MCL receives certificate for joining the UN Global Compact initiative

Dar es Salaam. In a commitment to sustainable business practices, the UN Global Compact has issued a certificate to Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) for joining the initiative.

Speaking at the MCL’s forum on June 14, 2024, Executive Director of the Global Compact Network Tanzania (GCNT), Ms Marsha Macatta-Yambi, praised the MCL's leadership for recognising the importance of the initiative.

She explained that the Global Compact was a call to action by the then UN Secretary-General, Dr Kofi Annan, in 1999, who believed that practices by the private sector were contributing to global distress.

"He asked us to put a human face on businesses. He said that we, the UN, and you, the private sector, should establish principles that would help both the private and non-private sectors. So it was a call to action for all of us," she said.

Ms Yambi noted that a report conducted in 2023 revealed that only 15 percent of the targets under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were on track, but encouraged perseverance, stating there was an opportunity to reach a target of 63 percent.

"This particular organisation (MCL) has decided to be among the 25,000+ organisations across the world that are practicing sustainability," she affirmed.

"And just to put a cherry on the cake, MCL's joining is assuring us that its actions and ongoing efforts will be very loyal in sharing a report on an annual basis without fail. At the same time, MCL is also affirming to us that those in country, regional, and global activities presented by the UN Global Compact are part of and will participate in, without fail."

"Today, I'm so happy to hand over a certification to show that MCL has achieved this milestone. Their presence in this movement indicates that more businesses, non-businesses, and academic institutions will be part of it," she said.

Reading the certification as she handed it over to the MCL Managing Director, Mr Bakari Machumu, she said: "Mwananchi Communications Limited, we are giving you this certificate for committing to the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact to take action in supporting the SDGs and submit annually a communication on progress."

The Global Compact Network Tanzania is a business-led platform, scaling and accelerating the collective business impact through the Sustainable Development Goals.

As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment, and anti-corruption.

Mr James Anditi: "Climate change has become a reality. We can’t change it, but we can learn to adapt to it," he emphasised, highlighting the inevitable shift required in our approach to agriculture.

With erratic weather patterns becoming the norm, the national director of World Vision Tanzania noted that the traditional farming practices that once sustained Tanzanian communities are no longer reliable.

The challenge now, he said, lies in equipping the younger generation and the broader community with knowledge and tools to thrive under new conditions.

"For us who are concerned about food security, the issue then is how we bring practices right at the community level that can promote initiatives to live with the variabilities of climate change," he stated, highlighting the improvement of water harvesting structures as one of the pivotal strategies.

“By capturing and storing rainwater during the wet seasons, communities can ensure a steady supply of water for irrigation during dry spells. This simple yet effective technology has already been implemented by World Vision, benefiting over 6,000 youth farmers across Tanzania,” he added.

Furthermore, he said World Vision has ensured that farmers harvest water when it’s available and use it to produce food, adding that the proactive approach not only mitigates the impact of unpredictable weather but also fosters a culture of resilience and self-sufficiency among young farmers.

"Applying simple technologies that produce food in an environmentally friendly manner while growing trees is essential," he noted.

"We need to look at the mindset of value addition because if we can’t bring value addition into our food system, then we will keep on producing for other people," he said.

A panellist, Ms Anna Bahati Mlay, said that those who do not pollute the environment are the biggest victims, noting that climate justice means that those who are most affected are included in national strategies and plans so that they can mitigate the effects. 

"Unfortunate people who are affected by climate change are those who are poor and women. In the past, African countries used to say that since they do not pollute, they are not responsible, but they have a responsibility to reduce the impact," she said.

Ms Mlay said that currently, Africa has started to speak one language, demanding a reduction of damage after witnessing catastrophes in agriculture, fisheries, and some other sectors.

She therefore said climate justice means involving all groups, including national plans, and being aware of their challenges. 

She said, "We should involve all groups and give them alternatives and solutions that will remove them from burning trees and give them alternative businesses. The idea of clean cooking is good and it has come at the right time because women are the victims."

Mwananchi Communications Limited (MCL) head of corporate affairs and sustainability department, Ms Vivian Temi, said her desk was assigned the responsibility to plant 15,000 trees this year because the company heavily participates in deforestation.

“We have successfully established 25 microforests in 25 different schools, which is equal to 5,000 trees. We focused our efforts on schools located in the Ubungo Municipality, where the company is located,” she said.

“The second aspect of sustainable development is joining a community that will help us stay close to monitoring sustainable development issues,” she added.

Reported by Gadiosa Lamtey, Jacob Mosenda, Ramadhan Ismail, and Emilie Authier