African Rural Press in Action (ARUPA/Media NGO) born in 1996, solely as rural media oriented and exclusively a social multimedia welfare organization providing both humanitarian and media services to the rural and peripheral marginalized community, believing that everybody can survive with healthy body and mind - Media being the provider of the food of mind. It is most comprised of content and context – information and the means.
ARUPA is Non-Profit Organisation which is committed to serving the needs of the rural community, as a whole, with special emphasis on poor women, children and young people in need, striving to offer the requisite welfare services in the form of education, training, information and creating awareness, sensitizing the community through media outlets and through multimedia services, i.e. Information, education and communications, (IEC) and through both print and electronic media.
ARUPA is a community focused initiative, which is duly registered under the Societal Ordinance of 1954 with registration number: SO. NO. 10549. It took 5 years before it acquired full official registration on September 29th, 2000 under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Organisation is locally based in Dodoma with branches in 7 regions of Tanzania Mainland, mainly: Dodoma, Mara, Singida, Mwanza, Manyara, Shinyanga and M
orogoro. Areas of interest comprise out of others; popularizing and tracking the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) particularly, climate change mitigation and sanitation awareness, gender mainstreaming, population growth management, sexual reproductive health education aimed at supporting the efforts to reduce high maternal and infant mortality rates and adolescent girls vulnerability in Central and Lake Victoria Zones of Tanzania by addressing and promoting human rights, sanitation and hygiene, climatic change mitigation, good governance, democracy, gender balance as well as poverty reduction.
Main Activities
HUMANITARIAN SERVICES
In humanitarian services, the Organisation (ARUPA) operates also a Centre of Tumaini based at Mbwanga near the Institute of Rural Development Planning (IRDP) in Dodoma where over 70 vulnerable and orphan children are supported. The Centre established in 2001 so far have breed over 400 orphans and vulnerable children. All supported under ARUPA’s Outreach Programme during the past decade.
Some vulnerable children have not only lost their parents but the whole community including their relatives.
This Psychosocial Initiative aims at empowering vulnerable and marginalized population including adolescent girls and Non-Governmental Activists in Central and Lake Zones of Tanzania to advocate effectively on sexual and reproductive health education related issues. Previously, ARUPA developed a long term strategic plan (Adolescent Female Protection and Development Program (AfPDP) followed by Adolescent Girls and Teen Mothers Participatory Empowerment Programme (AGTM-PEP). These were special programmes aimed at empowering the Central Corridor of Tanzania to advocate strongly and effectively on health related issues by increasing the Adolescent female capacity to understand their roles and participate fully in the society’s development as well as promoting non-governmental organizations by increasing their capacity to formulate policy priorities, monitor their implementation and hold decision-makers to account. Efforts to seek funding and technical support to improve the initiative proved fatal. However, during the assessment of the programme, it was found that the programme required more interventions to address the plight of girls in the country. Hence, a new strategic plan has been put in place to address the human rights and livelihood development initiatives among the youth. Further details on this programme will be elaborative in the Programme and Projects pages.
TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL INITIATIVES
ARUPA organizes both annual local and international traditional folklore festivals in collaboration with International Organisations such as Klang Welten, Germany and Caja Madrid Foundation from Spain.
The Programme promotes traditional means of communications and traditional music involving African groups from Central Tanzania, Nyanza Province in Kenya and Northern Uganda. This programme provides cultural media training on the art of reporting and promoting cultural tourism and exposes remote rural dancing groups to the overseas concerts.
In Tanzania the Wagogo Queens of Drums formed by ARUPA has participated so far in 60 international festivals organized in Europe between 2002 and 2008. ARUPA also promotes traditional music through culture reporting. Stakeholders and investors in this industry are invited to support the initiative as it also saves as an opportunity to reduce poverty among women (rural artistes).
Queens of Drums also plays men’s music instruments
TRAINING AND MULTIMEDIA MEDIA SERVICES
In media industry ARUPA for last 7 years has been running a training and information centre providing one-year course programme in rural journalism concept and multidisciplinary courses including Computer literacy and journalism online, two Journalistic English programmes (Intermediate and Intensive course) as well as entrepreneurs concept and life skills for young people. Other compulsory subjects in journalism and mass communication are involved as a full package required for certification. Currently, ARUPA has a plan in place to provide a diploma course in journalism. So farARUPA boasts to breed over 200 graduates. Four out of others being employees of Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) while the rest scattered in private owned media outlets and others still pursuing further studies in higher learning institutions.
Previously, ARUPA had a laboratory newsletter known as Changamoto, which gradually raisedto save the rural community but this failed to live up to expectations on account of under financing as well as flaws in the way it was organized.
The Newsletter, running a feature bulletin services and contributing to media outlets both national and international, became stringer and feeder to the New Africa, New People, SPORE (CTA), All African News and AANA Feature Bulletin. With a veteran journalists and correspondent for the Citizen, ARUPA has a very potential resource to run a number of publications if supported financially, technically and morally.
The weakness of the past have taught ARUPA to invest on a more sound footing newsletters: An English quarterly journal; TIME FOR CHANGE (T4C) partly working as a monthly Feature Bulletin aimed to feed the media outlets and press agencies. Efforts to seek financial support to build the capacity of the Editorial Team and equip the operation and production still continue.
Briefly, ARUPA organizes trainings, research, Investigative Journalism ranging from information gathering, interviews, analysis and production of multimedia programmes particularly features and documentary for radio and Television programmes, panel discussion, soap opera, and series of audio tapes (digitally recorded into materials- CDs and DVD for audio-visual broadcast. Other materials may be used into multimedia and IEC materials i.e tapes, posters, articles, leaflets, booklets, road flyers, newsletters, brochures and news bulletin items for both radio and television.
Experience in media
In media experience, ARUPA had produced and supported the production of Radio and TV programmes and runs a number of Radio Spots and programmes ranging between 15-second spots to 30 –minutes. ARUPA also produced Radio programmes in collaboration with: CMSR, an Italy-based Organisation with a branch in Dodoma on youth reproductive health education and HIV/AIDS Control; Dodoma Environmental Network (DONET) on Environmental Conservation Education and Mazingira Yetu Newsletter. ARUPA collaborated with Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation Central Zone, Radio Mwangaza FM, (the community and private owned Radio), Impact FM, Kifimbo FM, Dodoma FM, Nyemo FM and ABM FM - all based in Dodoma Municipality; and other media outlets including Radio Victoria FM based in Musoma.
During the 2000 General elections, ARUPA worked with the Central Press Club (CPC) under an auspice of DANIDA and the Basket Fund to produce civil and voters education (radio programme) through Radio One, a privately owned radio station based in Dar Es Salaam. In 2002 ARUPA was engaged by Dodoma Environmental Network (DONET) to produce weekly radio programmes under SNV and HIVOS funding support.
The Dodoma AIDS Control Cluster funded by Family International and USAID as well as an Italy based Organisation (CMSR) funded by WHO also engaged ARUPA in radio programme production and consultation. The popular soap opera (UKIMWI KIFO) and spots aired by the then Radio Tanzania Kanda ya Kati were the best models of unforgettable experience recorded and put into action. The significance of these programme was to create awareness and increase the community understanding capacity on HIV/AIDS in the early years (1996 – 2001).
ARUPA is also a founder member of the Dodoma Regional Library Board, active member of Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) since 2002 to date, Dodoma District Task Force Member for Child Labour Elimination Campaign (ILO/IPEC Programme) and still works as an information coordinator for three street children centre based in Dodoma Municipality namely, AGAPE, TUMAINI and SAFINA - all supported by various local and international Christian donor agencies.
After a long experience in both print and electronic media, ARUPA with such experience seek to create awareness in reducing High rates of maternal and child mortality though a programme aimed at Tracking Millennium Development Goals number 4 and 5
ARUPA Duty: Building the culture of reading from infancy
HOW GENDER IS MAINSTREAMED
Gender Constitutionalised
Article 12 of ARUPA’s Constitution recognizes all amendments stipulating on gender balance: The first edition of the amendment of the ARUPA Constitution of November 1998 which was passed by the general meeting of the organization on September 2002 stipulates openly: “In addressing the inequality between men and women in the sharing of power and decision-making at all levels, ARUPA promotes an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective in all policies, strategies, programmes and projects so that before decisions are taken, an analysis is made of the effects on women and men, respectively.”
First the Organisation’s Constitution adopted in 1996 and reviewed in 1998 and 2002 stipulates that gender balance will be mainstreamed in all projects and in management and leadership by half.
Section 2:2(a) cultural and gender issues will be trained by ARUPA.
Section 2:10 promoting development activities initiated by women.
Section 2:13 promoting human Rights of women and campaigns against harmful traditional practices including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Section 6:1) Awareness raising, advocacy and lobbying for gender balance.
Practically, the changes made recently enthroned Ms Benta Matunga (Female) as the new Coordinating Secretary of ARUPA. However, 80 % of members of ARUPA are females.
Gender Project in Chikopelo Village
In 2004, ARUPA in collaboration with CARITAS Diocese of Dodoma established a joint venture GENDER Mainstreaming Project aimed at creating awareness and sensitization in Chikopelo Village in Bahi District.
Queens of Drums and Livelihood
ARUPA also established 3 women groups one at Mtumba Village (Small Scale Economic Group dealing with zero grazing and biogas). Another women Group is African Queens of Wagogo Drums based in Nzali Village. The group is famous not only in Tanzania but also in Europe as it has been exposed frequently to perform in the international festivals since 2003 to date.
Vulnerable Children under Women
The outreach programme for humanitarian service provided to the vulnerable children is managed by Tumaini Women Group (CBO) affiliated to ARUPA with over 70 vulnerable children centre based at Mbwanga near IRDP College.
Response to Human Rights and Gender Balance
Furthermore, ARUPA has been embarked in the long term programme (Adolescent Female Protection and Development Programme – AfPDP) aimed at empowering vulnerable and marginalized population with special focus to the adolescent girls and Non-Governmental Activists in Central Zone of Tanzania and advocating effectively against gender based violence and violence against children as well as promoting reproductive health related issues.
Millennium Development Goals 4&5
In order to reduce poverty and meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) particularly Goals 4&5 ARUPA in 2008 designed a project to campaign against the escalating rate of maternal mortality and child deaths. This Project was revised in 2012 for Tanzania Media Fund but still pending for support. However, other means to facilitate its implementation was sought through self supporting initiatives. It is imperative to use available resources as ARUPA mission stipulates to address very essential challenges instead of waiting to receive support from unpredictable sources. This determined spirit has energised our dynamic team to provide essential services to the needy and vulnerable community in collaboration with the minded partners who are ready to work with us in addressing disparity and striking inequalities in health in the areas with high poverty indexes and poor health indicators with various levels of local-governance structures in place.
OUR PARTNERS IN ACTION
- NGOs Network of Dodoma Region (NGONEDO)
- SAFINA CHILDREN REHABILITATION TRUST
- World Sharing International/Tanzania
- Tumaini Women Group (TWG)
- UCIP Geneva, Switzerland
- Dodoma HIV/Aids Control Network (DACONET)
- Dodoma Urban NGOs Network (DUNGONET)
- Dodoma Inter African Committee (DIAC)
- Institute of Rural Development Planning (IRDP)
- Klang Welten , Baden-Baden, Germany
- Local Governments (7regions & 36 districts)
- Local Radio Stations (Media outlets): ABM FM, Nyemo FM, Impact FM, Uzima FM, TBC Central Zone
- Klang Welten, Baden-Bade, Germany
- Tanzania League of the Blind-TLB Dodoma municipal