On 7th March 2020, UNA Tanzania participated in a one-day SDGs workshop organized by the DANIDA Alumni Network. Using our technical expertise, we elaborated on the technical aspects of the SDGs implementation, monitoring and evaluation at the country level.

We began by providing extensive knowledge on the background of the SDGs starting from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Agenda 2030 and the implementation strategy of the United Republic of Tanzania through the Five Years Development Plan 2016-2021.

During the session, we explained that 17 goals were approved by all member states of the United Nations to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that everyone enjoys peace and prosperity. These goals tackle the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people. The key implementers of the SDGs are the Government, Private Sectors, Development Partners and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

In Tanzania, the government implements SDGs through the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG) using regional strategic plans. On ensuring SDGs are achieved, the Ministry of Finance and Planning (MoFP) is responsible for producing the SDGs performance reports that provide key information to support the implementation process in the country.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is responsible for providing core statistics and data that are critical for monitoring and evaluating the National Five Year Development Plans that contribute to the SDGs implementation. And the National Parliament exercises lawmaking and budgeting for the implementation of the National Plans and Strategies.

The Private Sector implements the SDGs through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that aims to ensure companies conduct business in a way that is ethical, taking into account social, economic, environmental and human rights aspects.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) implements the SDGs through capacity building training and advocacy through awareness, activity creation, production of learning materials and conducting of service delivery programs.

In tracking and reporting progress made towards achieving these goals, countries present a Voluntary National Review to give an overview of where the country stands in SDGs implementation. During this conference, suggestions on how to accelerate progress can be done through experience sharing, peer-learning, identifying gaps and good practices, and mobilizing partnerships.

In 2019, Tanzania signed up to give a review for the first time. The review showed that our country had been doing reasonably well in addressing goals 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 16, and lagging in the implementation of 1, 13, 14, 15 and 17. Following this analysis, it was agreed than extra domestic and international efforts are needed to help achieve these promises.

Coming to the end of the project, UNA Tanzania, reflects on how for the past 1 year the project has been beneficial to the 21 Clusters that we work with through our ‘KIJANA PAZA SAUTI, KAMATA FURSA!’ Project this February 20^th and 21^st,2020.

The objective is to follow up on the progress of the clusters, challenges, best practices and the way forward to reaching the goal set at the beginning on the implementation of the project in 2019/20.

The workshop included 25 participants, 4 women and 21 men, who collectively discussed on reviewing youth access to 4% loan given by municipalities. Success is proven by 30 Youth groups have managed to access the 4% out of the 119 groups in the clusters. The total amount of loan accessed by the 30 groups being 98,350,000 Tanzanian shillings. Challenges are sort out to being by-laws by the LGA’s which does not cohere to the National guidelines which guides the disbursement of 10% women, youth and people with disabilities funds, untimely handling out of the funds despite prior applications.

Reaching out to Zanzibari Clusters, challenges are that there is not a law guiding the provision of Youth loans, this calls for more intervention and advocacy by engaging UNA Tanzania who have played a key role in ensuring Youth from Tanzania Mainland are aware of the availability of funds while informing the government on gaps existing in an overall process to access the funds.

However, the 21 Clusters have expressed their appreciation since the clusters have helped to develop youth platforms that provide awareness and motivation to youth to engage and grab economic opportunities and develop legal economic projects for sustainability.

UNA Tanzania participated in The Power Breakfast radio programme on Clouds Media, a wide known and most listened to radio show in Tanzania. The show participation aimed to speak and inform the mass about UNA Tanzania and the work that its committed to but more particularly on the Youth Economic Sustainability with the Livelihood Programme funded by the Foundation for Civil Society in Tanzania.

Our programme officer also highlighted the 4% loan given to youth, as part of the 10% loan given to Youth, Women and People with Disabilities (4%, 4%, 2%) respectively showing how UNA Tanzania follows up closely on the Implementation of this policy but also provide awareness on the terms and opportunities to access this funding.

Questions and recommendations came from the mass through online and calls concerning how UNA Tanzania can reach out further to more of its target groups particularly and better ways to advice the Government of Tanzania on the polish of the policy for the benefit of more youth to fit in since UNAT works on a national level with the President’s Office – Regional Authorities and  Local Government.

UNA Tanzania is at the heart of the implementation of the SDGs with a target to leaving no one behind, in the next ten years.

In the last two years, UNA Tanzania has devoted to spreading the word to top decision-makers to incorporating the government actions and budget to match and work on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, where we are proud that the Parliamentarians have an SDG workgroup that discusses the way forward to Agenda 2030. Inline to that, UNA conducts time to time capacity building, to the Members of Parliaments and the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government officers with the emphasis on how to amplify the role of LGA Policies with the SDGs in the next ten years. Discussions were made on the SDGs as an umbrella, broken down to different topics such as taxation, and digitalization of records, and more so gained experience from our partners in Finland on how they are committed to making SDGs part of their daily duties to its success.

UNA Tanzania works with young people in building on decision making for Sustainability. We put effort in hearing the youth voices through dialogues and focus group discussions. On 7^th of December, we conducted a Focus Group Discussion on Fostering Youth Engagement in Decision Making on the SDG’s, Democracy, Youth Council and Economic Empowerment. We had a number of 30 Youth including our partners from Sweden who came up with way forward to push the Engagement, Opportunities, and willingness of the Youth in Tanzania.