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First Person

Photo: Imani M. Cheers Magreth monitors the daily press to track trends in reporting about corruption in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“Out of this training I’ve been able to improve my capability to work more professionally and hopefully train others to identify corruption,” said Magreth Henjewela, who attended a USAID-sponsored training on anti-corruption in Washington DC.

Having never been to the United States, Magreth Henjewela was overjoyed when USAID selected her as one of five Tanzanians to travel to Washington DC in September 2005 to attend an anti-corruption training at the Les Aspin Center for Government. Chosen for her perseverance and dedication to promoting good governance, Magreth was one of 16 participants from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania who learned about U.S. government accountability mechanisms for preventing corruption as well as about how American civil society organizations and the media fight corruption.

Magreth was initially nominated for the training by her colleagues at Research on Poverty Alleviation, a non-profit organization based in Tanzania. Having worked as a research assistant since October 2004, Magreth had learned a great deal about the connection between corruption and poverty in Tanzania. She is also an advocate for the “Tanzania Governance Notice Board,” a web-based tool that promotes transparency of government data.

More recently Magreth established the “Forum for Tanzania Capacity Building,” a program designed to build on her USAID-sponsored experience and train other Tanzanians in anti-corruption and good governance. A direct result of Magreth’s training, this organization aims to develop a group of dedicated Tanzanians who will work to improve integrity and accountability systems in the private and public sectors.

“Out of this training I’ve been able to improve my capability to work more professionally and train others to identify corruption,” Magreth said, commenting on her experience in the U.S.

Through this cultural and professional program, Magreth will communicate the importance of transparency to colleagues and her community. As part of her new role, she aims to identify and expose corruption through media outlets, including local newspapers and radio and television stations. Magreth’s perseverance and dedication are giving her the strength to fight corruption, and her professional training are giving her the tools to succeed.

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