LAKE ZONE DWELLERS TO BENEFIT FROM THE AMERICAN CORNER AT SAUT
More than nine million people are expected to benefit from the American Corner in Mwanza. This remark was made yesterday February 18 at St Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) by the United States Ambassador in Tanzania His Excellence Alfonso E. Lenhadt when he was inaugurating the American Corner at SAUT, Malimbe Campus.
The American Corner is a mini-library; a source of information about the United States and Tanzania people, including their culture and values. It is a dedicated information database with a collection of books, multimedia materials, and access to internet which are all established in partnership between the American people and universities, libraries and other institutions worldwide to introduce visitors to accurate, complete and up- to-date information about the United States.
For the American corner at SAUT in Mwanza, the U.S Mission has provided books, videos and many other educational equipment with the total value of more than 22,000 USD. St Augustine university of Tanzania has provided the space, the staff, and computers with internet access, and furniture. The new information hub will be free and open to anyone in the community and whoever wants to know more about American and Tanzanian society. Addressing faculty, students, senior government officials including honorable Laurence Masha (MP) and Minister of Home Affairs and other invited guests at the inauguration ceremony, U.S Ambassador Alfonso Lenhadt said the United States mission to Tanzania was to be in partnership with St Augustine University of Tanzania. He congratulated the government of Tanzania through the administration of St Augustine University of Tanzania which accepted the centre to be in their university. He said that despite the American Corner to serve Lake Zone dwellers, SAUT accepted to provide space, staff, computers with internet and other facilities on behalf of the government and people around regions of Kagera, Mara, Shinyanga and Mwanza. He said, “We are well aware of St Augustine University’s status among top institutions of higher learning in East Africa”. The Ambassador added that the partnership between U.S and SAUT will grow and develop as American Corner Mwanza launches programs, discussions, film screenings and other information events that help people understand America.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the St Augustine University of Tanzania Vice Chancellor Rev Dr Charles H. Kitima said that the American Corner will be completely free and open to anyone around Lake Zone regions and whoever wants to know American and Tanzanian societies. Dr Kitima pointed out some of the aims of establishing the American Corner in Mwanza as to promote better understanding between Americans and Tanzanians.
Dr Kitima said, “We have much to teach one another, people want to live in dignity, to provide for their families, and to be part of a peaceful, secure and free society”.
Dr Kitima mentioned some of the beneficiaries of the Corner as SAUT Community, all institutions, secondary schools and all Lake Zone dwellers.
The United State of America has 414 Corners worldwide, more than 75 are in Africa and American Corner Mwanza is the third in Tanzania and the first in Tanzania mainland that the U.S Mission has opened in Tanzania, the first one is in Pemba and the second is in Unguja.
