THE OLD MAN AND THE FORESTS

Mzee O. is one of the elders in Bulongwa. In former times they were very respected and considered wise in their decisions as they always tried to find a solution focusing on the well being of the whole community.

"Nowadays we are not heard" many elders say, "money is ruling and not respect for wisdom".

When the Mzee (the elder) was much younger he planted trees on the hospitals premises - many trees - and hoped that they day would come when they would be strong enough to be cut, one by one and piece by piece in order to sell them and buy medicine for the poor people attending the hospital.

This was his dream.

He gave an interview to the BBC later and complained bitterly that the hospital and church responsible had cut all the trees and that the forests had mysteriously disappeared. The old man cried.Would he have read the independent audit reports of the ELCT/SCD, he would have learned that the whole forest was cut and sold but not accounted to the hospital books, the trees were stolen and the value was about 100.000 Euro or more than 100 Million Tanzanian Shillings at the exchange rates of these days.

The diocese employees have allegedly stolen the forest and up to date there are no consequences, the trees were cut in 2004 and everybody could see this, it is obvious and even the representatives of the missions visited the place later, people who knew the place well and did not ask questions.

Well, one consequence happened indeed!!!!

If you check the LMC projects http://www.lmc.or.tz/projects.html for 2007 (agreed on by Mission representatives and the ELCT responsible in Tanzania) you will find - please check before the announced "media strategy" takes all this information from the pages:

SCD-07:2 Priority Area II – Goal 3

Tree planting projectClear cutting of indigenous forests and replacing them with commercial plantations has been a serious environmental decision of the past. Although the current situation is dire, it can still be improved if forest conservation and restoration measures are enhanced. Makete is under serious threat of losing all forests due to commercial lumbering.ELCT-SCD plans to organize two awareness raising seminars in each district every year, they will identify areas to be replanted and water sources to be protected, they will establish nurseries and arrange tree planting.

Three years – Cost (‘000) 37 500, Local contribution 4 500, Partner 12 000, LMC member 21 000

(The amounts in TSH and at today's exchange rate - which is already higher again, as the TSH is devaluated at a quick pace - this would mean that 21,884.1 Euro would be spent on a project to plant trees - will this happen or will it be another fake like the projects of the recent years? This money will be spent with an organization SCD/ELCT alleged of having stolen a whole forest planted by the old man - stolen from the patients)

The mission directors (Bavaria, Hamburg, Saxony and others) know about all the facts, as they have the reports since a long time. They know about the thefts in the hospital, the theft of the forest and they were repeatedly informed by a professional certified principal accountant from Tanzania about the frauds and its background. He is an african from the region and does not agree at all with the policy of the overseas missions.

I am just contemplating: What would happen if those European Directors would be told similar vices where they are involved in Germany by a German lawyer or accountant. Or if they would be told by a doctor about the importance of a CD4 count or liver function for a friend who carries the HI-Virus...

I guess here is a lot of racism and times of colonialism are obviously not over in the brains of many. Mission directors told me that "colonialism is over" when they accused me for interfering with “the business” of the Tanzanian Lutheran Church.

And the old man cries?