On her first day in Tanzania, Administrator Samantha Power traveled to Arusha, where she visited a community farm. She met with cooperative farmers and representatives of the Tanzania Horticulture Association (TAHA) to learn how TAHA, supported by USAID, has successfully driven economic growth and generated jobs for thousands of women and men by partnering with farming communities, the private sector, and the Government of Tanzania. While at TAHA, the Administrator announced an additional $260 million in U.S. funding to address the global food crisis that has been exacerbated by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the severe drought in the Horn of Africa region. This new funding includes support for programs in Tanzania, as well as other countries and regional initiatives.
Administrator Power then met with a group of women conservation leaders who work in partnership with USAID in Tanzania. The conservation leaders shared how they are helping local communities benefit from conservation efforts, including sustainable fisheries, carbon credits for forest preservation, and wildlife tourism. The Administrator commended their leadership in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in conservation and development.
Administrator Power held a productive discussion with Vice President Philip Mpango and other senior Tanzanian officials. The Administrator and Vice President Mpango welcomed the recent completion of a historic $1.14 billion development cooperation agreement between the United States and Tanzania, and committed to its full implementation. They discussed the ongoing and impactful collaboration between USAID and the Government of Tanzania on shared development priorities, including health, conservation, food security, and women's empowerment. Administrator Power recognized the meaningful progress made by President Samia Suluhu Hassan's administration on its reform agenda, and noted that Tanzania's example demonstrates democracy's differential advantage in delivering meaningfully for a country's people.
Vice President Mpango and the Administrator then joined a celebration of the national expansion of the m-mama public-private partnership between USAID, Vodacom Foundation, and the Government of Tanzania. The m-mama program provides emergency referral and transportation to newborns and expectant mothers. At the celebration, and in a visit to the maternity ward of a local hospital, the Administrator saw a hands-on demonstration of how the platform works, and met with a mother who benefited from the service as well as drivers and nurses who make these services possible.
Administrator Power also toured the Arusha Cultural Heritage Center, where she viewed a large gallery of Tanzanian art, including bronze and wooden sculptures, carvings, and paintings, many of which were crafted by Tanzania's youth artisans.
