Defending Our Land: Defending Our Livelihood!

This green land is in Sambaru and Londoni villages in Singida region. It is a home of a nomadic  tribe called Mang'ati. They are  depending on land for grazing their animals and farming. Young girls and boys are responsible for grazing animals and they are depending on this land. Women collect firewood from this land for domestic use. Maize, millet, sweet potatoes, beans, green vegetables, onions and rice grow on this land once sometimes twice a year. But underneath it, there is an enormous deposit of gold.

This land is now owned by Shanta Mining Company. Production have not started yet. The company is putting up structures and fencing the land. There are areas within the land where people are not allowed to access. It is guarded by state police paid by both the state and mining company.

There is no much hope among communities of benefiting from this project. They already know that they will not be employed by the company or provide services and goods to the company. Women are much more devastated. They will loose their source of  food, energy and water. The current fresh air  will be polluted by dust and their children and their families will be sick. HIV prevalence will increase due to the immigration and their families may disrupt.

In this community, men own cattle. They will loose the land for grazing and their economy will be shaken. They are still wondering how they are going to provide for their families once their land is gone. This areas will turn into desert in a couple of years, taking away  livelihood of more than 10,000 people.