The Government’s Interventions and Anti-famine Campaigns and Kalyongo Movement in Singida Region (1962-1985)

Abstract

The article discusses anti-famine measures taken by the post-colonial government of Tanzania and local people’s responses to the interventions, specifically in Singida District from 1962 to 1985. Framing his inquiry and analysis within the political economy and social constructionist theories, the author examines the variety of government policy and enforcement strategies applied on one hand, and local communities’ agency and creativity on the other. The empirical data for the article was gathered from archival sources and through in-depth oral interviews. The main argument running through the article is that, although the post-colonial government introduced new methods and strategies for enhancing food security in the district, in the final analysis it was the resilience of time-tested local communities’ practices that effectively allayed food insecurity threats in post-colonial Singida District