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FINAL REPORT, DEVELOPMENT FUND PROJECT
2001/02
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sokoine University of Agriculture,
TANZANIA
Throughout all last year, I spent hours
and hours convincing people all over Norway that they should
help supporting veterinary students in Tanzania. The whole
idea seemed a bit far off for lots of them but nevertheless,
now the project is finished and it in fact, went very well!!
The books and equipment was sent by plane
in July, and thanks to the logistics firm GS Airbroker which
has lots of experience with transporting cargo between Norway
and Tanzania, it went very smooth. No problems with customs
and no problems with robbery, I was so relieved the moment
I learned it was all safe at the vet school. Now it is in
use and beneficial to the students, and the IVSA Development
Fund Project has fulfilled its goal!
Thanks to all the contributors that made this
project possible;
The Norwegian Animal Health Authority
VESO AS
The Norwegian Veterinary Association
Meditron AS
Alpharma AS
Jan F. Andersen AS
The Norwegian Students Union
The Norwegian Veterinary Students' Association
Purina Company
Ms Robyn Limberg-Child, DVM
Mr. Arve Lund, DVM
GS Airbroker AS
Cathrine T Fjordbakk, IVSA Development Fund
Officer 2001/02
Equipment:
1 HPLC system, Waters 600 HPLC gradient system
2 DAVIS DL 450, 600 ANSI lumen light
17 theStethoscope, Meditron AS
80 Stethoscopes, Jan F. Andersen AS
Various surgical equipment
Books:
15 "The Merc Manual", 2000
1 "Veterinary Medicine", Radostits
2 "Radiographic Interpertation for the Small Animal Clinician",
Owens and Briery, 1998
2 "Interpretation of Canine and Feline Urinalysis",
Chew and DiBartola, 1999
2 "Bone Marrow Evaluation in Dogs and Cats", Wellman
and Radin, 1999
2 "Hemogram interpretation for Dogs and Cats", Alan
M. Rebar, 1998
2 "Interpretation of Canine and Feline Cytology",
Radin and Wellman, 1999
2 "Progress in Gastroenterology", Kenneth W. Simpson,
1997 1 "Law and Ethics of the Veterinary Profession",
James F. Wilson, 1990
1 "Veterinary Practice Management", Dennis McCurnin,
1988
1 "Veterinary Pediatrics", Johnny Hoskins, 1990
1 "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition III", Lon Lewis,
et al., 1990
1 "Fundamentals of Veterinary Ophthalmology" , Douglas
Slatter, 1990
1 "Manual of Clinical Procedures in the Dog and Cat",
Steven Crow and Sally Walshaw, 1987
1 "Textbook of Veterinary Physiology", Jim Cunningham,
1992
1 "Parasitology for Veterinarians", Jay and Marion
Georgi, 1990
1 "Parasitic Diseases", Michael Katz, et al. 1982
1 "Handbook of Small Animal Orthopedics and Fracture
Treatment", Wade Brinker, et al.,1990
1 "Dos and Don't Concerning Vicious Dogs", Donald
Clifford et al, 1993
1 "Waltham/OSU Symposium of Small Animal Gastroenterology",
1993
1 "AO/ASIF Techniques in Small Animal Orthopaedic Surgery",
G. Sumner-Smith, et al, 1989
REPORT FROM IVSA - TANZANIA ;
IVSA DEVELOPMENT FUND 2001/02
BACKGROUND INFORMMATION ABOUT THE FACULTY
OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was established in 1984
following the establishment of Sokoine University of Agriculture
through Act no 6 of 1984 which came into operation in July
1984. Sokoine University of Agriculture evolved from the then
Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Science under
the University of Dar es Salaam. The Division of Veterinary
Science which was part of the above indicated faculty was
established in 1976. Before this, most Tanzanians used to
pursue veterinary training in the University of Nairobi in
Kenya and some were trained in other countries.
The main aim of establishing a veterinary
school in the country was based on the increasing need to
train and equip BVM graduates with the necessary and relevant
knowledge and skills in order for them to offer best services
to farmers/animal keepers. The utmost aim was to have veterinarians
who were knowledgeable with health and management constraints
of all animal farming systems in the country.
Out of the 12 students in the first intake of 1976, nine graduated
in 1980 after successfully completing the four-year BVSc course.
The four-year programme was later on changed into a five-year
one in order to cater for emerging courses and allowing more
time for practical training.
The establishment of the veterinary school
was made by the Government of Tanzania and funding of the
school was initially solely dependent on government subventions.
In 1980, the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) was requested
by the Government of Tanzania to assist in:
i) establishing buildings and other infrastructure
ii) provision of funding for operational activities such as
purchase and replacement of vehicles and laboratory equipment
and, provision of chemicals and reagents for practical training
iii) staff development programme through postgraduate training
iv) further capacity built up through training of technicians
and other supportive staff
v) conducting in-house and short-term training courses for
various cadres of staff in order to enhance work outputs/performance
vi) providing scholarships for short courses abroad and attending
conferences and workshops
DANIDA funding was terminated in 1993 after
having greatly assisted the faculty to establish itself. Thereafter,
the faculty started to solely depend on government subventions
which were lower than the level of funding during DANIDA's
presence. Since 1995, through NORAD support to SUA, which
was geared at funding forestry education, the MSc programme
in Animal Science and Production and the one in the Department
of Soil Science; strengthening of postgraduate office and
other sectors, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was able
to receive some level of financial assistance through the
"unallocated funds" (affter considering the areas
of focus of NORAD support) based on identified, prioritized
and approved activities that were focused on improving the
quality of teaching. NORAD support helped to replace worn
out equipment; purchase of few new equipment; repairs of equipment;
support of postgraduate programmes in terms of providing scholarships
etc. Based on the fact that the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
was not the focus of NORAD support, the faculty has mainly
continued depending on government funding for running its
academic programmes.
Student enrollment profiles
i) Before DANIDA support, student enrollment used to range
from 12-17 students per year
ii) After the establishment of DANIDA support, especially
after putting up lecture theatres, the enrollment increased
to between 25-30 students
iii) Of recent, the numbers have increased to 50-60 per year
.
Currently our association have a total of 155 members
HOW OUR MEMBER STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE BENEFITING
FROM IVSA DEVELOPMENT FUND 2001/02
In the 1980's, the Government of Tanzania, through provision
of bursaries to University students used to provide reference
books which were bought by students through University book
shops. Money was deposited into the bookshops and the latter
were responsible for availing books to students against their
individual accounts. The system operated very well because
the prices of books by then were low and hence students could
afford buying them, thereby allowing for revolving fund that
ensured availability of books. Thus, during that time reference
books for use by students provided a favourable university
learning process. The availability of books for students'
use while at the University and thereafter was also complemented
by well stocked libraries. Libraries were often able to acquire
books of various sorts and fields through government subventions
and also donor funding. The two sources of reading materials
thus played a crucial role in ensuring that the quality of
graduates was up to the standard required by the nation.
With decreased or stagnation of government funding, the amount
of money available for purchase of books increasingly became
smaller and smaller in comparison to continued soaring prices
of books. Where and when books were available, students could
not afford them and also the prices of books rose to the level
that made it impossible for bookshops to continue importing
the books. Hence, the system of providing books to students
through university bookshops collapsed, resulting in inadequacy
of reference books for students' use while at the university
and thereafter. Likewise, the libraries also could not afford
continuing with the restocking of books, a fact that has left
our University library to have few and/or old books. The problem
of availability of books at SUA has been compounded by the
fact that the small stock of books available had to be allocated
to two the libraries, one in each campus (the main and SMC
campuses) The problem of inadequacy of books has become more
serious now than before also because of vertical and horizontal
expansions of the degree programmes at SUA and this is increasingly
undermining the learning process at the University level as
accessibility of individual students to reading materials
continues to become very severe and may soon reach an un-acceptable
level.
In the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, through DANIDA support,
we managed to get reference books deposited at departmental
levels for which students could borrow on regular basis. However,
the books that were provided to the faculty through this scheme
in the 1980's and 1990's are old or out of date and need replacement.
As of now, we have never been able to get support, through
both government subvention and donor funding to restock books
at departmental or faculty levels.
Therefore, based on the current status of affairs, the student
learning environment at SUA is characterized by the following:
i) inadequacy of reference books for students' use in the
faculty and the University libraries
ii) increasing reliance of students on lecture notes which
are often inadequate in terms of depth of coverage
iii) reduced culture of reading books amongst students, which
compromises students' academic career and advancement.
iv) inadequacy of books to enable lecturers/professors to
prepare and update lecture notes
v) limited availability of compendia
vi) inadequacy of reference books and other reading materials
that can be used for literature search for students' special
projects and research projects by academic staff.
Due to the above mentioned difficulties which we were facing
it is obvious that the books which we have been assisted will
be helpful not only for the present but also for the coming
students .
A) Use of Information Communication Technology
(ICT) in the teaching process
The use of LAN and the Internet facility is yet to be optimized
and fully used in the interest of undergraduate and postgraduate
students' learning process. The teaching system is still solely
dependent on the use of boards and, overhead and slide projectors
where these facilities are available. As of now, undergraduate
students benefit the internet facility indirectly through
some members of academic staff making use of the services
in the preparation of lecture notes. Such a facility is yet
to be made available for use in lecture theatres for which
members of staff could download teaching materials directly
from the internet during the teaching process as most up to
date information on for example, diseases is available on
the internet. Therefore, if this facility is extended to lecture
rooms, certainly members of academic staff could make use
of up to date and relevant information.
For this case the LCD projectors which we have been assisted
will complement the faculty effort struggling to improve teaching
techniques
The laboratory equipments will be used by
students during their practical training and special projects
research where as the sthesoscopes will be used also for practicals
especially for the newly enrolled students before they buy
their own .
In order to ensure that these books and equipments continues
to benefit students for years the books and sthesoscopes have
been placed in the respective Departments for the students
to borrow and return after using them, where as the labaratory
equipments have been placed in the faculty labaratories for
students to use them during the learning process.
Lastly on behalf of the IVSA members in Tanzania
we give special thanks to The Development Fund Officer: Miss
Cathrine for her effort to make this project possible despite
of other commitments she had as a student knowing that the
IVSA Development Fund is not an easy task.
Also we thank Dr Lund and all others who participated in the
project materially and morally.
We know that the only way to value your effort is by making
proper use of the facilities for the benefit of present and
future students.
We wish you all the best,
GEOFREY MBATA,
CHAIRMAN ,
TANZANIA VETERINARY STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (TVSA)
SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE,
FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE,
P.O.Box 3043,
MOROGORO,
TANZANIA(255)
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