Skip to main content

Tanzania Report (FT) and Other Thoughts

The Financial Times website lists a comprehensive report on the economic outlook of Tanzania in 2007. Although we have achieved solid growth in the last decade and are seen as one of the more-stable countries in Africa, there is much more emphasis that can be put on social business (among corruption, power and other issues). Maybe I'm just saying that because I'm biased towards doing it myself, but if there is someone out there that can prove me wrong, please do. All I read are the positive benefits of social entrepreneurship - and maybe it's becoming a newly-recognized field - but it would he helpful to realise some of the drawbacks.

One problem I see with applying business principles to socially-beneficial goods and services is the procurement of resources. Any business needs resources, and while their vision and purpose are noble, their back-office operations may not be taken into full consideration. These back-office operations may affect the environment and economy in the same way that all other profit-making initiatives do.

Another problem I see is that business principles quickly fold up into one simple rule: Making a profit. And since social-entrepreneurship involves emphasis on quantitative performance management, I'm afraid many of these social-businesses become ... well ... businesses.

These are only my thoughts. I am still keen on seeing Vijana FM all the way through. I am just a little concerned with a sector that has a lot of positive commentary, but rarely any analysis of potential pragmatic risks.

Anyhow, the report on Tanzania from the Financial Times paints a positive picture for Tanzania in general. It makes me optimistic about the ways in which we continue to strive for good governance and the proliferation of literacy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tanzania is not Tasmania

Dear friends: Please let's stop refering to Tanzania as Tasmania. Here is why. Tanzania is located on the coast of East Africa, below Kenya. It is not origin of the the cartoon character from your childhood. Tasmania is an island which is part of Australia. The animal known to exist only on Tasmania is the Tasmanian Devil. Once again, you will see this is not the cartoon character you remember from your childhood. Let's summarize: Tanzania is not Tasmania.
Post a Comment
Read more

Policy Brief 2: Why is Tanzania Poor?

(Policy Brief # 2 Submitted December 6th 2007, for Econ 346 - Economic Development, Lafayette College) Over the course of the 20th century, Tanzania experienced a multitude of social, political and economic changes. It still remains poor today. The WorldBank classifies a ‘low income country’ – such as Tanzania – as one with a Gross National Income per capita of $905 or less (WorldBank Data 2006). As of 1992, Tanzania ’s per capita income was recorded at $110, and average per capita consumption was $0.5 per day (OECD 2000). Several possible factors have been blamed for contributing to current hardships, such as Julius Nyerere’s failed attempts to collectivize agriculture between 1961 and 1975 through his socialist Ujamaa policies as the first president of Tanzania (Pratt 1980). While pre-independence plans “focused on the commercialization of agriculture and the creation of industries that could reduce the need for a variety of imports”, post-independence interventions by the Gov...
4 comments
Read more

Revision rinsed II

When discussing communication for development, we tend to argue against the models based only on diffusion of media technologies. That is, in pursuing a critical approach to development practices, we tend to support participatory approaches to technology use and engagement. Yet, we leave development practice in the abstract. We stop short at revised theory, and consult with practice initiators who attempt to materialize the abstract. Even there, we treat attempts as cases, and recriticize to align with still revised theory. It's time the field of communication for development confessed its efforts to change market-based activities. It's also time that it confessed that power in the market is strong, and at most times, stronger than the power of discourse. Instead, the field of communication for development should hold strong to the assumptions that structuralist development practice has not worked. That's that. Why go further to assume that a new theory is needed, or...
Post a Comment
Read more