**3.1 Factors for the growth of Himo settlement**

Himo is an area which is transforming from agricultural land use to urban area. Formally Himo was initially a sisal estate known as Voi estate established in 1929 and in 1940s. It then pooled people from various parts of Tanzania as well as other countries such as Kenya and Burundi. The services located to serve the estates and job in sisal cutting attracted people to live in the area. From late 1970s to the late 1990s, Himo became a centre of a thriving smuggling trade across the border exchanging agricultural produce from Tanzania for manufactured goods from Kenya. As a matter of fact this contributed to the rapid growth of Himo town especially in the 1970s and 1980s. This also facilitated construction activities and therefore increased land use changes and needs beyond planned development including service provision.

Inadequate formal provisions of surveyed and serviced plots, decreasing urban farming land in the city of Moshi Municipality and limiting residents to sustain their livelihoods have catalyzed the growth of Himo settlement. The growth of Moshi Municipality has been diverted to these small townships. A report obtained from the planning office during field work showed that from 1998 to 2002, 1,368 plot applications were received, and out of these a total of 415 applicants (30%) were from Moshi Municipality. In August 2008, more than 3,500 people were looking for land as applicants. This shows that the growth of Moshi town is to some extent being diverted to small townships surrounding it. Consequently, proper land use allocations through involving land use planning becomes an essential mission for the local authority to effect and accommodate various changes.

#### **3.2 Essence and emergence of Himo SACCOS and land use planning projects**

#### **3.2.1 Himo SACCOS**

Changes of Himo settlement into Township led to decreasing land for farming on the one hand which on the other hand motivated people to get organized into groups including

Cooperative Development and Land Use Planning Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa:

1. The Board Chairperson Male

2. Supervisory Committee 3 Members All Male 3. Management Manager Male

Table 2. Organizational structure

their rights, including land property ownership.

reduced faith in those in leadership position.

**Non-compliance with the law, principles & values** 

**Effective mechanism of financial inspection and Auditing** 

4. Loan Committee 3 Members 2 Male, 1 Female

From the table above, one can rightly deduce and infer that there is a problem with regard to women participation in leadership positions at Himo SACCOS. There are only three women out of twelve leaders forming the Board and this is because it is a legal prescription. In the management there is only one lady cashier. The trainees tried to find out the reasons for such a problem, it came to their notice that basically two reasons are behind this problem. First, women are not ready to compete. This is much more motivated by cowardice and fear to stand before men. And the other reason is much connected with much concentration in other economic activities and reproductive functions. Women are worried that if they become leaders they won't participate effectively in other personal activities. The SACCOS administration is highly encouraged to make sure that women are also included in the leadership positions. It is not enough that they are members only. The study established that women are hesitant to join leadership position due to the nature of the Chagga society where male dominates. However, they should know their right of becoming leaders. Education will provide education and increase women awareness and understanding of

According to informants, inspection and auditing are normally done annually to ensure transparency in the use of public funds. The inspection was found to be done by the Municipal Council Cooperative department officers and auditing by a government auditing parastatal organization known as Co-opeative Audit and Supervision Corporation (COASCO). The two institutions normally examine Financial statements and based on Income and Expenditure of the SACCOS and give feedback report as supervisory report by Co-operative Officers and Management Audit and Annual Audit Report by COASCO Director General who is mandated to do so. However, it was strangely observed that inadequate funds hinder timely audit work. For example until June 2011, the financial report for the year 2009 and 2010 were not audited. This may lead to increasingly misuse of public funds through swindling of money which can lead to decline of SACCOS activities. It is likely this may discourage members to contribute to their organization and therefore decrease their income levels, levels of productivity and

Three Annual General Meetings are required as per Himo SACCOS bye-laws. Inspection and auditing of organization funds have to be done annually. Experience shows that there has been a departure from implementing the rules. The numbers of meetings were not exactly

A Quest for Socio Solidarity Economy and Partnership in Sustainable Urban Development 261

**Organ Position Sex** 

Ass. Chairperson Male Secretary Male Assistant Secretary Male

Loan Officer Male

formation of Savings and Credit Societies to access financial resources to enable them have a voice on their land. Himo SACCOS which loans funds Himo Settlement dwellers was established in year 2006. It was born out of the desire of the Lutheran Church believers who were motivated by the Uchumi Commercial Bank, to form such an organization to fight against poverty in the neighborhood as well as checking down loss of farm land as the area changed its status from a Village to a Township. A total of 37 members were founders as a result of motivation provided by Clergy of the Lutheran Church. It operated as a precooperative group for almost a year. In March 2007, the Himo Savings and Credit Cooperative Society was registered with registration No. KLR 687 and started operations as mandated by Cooperative Society Act of 2003 of Tanzania.
