Zanzibar, 13 June 8am, sunny morning and many children, men and women at the Amaani Stadium in Stone town – the place where the Race for Survival is happening. Rehearsal done previous day showed that both children and adults are ready for the big day.The Norwegian film crew is with us trying to get the best photo and capturing the moments the marathon runners will always remember. All the eyes are staring at the boys and girls with colourful T-shirts who will be running their race for survival.For the first time in Zanzibar… You can almost touch the excitement that all of them feel.And here it is… the marathon starts… people sitting jumped off their seats, as they want to see whether a small kid in a grey T-shirt will be faster than the slightly bigger girl in a blue team.Adults are equally interesting to watch – you wouldn’t expect women in their forties and fifties to do their best and to run, but they do that with a smile on their face. This is an unforgettable moment that will be part of the afternoon tea with their friends and families.They are so much into it that they didn’t even notice the Vice President and his crew entering the place and taking their seats.H.E. Mr. Seif Ali Iddi is smiling looking at his fellow citizens.From time to time he is looking at his speech carrying the messages of commitment the Zanzibar Government will show towards maternal, newborn and child health and child protection. He knows that the marathon runners do it for a good cause – they as well call upon policy makers, community leaders, donors and members of the general public to address these issues so that growing up of children in Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland should not be a race for survival.His speech is a symbol of commitment – from planning and budgeting for each and every child’s life to taking care of newborns, with sufficient number of skilled health workers ready to step in and take care of mothers, newborns and children.Mohamedi, our Citizens’ hearing hero from World Health Assembly in Geneva is sitting next to me. He is also a part of the agenda of the event after the race. For the first time he will shake hands with the Vice President explaining his role in the citizens’ hearing. Mohamedi had a meeting with the children’s councils in Zanzibar earlier in the week. He told his peers it’s up to them now to select the children’s representative to attend the UN General Assembly in New York. They were happy and enthusiastic; an opportunity not to be missed. Mohamedi has an experience from Geneva and offered his support to help them prepare for the big September event. His personal Race for Survival is coming to the end and he is ready to give his baton to Zanzibar children. Mama Ye! Celebrates achievements of other organisations working for the welfare of Mothers, babies and children of Tanzania. This article was shared by Jasminka Milovanovic, EVERYONE Campaign Manager at Save the Children Tanzania.
Zanzibar, 13 June 8am, sunny morning and many children, men and women at the Amaani Stadium in Stone town – the place where the Race for Survival is happening. They are so much into it that they didn't even notice the Vice President and his crew entering the place and taking their seats.