Dar, Mauritius: Boosting friendly ties

Indeed, the Textile Development Unit (TDU) is promoting Tanzania as "the best overall location for making apparel in Africa".

Also, Tanzania is one of the world's largest producers of organic cotton. The country enjoys duty-free access to the EU, the USA and South Africa, as well as remarkable social and political stability, an ecological, clean and socially compliant textile and clothing industry and good transport infrastructure.

Furthermore, it has a plentiful supply of cheap and English-speaking labour. However, the clothing industry in Tanzania is limited in terms of size and the products it offers, and it lacks experience in manufacturing garments for export markets.

In world terms, Tanzania's clothing exports are modest but its exports of knitted clothing are growing as textile groups in the country invest in knitting capacities.

Tanzania has also caught the eye of foreign investors and several Tanzanian companies have ambitious growth projects.

It is therefore important that textile stakeholders make analysis of the textile and clothing industry in Tanzania, and the opportunities and challenges it faces. Also, it should include a geographical, political and economic profile and a wealth of statistical data relating to raw material production, textile and clothing production, and imports and exports of textiles and clothing.

Furthermore, should feature a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis and profiles of selected textile and clothing factories and companies in Tanzania.

A good market for international brands made in Mauritius including apparel is available locally, Mauritius Division Manager, Dr Honita Cowaloosur said during their visit to Tanzania.

We therefore hope that the Mauritius delegation which visited Tanzania recently will also promote our manufactured products including clothing and textiles.

AS the main goal of the buyers-sellers meeting between the two countries was to promote Mauritian manufactured products as well.

We also have to enhance the visibility of Tanzanian products and position the country as a reliable supplier of quality products to Mauritius. With a population of 1.3million, Mauritius today is home to around 920 export manufacturing enterprises.

From the large textile conglomerates which produce international brands such as Guess, Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Puma, Levis, we have factories catering for high street brands such as Zara, Woolworths, Foschini and many others.

“The knowledge and expertise of our manufacturers are also pronounced in the light engineering sector which proposes to you medium to high technology products such as smart TVs, circuit boards, medical devices and many more,” Dr Cowaloosur noted.

Mauritian exports to Tanzania have increased from USD.9m in 2015, to USD2m in 2016, an 18 percent increase.

Noel Lawis, who is a business consultant with Dar es Salaam based company, Executive Business Solutions, said Mauritian traders obtained the market for the products they brought with them during their visit to Kariakoo Market in the city.

Lawis said leather footwear and plastic products were among the main products that the market responded positively when the Mauritian delegation displayed their merchandise.

“While in the country, the Mauritian businessmen had a chance to visit various shops in Kariakoo market where they had face-to face discussions with Tanzanian traders who saw what they manufacture,” he said.

Tanzanian businessmen were very impressed to see high quality leather footwear from Manisa Co Ltd based in Mauritius that are not yet in Kariakoo market especially.

Presently discussions between Tanzanian traders selling shoes and those of Manisa Co Ltd are underway so that they can start to import foot wares from Mauritius.

It's time we value children with autism

WORLD Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognised day on the 2nd of April every year, encouraging member states of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about children with autism throughout the world.

Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterised by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts.

It was designated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution "62/139. World Autism Awareness Day", passed in council on November 1, 2007, and adopted on December 18, 2007.

It was proposed by the United Nations representative from Qatar, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, Consort of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, and supported by all member states.

This resolution was passed and adopted without a vote in the UN General Assembly, mainly as a supplement to previous UN initiatives to improve human rights. Since its inception autism awareness and research around the world has increased as a result citation needed.

World Autism Day is also one of only four official health-specific UN Days. The day itself brings individual autism organisations together all around the world to aid in things like research, diagnoses, treatment, and overall awareness for those with the disorder.

The Moshi-based Gabriella Children's Rehabilitation Centre (GCRC) last year launched a campaign to reach out to 1,000 children with autism in the country.

Children with autism have been neglected in the society, as some people consider them a burden. "We have decided to launch this campaign to visit every region in the country for the purpose of reaching out to 1,000 children with autism who are hidden on witchcraft beliefs," Shuma said.

She said many children with autism have no access to education and are left to roam in the streets aimlessly.

"We know there are children with autism in the society who are hidden by parents or guardians. Our objective is to reach them for treatment rehabilitation," she said. The centre needs US$100,000 for undertaking the project as every child requires 200,000/- per year.

The GCRC team will work in collaboration with other stakeholders to make the programme achieve its goal of reaching out to 1,000 children with autism. Shuma said lack of funds hampering the centre's execution of day to day activities as children depend on money generated from such ventures as selling some items such as handbags and table mats.

Moshi District Council chairman Michael Kilawila said his district has 17,931 children living in difficult conditions and lacking basic needs in life. In the 2016/2017 fiscal year, the council plans to send to school 320 children.

"It's time for the society to value these children and give them a chance attaining skills that would help them in their lives instead of hiding them or seeing them as a burden to their families," Kilawila said.

He appealed to parents and guardians to send such children to rehabilitation centres to get treatment before their conditions become acute.