Young Politicians from Belgium, Finland, France, The Republic of Moldova and Spain gathered in Arusha, Tanzania, from 11th - 18th August 2007.

Young Politicians from Belgium, Finland, France, The Republic of Moldova and Spain gathered in Arusha, Tanzania, from 11th - 18th August 2007. The weeklong tour had the objective of raising awareness amongst the Young Decision Makers of the unmet sexual and reproductive health needs of Tanzanians and to enable them to participate and to gain first-hand experience of the reality of the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights situation in a developing country. The visit was an initiative of the Young Decision Makers group of the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) and was co-organised by the national office in Tanzania of the German Foundation for World Population (DSW). The delegation was composed of one representative from each of the different youth political parties at European level (YEPP, LYMEC, DEMYC, FYEG and ENDYL)

Participants:
Marc Giménez Spain FYEG
Ann Pascale Mommenrency Belgium YEPP
Grigore Petrenco, MP Moldova ENDYL
Aloys Rigaut France LYMEC
Simo S. Hämäläinen
Finland DEMYC

The programme of activities included political meetings with MPs and Governments at regional (Regional Commission of Arusha), national and international level (East African Community), field visits to NGO projects (CBHI-GTZ, Marie Stopes and DSW), private and governmental hospitals (Selian Hospital and M ount Meru Regional Hospital), youth clubs in and out of schools (Uzima VCT centre, Nkoanrua Youth Club and Mirerani Youth Centre) and meetings with business leaders (Arusha Chamber of Commerce) and with key Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health NGOs.

The study tour started in Dodoma with a visit to the Tanzanian Parliament. The delegation met the Prime Minister and the Speaker (President of the Parliament), as well as different Parliamentarian from the all-party groups, such as the Young Parliamentarians of Tanzania. The meetings with the Tanzanian Parliamentary AIDS Coalition (TAPAC), was particularly significant and consisted of 260 out of 323 MPs which shows the commitment the policy makers have towards HIV/AIDS challenges.

Marc Giménez, FYEG delegate to the visit: "It has been an extremely eye-opening tour. During the different visits we have been witnesses of how not only the politicians but also civil society is trying to organise themselves to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS, by creating projects of prevention through sexual and reproductive health education, but also in helping the potentially infected people by means of Voluntary Counselling and Testing. European citizens are hardly aware of the existence of such internal commitment and organization at different levels in fighting to improve SRHR."

The Young Decision Makers then headed to Arusha, where they visited several projects (schools, youth clubs, public hospitals, private clinics, voluntary testing/counselling centres, etc.) in the field of sexual rights and reproductive health, as well as local officials (the District Commissioner for Arusha, and the Mayor of Arusha), representatives of the East African Community (EAC) and representatives of the Chamber of Commerce. A press conference attended by all of the main Tanzanian media concluded the trip.