In 1986, the World Bank imposed a structural adjustment programme, telling Tanzania to forget its socialist principles, liberalise the economy and reduce public spending.
The economic policies imposed on Tanzania have meant it has struggled to develop in recent years and is now largely dependent on aid and loans.
Nevertheless, Tanzania has made significant progress in achieving social economic progress and President Mkapa, elected in 1995, waged a war against corruption.
ActionAid in Tanzania
ActionAid has been active since 1997, and established a permanent office here in 1998.
We now work with over 65,000 people in remote rural areas. Our main focus is education. We work closely with existing organisations and community groups to make sure that the change we achieve together is appropriate and lasting. ActionAid also campaigns against the economic policies that keep people poor.
Athuman Kiboko, a retired village chairman, was pained to see so many children out of school.
"There is only one school in our village, with 600 pupils. But there were more than 500 school aged children who could not attend the school because they live in four sub-villages that are 7km away.
"We learned about Access (ActionAid's non-formal education scheme) from a neighbouring village. We had no difficulty mobilising the community to construct simple structures and contribute for facilitators. Everyone wants their children to go to school.
"Now there are 400 children at Access centres. We have increased the number of children in school to over 1000."
Essential Stats
| Tanzania | Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 40.5 million (2009) | 21.5 million (2009) |
| Area | 945,087 km2 | 7,703,581 km2 |
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | $28.1 billion (2009) | $970.6 billion (2009) |
| GDP per capita | $691 (2009) | $44,598 (2009) |
| Human Development Index | 0.467 (2006) | 0.965 (2006) |
| Life Expectancy (male/female) | 51/54 (2005-2010) | 79/84 (2005-2010) |
| Adult Literacy % | 69.4 (1995-2005) | 99 (1995-2005) |
SOURCES: IMF, UN Data, HDI, UN Statistics
