Ahern to meet Tanzanian farmers

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will today hear about the challenges facing farming communities in rural Tanzania.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will today hear about the challenges facing farming communities in rural Tanzania.

Mr Ahern continues his official trip to Africa with a visit to Mwanza in northern Tanzania and the village of Ngudama.

Accompanied by Michael Kitt, the Minister of State with responsibility for Overseas Development, Mr Ahern will look around the local 552-pupil primary school, which has just 11 classrooms and 16 teachers.

Throughout the day, the Taoiseach will also visit the Nyegezi Bus Station, which has been part-funded by Ireland through its support to the local government grant system.

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The station caters for approximately 3,500 passengers daily and provides employment opportunities for the local population.

Mr Ahern will later meet with some of the 33 Irish missionaries who are living and working in Tanzania, mainly in the areas of education and health.

He will then visit the Kivulini Centre, which is a civil society organisation involved in providing support to women who have experienced gender-based violence.

Irish Aid has given financial assistance to the school, provided €750,000 funding to missionaries in 2007, and supported Kivulini through the umbrella organisation Women in Law and Development in Africa.

The Taoiseach departs Mwanza for the capital, Dar es Salaam, where he will be guest of honour at a reception for the Irish community in Tanzania.