Tanzanian online forum activity

There are a number of online forums and blogs that are hosted by Tanzanians and Kenyans which make for great sources for Swahili language learning.  Sometimes, government officials and members of parliament will post their own opinion pieces on these websites.  One popular site is called JamiiForums, which is a user generated content site and is moderated by community members.

The following activity is about the post, “Maji ni Mtego wa Umasikini (poverty trap),” written by Tanzanian Member of Parliament Zitto Kabwe, who is the leader of the opposition party ACT Wazalendo.  You can learn more about MP Kabwe’s ideas and politics by following his activity on Twitter here.   MP Kabwe published this opinion piece about water and the poverty trap on March 1, 2018.  I begin with a brief critical response to MP Kabwe’s post, followed by a list of relevant vocabulary that might be useful for students to learn to understand the post, and then I end with five discussion questions.

Jibu langu

Mbunge Kabwe anasema ukweli kwamba bei ya maji ni changamoto kubwa inayosababisha mtego wa umasikini na tofauti ya kipata kati ya watanzania wa mijini na vijini. Kama familia moja inatumia wastani wa kipata cho mtu mmoja kwa mwaka kwa ajili ya maji tu, vipi familia hii itaweza kuweka akiba kwa vitu vingine, kama kodi ya nyumba, elimu ya watoto, chakula kwa familia, na huduma za afya? Kama kawaida watu wengi huzungumzia tatizo la kutembea kwa wakati mrefu mpaka mahali mbali kuteka maji, lakini sifikiri kwamba watu wengi wamefikiri kuhusu tatizo la kulipia pesa nyingi kwa maji kila mwaka. Pia, Mbunge Kabwe anasema vizuri kwamba tatizo hili ni changamoto kubwa kwa familia za vijijini kuliko ya familia za mijijini. Kuonyesha tofauti kati ya watu wa mijijini na vijijini kama Mbunge Kabwe alivyofanya ni muhimu sana, kama mfano wa familia ya Hanang na familia ya mji kama Dar es Salaam. Mbunge Kabwe anaonana kushangaa kuhusu tofauti hizi: “hii ni nchi moja yenye mataifa mawili!” Nafikiri yeye anatoa mapendekezo mazuri kwa serikali ya Tanzania na natumaini Mbunge Kabwe ataweza kujaribu kurekebisha vitu kama alivyosema mwenyewe bungeni.

Misamiati

1. Umasikini = poverty
2. Kuchangia = to contribute
3. Kipato = income
4. Wastani = average
5. Pato la taifa = GDP (gross domestic product)
6. Matumizi = use/application of
7. Mtego wa umasikini = poverty trap
8. Mzunguko wa umasikini = cycle of poverty
9. Bajeti = budget
10. Mamlaka = authority
11. Pipa = barrel
12. Kutokana = to originate from
13. Gharama = expense/cost
14. Bima ya afya = health insurance
15. Kikwazo = barrier/hindrance
16. Usambazaji = distribution
17. Mradi = project
18. Jaribio = trial/attempt
19. Kuboresha = to improve
20. Kipaumbele = priority

Maswali

1. Mbunge Zitto anafikiri changamoto ya maji ni tatizo kubwa zaidi kwa watu wa aina gani?
2. Kwa nini maji siyo rahisi, safi, au salama kwa kila mtanzania?
3. Je, kuna tofauti gani kati ya maji ya vijijini na mijijini?
4. Vitu gani vinasababisha umaskini nchini Tanzania?
5. Unafikiri serikali ya Tanzania lazima ifanye nini kurekebisha changamoto Mbunge Zitto amezoeleza?