Poverty, Population Change and Sustainable Development in Africa

13.09.2010 George Mutalemwa 1

Poverty, Population Change and Sustainable Development in Africa

A paper presented at the International Conference in Berlin,

Germany

13 September 2010


Contents

1. About Tanzania: area and population

2. The fight against poverty in Tanzania: historical perspective: state, private sector and the civil society

3. The role of Community Based Organisations: Historical perspective

4. Concluding remarks

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13.09.2010George Mutalemwa 4

Population in Tanzania, Germany

According to the UN 2008 Revision Tanzania's population will increase to 60 Mio. in 2025 and 109 Mio. in 2050. Germany's population will decline to 79 Mio (2025) and 70 Mio. (2050).


Population ctd

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (children per woman) during the last 30 years but it is still high (from 6.73 in1975-80 to 5.58 in 2005-2010. According to the UN calculations the TFR will decline around 2050 to 2.62.

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Population and education

Tanzania has a young population. The median age of the population is 17.5 years (2009). The median age in Germany is 43.9 years (2009).


Population and education The high percentage of children

(44.7 % in 2009) under 14 years of age confronts Tanzania with high costs of education. In Germany, the percentage is 13.5 %.


Population and health

One indicator of the health situation is child mortality (deaths under age 5 years per 1,000 life births). In Tanzania approx. 105 children per 1,000 life births under 5 die (2005-2010). The number in Germany is 5.1.


Population and health ctd

This situation will improve in Tanzania. The UN expects a decline of child mortality (under 5) to 65.2 between 2020 and 2025.

Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects. The 2008 Revision, New York 2009.



Olduvai Gorge: The Cradle of Mankind


Cooperation is essential for well-being in and around the

Serengeti


Economic Resources

Tourism Agricultural products: cash and

food crops Forests and flowers Fish and cattle Minerals: gold, diamond, tanzanite,

‘uranium’…


‘The Geneva of Africa’


Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world

Tanzania is on the list of 20 countries with the lowest Human Development Index (Human Development Report, 2009).

About half the population lives below the official poverty line.

17 per cent of the population are food poor.



The First President of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere, 1922-1999, the Founder

of African Socialism ‘familyhood’ or Ujamaa


Definition of Community Based Organisation

People’s organisations are voluntary organisations of men and women living in the same neighbourhood either in the villages or townships (Semboja and Therkilsden, 1995). These POs are also known as Community Based Organisations (CBOs), People Centred Organisations, or People Controlled Organisations (PCOs) (White, 2008). They may be registered or unregistered grassroots organisations (Eade, 2005 and Rugumamu, 1996).


Infant care and child rearing

Concluding remarks

Population growth is not a problem in itself, the problem is in the distribution of resources.

Development needs the co-operation of the state, private sector and civil society.

Empowering Community Based Organisations will help reduce poverty.13.09.2010 George Mutalemwa 20

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Poverty, Population Change and Sustainable Development in Africa