By Lake Zone Watch Writer
Barrick Gold North Mara last week hosted a three-day training for people’s elected leaders and officials in the District Council of Tarime, focusing on initiating and supervising social and economic projects.
The training was attended by all chairpersons from 11 villages and five wards surrounding the goldmine and leaders and officials from Tarime District Council, while the main objective was to ensure the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) money is spent well for the benefit of the target local communities.
The resource persons were three lecturers in the top echelons of the University of Dar es Salaam, with expertise in development issues, finance and marketing.
We would like to commend Barrick Gold North Mara, which is run in conjunction with the government of Tanzania through Twiga Minerals Corporation, for coming up with this initiative that seeks to empower the people’s leaders through education and innovation, and for hosting the training.
Educated leaders know their responsibilities to the people and what the latter expect from them. They know what to do and what not. They have a reference to rely upon when planning and implementing their projects and this creates trust.
On the other hand, when people believe in their leaders, that means improved relations between them and the investor who injects money into the CSR coffer. Both sides, the giver and receiver then believe that the money will be used wisely.
The Barrick Gold North Mara training initiative comes at a time when public complaints abound on misuse of government funds by embezzlers and dishonest people across the country.
It’s a chance that the leaders attending the training ought to embrace wholeheartedly and demonstrate to the people who have elected them that it shall indeed bear fruit.
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