Uko Wapi ‘Urithi Wetu?’

Tanzania is a country of rich and diverse cultural heritage. She is a home of a great variety of archaeological sites such as Kondoa Irangi in Dodoma and Isimila in Iringa; paleontological sites such as Olduvai Gorge, Laetoli and Makuyuni in Arusha; architectural heritage such as the ruins scattered all over the coast area from Tanga to Mtwara. There are also traditions, indigenous skills and knowledge with a large base of cultural expressions, crafts and traditional performances all of which, according to the 2063 African Union Agenda–the Africa We Want–have important contribution in social and economic developments. Regrettably, despite this cultural heritage potential, its coverage in Tanzania’s mass media remained very low. It was against this background that Tanzania Media Foundation (TMF) funded a two-year project (2015-2016) named ‘Uko Wapi Urithi Wetu’ (Where is Our Heritage). Uko Wapi Urithi Wetu project investigated and broadly disseminated information on the protection and management of Tanzania’s cultural heritage packaged as tourism destinations. Through engaging the rural voices and heritage experts, this project explored the concerns of marginalized communities and exposed problems facing the heritage sector caused by lack of transparency and accountability. The outputs of this project included included several radio and television programs found here: