Lessons from manzese slum upgrading project

The transformation of a one-time slum into a modern settlement at Manzese-Mvuleni in Dar es Salaam offers residents of other unplanned settlements an important lesson--take a risk and form housing co-operatives. Through the UN-Habitat project, the Manzese-Mvuleni community raised the capital to upgrade their houses. In doing so, they added value to the housing market.

There is a lesson here for the government too. It needs to oversee both urban and rural planning to avoid creating more slums.

At least 70 per cent of Dar es Salaam’s population lives in unplanned suburbs that lack water and sanitary infrastructure.

Yet those slums can be transformed into modern satellite towns, but only as long as there is a strong commitment to raise venture capital for real estate development and upgrading of settlements.

Our people can also help improve their habitat by consulting experts before they put up their houses--which are, in themselves, an asset if they are built properly. Modern houses are a ticket out of poverty because they offer an opportunity to get title deeds, which make it possible to get bank loans.

Since we still have underdeveloped land on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, our people can form housing co-operatives and put up modern settlements in such places.

Experience and various studies have shown that the higher the level of unplanned settlements, the higher the cost of curing waterborne and airborne diseases arising from poor sanitary and water services.

In its June economic outlook report, the World Bank indicates that half of Tanzania’s population will live in urban areas by 2030. Dar es Salaam is expected to be home to more than 10 million people. This expansion of the urban population should be a catalyst for new thinking on creating sustainable towns. If we do not act now, the fruits of rapid economic growth will remain a distant dream for many people.