The sociopolitical reality of all free and democratic states, like Tanzania, is hinged on a collaborative relationship between the people and those chosen to be leaders. Underlying this is the unity in the mind of the people, whose vision is(ideally) carried out by the leaders.

As such, leadership, at all levels, should have as its target, fulfilling the vision of the people, which is already implied, even when the leader employs his or her personal creativity.

Open spaces greatly enrich the lives of city dwellers, affording them some quiet, cool air, breathing space to relax and walk, and a good outdoor environment for children to play freely. Cities should not be full of structures, buildings, businesses and service facilities all over. Open spaces with trees and green hugely contribute to the lives of the people and the value of the environment and enable interaction with nature.

Every story and history has a storyteller (narrator) who oftentimes influences the story based on their point of view. As such learning one’s history as written by another, as in this case, the history of the people of Africa as written by non-African people of Europe and America, endangers the integrity of the story being told, as these groups have had a contention in the past which has left behind deep wounds.

Walking the streets of Dar es Salaam sent a warning signal to my observant self. The streets are not yet at their best. Pictures can be deceptive, especially on the internet. It is nice that we deal with issues as they are, and as they are seen with the naked eye. There is some effort being invested in keeping our urban rivers, drains and waters at minimal risk of exposing surrounding inhabitants to diseases, discomfort, and other harms.