In the article “Building the Dream: Vision 2050 and the Tanzania We Want,” I explored the Vision 2050 idea which aims to provide a roadmap for transforming Tanzania, thus addressing the challenges of a growing population projected to reach 130 million by 2050. The discussion centred on core beliefs for success: we highlighted that poverty is a choice and that visionary leaders and collective progress are crucial. As a nation, we either rise together or fall together.
By definition, a vision is an aspiration – and our Vision 2050 articulates the Tanzania we see ourselves in by 2050, a Tanzania that is prosperous and free of poverty. Poverty, regardless of origin, robs people of dignity. Unfortunately, in Tanzania, poverty has become a culture. Much of what we think life is, that’s just poverty manifesting itself. Some of us are considered critics only because we reject the normalisation of poverty. For example, why should we celebrate the bodaboda culture when we know that well-planned cities and efficient transportation systems are achievable goals?
