Poverty eradication in Tanzania sets itself 2010 target.

The largest market of Dar es Salaam, the capital of the United Republic of Tanzania, is situated in Kariakoo suburb. It is also the home of Kariakoo Women's Group. This group of urban low-educated women produces various items sold in the local market, including mugs, forks, spoons and cooking pans. A considerable portion of its produce is let out through street vendors that are locally known as "machinga's". Ms. Keziah Makoyo, Director of the group, indicated in an interview that the group was on its way of realizing the goal of self-sufficiency. While two years ago the group received a small grant from the Belgian Agency for Development Cooperation, which funded micro project programmes, it aims as much as possible to be not dependent on external support from donors or the Government.

The experience of Kariakoo Women's Group is only a small example of the new spirit of self-help and entrepreneurship that has emerged in the country during the last years. The new National Poverty Eradication Strategy (NPES) for Tanzania, which is expected to be announced officially before the end of 1997, builds upon this spirit by creating an enabling environment for people and communities like Ms. Makoyo and her group to take up the challenge of improving their livelihood, and as such eradicating poverty in the country. The year 2010 is the target date Tanzania has set for the eradication of absolute poverty.

The NPES also provides, for the first time in the country's history, an official definition of poverty. Poverty is defined as "a state of deprivation prohibitive of human life". This is caused by lack of resources and capabilities to acquire basic human needs as seen in many, but often reinforcing parameters, which include malnutrition, illiteracy, the prevalence of disease, squalid surroundings, high infant, child and maternal mortality, low life expectancy, low per capita income and expenditures, poor quality housing, inadequate clothing, low technological utilization, environmental degradation, unemployment and poor communication.

To lead the strategy implementation, a plan of action will be developed by the Government, with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The plan of action will describe in detail the sequence of events, actors and the related quantification of resources needed in this nationwide fight against poverty.

Importantly, the strategy identifies a new emphasis for the national poverty eradication efforts. It stresses equal attention for urban as well as rural poverty. Moreover, in line with the ongoing local government reforms, it calls for decentralized and participatory implementation of national development activities. In the strategy, the Government is no longer regarded as an absolute solution maker. The poor are seen as the active agents in fighting poverty in their own life, family, community or village.

The announcement of the NPES and its target of eradicating absolute poverty is a first step in the implementation of the commitments made by the Tanzanian and many other Governments from all over the world at the World Social Summit in Copenhagen in March 1995, where Governments committed themselves to the goal of poverty eradication as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of humankind.

Moreover, the commitment at the Summit to increase the resources allocated to social development is being implemented through the 20/20 Initiative. Actions in Tanzania, supported by the United Nations Children's Fund, are under way for strengthening the implementation of the Initiative on a reciprocal basis by both developing and developed countries. Under the Initiative, both partners are requested to reflect their mutual commitment to social development by allocating, on average, 20 per cent of national budgets and 20 per cent of official development assistance to basic social services.