I am Ruth Nesje, founder of Tanga International Conference Center!

Hello!
I, Ruth Nesje am born in South Africa in 1954, while my father was building schools, hospitals and churches for the Norwegian Mission. I was only 1 year old when my family left South Africa after a period of 7 years. My sisters and my brother were older and had 7 terrific years in Eshowe Zululand, while I only got that 1 year! I envied them for that.

I have - for as long as I can remember wanted to go back and stay in Africa, and when my husband and I got a job for Norad in Tanzania in 1984 – I got my chance! That was when my African life began. We went out with our daughter who was almost 5 years and our son who was only 2 months.

My life has ever since been divided between Norway and Tanzania, and my work and my focus in life has changed from that time. I feel whole and energetic when I have the chance to travel between my two countries, and by utilizing that combined experience I know that I am a much better consultant than I would have been otherwise. I feel whole, and that I am happy to have such a meaningful life.

More than 10 years ago I started to dream about having a Centre or a Place where we could create energy by connecting people, combining knowledge and experience and co-creating dreams by using strength based approaches.

It has been so many negative evaluations and reports from Africa and Tanzania, and I have seen what these reports have done to the people concerned. Projects have achieved so many goals and developed so much new ways to solve challenges – but the evaluators have mostly reported all their failures and problems instead. How do we think that people will be able to develop and have enough energy to continue after getting so much bad feedback! The Centre will work holistically and in that way we hope not to be hindered by donors aid strategies and focus, since we often have to do a lot of different activities at the same time – if to succeed.

I have worked with many projects, and I know what works, and after using Appreciative Inquiry and Participatory methodologies in my work – I now know what is needed – not only in Africa – but everywhere.

Tanga International Conference Centre LTD (TICC) also called Meetingpoint Tanga is now being build – and we can start to operate in October this year!

The TICC investors are not like other investors, this is people, organizations and others who want to Make A Difference in the World! We are not after the profit the Centre will make – that will be used for the local people in Tanga and Tanzania.

Since I and my family have worked in Tanga for many years, we have already started several social projects with a special focus on children, youth and women! Several friends, organizations and schools in Norway do support schooling for several masai children, orphans and we also run a small Family Home for orphans in Tanga. We have rented an ordinary house, with 5 bedrooms and have got a perfect “mother” to run it for a group of 6 children/youth.
In this way nobody will know that these children are orphans, since this looks like an ordinary family, with children from Standard 3 to Form 6. Many family households are without a father.

We will use the Centre as a starting point for many more projects like this, and we would like the Centre to be THE PLACE where people meet and discuss their successes and achievements – to learn from each other and create new relations and build networks worldwide. The Centre will also conduct a lot of festivals; films, dance, theatre, literature eg. This will give a lot of life and energy to those involved!

15 employees are already employed, and 3 of them are young people from a project I have worked in (UVETA), they are Youth who had dropped out of school for different reasons. They have got some education and are now working at the Centre. They are still involved in running The Nguvumali Youth Centre and have won several national competitions regarding HIV/AIDS theatre /educational plays and in traditional dance. They will also perform regularly at Meetingpoint Tanga!

The watchmen are masai warriors, we have written a contract with the masai chief and will always have 3-6 warriors to take care of the security of our visitors, parts of their salary goes to develop the masai community! This is a good way to collaborate.

It has been a long way from my first thoughts up till to day, and it has been hard work for me and my family. We have used a lot of time, money and energy to get it to where it is to day – but I have never given up and I do not regret!

Without my husband Odd (called Isak in Tanzania) - who is the building engineer and takes care of the progress in Tanga – we wouldn’t have been able. He quitted his job 3 years ago – to use all his time and skills for this project. If we want a DREAM to come through – it needs commitment and a clear Vision.

I hope that many of you will find the way to Tanga, and I promise you that you will never regret coming there and many of you will clearly come back many times! We still needs more investors fro Phase II – so if you are interested – contact me and we will give you necessary information.


Ruth Nesje 21/9-07