TANZANIA WE MUST FIGHT AGAINST HIV

Since the Tanzania Social Forum in March 2006, TYC has been a member of the national steering committee preparing for the WSF in Nairobi. The committee has divided the work into groups, and TYC is actually responsible for two of these groups.
TYC is the only youth organisation in the committee, so of course the organization became responsible for the youth. There was no cultural organisation, but some of the member organisations work with culture, so TYC also took the leadership of that group.
- It is a unique opportunity to present Tanzania, its youth and its culture to the rest of the world, and we will do it. The problem is, there are no funds to do it for, Tambwe Tumba tells.
But some culture events and exhibitions have their own funds to go like the Julius Nyerere Foundation, and some of them go to sell art from Tanzania.
- But our small theatre groups and dancing groups have started rehearsals, but they don’t know if they will ever be able to go, says Tambwe.

Want to give a good impression TYC will present a position paper on youth unemployment, one of the biggest problems for youth, not only in Tanzania, but in all of Africa.
- Many have a very positive image of Tanzania. If we send a big group of well prepared youth to Nairobi, we will also give a good impression of the Tanzanian youth. At least we want to participate actively in the youth camp at the WSF, Isdory says.
Since the Tanzania Social Forum, TYC has sent the messages and ideas behind Social Forums out to all their member organisations all over Tanzania and in that way started the movement towards Nairobi.
But the price to participate is way above what unemployed youth can manage to pay.
Expensive bus faresThe registration fee is ok, but the transport even though Kenya and Tanzania are neighbours is more than a monthly minimum salary, and on top comes accommodation, food and health expenses.
- We are not going to stay at five star hotels, but maybe in the tented camps. The important thing is to meet with all the other youth representatives from all over the world to exchange ideas, says Isdory.
The two still have hopes to succeed in sending some busses filled with dedicated youth to Nairobi.
- We have a strong network with the youth organisations in the region, especially in Kenya. We will describe the participation of the youth as a project and present to donors, we will not give up, says the two young volunteers.
Their hope is to send 200 of their members to Nairobi to sing and dance, to discuss and learn and to bring back inspiration to their work at home.