UNEMPLOYMENT IS STILL A PROBLEM TO FRESH GRADUATES

By Vaileth Barden

According to the World Population Review, it is estimated that by 2014 the population of Tanzania had hit the 50.8 million mark. A 2012 report by National Bureau of Statistics shows the total labour force of Tanzania Mainland of people aged 15 and above to stand at 21,295,061. Also, a huge proportion of active labour force comprises young people.

Indeed, the core problem facing youth in Tanzania is unemployment. A survey by a non-governmental organisation, known as Restless Development, revealed that only 14 per cent are working in a formal, wage-earning job nation-wide.In fact, unemployment among fresh graduates in Tanzania has continued to be an issue of great concern since these young graduates always come across the challenge of inadequate job opportunities after completing their academic programme in universities and colleges.

This problem is prompted by various reasons, including the teaching and learning methods applied in most universities and colleges, which are more theoretical oriented than practical, hence equipping students with only theories but no practical skills that would make it easy for them to be self-employed. Lack of practical skills makes them not only look  incompetent in the job market  but also incapable of self-employment.

For this reason, most employers ignore fresh graduates. Furthermore, with no practical skills, graduates fail to start up their own businesses or gainful ventures.

This problem has its root is the Tanzania education system where the annual enrolment of fresh graduates in both public and private universities is constantly high but the number of employment vacancies is still not enough to absorb all the graduates in the job market. The two major sectors can only absorb a few number of graduates compared to the total number of graduates completing studies each year.

Also, there is concentration of jobs in particular sectors which tend to open up more opportunities for graduates on that particular area compared to other degree programmes. A good example is the Public Relations programme, which is a new field in the country in terms of direct training with only a few organisations and companies bothering to hire people. As a result most graduates on this field remain unemployed. New graduates who have experienced this programme have called on the particularly policy-makers to address this issue.

In addition, the problem of unemployment is also caused by some of the organisational systems which tend to list a lot of requirements such as a person with 3-5 years experience to acquire employment; this is a challenge to fresh graduates since they do not have such experience on their resume.

Also, some organisations are simply not friendly to youths and this may limit fresh graduates from getting employments. In most cases, it is the old people who orchestrate this trend by ignoring the youth’s intellectual contribution and, hence, this challenge limits graduates from getting employment.

Higher learning students are also urged to work very hard during field practical training so that they can be recommended in case of job opportunities, but it may also add up to their requisite working experiences since employers generally complain that most of the fresh graduates tend to have only high grades but devoid of practical skills to apply in the job market.

Furthermore, undergraduates are advised to take part in volunteering and internships programmes related to their fields as it may help them to acquire skills and on-the-job experience which will help them in the job market. A good example can be seen at the School of Journalism and Mass communication of University of Dar es Salaam (SJMC) where there are media outlets which provide opportunity to students to acquire skills through volunteering and internships.

Also, undergraduates are advised to involve themselves in social clubs or special training programmes offered in universities and colleges. This can add value to them in terms of teaching them how to be good team players, communication and presentation skills. Example of such clubs is gender club.

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SAY NO TO ALCOHOLISM

Jackline Kaboko

Do you know the effects of consuming too much alcohol in your body? Have you taken this fact into account as you go on a drinking spree? Do you know that more than five million Tanzanians are alcoholics? I guess your answer is ‘no’!!Generally, alcoholism is one of the major problems many Tanzanians face.

The effects of alcoholism are very serious. Many people consume too much alcohol, lose control of their lives  as they increasingly become addicted.

Many people do not know that apart from losing money, alcoholism can be your death ticket.  This is because consumption of too much alcohol causes different diseases such as diabetes, renal failure, stroke, depression and obesity.

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About Us

The Hill Observer Online is the Official Online version of The Hill Observer Newspaper of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. 

The Hill observer is a community newspaper owned by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication on behalf of the University of Dar es Salaam.

It was registered on 24th July 2006. Its registration number is 00000304 under the Newspaper Act No 3 of 1976. 

The paper is meant for members of the University of Dar es Salaam and its affiliated colleges as well as other institutions of higher learning. 

It is a 16 pages tabloid which runs on a monthly basis.

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Colour consideration when choosing clothing

By Anelise Levis.

“You are looking smart” is one of the statements that most of us wish to hear after getting ready to go for work, school or anywhere else.

Although most of us pay much attention to clothes that we put on, we forget about shoes, watches and even ornaments such as earrings, rings which spice up our appearance.

Today let us discuss on colour consideration when choosing what clothes to wear or buy.

It should be noted that, the colours of the clothes we wear can make us look good or bad; hence, we have to know what kind of colours that match with our skins.

Understanding our skin colour tone is something that can help in realising the clothes we look best in, since skin colour tone differs from one person to another.

Actually there are people who have warm skin tone colour and others are neutral.

Speaking to The Hill Observer, Ms. Zamda George, a fashion designer who is also an instructor at the University of Dar es Salaam, said everyone should know how to choose the colours of the clothes to make one look the best.

“Colour is a very important thing to consider when choosing clothes to buy or to wear because it makes one look good. Most important thing is to consider which clothing colours shades look good on you,” said Ms. George.

“For example, blue colour has shades such as navy blue, dark blue, cool blue and light blue so one should consider which colour shades look good on him or her according to his or her skin colour tone,” Ms. George added.

Ms. George further said, “One should consider the prime time and occasion for a certain colour or type of clothes.”

some battik clothes

She said that in the afternoon one can wear cool colour sheds clothes whereas in the evening one can wear the bright or shinny colours. Whether the dressing is casual or official, she emphasised having recourse to personal style.

Also, she explained that there are masculine and feminine colours:  “Masculine colours include gray, navy blue which is one of the blue colour shades and army green while feminine colours include pink, orange and red.”

On colour blocking, Ms. George said there are no specific rules except that cool colours should be mixed with light or crazy colours. Also on mixed prints   materials such as khanga and vitenge (wrappers), Ms. George said one should consider whether the  material colour shades  look best on him or her

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DRUGS KILLING NATION'S MANPOWER

     By Meckzedeck Simon

From the early 1970s to the 1980s, many drugs-abuse incidents were reported from Latin-American countries and, hence, the world rallied support for the countries to help get rid of the illegal business.

Countries such as Cuba, Colombia and Mexico were the most severely-hit areas in the use and supply of illicit narcotic drugs. Biggest drug dealers were hardcore criminal terror gangsters, including Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno who was the military leader of Panama defence forces in August 12, 1983 before he was removed from power in December 15, 1989.

Noriega was captured and detained as a prisoner of war. Some of crimes he was accused and convicted of in the United States courts were drug trafficking, racketeering and money laundering.

What was happening in those years in Latin American countries is now happening in our country whereby a few of us have decided to make a living through this illegitimate business, hence fuelling illicit drugs supply and abuse among youth.

To say the least, this business has tarnished the country’s image and reputation in the world. It is a fact that our country has recently become infamous internationally for drug trafficking.

Those affected by this malaise come from all social classes, the rich and the poor, men and women and across all races, ethnicities, religions and denominations. No social class  has been spared.

Musicians, especially the youth doing new generation genres of music, is among groups that have been most adversely affected. Do we see it this way because they are often in the public eyes? I don’t know.

Tanzanians were shocked when internationally acclaimed Bongo Flava musician, Rehema Chalamila (Ray C) came out in the open and confessed that she has been doing drugs for years until President Kikwete helped her out of this trap by introducing her to the Mwananyamala Hospital Special Unit which treats cases of drug addiction. She is now an activist trying to help free young people entangled in the web of drug abuse.

Another incident that left everybody surprised was an arrest of Chid Benz at the airport after he was found in possession of illicit drugs. He admitted to using such substances. 

Outside the country, we hear that many Tanzanians are rotting in prisons of China, Brazil, Pakistan and elsewhere. Some of them were killed after trade disagreements with their partners in deals gone bad. Here are some examples of stories that tainted Tanzania’s name otherwise noble name outside our borders, just because of some unscrupulous, greedy people who want to get rich faster using underhand methods. 

In 2005, it was reported that the Ethiopian Federal Police arrested three Tanzanians for drug trafficking, while on transit at Bole International Airport with 5kgs of heroin concealed in their bellies.

In 2013, we heard of two Tanzanian women were arrested at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa with 150kgs of crystal methamphetamine in their possession. The drugs have an estimated street value of 7 billion shillings ($4.3 million).

Again in 2013, a 28-year-old Tanzanian woman was arrested on a charge of drug possession in Macao, after undergoing an X-ray scan.  The woman, whose destination was Guangzhou, China excreted 66 pellets of heroin weighing 1.1kgs and valued 1.1 million Macao pataca ($137,755) in her body.

In April this year, in what is believed to be the biggest drugs seizure in the UK, three tonnes of cocaine with a street value of more than Tshs 1.5 trillion was discovered on a tugboat east of Aberdeen. The boat was registered in Tanzania. Officers conducted a search of the tug and discovered the drugs, and arrested the nine-member crew and charged them with drug trafficking offences. Luckily none of the few was Tanzanian.

Nonetheless, everyone can see how our nation is drowning in the deep sea of drug abuse and drug addiction.

Go around streets in most major cities and towns and you will see the affected young men and women, aka ‘mateja’ (the addicted). Here in Dar es Salaam, you can meet mateja in Kinondoni, Ferry area, Kariakoo, Mbagala and Manzese.

One of the victims of drugs, who introduced himself as Pongwa, said he started using drugs through his friends. “At Tandale Magharibi Primary School, one of my friends Issa was using and I slowly adopted starting with marijuana then mixed it with cocaine and heroines,” he said.

Pongwa is now aged 27 and lives at Sinza C with his parents. Pongwa said he never sold drugs but admitted to being an addicted user. When asked about plans to quit, he said he would love to but it was really hard: “Really, it is so hard, you can’t imagine what I feel when I miss it for a day… I don’t think if I will manage to live without it.”

Drug abuse clinic reports show rapid increase of drug abuse victims seeking medical help. This means there is a high rate of people who use illegal drugs now.

Dr. Renatus Makundi is the clinical officer at Mwananyamala Hospital in Dar es Salaam.  He is also the Clinical Rehabilitation doctor treating victims of drugs. Apart from administering special treatment to cure addiction, he also counsels the victims.

Dr. Makundi said he was concerned about drug problem because it destroys the manpower of the nation. He said: “We receive victims every day sometimes more than hundred in just one day,” adding, “Most of the victims are young people and a few of them are elders. Actually, the services we give are free and on top of that we give Tsh. 5,000 per day to buy food and for other needs”.

One of the victims, I met at the clinic, David John, applauded the treatment, saying that it has helped young people to quit drugs altogether. He also encouraged others to go to the clinic for treatment. “I am among those who quit drugs with the help of the treatment. My health is slowly but steadily improving after attending the clinic for six months,” he said.

Victims of drug abuse scare members of society because they would do anything including robbing, stealing and harassing people just to get money to satisfy their pressing needs—to be ‘high’, city businessman, Benny Francis Lyimo said.

Nevertheless, drug victims need help to quit drugs so that they can become useful in the society. Let’s remember that these young people are the manpower of the nation and parents of tomorrow. To quit drugs, the victims need help and support from other members of society.

According Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP), Godfrey Nzowa, unemployment is one of the reasons that push youths to drug abuse. He advised youths to find work and work really hard and create employment rather than resort to narcotic drug abuse.

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