After three weeks in Tanzania I find myself amazed at the strength, resilience and patience of the people.
Tanzania is one of the poorest nations in Africa, and the world. Apparently about 60% of the government budget comes from donor funds.
Many, perhaps most, of the houses in the cities do not have electricity, nor do they have a reticulated water supply. A communal tap will provide for the needs of those nearby. On our one excursion into the country it was evident that only the houses near the centre of the villages had power (if they had it at all), and that the water supply may have been a nearby stream.
Swahili is the national language. That has given the population a common language instead of many tribal languages. Swahili is taught at primary school (Standard 1-7) and English is introduced at secondary school (Forms 1-6). Universal education is the theory, but primary schools are crowded with very large classes (I have heard of some up to 180) in rooms not designed for that number. Secondary school is expensive (300,000 Tshs when minimum wage is 80,000 per month), and most do not get past the early years. As a result English is not widely spoken, and this limits the possibilities for people in the world of commerce.
Modern technology (excluding mobile phones) is expensive. While food here is fresh and cheap by our standards, computers and electrical goods are priced somewhere near the amounts we would pay. Since their minimum wage is only about A$100 (US$65) per month that is a huge barrier to progress.
Transport infrastructure is poor. Since road building is expensive, and government funds are limited it is not at all surprising. Even the main highways are only two lanes, and major upgrades are supported by donor funds. The main road through Mbeya is one of three major highways in Tanzania. It is THE major transport route to Zambia and Malawi from the port of Dar Es Salaam. It carries a huge amount of heavy transport, and the wear and tear is significant. Even on this highway a four-wheel drive is to be preferred! The cost in man-hours, and in damage to vehicles, of a substandard national highway must be huge, but the resources are not available to upgrade.
Giles Bolton wrote that poverty means you have fewer choices. It is true for an individual; it is also true of a country.
