Scholarships go begging

[BAK]

2009-07-25 09:26:00 ​

Scholarships go begging ​

By Flora Nzema, Tumaini University
THE CITIZEN​

Hundreds of foreign education scholarships meant for Tanzanian students expire every year without being granted to deserving cases, The Citizen can reveal today.

In a revelation that is bound to raise eyebrows in donor circles and spark a public outcry, the ministry of Public Service Management in the Office of the President is reportedly sitting on free scholarships offered by a number of countries, which have long traditions of co-operation with Tanzania, under bilateral arrangements.

Our inquiries have revealed that about 80 scholarships offered this year by the Indian Government have not been filled, with barely five months before they expire.

Another 17 - two to five-year scholarships � are also on offer but only 11 students have taken up those lucrative education opportunities.

The head of the Education Department at the Indian High Commission in Dar es Salaam, Ms Gloria Paul, confirmed this week, when contacted for comment, that out of 120 fully-sponsored scholarships offered by India, only 42 had been filled.

The scholarships for various professional courses were granted under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) this year.

The recipient countries success in taking advantage of the opportunities offered determines allocations for subsequent years.

Asked to comment on why the scholarships had not been taken up, Ms Paul said she was not in a position to tell, as the offers had been forwarded through the Public Service Management ministry.

"I am surprised that Tanzanians do not apply for such opportunities, which are offered free of charge. The embassy provides free airtickets to and from India, accommodation and other living expenses, but many Tanzanians don't want to take them up," said Ms Paul.

She said there were about 200 study fields for which Tanzanians could apply. They include IT and telecommunication, management, and rural development. There are also technical, environment and renewable energy courses.

"People with different education levels can apply for these courses. Last year, we had participants from rural areas that could not neither read nor write, but they graduated in the on-the-job learning,"she said.

She was referring to some rural women who were trained on solar electrification and rainwater harvesting.

Other than India, China and Belgium are the other countries offering scholarships through the ministry.

Many other European and the former Soviet states also prefer to offer scholarships through the public system.

China has 78 opportunities up for grabs, while Belgium has already awarded 140 scholarships for 2009/2010 for students to pursue master's degrees.

We could not immediately confirm why such a big number of scholarships, especially from the Indian Government, would be left to lapse, yet there are many deserving students who would have qualified to take them up.

Some critics accused government officials in charge of awarding the foreign scholarships of frustrating applicants and awarding them to their relatives or friends.

The short and long-term courses are aimed at both employed or self-employed people within government and non-governmental organisations.

Indian embassy official Paul said that lack of awareness and qualifications may be a factor in the low applications for scholarships. But she also said she could not rule out bureaucracy as frustrating those seeking such scholarships.

About claims that many Tanzanian students did not favour Indian universities, Ms Paul said: "I don't think they are worried about the quality of colleges in India.

I can assure you that the Indian education system is valued highly, especially for their technical know-how."

The embassy�s First Secretary, Mr Tarunvir Chaudhary, said The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) started in 1964, has an annual budget of $10 million. Since its inception, it has trained more than 1,500 Tanzanians.

Officials at the ministry's headquarters in Dar es Salaam responsible for the placement of students wishing to study overseas, declined to speak to The Citizen.

A scheduled meeting for an interview was also abruptly cancelled on Wednesday.

However, a source who asked not to be named said the ministry had advertised the scholarships in newspapers and on its website.

The source said Tanzanians could be losing out because of the poor culture of reading newspapers and using the Internet.

"Sometimes people in the ministry are not cooperative enough to support those requiring information on scholarships from foreign countries, including India," the source said.

Previously the courses were made available through the embassies responsible but the Tanzanian Government directed that all offers be channelled through the ministry.

A former beneficiary of a foreign scholarship called for the restoration of the old system in which foreign embassies directly recruited students to award those opportunities. This would help curb corruption and favouritism, he said.

"It is easier that way since people do not have to go through long procedures as now happens at the ministry,"said the Indian university graduate.

"First, many Tanzanians do not have the culture of visiting government offices as they believe that one must know somebody to be able to get such an opportunity."

 

[Madela Wa- Madilu]

Kwanza,Rushwa ndiyo sababu kubwa izuiayo watu kupata hizo nafasi.
Wale jamaa pale wizarani wanaona ni bora nafasi hiyo ipotelee hewani kuliko kuwapeleka Watanzania wenzao bila wao kujazwa mapesa machafu mifukoni mwao.

Pili nafasi hizo kamwe hazitangazwi.

Mwaka 1991 nililiwa Tshs200,000 katika harakati za kutafuta scholarship ya JICA, wakati huo zikiwa wizara ya mambo ya nchi za nje, hata hivyo bado sikupata nafasi karibu 40 ziliexpire.
Jamaa aliyenibana fedha zangu siku hizi ni balozi katika nchi moja ya kiafrika na mitoto yake iko hapa USA na haiendi shule inabangaiza.
Nuksi kweli, wewe hufaidi watanzania hawafaidi na kizazi chako kinalaaniwa kwa vitendo vyako na ubinafsi wako.

 

[Mshiiri]

Huu ni wivu tu kwamba jamaa akienda atatoka na kuwa na maisha mazuri. Si unajua watu wengi ni wachawi Tanzania na hii ni dalili mojawapo. Watu wanakaa maofisini kichawi na Mungu wamemtupa. We unafikiri maovu yote haya nchini chanzo chake ujue ni watu kama hawa kuua albino, kubaka, ili eti wapate kukaa ofisini. Actually ni upumbaf

 

[Rugambwa31]

Yote hayo ni sababu ya wivu tu. Mimi nimewai kuapply zaidi ya mara kumi bila hata majibu na pia naenda mwenyewe pale wizarani kupeleka yani nivituko vitupu. Tatizo la tanzania yetu imejaa undugu sana, maendeleo hayatapatikana kwa hiyo hali.
Wanawapeleka ndugu zao/watoto wao ambao hata hawana vigezo kabisa, lakini hata kama wakibana tutachelewa kupata lakini tutapata tu.
Mungu wabariki wote ambao wanatubania kwenye haki zetu wape nguvu yakuona makosa yao na aibu pia.
mungu ibariki tanzania.

 

[Semilong]

Kwanza,Rushwa ndiyo sababu kubwa izuiayo watu kupata hizo nafasi.
Wale jamaa pale wizarani wanaona ni bora nafasi hiyo ipotelee hewani kuliko kuwapeleka Watanzania wenzao bila wao kujazwa mapesa machafu mifukoni mwao.

Pili nafasi hizo kamwe hazitangazwi.

Mwaka 1991 nililiwa Tshs200,000 katika harakati za kutafuta scholarship ya JICA, wakati huo zikiwa wizara ya mambo ya nchi za nje, hata hivyo bado sikupata nafasi karibu 40 ziliexpire.
Jamaa aliyenibana fedha zangu siku hizi ni balozi katika nchi moja ya kiafrika na mitoto yake iko hapa USA na haiendi shule inabangaiza.
Nuksi kweli, wewe hufaidi watanzania hawafaidi na kizazi chako kinalaaniwa kwa vitendo vyako na ubinafsi wako.

uwache kutoa rushwa

waziri wa hii wizara Public Service Management ministry ni nani

 

[Junius]

Watu wa ubalozi wangekuwa wana process maombi kupitia balozi zao moja kwa moja, wangekata mzizi wa fitina manake haya mambo ya mjomba mjomba yamekuwa kero, mtu anapelekwa kusoma nje hata kidato cha nne hajafika, anatengezewa makaratasi tu huyooo, tutafika wapi, jamani ufisadi umo mwahala mwingi, hawa ndo baadae wanakuja tunawakabidhi dhamana za uongozio, inakuwa vurugu tu.

 

[BAK]

2009-07-25 09:26:00 ​

Scholarships go begging ​

By Flora Nzema, Tumaini University
THE CITIZEN​

"First, many Tanzanians do not have the culture of visiting government offices as they believe that one must know somebody to be able to get such an opportunity."

Hapa wameniacha hoi. Hivi na nani anataka kwenda wizarani na kujitambulisha kwamba yuko pale kutafuta scholarship? Ukienda huko kwenye wizara zetu nyingi kwanza unaangaliwa kama umejipaka kinyesi. Wako radhi hizi scholarships zipotee badala ya kuwanufaisha Watanzania ambazo wana sifa zinazostahili kupata scholarships hizo ama uwape rushwa waweze kuhakikisha unakuwemo na hapo pia unaweza kuliwa.

 

[MwanaFalsafa1]

How informed are people about these scholarships? Maana kama mtu hajui zipo au afanyeje mpaka kuqualify kuzipata basi hata kuapply hato apply. I think knowledge about the presence of these scholarships is also important.

 

[Mpita Njia]

How informed are people about these scholarships? Maana kama mtu hajui zipo au afanyeje mpaka kuqualify kuzipata basi hata kuapply hato apply. I think knowledge about the presence of these scholarships is also important.

Nadhani dawa ni kwa hizo balozi kuzitangaza hizi nafasi wao wenyewe na wafanya process ya kuchagua watu wenyewe. najua zipo balozi kama marekani na Uingereza haziamini wizara za serikali katika hili, wao scholarship zao wanazitoa wenyewe kwa kujua kuwa kuna urasimu na rushwa kwenye ofisi za serikali. nadhani hata wahindi nao wakitaka wanaweza kufanya hivyo

 

[Nurujamii]

Dawa ni kuwawajibisha wahusika kila inapotokea scholarship zikipita bila kujazwa. Hakuna hata siku moja kati ya watanzania malaki wakakosekana 200 wa kujaza hizo nafasi. Hii ina maana kuna mtu mahali hafanyi kazi yake inavyopaswa, either kwa sababu ya uzembe au rushwa; au vyote viwili.

Hivi waziri wa hiyo wizara ni Hawa Ghasia?

 

[Yo Yo]

Mheshimiwa raisi DR J. kikwete juzi akifungu mkongo wa mawsiliano anasema anataka chamwino iwe silicon valley....bwa ha ha ha ha wamewanyima vijan loaan kusoma vyuo vy tz na hizi inayotolewaa na nchi zingine wanabana......yaani bora ipotelee hewani

mitanzania kweli haina akili....na itabakia kuomba ombaa misada kwa wazungu mpaka inakufa

 

[Idimi]

uwache kutoa rushwa

waziri wa hii wizara Public Service Management ministry ni nani

Waziri wake ni Hawa Abdulrahman Ghasia

 

[Andrew Nyerere]

Ndugu Hawa Ghasia ni lazima awaruhusu watu waende kusoma. Hasa ukifikiria kwamba ripoti yake katika Bunge ilikuwa kati ya ripoti finyu zilizotolewa na Mawaziri,kama siyo finyu kuliko zote.

 

[Magezi]

Mimi nashangaa wanasema applicants hakuna. Mwaka jana nilienda pale utumishi nikakuta applications zaidi ya 400 kwa kozi tofauti, je, inamaana wote hao waliomba kozi moja? Au zilibanwa hapo hapo wizarani?? Nadhani hapa kunatatizo either wizarani au ubalozini kwa sababu kuna dada mmoja alisumbuliwa na ubalozi wa india wenyewe na wala siyo wizara.

 

[Ndahani]

Nadhani dawa ni kwa hizo balozi kuzitangaza hizi nafasi wao wenyewe na wafanya process ya kuchagua watu wenyewe. najua zipo balozi kama marekani na Uingereza haziamini wizara za serikali katika hili, wao scholarship zao wanazitoa wenyewe kwa kujua kuwa kuna urasimu na rushwa kwenye ofisi za serikali. nadhani hata wahindi nao wakitaka wanaweza kufanya hivyo

Nakubaliana kabisa na wewe.Kusema kweli nchi yetu ilipofika sasa panatisha. Hakuna kitu kinachokwenda kama inavyotakiwa. Kuna waalimu pale chuo kikuu wanahangaika kupata sponsor za masters na Phd, achilia mbali watu walioko makazini, halafu ofisi nyeti kama hizo za serikali zinapokea scholarships na kukaa nazo bila kutangaza mpaka muda unaisha. Kweli tunafanya kazi vile inavyotakiwa?

 

[Kaa la Moto]

Uwajibikaji kuanzia Ikulu hadi chini ni questionable! hivyo msione ajabu. Ndivyo nchi inavyorudi nyuma! Unabania mikopo kwa wanafunzi wa ndani na unabania misaada ya kuwasomesha nje!
Kama Ikulu inaweza kum clear Hosea na Mwanyika kwa uzembe wa hovyo hovyo sasa unategemea nini?

 

[Madela Wa- Madilu]

uwache kutoa rushwa

waziri wa hii wizara Public Service Management ministry ni nani

Ukuishi katika kijiji cha kaya 500 zisizo na choo ila kaya yako tu ni halali yako kupata gonjwa la kuhara.

"Ishi kwa upole wa Hua na ujanja wa Nyoka, hapo ndipo penye Hekima ya kibinadamu"

Blaza!! Hiyo ilikuwa 1991, wengine humu JF walikuwa bado ni Tungo tu.

 

[Barubaru]

Huko ni kubaniana. Aibu kwa taifa