Journal Articles (DCC-AS)

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Changing dietary practices: The new food insecurity among the pastoralists in Mabwegere village Kilosa district
(Research Gate, 2020) Massoi, L.W.; Saruni, P
While global and national efforts are increasingly aiming at ending all forms of malnutrition by 2030, food insecurity levels are increasingly high among the pastoralist communities in sub-Saharan Africa. This scenario is attributed to the existing efforts and strategies, which are predominantly preoccupied with the narrative that, people are food secure and active life at all times. This perspective overlooks the presence of heterogeneous communities with different cultural beliefs about health, livelihoods, and sustainability of food supply. This article argues that food security is not only concerned with food availability but also traditional dietary preferences. This study used a qualitative case oriented design and data were collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Food production among the Maasai is increasingly inadequate, and traditional dietary practices among the Maasai pastoralists is increasingly changing as a result of agrarian transformation in the Kilosa District in Tanzania. This is where large chunks of land are transformed for agricultural activities as a way of increasing food availability in terms of the number of meals intake and the type of meals consumed. Conventional dietary meals such as cereals and green leaves are increasingly consumed with a decreasing number of meals consumed per day and the changing of the type of meals consumed. Therefore, the analysis of food and nutrition security should understand that, cultural food preferences are important because they are interconnected with beliefs about health, livelihoods and sustainability of food supply. This study suggests that policies that address food and nutrition insecurity need to take on board the close relationship between food, nutrition security, and culture. It is important for communities to embrace other alternatives for livelihood, including farming and government support in irrigation to improve food access and availability.
Decentralisation by devolution in Tanzania: Reflections on community involvement in the planning process in Kizota ward in Dodoma
(Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research, 2009) Massoi, L; Norma, A.S.
This paper provides a discussion on Decentralization-by-Devolution (D-by- D) in the planning process in Tanzania a focus being on the Kizota ward in Dodoma. The paper provides findings on how the grassroots level is involved in preparing the three-year strategic plan and its implications towards solving socioeconomic problems at the grassroots level. The study employed a combined research design where case study design and mini –survey designs were used. Questionnaires, In-depth interviews and intensive documentary reviews were used for data collection purposes. The findings from the Kizota ward in Dodoma municipality revealed that although the government has done commendable work in implementing D-by-D, its contribution in planning process at the grassroots level is still minimal and ineffective. The mitaa residents were not involved in the planning process; rather they were involved in the implementation of the centrally made plans that did not include their priorities.
Decentralization by devolution in Tanzania: Reflections on community involvement in the planning process in Kizota ward in Dodoma
(Research Gate, 2009) Massoi, Lucy; Norman, A. S.
This paper provides a discussion on Decentralization-by-Devolution (D-by-D) in the planning process in Tanzania a focus being on the Kizota ward in Dodoma. The paper provides findings on how the grassroots level is involved in preparing the three-year strategic plan and its implications towards solving socioeconomic problems at the grassroots level. The study employed a combined research design where case study design and mini–survey designs were used. Questionnaires, In-depth interviews and intensive documentary reviews were used for data collection purposes. The findings from the Kizota ward in Dodoma municipality revealed that although the government has done commendable work in implementing D-by-D, its contribution in the planning process at the grassroots level is still minimal and ineffective. The mitaa residents were not involved in the planning process; rather they were involved in the implementation of the centrally made plans that did not include their priorities.
Dynamics of land for urban housing in Tanzania
(Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research, 2010) Massoi Lucy; Norman, A.S.
With increased movement of population in search of better settlement and employment, more people tend to be concentrated in urban areas. This article identifies the dynamics of land for urban housing in Tanzania with specific reference to Songea municipality. The article remarks on one hand, weaknesses in the existing institutional framework for urban planning and delivery of land services, unnecessary prolonged procedures and actors in the process with overlapping authorities, roles and lines of accountabilities have been identified as contributing factors to such dynamics, on the other hand, lack of technical capacity, limited financial resources embedded with cumbersome procedures in the whole process of preparation and approval of detailed plans as prepared by land experts has been a catalyst for the low capacity of the municipality in allocating land for housing development to the developers. With the increasing influx of population towards towns and cities, land-grabbing, institutions need to be reformed to take into account the rapid population dynamics within the society. Municipalities need to be empowered with both technical and financial capacity to facilitate in provision of effective and efficient services of providing land for housing.
Land conflicts and the livelihood of Pastoral Maasai women in Kilosa district of Morogoro, Tanzania
(Africa Focus, 2015) Massoi, Lucy Willy
This summary of my PhD thesis analyses conflicts around land in relation to pastoral Maasai women livelihoods in Tanzania. Issues of pastoralism and land use conflicts in Tanzania are well documented in literature. However, a gendered analysis of conflicts around land in relation to land reforms (changes in the use and ownership of, and access to land and land resources), prolonged climate variability and change, and food insecurity, hardly exists in the literature. Of particular concern is the rudimentary analysis of these conflicts as it relates to pastoral Maasai women, the primary and secondary users of land in pastoral livelihoods. Data analysed in this report were collected in Kilosa district, located in Morogoro, Tanzania, one of the renowned hotspots for pastoral-farmer conflicts in Tanzania. Within Kilosa, data were collect in pastoral Maasai settlements [villages] of Twatwatwa, Kiduhi, Ngaiti, and Mabwegere, and pastoral Maasai women were central focus. Through ethnographic research methods namely focus group discussions, interviews, and participant observations, I have found that vulnerabilities to conflicts around land are gender differentiated, and that pastoral Maasai women experience climate change, food insecurity, and land reforms differently from men. An overall conclusion in this report is that, conflicts around land in Kilosa are intricate in nature and cannot be analysed from a single narrative, and pastoral Maasai women by virtue of their specific gender roles and the gender relations are hit hard. I therefore argue that, (1) for secure land reforms, the political, economic, and social structures through which land access is mediated must also be reformed; (2) there should be a holistic conflict mitigation approach and strategies in resolving conflict around land in Kilosa. The approaches should focus at engaging pastoralists and pastoralist women in particular, and their institutions and making them an integral part of the solutions. (3) Decisions dealing with climate change mitigation strategies such as the Kilosa eviction of 2009 should also involve pastoralist women whose livelihood depends directly and/or indirectly on climate sensitive resources; (4) the introduction of forage crops production [such as grasses and legumes] in Kilosa is imperative. This will assist in increasing pasture production, which eventually will boost livestock production [livestock, the main preferred food source among the pastoral Maasai]. Equally, availability
The role of political leaders in enhancing peace and tranquility: Thinking big
(International Journal of Managerial Studies and Research (IJMSR), 2015) Massoi, L.W.; Milanzi, Montanous C.; Kyando Newton; Norman A.S. King
Political leaders play an important role in facilitating peace and tranquillity. Their vitality is appreciated because they have followers- people who believe in what they say and act accordingly. This paper is cemented on the speech of considered one of the gurus of development management in the world when he made his presentation before the political party leaders in the Ruvuma region in Tanzania. While the amplification of the speech is based on Tanzania, we consider that the speech is relevant to the nationals of the world. The paper is a review in nature and has articulated experiential and factualism of the current world in setting the literature review, methodology, discussion and conclusion. The speech called upon leaders to realize that the emergence of political parties does not mean to jeopardize humanity. Political parties are planes, buses, trains, motorcycles, bicycles and footers for the sake of moving in the direction one would want to go, yet those who move are more important than the vessels they use. Development is what one ought to envision in whatever is done. Hence, synergizing thinking is a must for attaining development under the surface of peace and tranquillity. The paper concludes that peace is inevitable without political leaders playing a vital role in harnessing what they believe with others’ beliefs. In addition, political leaders must appreciate that losing and wining an election is the major outcomes of democratic elections.
Women in pastoral societies in societies and church in Kilosa Tanzania
(African Study Monographs, Suppl., 2018) Massoi, L.W.
Given the strong patriarchal systems still evident among the pastoral Maasai society one might think that the life of the Maasai women is bleak and difficult; but this is no longer the case. First-hand observation, in-depth interviews and group discussions obtained through an ethnographic-inspired approach revealed that increasingly in Kilosa Tanzania, there is new hope for the women once regarded as servants and properties of men under the male-dominated empire. Where state structures, services and civil society are thin on the ground, the church is increasingly becoming involved in this transformation process. Women are increasingly learning to negotiate and manipulate rules and norms, to straddle different institutions, both formal and informal and to resist the oppressive culture. The church is facilitating and promoting self-awareness to women of their value and potential, even as widows, single women or divorcees. Local communities and women in particular are increasingly supported, educated and empowered to manage their own lives and shoulder their reproductive and productive roles as well as decision-making roles once regarded as a male-only dominion. Some have even ventured into politics and are demanding their rights to land within the patriarchal-dominated system. While the church has tried to penetrate and fight the patriarchal system, much remains to be done to fight the deep-rooted system in Maasai society.

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