TİKA’s 100th Anniversary Türkiye Tanzania Msimbazi Football Pitch Project in Tanzania

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) started the Dar es Salaam Ilala Municipality's “100^th Anniversary Türkiye-Tanzania Msimbazi Football Pitch” project.

As a part of the activities for the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, the 100^th Anniversary Türkiye-Tanzania Msimbazi Football Pitch Project was carried out. The goal of the project was to turn the clay pitch of Msimbazi Mseto Primary School, in which disabled students are receiving education as well, into a free, healthy, and safe football pitch and have it served the majority of the young people in Dar es Salaam.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Dar es Salaam City Director, Jomari Satura; Executives and employees of Ilala Municipality; Executive Director of Samatta Foundation (founded by the player and the team captain of the national football team of Tanzania, Mbwana Ally Samatta) Hasbuna Habibu; Director of Safe Haven Foundation, Dr. Hatice Hassan; TİKA’s Coordinator, Filiz Şahinci; Msimbazi Primary School Administration, and the students.

In his speech, the Executive Director of Samatta Foundation expressed his appreciation for the installment of this pitch, which will enable the young people of Tanzania to develop their skills and exercise in a safe and healthy environment. He expressed his endless gratitude to TİKA for enabling new talented football players to be raised. In the voice message he sent to the ceremony, Mbwana Ally Samatta expressed how happy he is to be a part of this project and thanked TİKA for providing the young people of Tanzania with this opportunity.

TİKA’s Gift to the Young People of Tanzania for the Century of Türkiye

In her speech, TİKA’s Coordinator, Filiz Şahinci, expressed how proud she is to see that one of the activities for the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye is a project that can make the children and young people, who are the future of Tanzania, love sports. She said: We are celebrating the “Century of Türkiye”, a crucial milestone for our nation, with the children and young people who are the future of the United Republic of Tanzania. This is a heartfelt gift from the Turkish people.” Şahinci stated that so far, TİKA has completed over 200 projects in Tanzania, both in dominant sectors such as education, technology, and health and in various other fields such as the improvement of civil infrastructure and social status of women and young people.

The First and Only Football Pitch in Dar es Salaam That is Completely Free

In his speech, Dar es Salaam City Director Jomari Satura congratulated the Republic of Türkiye for her 100th anniversary and stated that he is so happy to be a part of the celebrations of such an important day through this precious gift for the young people of Tanzania. He stated that TİKA’s project should have a catalytic effect and promised to put the effort in person into installing other sports playgrounds for the young people to have quality time in Dar es Salaam as a follow-up to this project.