The CSOs Week is an annual event organized by a consortium of local and international Tanzania civil society organizations. This year UNA Tanzania was among the steering committee of twenty-eight (28) CSOs. The primary objective of the CSO week is to strengthen relationships between key development actors. The 2022 CSOs Week theme was “People’s Development, People’s Stories”, emphasizing the importance of inclusion to ensure that no one is left behind. The CSOs week mobilized about 400 attendees representing the government, young entrepreneurs, students, community-based organizations, civil society organizations, youth, women and people with disabilities from different parts of the country. UNA Tanzania organized 3 sessions (2 side events and 1 outreach session);
UNA Tanzania team in a group photo during the national CSOs Week held in Arusha.
Session 1: Career Guidance Outreach at Tengeru Institute of Community Development
The session targeted university students in building capacity to explore opportunities beyond formal education. The outreach session was attended by 300 students (186 female and 114 male). A number of issues were raised by students including the need for enabling business environments for student Entrepreneurs, access to finance for business establishment and support for internships to gain practical skills in their profession. The issues raised were compiled to form part of key advocacy messages for increasing effort to empower young people soon after years in college.
UNA Tanzania team in a group photo with Tengeru Institute of Community Development students on an outreach session organized by UNA Tanzania, Restless Development and UMATI during CSOs week.
Session 2: Enhance Youth Voices & Agency in Governance
This session expounded on meaningful representation of youth as equitable partners with equal voice and rights, rather than silent objects and tokens of policy or programs. Young leaders from the grassroots discussed creating channels for participation, mobilization and lead not only to yield a more contextualized solution to the development and civic issues but also in co- creating an empowering process for the community involvement in governance to create long and lasting change. 60 youth participated in the session (31 female and 29 male). The panelists urged on; the operationalization of the youth council, youth to play their role in capacitating themselves, seek information, participate in statutory meetings and air their voices so that the programs and policies meet their needs, The government should be ready to adopt new techniques such as digital methods or community outreaches to seek youth consultations.
Panelists during the session on youth voices and agency in governance organized by UNA Tanzania and Restless Development during CSOs Week at AICC.
Session 03: Girls’ education and digital adaptability for development
UNA Tanzania organized a Session in collaboration with Malala Fund, Haki Elimu, TEN/MET, PWC and Plan International. The session highlighted key digitalization aspects in transforming education in Tanzania, especially access to the most marginalized girls for effective transitioning. This session was attended by a total of 61 people (35 female and 26 male) including young girls from schools. The panelists for the session were from various Civil Society Organizations and a representative from the Ministry of Education; Nicodemus Gachu from Plan International, Dr. Gladness Kirei from Ministry of Education, Khalila Mbowe from Girl Effect, Dr. Estahappy Wenje from Girls Foundation of Tanzania and Loyce Andrea a girl (13 years old) from Geita. The session highlighted the key barriers that prevent marginalized girls from exercising their educational rights. The issues raised during the panel discussion were School-based gender violence, Community Support for Girls’ Education and Social-cultural norms that hinder girls’ education when transitioning to secondary education. Among the recommendations were developing comprehensive and forward looking policies to guide digitalization in education, increasing investment in digital technology skills for teachers and infrastructure in schools and for distance learning.
Panelists during the session on girls education and digital adaptability for development organized by UNA Tanzania, Plan International Tanzania, Malala Fund, Haki Elimu, TEN/MET, PWCCSOs during CSOs week at AICC.
