Press Release
U.S. State Alumni Mini-Grant awards $10,420 to four alumni proposals
May 29, 2008
Today, May 29, 2008, the U.S. Embassy awarded U.S. State Alumni checks worth $10,420 to four alumni team winners from a total of eight which participated in the U.S. State Alumni Mini-Grant competition announced last December. The proposals were reviewed by the U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs Section and U.S. Fulbrighters and four winning groups were selected.
According to a statement from the U.S. Embassy, the first grant of $3180 went to Alumni Dr. Joseph Mpagalile, Dr. Reuben Mwamakimbullah and Dr. Wenceslaus Ballegu, for Strengthening Science Education in Tanzania – to raise awareness and encourage secondary students in three districts in Morogoro to enroll in science and technology subjects. The second grant worth $2060 was received by Dr. Ali Mcharazo, Mr. Hassan Nsubuga and Mr. Abdallah Hassan for a workshop on Tanzania Libraries For The Future – a workshop for librarians from Kigoma, Biharamulo, Shinyanga, Mara, Rukwa, Mwanza, Musoma and Kagera on their role in the National Development Agenda and how they can participate in achieving development policies and strategies.
Another grant worth $2500 went to Ms. Riziki Shahari and Mr. Yacoub Kidula for Small Traders Getting Organized – a research proposal to see what problems face petty traders in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mwanza and what can be done to get them organized to help each other instead of relying solely on the Tanzanian Government. And a grant worth $2680 went to Mr. Mlongetcha Mkuku and Mr. Marwa Shirati for Improving Health in Tanzania – to help with basic household health education for over 100 members of households in Coast Region.
Speaking at the award ceremony, the U.S. Ambassador Mark Green said that alumni of U.S. State Department programs all share something in common. They possess leadership skills, are dedicated to their communities and have the ability to effect positive change within their communities and Tanzania as a whole.
Ambassador Green praised alumni achievements and the number of alumni who are leading the country – as ministers and members of parliament, as vice chancellors, deans and heads of departments in universities around the country, as heads of media house departments, as leaders in the business, science and technology community, in the fine and performing arts and as writers, researchers and teachers.
He said some alumni are strengthening institutions they belong to. “These grants will help with projects of your own design and make it possible to reach out to more and more Tanzanians to continue the alumni vision,” Ambassador Green concluded.
Tanzanian U.S. State Alumni went on programs to study, teach, or visit in the U.S. Alumni continue to dedicate their time and energy in their official capacities in government and the private sector both in Tanzania and abroad, putting their added knowledge and skills to work, and making use of connections they made while in the U.S.
Alumni who received grants today will work together with other alumni to form the U.S. State Alumni Association in Tanzania, bringing together more than 2000 Tanzanians who have benefited from these programs.
Financial support for these programmes come from the American people and is part of overall U.S. Government direct and multilateral assistance to Tanzania of more than half a billion U.S. Dollars (over 750 billion Tanzanian shillings) in 2008. For further information on other activities, please visit us at http://tanzania.usembassy.gov.