• Usingizi ni muhimu sana kwa ukuaji wa mwili na akili ya mtoto.

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Dar es Salaam. Usingizi ni miongoni mwa mahitaji muhimu kwa binadamu, hususan watoto wachanga katika miaka miwili ya mwanzo ya maisha yao.

Tofauti na watu wazima, watoto huhitaji muda mwingi zaidi wa kulala ili kuwawezesha kukua vizuri na kuimarisha uwezo wa ubongo kufanya kazi kwa ufanisi.

Kwa mujibu wa tovuti ya masuala ya afya ya Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, watoto wachanga huhitaji hadi saa 17 za usingizi kwa siku, ambazo hugawanyika katika vipindi mbalimbali.

“Ratiba ya usingizi wa mtoto ni muhimu sana kwa ukuaji wake wa mwili, maendeleo ya akili (kumbukumbu, kujifunza na umakini), udhibiti wa hisia, pamoja na ujuzi wa mwendo wa mwili,” inaeleza tovuti hiyo.

Tovuti hiyo inabainisha kuwa watoto wenye umri wa kuanzia siku moja hadi miezi mitatu ya mwanzo wanahitaji kulala wastani wa saa 16 hadi 17 kwa siku, lakini mara nyingi hawalali zaidi ya saa 1 hadi 2 kwa wakati mmoja.

Aidha, watoto wenye umri wa miezi minne hadi 12 wanahitaji kulala wastani wa saa 12 hadi 16 kwa siku, huku wale wenye umri wa mwaka mmoja hadi miaka miwili wakihitaji kulala kati ya saa 11 hadi 14 kwa siku.

Shirika la World Population Review limeitaja Tanzania kuwa na simba 14,500 idadi inayoifanya kuwa kinara wa idadi kubwa ya Simba barani Afrika.

Katika mbuga zake za kitaifa na mapori ya akiba nchini Tanzania, unaweza kuona simba jike wakiwinda alfajiri, madume wakinguruma na wengine wakiwinda au kupumzika katika vivuli vya miti.

Unaweza kujionea wanyama hao katika hifadhi mbalimbali ikiwemo Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire na Ruaha.

Hata hivyo, takwimu hizo zinatofautiana na zile zilizotolewa na IUCN pamoja na Taasisi ya Utafiti wa Wanyamapori Tanzania (TAWIRI) ambao waliripoti idadi ya simba hao kuwa 17,000.

Nchi nyingine yenye idadi kubwa ya simba ni Afrika Kusini (Simba 3,284), Botswana (Simba 3,063), Kenya (Simba 2,515) na Zambia (Simba 2,500)

Pamoja na hayo, Tawiri ilibainisha kuwa Tanzania imeongoza barani Afrika kwa kuwa na idadi kubwa ya wanyama wengine ikiwemo Nyati na Chui.

Dar es salaam: Matumizi ya mifumo rasmi ya fedha ni nguzo muhimu katika kuimarisha ustawi wa kifedha wa mtu mmoja mmoja na maendeleo ya uchumi ya Taifa kwa ujumla.

Kupitia mifumo hiyo, ikiwemo benki, taasisi za fedha zilizosajiliwa na huduma za bima wananchi hupata usalama wa fedha zao, uwazi wa miamala na ufuatiliaji sahihi wa mapato na matumizi. 

Kwa mujibu wa Benki Kuu ya Tanzania (BoT) mifumo rasmi hupunguza hatari ya wizi, upotevu wa fedha na ulaghai, huku ikirahisisha malipo ya huduma mbalimbali kama ada, kodi na mishahara kwa njia salama na za haraka.

Aidha, akiba inayowekwa kwenye mifumo rasmi inalindwa kisheria, hupata riba, na hujenga historia ya kifedha (credit history) ambayo humwezesha mhusika kupata mikopo kwa ajili ya uwekezaji, biashara au mahitaji ya kijamii.

Kwa ujumla, kutumia mifumo rasmi ya fedha ni msingi muhimu wa ukuaji endelevu wa uchumi, unaochochea uwajibikaji, ufanisi na maendeleo ya kijamii na kiuchumi.

Dar es Salaam. Tangu Tanganyika ilipopata uhuru mwaka 1961, nafasi ya Waziri Mkuu imekuwa mhimili muhimu katika uendeshaji wa serikali na utekelezaji wa sera za taifa. Kuanzia kwa Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, Waziri Mkuu wa kwanza wa Tanganyika, hadi kwa Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa, Waziri Mkuu wa sasa. 

Tanzania imepitia viongozi waliotoa mchango mkubwa katika kuimarisha utawala, uchumi, na amani ya nchi. Wengine waliowahi kushika nafasi hiyo ni pamoja na Rashidi Kawawa, Edward Sokoine, Cleopa Msuya, Salim Ahmed Salim, Joseph Warioba, John Malecela, Frederick Sumaye, Edward Lowassa, na Mizengo Pinda. 

Kila mmoja ameacha alama katika historia ya uongozi wa taifa, lakini je, ni nani atakwenda kurithi nafasi hiyo kutoka kwa Waziri Mkuu wa sasa Kassim Majaliwa ?

Dar es Salaam. Tangu kupatikana kwa uhuru mwaka 1961, Tanzania imepata viongozi kadhaa waliowahi kushika nafasi ya Spika wa Bunge. Spika wa kwanza alikuwa A.Y.A. Karimjee, aliyeliongoza Bunge la Tanganyika kuanzia mwaka 1956 hadi 1962. 

Baada ya hapo, nafasi hiyo ilishikiliwa na Chief Adam Sapi Mkwawa, ambaye alihudumu kwa kipindi kirefu zaidi kuanzia mwaka 1962 hadi 1973, na tena kati ya mwaka 1975 hadi 1994.

Chief Erasto Mang’enya aliongoza kwa muda mfupi kati ya mwaka 1973 na 1975, kabla ya Pius Msekwa kuchukua nafasi hiyo mwaka 1994 na kuhudumu hadi 2005. 

Wengine waliowahi kushika nafasi hiyo ni Samuel Sitta (2005–2010), Anne Makinda (2010–2015), Job Ndugai (2015–2022), na kwa sasa Dk. Tulia Ackson, ambaye alianza Februari 2022 na ambaye ukomo wake unakwenda kufikia Novemba 11, 2025 atakapa chaguliwa Spika mpya.

Kwa zaidi ya nusu karne, Bunge limepitia mabadiliko makubwa ya kisiasa na kiutendaji chini ya uongozi wa maspika hao. Hata hivyo, swali linaloibuka sasa ni, nani atarithi mikoba ya Dk. Tulia Ackson na kuwa Spika wa Bunge la 13 la Tanzania?

A joint report by United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the African Union shows that while school enrollment has grown by 75 million since 2015, more than 100 million children remain out of school.

The same report says four out of five African children aged 10 cannot read and understand a simple story.

Investing in children education is crucial part of building literate community that lead to better life. Photo | Idea For Good.

In Tanzania, and especially in rural areas, many students face challenges such as long distances to school, lack of classrooms, and poor sanitation. These problems lower attendance and performance. SMF hopes to close this gap by supporting both students and teachers.

“By investing in infrastructure and essential resources, we aim to inspire students and teachers alike, boost enrollment, and improve learning outcomes,” Mansotra said at the launch of SMF in Dodoma on November 5, 2025.

The Dodoma City Council, which manages public schools in the region, invited the foundation to support local education projects. Local leaders have welcomed the plan, saying it will help hundreds of children and ease the pressure on crowded schools.

The Foundation plans to expand its projects to Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Sierra Leone, and India in the future. It will continue to focus on education, health, and improving the lives of underserved communities.

“Our long-term vision is to serve as a catalyst for transformative change. We are deeply committed to nurturing the next generation by equipping them with education, skills, and aptitude they need to thrive. From imagination to impact, our mission is to ensure no one is left behind,” Mansotra concluded.

For Dodoma’s young learners, this initiative offers more than just buildings, it brings hope for a better future, where every child has the chance to learn and succeed.

The certification announced on September 9, 2025 by Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit organization, works to restore the balance between people and nature  for both to thrive in harmony.

According to the organization, the certification is aimed at restoring soil health, protecting biodiversity, and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who produce the bulk of the world’s coffee.

The initiative comes at a time when climate change, pests, and environmental degradation are cutting yields and threatening rural incomes.

In Tanzania, where coffee is a key export and source of income for thousands of households in Kilimanjaro, Mbeya, and Ruvuma, the certification is expected to provide both market access and higher earnings for farmers who adopt regenerative practices.

The Rainforest Alliance says the new standard will give farmers and companies a clear, science-based way to measure their progress. Certified farms will be evaluated across five areas: soil health and fertility, climate resilience, biodiversity, water stewardship, and farmer livelihoods. 

Products that meet the requirements will bear a new regenerative seal, expected to appear on coffee packages starting in 2026.

Senior Director for East and Southern Africa at the Rainforest Alliance, Julius Ng’ang’a says the certification represents a shift in how markets support agriculture.

“Markets need to move beyond a ‘do no harm’ mindset to one that repairs and restores,” Ng’ang’a says. “Now is the time to transition to a new model of agriculture, one where every cup of coffee gives back more than it takes from the land and the people who care for it.”

Coffee is a key export and source of income for thousands of small farmers, higher yields and market access is key in improving livelihoods. Photo | Daily News.

Recent study on regenerative coffee investment case by TechnoServe shows regenerative farming practices can improve income by up to 20% to 30%. 

For Tanzanian producers, this could mean more stable earnings even as weather extremes and global market shifts affect coffee supply. 

Independent auditors will assess farms, and only those meeting the standard will be allowed to use the seal.

The certification also responds to growing consumer demand for sustainable products. For companies, sourcing regenerative coffee strengthens supply chains and supports environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. For buyers, the seal offers assurance that their purchase is helping both farmers and ecosystems.

The Rainforest Alliance has begun implementing the program in Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Certified coffee from these countries is expected to reach shelves in 2026, with Tanzania and other African producers encouraged to join early to secure market advantages.