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.

This year marked 77 years since inception of United Nations on October 24, 1945 and 61 years since United Republic of Tanzania became a member to the United Nations.

This year’s theme for the commemoration was “Inclusive Communities, Leaving no one behind”, the celebration was honored by Dr Damasi Ndumbaro (Minister of constitution and Legal Affairs) at JNICC and other guests from The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East Africa Cooperation, UN agencies , United Nations Association of Tanzania, ambassadors, Diplomats, Tanzania Peoples Defence Force, youth, and students.

UNA Tanzania’s Executive Director Mr. Reynald Maeda had a chance to offer his remarks during the commemoration. The remarks focused on three issues that are key to ensuring that no one is left behind and there is inclusive communities;

• Financial inclusion and Economic empowerment to vulnerable communities (Youth, women and People with Disabilities). In the past year UNA Tanzania was able to make groups of youth access 1 billion from 10% LGAs loans now is working with PO-RALG and looking forward to collaborate with UN Women in finalizing the financial guideline for the 10% local government loans that will help to reach more women, youth and people with disabilities and improve their livelihoods.
• Inclusive representation and meaningful participation in decision making platforms where UNA Tanzania is working with other partners to establish UN Youth Delegate program as part of increasing Global South youth participation at the UN level.
• Voluntary National Review process which provides a unique opportunity to ensure that voices of marginalized groups are included in the reporting. UNA Tanzania just like in 2019, is coordinating Civil Society’s participation in the exercise to contribute to the National report as well as the Civil Society Report. Young people, women, children and communities that a hard to reach will participate through leave no one behind hearings dialogues and consultations.

He commented that, “the true meaning of an inclusive community is where everyone has a voice!”

UNA Tanzania welcomes new members to The SDGs Journalists & Storytelling Club. The club is a group of Sustainable Development Goals interested journalists, editors and story tellers established by UNA Tanzania in 2018 with the main objective of advancing awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals through connecting it to journalism and storytelling. Since the club’s inception, UNA Tanzania has been conducting a series of training programs to the club equipping them with SDGs knowledge and how to report while reflecting Sustainable Development Goals.

Other objectives include;

• To enhance knowledge and skills in reporting SDGs
• To amplify the voices of those who are likely to be left behind in SDGs implementation
• To equip journalists and editors with a platform to have an open dialogue, explore opportunities on SDGs, raising awareness and encouraging collaborative actions needed to achieve the goals by 2030
• To incorporate SDGs in writing and journal stories
• To explore national and international opportunities on Agenda 2030
• To inspire news and entertainment organizations to leverage their resources and talent to amplify and accelerate progress towards achieving the Goals.

SIGN UP TO BECOME A MEMBER ON: https://bit.ly/SDGs-JOURNALISTS-CLUB-REGISTRATION

As the world jointly celebrates the Girl Child on every 11th October, this year on Tuesday October 11th the United Nations Association of Tanzania celebrated this day with the girls at Mikocheni B Primary School while acknowledging our theme for the day “Our Time is Now- Our Rights, Our Future”.

The session was attended by 70 energetic & powerful the girls of from class 3, 4, 5 and 6 together with their teachers. The aim of commemorating this day was to educate young girls on their rights such as rights to education and issues around health living as a key to unleash their potential. Moreover we wanted to hear directly from the girls on what challenges they face and provide a platform for them to offer their call to society to uphold girl’s rights.

The discussions included;

• The history of the day, rationale and its importance.
• The rights they are entitled to as children regardless of their sex, such as right to education, right to health, right to play & recreation, right to be heard and right to lead.
• How they can engage themselves in leadership at school and home through clubs and leadership posts at schools and its importance in building confidence and skills to become great leaders.
• Lastly hearing from the girls as they issued a call to adults and the community at large. They expressed their desire of being nurtured to become great leaders giving example of the president of Tanzania. Apart from that they issued a call to be provided with ample time to study, to be protected from harm and abuse so that they can live to fulfill their dreams.

Young girls believe they are key agents of change and are important in creating the future they want if their aspirations are nurtured and their rights to education, health and engagement in leadership are protected.

The Kesho Yetu (Our tomorrow) Climate Hack is a part of UNA Tanzania Mazingira Yetu, Kesho Yetu (Our Environment, Our Future) program designed to inspire youth to take action towards climate resilience by taking care of their environment, through positive changing of mindsets, awareness on social and mass media, planting trees, beach clean-up, recycling and supporting youth led innovation towards climate resilience. The hackathon is a two rounds challenge created for young climate innovators aged between 18-25 years to create innovative climate smart solutions for climate resilience. The main objective of the hackathon is to increase youth agency in climate resilience through taking action and supporting youth led climate innovation.

Mr. Mohamed Mwabumba, A Meteorologist expert from The Tanzania Meteorological Authority ( TMA) mentoring one of the team during the first round of the Kesho yetu Climate Hack at UNA Tanzania Offices

UNA Tanzania and UNA Finland organized the first round of the Kesho Yetu Climate Hack. The hackathon was done parallel ( hybrid format) with youth in Finland and in Tanzania at UNA Tanzania Offices on September 23^rd -25^th, 2022. In Tanzania 56 Teams making a total of 168 people registered for the hackathon. Out of 56, 6 teams making a total of 19 people (12 female and 7 male) from Tanzania and 3 teams making a total of 9 people from Finland who had innovative solutions were selected for the hackathon. For 3 days, young people in Tanzania and Finland were given the opportunity to be key players in addressing and developing innovative climate smart solutions that mitigate disaster risk and reinforce climate resilience in Tanzania on three areas; early warning system, food security, and youth mobilization in Tanzania.

Ms. Diana Mbogo, The Executive Director of Millenium Engineers mentoring one of the team during the first round of Kesho Yetu Climate Hack at UNA Tanzania Offices in Dar es salaam

The hackathon brought together young climate innovators, mentors, and an expert from Tanzania Meteorological Authority for deep consultations. The teams from both countries engaged in mentoring sessions as well as peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing in order to co-create real life innovative solutions to enhance climate resilience. On the final day, the teams presented their final ideas to a panel of experts who selected one best team from Tanzania and one from Finland. In Finland, the best team adopted an ambitious agroforestry approach to tackle several climate issues with one multifaceted solution. The team obtained an opportunity to visit The Finnish Meteorological Institute to discuss their operations and potential trainee programs. The best team from Tanzania, alongside other two teams obtained an opportunity to proceed in the second round of The Kesho Yetu Climate Hack.

The second round will be conducted in November 2022. It will engage top 3 best teams from Tanzania which will enter a boot camp and get a chance to be mentored by experts in human centered design thinking, innovation, pitching, climate entrepreneurship as well as a deepened understanding of climate change and finesse their innovative ideas into practical solutions.

Meet the interventions of the best three teams from Tanzania;

CSE. ST. Joseph

Created a prototype that will help to predict information on climate hazards and inform people to take precautions. The system works as part of providing solution for challenges in early warning sysytem

Team members from left; Francis Ephraim Mwasyoka, Baraka Solomon Kimaro and Abraham William Mbuli

She Winners

Created a method that will connect experts and marginalized communities to extend their expertise and experience on climate change and agriculture in ensuring food security.

Team members from left; Happy Malunde, Careen Mbati, Julieth Sewava and Sarah Robert Mrosso

The Rehabs

Created an efficient and cost effective Early Warning Device ( EWD) that will help disseminate early warning information to vulnerable communities.

Team members from left; Doreen Machumu, Ebenezer Mathew and Theresina P. Tety