguard food production from climate shocks such as the 202223 drought that slashed Tunisia’s cereal harvest by 70 percent. Central Africa faces its own challenge, requiring $2.9 billion each year to restore and protect the Congo Basin, the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, through sustainable and resilient farming.

The scale of these figures underscores the burden shouldered by farmers who receive little support but remain vital to food security across the continent. Instead, smallholders are filling the gap themselves.

According to the same analysis, they already spend about US$368 billion a year from their own income on adaptation measures. For many, this means giving up between 20 and 40 percent of what they earn to stay productive.

The numbers show a clear imbalance. In the same year that smallholders spent $368 billion on adaptation, governments around the world paid out $470 billion in farm subsidies that often harm the environment.

(Bird story agency) The contradiction is striking. “Farmers are already paying for resilience,” says Elizabeth Nsimadala, president of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation.

“What we need is not sympathy but investment.” That is the message Africa’s farmer federations are taking to COP30 in Brazil, where adaptation finance will dominate the agenda.

Led by the Pan-African Farmers’ Organisation (PAFO), which brings together regional bodies from across the continent, they are demanding a system that sends climate finance directly to those who need it. Less than two percent of global climate funds currently reach African farmers, and the federations want that to change.

According to Babafemi Oyewole, the CEO of PAFO, their proposal is to create a Farmers Resilience Fund that channels money directly to farmer organisations and cooperatives. “We also want to build in transparency, gender inclusion, and flexible risk-sharing tools Pair grants with low-interest loans so that farmers can invest without sinking into debt and make farmer groups part of the decision-making and monitoring process, not just the end beneficiaries.

” PAFO aims to have this fund initiated at COP30, commencing with $100 million in initial capital from donors, development banks, and African nations. The fund would support hands-on, farm-based initiatives such as small-scale irrigation systems, seed repositories, community insurance schemes, and soil rehabilitation projects.

The goal is to transform farmers from being borrowers into partners within the climate finance framework. Across the continent, small examples already point to what direct access could achieve.

Close to the border with western Kenya, Vihiga and Kisumu county governments are setting up community seed banks and small-scale irrigation projects meant to boost local agricultural value chains. Vihiga County was also involved in funding a seed bank and processing plant in 2024 under its new policy on agroecology, creating an official market for native seed varieties and local processors.

Today, there are certified seed sources for over 8,000 smallholder farmers in Kisumu, through the Kabudi-Agoro and Nyando seed banks, funded by county resources and research partners. In Nigeria, such programmes as the Pay-at-Harvest model of Leadway Assurance supported by AGRA and index-based livestock insurance by Africa Re provide small-scale farmers with financial security against floods, drought and crop failures.

Their combined efforts now cover less than 50,000 farmers in the country of some 35 million, which highlights the fact that coverage is still minimal despite an increasing demand for climate-risk protection. For Waswa and her cooperative in Mbale, those large global figures feel remote, yet their significance is palpable.

Each season, they document their income, their expenditures, and their losses due to unpredictable weather. Each receipt demonstrates that smallholders are investing in climate action, by fixing one broken pipe and one repaired pump at a time.

“More money for us will mean we will concentrate less on survival and more on expansion,” Waswa expressed. The bees would continue to buzz and the vines would persist in climbing.

The COP 30 (30th Conference of the Parties) will be held from 10 to 21 November 2025 in the city of Belem in the state of Para, Brazil. (Bird story agency) .

Dar es Salaam. The persistence of exam irregularities, particularly cheating and the use of abusive language on answer sheets, continues to raise serious concerns among education stakeholders in Tanzania.

The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) announced yesterday that it has nullified the results of 38 candidates, including 31 for cheating and seven for writing abusive words on their exam scripts. This announcement comes despite the overall improvement in national performance reflected in the 2025 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results.

The punishment, issued under the Necta Act and Examination Regulations, prohibits the affected pupils from using their results for any purpose and requires them to retake future examinations. Although the number of nullified results may seem small compared to the 1.

1 million pupils who sat for the PSLE, experts argue that this trend indicates deeper moral and psychological issues affecting learners and the education system as a whole. tml-embed Loading “When a pupil writes insults or irrelevant messages instead of answers, it indicates more than just indiscipline; it points to stress, frustration, and inadequate preparation,” said Dr Ruth Mwaluko, an educational psychologist.

“Such behaviour often arises from fear of failure and a lack of guidance, both at school and at home.” Dr Mwaluko added that the competitive nature of national examinations, combined with parental and societal pressure to succeed, can lead to anxiety that manifests in destructive ways.

“We must begin addressing the mental and emotional well-being of pupils as seriously as we address their academic performance,” she said. Teachers and school administrators have also expressed concern that these incidents reflect a decline in moral values among some pupils and insufficient mentorship within schools.

Mr Abdallah Mhando, a Standard Seven teacher from Mwanza, told The Citizen that although the number of cheating cases has decreased over the years due to stricter supervision, the occurrence of defiance, such as writing abusive language, has become alarming. “You would expect a child at that level to understand exam rules, but when they decide to write insults, it shows a breakdown in character-building,” he explained.

“Moral education must start early, not when pupils are about to sit for national exams.” He noted that some pupils view exams as punishment rather than an opportunity to showcase their learning, especially when they feel ill-prepared.

“Some pupils lose confidence due to inadequate support in the classroom or poor home study environments,” he added. “When they encounter difficult questions, they react emotionally, and unfortunately, that sometimes manifests as abusive language.

” This year’s cases add to a series of similar incidents in recent years. In the 2024 PSLE results, Necta canceled the results of 61 pupils for both cheating and offensive writing.

In 2023, pupils at various levels, including Standard Four, Form Two, and Form Four, were also found guilty of similar misconduct. While Necta continues to condemn these acts, its Executive Secretary, Prof.

Said Mohamed, emphasized the institution’s commitment to maintaining examination integrity. “The Council will continue to enforce strict measures against any form of cheating or misconduct,” Prof Mohamed said during the results announcement.

“Writing abusive language or engaging in dishonest acts undermines not only the credibility of examinations but also the moral foundation we are trying to nurture in our education system.” He urged schools and parents to strengthen moral guidance and discipline among learners, highlighting that academic success should be accompanied by ethical behaviour.

In terms of exam results, out of 1,146,164 candidates who sat for the exam in September 2025, a total of 937,581 pupils–representing 81.80 percent–achieved passing grades of A, B, or C. In 2024, the pass rate was 80.87 percent, indicating an increase of 0.

93 percent this year. During the results announcement in Dar es Salaam, Prof Mohamed stated that the performance reflects ongoing efforts to improve the delivery of primary education.

“The overall pass rate has increased to 81.80 percent from 80.87 percent recorded in 2024. This shows a positive trend and improvement in learning outcomes at the basic education level,” he said. Of the successful candidates, 429,104 were boys (82.51 percent) and 508,477 were girls (81.21 percent).

The girls’ pass rate increased by 1.16 percent from last year, while the boys’ rate improved by 0.

66 percent. Prof Mohamed noted that the quality of performance, measured by the proportion of candidates scoring grades A and B, also improved from 36.90 percent in 2025, an increase of 1.

07 percent compared to 2024. “The improvement in performance, especially among girls, demonstrates the effectiveness of ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing inclusive and equitable access to quality education,” he added. .