Mtumiaji:Mohammed Hammie
Mohammed Hammie Rajab is son of Mr. Hammie Rajab, a talented Tanzanian author of books and short stories and movie director. Mohammed Rajab has been writing stories in newspapers throughout Tanzania, and has already published three books, Yaliyonikuta Tanga in Swahili, Nimejitakia in Swahili and Maji Mandiga in Swahili, Mandiga's Well in English language.
Mohammed’s primary work is in promoting the human right to safe water and sanitation in Tanzania. He has over twelve years of experience in diverse aspects of journalism. He graduated Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Dodoma.
Mohammed has been deeply involved in promoting water access in rural Tanzania and reporting on water issues. Working closely in the field with local communities has enabled him a rich understanding of the water crisis people face.
His movement began in 2019 after he established his radio program Sauti Yangu https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqSGhSGVA4_nC8gixiw6mKg which means ‘My Voice’ in Swahili. Sauti Yangu is a 30 minute unique and powerful show that aims to engage citizens, amplify their voices and pressure the government to resolve the water crisis in rural areas.
Mohammed believes elevating the community’s voice can reach policy makers and change people’s lives. https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/blog/airing-concerns-how-radio-raises-community-voices-tanzania
The same year (2019) Mohammed successfully aired two programs on the community radio stations Planet FM in Morogoro region and Voice of Africa in Tanga region.
Both programs made an impact after the government initiated major water projects to solve citizens’ water problems.
- His radio program produced at Mswaha village led the Tanzania government to pledge 500 million USD to address the rural water crisis after airing villagers’ concerns. https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/tanzania-government-pledges-500-million-to-address-rural-water-crisis-media-for-community-empowerment
- Also his report produced at Lukobe village led the government of Tanzania to initiate a major water project at Mkundi. The project has cost the Tanzanian government 620 million shillings and is expected to benefit 45,000 households. Other villages that benefit from the project are Mkundi, Mguru wa ndege, Lukobe, Makunganya, and Kihonda Kaskazini. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puMNgiCAiLo&t=13s
In 2020 Mohammed joined forces with End Water Poverty (EWP), a global civil society coalition, campaigning to end the water and sanitation crisis, through their #ClaimYourWaterRights campaign. This is a global mobilization campaign that aims to spur people to claim their human rights to safe water and sanitation.
Mohammed travelled to different villages in Tanzania, producing programs that reflect the experience of people who are facing water challenges in rural areas. Meet community members often have to fetch water from wells, ponds, or springs. He conducts interviews with local citizens so that he can explore the reality of rural citizens’ lives.
The reaction is incredible!
- Seven months after airing the radio show at Kikwawila village in Ifakara Tanzania, the local government managed to drill water for their citizens. The village chairperson said they had successfully dug a well after allocating village government funds, following a discussion at the village assembly. He said that three days after the radio show aired, village residents started bothering him by asking when the local government will dig a well as they realised that water is their human right after listening to our radio broadcast. The program aired on Pambazuko FM, Morogoro. https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/realising/-rural-community-water-rights-Tanzania
In 2021 Mohammed supported the UN-Water World Water Day global #Water2me campaign, the campaign aims to generate conversations — to gather as many opinions and comments from people around the world about water and what it means to them. Mohammed has produced the radio programs to ensure Tanzanian communities are heard and represented in a landmark UN report on water. https://www.worldwaterday.org/stories/story/audio-recordings-field
In his recent report in partnership with AquaFed, Mohammed highlighted the desperate reliance on rainwater and the shocking lack of a long-term solution for rural communities, the report led the call to action for SWA partners on climate change and water innovators. https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/news/call-action-swa-partners-climate-change
His aim is to reach all over Tanzania. Every region, every district, every ward, and every village. Everyone from everywhere must have their voices heard.
His recently interview by Deutsche Welle (DW): https://mediainnovationnetwork.org/2021/10/14/meet-the-tanzanian-journalist-passionate-about-the-right-to-clean-water-and-sanitation/
FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS
2016- International Labour Organization (ILO): (Skills Mismatch)
2020- End Water Poverty: (Claim Your Water Rights Campaign)
2020- End Water Poverty: (Claim Your Water Rights Campaign- Voting is my right and so is water)
2020- End Water Poverty: (Claim Your Water Rights Campaign- Capacity building)
2020- Sanitation and Water For all: (COVID-19 Radio Shows)
2021- International Center for Journalists: (Road Safety)
2021- Water Integrity Network: (Gaps in understanding of integrity in the water sector in Tanzania)
2021- The Vegan Society: (Radio programs to encourage non-vegans to go vegans and stay vegan)
2021- UN-Water through Aqua-Fed: (Water to me campaign)
2021- Sukhi 222 International: (Water filters distribution)
2021- End Water Poverty: (Advocating for climate justice through Claim Your Water Rights, consortium with Tawea and Tawasanet)
2021- Simavi: (Book project- An educational and inspirational story that gives women the knowledge and confidence to claim their rights on water)
ARTICLES PUBLISHED
BBC MEDIA ACTION
UN SWAHILI SERVICE
SANITATION AND WATER FOR ALL
- https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/news/call-action-swa-partners-climate-change
- https://www.sanitationandwaterforall.org/news/pandemic-talk-reaching-communities-radio-and-tv-shows-tanzania-sierra-leone-and-niger
END WATER POVERTY
- https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/blog/airing-concerns-how-radio-raises-community-voices-tanzania
- https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/tanzania-government-pledges-500-million-to-address-rural-water-crisis-media-for-community-empowerment
- https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/blog/collaboration-coalition-Tanzania
- https://www.endwaterpoverty.org/member-spotlight-media-for-community-empowerment-tanzania
UN WATER
SUKHI 222 INTERNATIONAL
These knowledge and experiences provide Mohammed a need and a basis to write a book on water challenges in Tanzania and Africa so that women and citizens can know their water rights. The book released 2021, titled Maji Mandiga in Swahili and Mandiga’s Well in English.
Maji Mandiga or Mandiga’s Well is a story about a woman who struggles with all her might to rescue her village from the problem of the lack of safe and clean water, a problem which threatens the health of the community and the security of her fellow women.
Her struggle began the day she narrowly escaped being raped on the way home from the well which is far from her village.
She courageously stands before a village assembly to explain what happened to her. The act raises many other issues facing women in the village due to the lack of water.
However, her courage is rewarded by the threat of divorce from her husband. In addition, Mandiga finds herself in a new struggle when she exposes a huge scandal in the water project which puts her life in danger.
Will she succeed?
To get a copy, contact Mohammed.
E-mail: ankomo25@gmail.com