Enjoy the pictorial scene of Eid-el-fitry celebrations

This was during the first day of the Eid celebrations in Dar es Salaam when Moslem believers flocked at the Magomeni mosque near traffic lights. It was sunny that morning as the presence of the believers who almost formed a road block an aspect that caused traffic jam along Kawawa road.

Many people do attend churches or mosques during religious celebrations. It’s quite a usual thing to see a large crowd of the people gathering in the field as though are watching a game like spectators. But these are Moslem believers who had gathered in the field for prayers during Eid-El-Fitry celebrations. The scene was taken at Sinza near a primary school. During these celebrations which are characterized by the emergence of many people, believers normally finds no space inside a mosque and instead resort to conduct their prayers outside in an open space like this.

As the saying goes, there is no celebrations which does not have demerits of its own. This was affirmed recently during Eid El-Fitry celebrations here in Dar es Salaam when a young man of about 18 years found himself in troubles after having taken a local illicit brew commonly known as “Gongo” and began making fan of himself. Without knowing what he was actually doing for being under the influence of alcohol, this young boy went straight and urinated near the market place whereupon because of his irresponsible behaviors hawkers at the market began giving him blows and put him in a roadside. In the photo you can see him unable to stand in presence of the people who had gathered around to view this drama

Numerous adverts on the roadside sometimes confuses people- Enjoy this pictorial scene

A man is seen reading a sign boards in despair probably wondering whether he can know the location of a particular area indicated in these signboards which are haphazardly placed at a junction road at Sinza in Afrika Sana area on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city. Readers of these signboards normally gets confused due to their haphazard placements especially at a junction point, an aspect that makes them not to be able to identify the particular location as might have been directed in a signboard. For a stranger, this is quite difficult for any circumstances. It’s therefore the case for city planners to ensure that, the planning of the city is taken into account with appropriate measures that cannot cause inconveniences to strangers.

Haphazard placement of roadside adverts like these ones here, causes confusion to readers. The city council has to look at the possible way to avert the growing phenomenon which seems to be common in most junction roads in the city of Dar es Salaam.

An unidentified young boy is seen reading an advertising signboard along Shekilango Road at Kijitonyama suburb. Signboards made up of a linen clothes like this one here are scattered in many places in the city of Dar es Salaam and its environs. According to one expert, this is a cost effective way of advertising which has recently emerged in the city of Dar es Salaam.

Sugarcane has become a brisk business in the city of Dar es Salaam. Enjoy the pictorial scene

SUGARCANE harvesting season is taking its place and the business is booming in the city of Dar es Salaam. The growing of the crop is flourishing in some parts of the country especially in Morogoro region whose arable land has been blessed by the lord God. The region has a productive land that is suitable for the cultivation and not only for sugarcane, but for every type of a crop grown. It’s a suitable land indeed and a vast area in the region is grown in large scale plantation farms of Mtibwa and Kilombero basically for processing the plant in a factory for the production of sugar.

A tout in a Toyota DCM daladala bus plying between Mbunju and Kariakoo route, adjusting a bundle of sugarcane the bus has carried on its board, the bus is on its way to Kariakoo market in the city center. This photo was taken in Tegeta on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam city.

But the small scale farmers of the crop have to move to distant areas outside the growing regions in search of potential market where they could sell their crops. Dar es Salaam city is estimated to be receiving about 70 percent of the sugarcane grown from neighboring regions, and hawkers have found it more profitable.

A youth pulling a bundle of sugarcane on his way to the market.

Tricycles have become popular means of transport that are even much more cheaper.

A man selling pieces of sugarcane plus the smaller ones which have been peeled out and wrapped in a transparent paper bags on his trolley. The scene was captured at Buguruni-Ubungo daladala bus stop.

This sugarcane hawker was found along Sam-Nujoma Road near FGBF Church.

Sugarcane hawkers have found it more profitable in the city of Dar es Salaam.

A woman negotiates a price with a sugarcane seller.

A schoolboy passing along a trolley carrying sugarcanes for sale. Sugarcane sellers are mostly found at daladala bus stops, this scene was captured at a bus stand opposite fire brigade in Kariakoo area.

If you happen to walk around in most parts of the Dar es Salaam city suburbs nowadays, the sale of sugarcane has become so common and sellers have found it’s a brisk business indeed especially this time of its harvesting season. Hawkers can be seen selling this product in pieces arranged according to different sizes in trolleys. Most of them can be seen in daladala bus stands. They also sell the already peeled out pieces which are cut into smaller pieces of about 5 to 6 depending on their sizes and wrapped them in a transparent nylon paper bags and each one is sold for Tshs. 100/-. These ones are made to hang on their trolleys for display and customers to see and

Taking photographs at conference venues is a brisk business

SOME of the Dar es Salaam street photographers have permanently created in mind to do their business of photographing in places whereby seminars, workshops and big conferences takes place. Their presence can be seen mostly in big hotels and in large conference halls within the city and on the outskirts of it where NGOs and other National and International organizations do conduct their seminars or workshops. During conference sessions, they can be seen so busy with their cameras taking pictures of attendees and thereby making movement within the hall, from the high table and around where invited guests are seated as though are in a special media coverage.

A street photographer displays his photos on the ground for sale outside a conference hall at Kunduchi Beach Hotel recently.

Within few hours of their working, they can be seen spreading out their developed snap photos on the ground or on the table selling them to would be attendees of a particular function. These are sold at between Tshs. 3,000/- and Tshs. 12,000/- depending on a size of a photo. When interviewed, quite a number of them said that they could earn a substantial amount of money per day when taking photos in conferences and or at a workshop whereby most attendees likes to have their snaps for memories when they get back to their homes at the end of a seminar.

Photographing in places where conferences and workshops takes place has become a brisk business indeed. An attendee of a workshop is seen passing along while looking to see if her photo would be there to pick up. Usually street photographers do spread down the already developed snap photos for their customers to pick.

Athumani Iddi, a famous street photographer said, he makes a profit of up to Tshs 100,000/- a day out of this business if he attends a workshop compared to when he keeps moving around the streets and virtually ends up with a minimal amount of Tshs. 20,000/-per day. This is because of a limited number of customers he could fetch on streets throughout a day. Leonard Mbewalu, another photographer said, “it’s a brisk business indeed” added that ever since he started doing photographing business, has found it more profitable in conference places. Mbewalu who sometimes is hired by people in wedding parties is a professional photographer who has been doing his business now for the last fifteen years. According to him, photographing is paying well when one is hired to cover an occasion, or attending conferences.

Taking photographs in wedding parties also pays a lot

Another street photographer selling photos he had taken from participants in a workshop held at Karimjee Hall in Dar es Salaam.

Bank wins internet banking accolade

Citibank (T) Ltd, the only US bank in the country since 1995 and part of the Citibank East African network, has won the Global Finance best corporate and institutional internet bank award for 2008. The bank said in a statement it had issued recently that the award involved selected banks from 68 countries around the world, including Cameroon, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia in Africa. Global Finance has 50,000 subscribers and more than 284,000 readers in 158 countries. Mr Hamza Nassoro, the head of global transaction services at the bank, said that the bank was delighted to be recognised by Global Finance and feel it is demonstrative of its state of the art platform and advanced internet capabilities. "As an innovator in global banking and online treasury management services, Citi has been at the forefront of developing integrated online corporate and institutional banking services," the statement noted.
It has also ventured in web-based treasury management solutions to meet clients' growing demands for integration, efficiency and control � locally, regionally, and globally, it further noted. The bank, which is a fully owned subsidiary of US Citibank N.A. has one branch in the country. Citi, a leading US financial services company, has up to 200 million customer accounts and conducts business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, it added.

NEMC halts construction of phone towers

The National Environment Management Council (NEMC) has called for suspension of ongoing construction of telecommunication towers which lack in-depth research on health risks they pose to people and the environment. The mobile phone companies should also draw defensive mechanisms in case of accidents as the law requires. According to NEMC Director General Mr. Bonaventure Baya the mushrooming of the towers in the country, has sparked fears and complaints over dangerous effects to both humans and the environment. The council has urged mobile phone companies to conduct research on effects of telecommunication towers before they erect them in residential areas. Telecommunication companies have to involve people and local government authorities in the ordered research on the towers and findings be forwarded to NEMC in order to clear people’s doubts. Since December 2007 to date, NEMC had received several complaints from Tabata Kimanga on Tigo towers, Msasani against Excellent Communications, Kimara Baruti against Zain, Kimara against Vodacom, Kijitonyama against Tigo and Magomeni against Zain. This comes amid complaints from the public living near phone towers that they are dangerous as they produce radio active rays which can cause serious diseases like cancer, and noise they produce as a result of their generators operating for 24 hours. "The complaints are a results of unplanned erection of phone towers which has become a source of disturbance and rising fears by people. According to the law, telecommunication companies are supposed to conduct investigations before they embark on building towers in order to detect the possible environmental effects. NEMC in collaboration with TCRA, Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission, local governments and other stakeholders plan to set up standards on how to operate telecommunications towers in order to develop the sector.

Mobile firm basks in the superbrands status glory

VODACOM Tanzania has received the superbrands status in East Africa for the year 2007/2008, the company said in a statement recently. Superbrands, the world's largest independent brand organization recognized the company among outstanding brands in the region when launching the first edition of the Superbrands list in East Africa in Nairobi almost two months ago. The company was represented by Mr Ephraim Mafuru, acting head of the marketing department, who received the status trophy and a certificate on behalf of Vodacom. The list book pays tribute to brands that it considers exceptional through consumer-driven programmes. Speaking after receiving the award, Mr Mafuru said that Superbrand identifies and pays tribute to exceptional brands from all over the world.

Ephraim Mafuru addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam

A brand qualifying as a superbrand in any country is automatically invited to become a member of an international network and takes part in promotional campaigns in a particular country. "Also, brands with Superbrands status are entitled to use the exclusive Superbrands awards logo on their packaging and advertising as a hallmark of quality. "The company was honoured for its role of being in the forefront of technological product innovation in the country. Since its inception, Vodacom has pioneered products like prepaid and post-paid roaming, SMS, per second billing, credit transfer, content and video calling. One of the brand's biggest achievements and competitive advantage mark was the launch of its 3G HSDPA network in February last year. It was the first mobile telephony operator in East Africa to establish a 3G HSDPA network and the second in Africa after Vodacom South Africa. It was the first network to connect one million customers and currently has more than 4.5 million subscribers. It so far employs more than 50,000 people directly and indirectly across the country, the statement added.