The Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner, Nurdin Babu, has urged families to write wills in order to reduce societal disputes that often arise when one spouse, particularly the husband passes away.
This call comes as 35 widows from the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions yesterday kicked off a campaign to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Their main goal is to deliver a message advocating for the writing of wills to the mountain's peak.
Speaking yesterday in Moshi at the launch of the "Kilimanjaro Widows Summit" (a campaign involving widows climbing Mount Kilimanjaro), the Regional Commissioner emphasized that writing a will is not an invitation to bad luck or death. The summit was organized by the Tanzania Widows Association (TAWIA) in collaboration with the government and several civil society organizations, including the Media Aid for Indigenous and Pastoralist Community (MAIPAC).
Babu stated that many women have been facing severe hardships after the demise of their partners, an issue that urgently needs to be resolved.
TAWIA Director Rose Sarwatt explained that as part of the commemorations for International Widows' Day, which peaks on June 23, they decided to launch the Mount Kilimanjaro climbing campaign.
She added that after descending the mountain, the widows will visit the Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti national parks to continue spreading their message about the importance of writing wills.
"After the park tours, we will hold a regional conference in Kilimanjaro that will bring together more than 500 widows from various regions across the country," Sarwatt said.
Earlier during the event, the former President of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), Harold Sungusia, presented a special guide book on how to write a will to the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner.
Speaking after handing over the book, Sungusia noted that he authored the guide following extensive research into inheritance disputes across the country.
"This book will help family members write wills in accordance with the law, thereby eliminating unnecessary conflicts after a family member passes away," he said.
Advocate Sungusia, who is also a TAWIA board member, defined a will as a written document detailing the distribution of assets left behind by an individual after their death.
Yesterday, the widows continued their trek up the mountain. The expedition has been supported by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) as well as tourism companies Kenzel Wildlife Safaris and Berick Tanzania Tours.
Other organizations supporting the commemorations include the Zanzibar Widows Association (ZAWIA), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) Northern Diocese, the Community Research and Development Services (CORDS), the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC), the Tanzania Women's Fund Trust, Tree of Hope, CRC, the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), the Voice of Widows Centre, Naserian Organisation, the Centre for Widows and Children, the Centre Against Gender-Based Violence, and financial institutions including Azania Bank, among several others.
