By SAKINA RANGWALA
Observer staff
April 9, 2008

Photo by SAKINA RANGWALA
Anthony Brenneman, current
MFA-Film and Electronic Media student at
American University coordinated the visit
with Her Excellency Kikwete.

The First Lady of Tanzania, Mama Salma Kikwete spoke to a room packed with students and professors at American University about WAMA, an organization founded by her to emancipate women and children in her country.

Anthony Brenneman, MFA student in the School of Communication, coordinated the visit, as he is involved in producing a documentary on the WAMA foundation.

“I wrote the film in my writing for visual media course at AU but it was through my role as media director of Network for the Improvement of World Health, that I am co-producing the film with WAMA,” Brenneman said.

Wanawake na Maendeleo (WAMA) – which is Swahili for Women and Development – was founded to complement the efforts of the government of Tanzania in girls’ empowerment, Kikwete said in Swahili as a projector displayed her speech, translated into English in a slideshow.

The first lady of Tanzania’s visit to American University was limited in interaction as Mama Salma Kikwete, spoke completely in Swahili.

Gabriel Laizer, a former AU student from Tanzania, was amazed that the first lady didn’t speak in English at all.

“Like Spanish is in the U.S., English is in Tanzania,” Laizer said, adding that Kikwete, as a teacher and as the president’s wife, does know English but didn’t choose to speak it.

“I wonder why?” he pondered.

As a former teacher, she said she valued education but considered good health conditions just as important, as HIV/AIDS limits many women and children from getting an education.

“There are approximately 122 women for each 100 men infected and there are nearly 2 million orphans and vulnerable children in Tanzania, due in large part to the HIV/AIDS pandemic,’” Kikwete said, adding that communication is an important tool for making people aware and educated in Tanzania.

“While we believe the documentary film we are producing is an important tool, it is equally imperative in this ever-evolving digital age to utilize the worldwide reach of the Internet.” Kikwete said.

Photo by SAKINA RANGWALA
Her Excellency Salma Kikwete speaks to a gathering
of students and professors. Listen to her speak below.

A member of Kikwete’s delegation provided a translation of her speech: “She’s very happy for that question because that’s precisely why she is here, she’s trying to network with people who are willing to work in the things she’s doing, especially in terms of research, to find out what works and in what circumstances. And as you said, in this university you are very good with communication, with media, which is important in the kind of work that she is doing. That is precisely why she came to American University.”

As the speech came to a conclusion, students realized the diplomatic intent and restrained from asking several pertinent questions regarding Kenya, which neighbors Tanzania. Relevant issues about making Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania, a part of the Republic of Tanzania wasn’t mentioned either.

“I talk to people in Tanzania, that there is an increase in domestic violence … women are fighting for their rights to work, to go to school and that is creating a conflict between husbands and wives,” Laizer said, posing a question about domestic violence in the country.

Photo by SAKINA RANGWALA
Dean Larry Kirkman and Mama Salma Kikwete,
the First Lady of Tanzania, share the same ideas of
communication as a tool for education.

“It is a relevant component to everything that she is discussing,” he said. “All she needs to do is delegate this issue … and deal with the women’s issue in a holistic way,” he added.

Dean of the School of Communication Larry Kirkman said her visit was a great opportunity for the school.

“I think that … communication as a human right needs to be exercised in the struggle against poverty and in the struggle for the empowerment of women and girls,” he said and concluded that not only the School of Communication, but the School of International Service and the School of Education would benefit from the first lady’s visit.