Blair`s wife arrives today for three-day visit

Cherie Blair, wife of Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Cherie Blair, wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, will arrive in Dar es Salaam for a three-day visit beginning today.

Blair's visit follows her tour last February when she launched the book about street children, according to the official statement released yesterday.

With the First Lady Mama Salma Kikwete, Cherie will be guest of honour at the launch of `Dogodogo`, a book about street children by Kasia Parham, wife of the British High Commissioner.

The book contains stories of eight boys from the Dogodogo Centre for street children in Dar es Salaam, told as closely as possible in the boys` own words, but in English.

According to the statement, they are illustrated by some of the boys themselves.

`Plans are afoot to translate the book into Kiswahili after which copies will be distributed to all primary schools in Tanzania,` noted the statement.

Creative Eye designed the book for free, and Macmillan Aidan Tanzania published it with financial support for the first print out of 5,000 from UNICEF.

The purpose of the book, according to the statement, is to raise public awareness of the challenges faced by street children, to educate the public about those challenges and to encourage support for Dogodogo Centre and other similar projects.

Any royalties from sales of the book will go to the Dogodogo Centre, says the satement.

Kasia Parham has been teaching English to the boys at the Centre. Cherie Blair, who taught a lesson with Parham`s wife at the centre in February, has written the book`s foreword.

The launch, which is supported by British Airways, will take place at the British High Commissioner�s residence today evening.

Other lined-up activities for Cherie include visiting two UNICEF projects � one on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/Aids and reproductive and child health clinic as well as a labour ward at the Temeke District Hospital.

She will visit a cholera prevention project in Vingunguti Miembeni Ward, Ilala Municipality project.

She is also expected to visit the CCBRT Hospital with its Board Chairman, Samuel Sitta, who is also the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Basically, she would particularly get first-hand information on the performance of maternal health.

While at the hospital, Blair will also meet a group of single mothers who run a small enterprise co-operative, embroidering and selling cloth.

They are assisted with finance by the Chair of the Dogodogo Centre Board, Bernhard Staub and his wife, Christa.

Tomorrow, Blair will meet Tanzanian women entrepreneurs at lunch at the British High Commissioner�s residence. The women are receiving finance from Exim Bank (Tanzania) Ltd under a scheme funded by the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank.

The First Lady and Cherie launched the scheme in Dar es Salaam in February.