DAR ES SALAAM: WORLD Environment Day 2026 was celebrated on June 5, and, from Geita, we read about what the giant mining company operating in that area did about that day, through a week-long celebration. The news item is titled: “GGML promotes green living through climate action week” (Daily Blog 11 June, page 13). GGML stands for Geita Gold Mining Limited.
Midway through the news item we are told the following: “The week focused on three key areas, awareness, participation and household level climate solutions. GGML teams visited secondary schools, including Geita Girls’ Secondary School and Bombambili Secondary School, where they conducted environmental awareness sessions and MAINTAINED trees previously planted on school grounds”.
In Tanzanian folklore, Bombambili (usually pronounced Bombimbili) should be found in the Songea area of the country (not in Geita), but, that is beside the point. Do you maintain a previously planted tree, on a single visit to a school? The verb “maintain” has various meanings one of which is: “making sure something does not decline, deteriorate, or change from its current condition”. In the case of a young plant, this could mean looking after or nursing it, to ensure it grows properly.
“Maintain” cannot be realised on a one-day visit. What the GGML staff most likely did, was to check on the trees they planted, may be last year, or may be a few years earlier to see how they were doing. Are they healthy, are they stunted, for example? They may have poured water on the trees, to symbolically represent maintenance. GGML must be commended for making such a visit. Many samplings are planted in pompous ceremonies, only to be forgotten about, without any maintenance.
As would be expected, they sooner or later die. My reporting of what GGML did would have taken the following version: “GGML visited secondary schools, where they conducted environmental awareness sessions and CHECKED ON THE trees previously planted on school grounds to see how they were doing”. On page 10 of the same newspaper we find a feature titled: “Why family still matters in women’s development”, in which the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups is quoted as encouraging women: “to ensure that the pursuit of economic opportunities does not come at the expense of quality time, emotional support and proper upbringing”.
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The above quotation lacks something; something to do with family, but most likely, something to do with children. I would rewrite it as follows: “She encouraged women to ensure that the pursuit of economic opportunities does not come at the expense of quality time, emotional support and proper upbringing for their children”. Off to Kilosa from where we are told: “Kilosa residents hail 800m/= bridge across Zombo River” (Custodian, 11 June, page 5).
The paper’s correspondent quotes residents as expressing gratitude to the government following the construction of an 800m/= bridge across the Zombo river: “a project that has ended years of severe hardship that forced pregnant mothers to give birth on the roadside after failing to cross the river, while many pupils ‘missed school or dropped out due to the dangerous crossing’”.
This quotation needs review, in particular to be more precise about the role of the Zombo river in thwarting access to essential activities. Here is my recommended version: “A project that has ended years of severe hardship that forced pregnant mothers to give birth BY the road side after failing to cross the river to access MEDICAL CENTRES; while many pupils ‘missed, or dropped out of school, since they could not cross the dangerous river, at times’”.
The just read Government Budget is emphasising construction and improving of infrastructure so that social and economic activities do not suffer, as a result of lack of bridges over the numerous rivers in the country. lusuggakironde@gmail.com.