In a significant step toward youth empowerment, UNA Tanzania, in partnership with World Vision, hosted a transformative Youth Exposition on 29^th August, at the United Nations House in Dar es Salaam. The event brought together 170 young people and key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, providing them with the necessary skills and opportunities to drive change and foster development in their communities.

The event was kicked off by Mr. Ibrahim Bakari, Executive Director of UNA Tanzania, who welcomed participants and introduced the panelists. In his remarks, Mr. Bakari emphasized the organization’s ongoing efforts to champion youth empowerment through increasing Youth participation in Decision-making platforms. He also expressed gratitude to World Vision for their collaboration, noting that such partnerships are essential for equipping youth with the tools needed to thrive economically and socially.

Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara, UNDP Resident Representative, delivering a keynote address at the Youth Exposition towards embracing digital technology responsibly.

UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Shigeki Komatsubara delivered a keynote address, urging the youth to embrace digital technology responsibly. While acknowledging the potential benefits of digital tools, he warned against their misuse. Mr. Komatsubara also encouraged youth to explore opportunities in sectors such as agriculture and marine industries, which are vital for Tanzania’s economic growth. “Youth are the future, and their participation in the Summit of the Future is crucial,” he stated.

Representing the government, Mr. Masalinda Njashi, acting on behalf of the Regional Commissioner, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to youth development. He highlighted recent efforts to reintroduce Local Governments 10% Economic empowerment loans to Youths, Women, and People With Disabilities in various regions and spoke on amendments to the 2007 Youth Policy. Mr. Njashi called on organizations to continue collaborating with the government in creating meaningful programs, particularly in agriculture, that support youth development.

World Vision’s representative, Mr. Joseph Mhaiki, provided insights into the organization’s role in the Youth Exposition. He underscored World Vision’s dedication to nurturing young leaders through various initiatives. Mr. Mhaiki also facilitated a panel discussion aimed at helping youth understand how to utilize the available resources and opportunities for personal growth.

The event featured two key panel discussions. The first, led by Mr. Mhaiki, focused on the objectives of the Youth Exposition and its role in empowering youth. The second, moderated by Ms. Upendo Ngumba, Youth Development Officer  from UNA Tanzania, connected youth with stakeholders from CRDB Foundation, Soko Huru, VETA, SIDO, and SUMA JKT. These organizations offered practical advice on education, business strategies, and access to funds, providing valuable information to help youth kickstart and sustain their entrepreneurial ventures.

Ms. Upendo Ngumba (First from right), moderating a pannel Discussion with stakeholders from CRDB Foundation, Soko Huru, VETA, SIDO, and SUMA JKT.

In the closing remarks, Mr. Mhaiki thanked all the event partners, including UNA Tanzania and UNDP, for their collaborative efforts. He expressed optimism about future events and initiatives that will continue to support youth development in Tanzania.

The Youth Exposition successfully showcased the importance of empowering young people with the skills and opportunities to lead change, while also reinforcing the role of collaboration between governments, organizations, and the youth themselves in shaping a brighter future for Tanzania.

On August 15, 2024, UNA Tanzania as the co-conveners of the Tanzania Sustainable Development Platfrom organised a high-level multi-stakeholders consultation towards the Summit of the Future . The consultation was conducted in collaboration with the United Nations in Tanzania and was hosted at the UN House in Dar es Salaam. The objective was to gather multistakeholders inputs to inform the formulation of the national statement towards the Summit of the Future which will be held in September 22^nd and 23^rd 2024 in New York, United States of America. The consultation brought together an array of around 100 participants, including representatives from the National Planning Commission, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders from across Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.

The session began with welcoming remarks from Mr. Ibrahim Bakari, The Executive Director of UNA Tanzania. Mr. Bakari acknowledged the presence of esteemed guests and participants from diverse regions across the country. He highlighted the importance of the Summit of the Future as a platform to strengthen international cooperation and develop the Pact for the Future. He also emphasized the need for continued engagement from CSOs to ensure their inputs are reflected in Tanzania’s national position paper, urging collective action towards a fair, sustainable, and inclusive future.

Following Mr. Bakari, Ms. Shabnam Mallick, Head of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, delivered opening remarks that underscored the critical role of CSOs in driving global change and addressing pressing challenges. She highlighted the importance of collaboration between the United Nations and CSOs in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building a just, equitable, and sustainable society. Ms. Mallick emphasized the significance of the Summit of the Future as a platform for collective action and innovation, particularly in areas such as inclusive governance, sustainable development, and the promotion of human rights.

Mr. Joseph Malekia, a senior economist at the Planning Commission, represented the Tanzanian government and highlighted the invaluable contributions of CSOs to sustainable development. He commended the organizers for creating a platform for open dialogue and collaboration, stressing the importance of this consultation in shaping national and global agendas.

A significant portion of the consultation was dedicated to discussing the Pact for the Future and group discussions that were instrumental in gathering diverse perspectives and generating essential inputs that was focused on the five key areas of the Pact for the Future. Some of the inputs in each area are highlighted below;

1.Sustainable Development and Financing for Development

• While the Pact mentions the importance of mobilizing domestic resources, it lacks concrete recommendations on how to achieve this, such as capacity building for tax administrations, combating illicit financial flows, and promoting public-private partnerships.

2. International Peace and Security

• The Pact could emphasize the importance of civil society organizations in conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts.

3. Science, Technology and Innovation and Digital Cooperation

• The Pact mentions seizing opportunities from science, technology, and innovation (STI) for the benefit of people and the planet. However, it lacks a specific mention of innovative financing mechanisms or incentivizing private sector participation in STI for sustainable development, which could be critical to realizing these opportunities on a global scale.

4.Youth and Future Generations

• The action does touch on education, health, and social services but does not fully emphasize the need for scaling up vocational training and entrepreneurship programs specifically tailored to youth in developing countries. These programs should be designed not just to provide basic skills, but also to foster innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among young people, which is crucial for sustainable development.

5.Transforming Global Governance

• It is crucial that UN member states contribute to the financing of climate change mitigation frameworks in proportion to their impact on environmental degradation. This approach ensures that those nations most responsible for climate-related damages bear a fair share of the financial burden in addressing these global challenges. By aligning contributions with environmental impact, we can create a more equitable and effective system for funding climate action and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change on vulnerable populations.

UNA Tanzania is proud of the outcomes of this consultation, it was not only a pivotal moment in Tanzania’s preparation for the Summit of the Future but also a testament to the power of collective action and multi-stakeholder collaboration. We look forward to continuing this journey together as we work towards a future that is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable for all.

The U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam has announced an open competition for organizations to submit innovative solutions aimed at boosting civic engagement and enhancing media literacy. This initiative also supports efforts to ensure information integrity, a crucial component in today’s digital age.

Event DetailsDate: September 18-19, 2024
Location: Dar es Salaam

Day One:
Selected technologists will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions and the impact they have made to a panel of judges.

Day Two:
Panel discussions featuring technologists, government officials, civil society members, academia, and media representatives will share valuable lessons learned and explore avenues for future cooperation.

What they are Looking For
They are seeking tech-based solutions designed to increase civic participation and digital literacy. Potential ideas include, but are not limited to:

• Educational programs
• Gaming platforms
• Fact-checking tools
• Content-authentication tools
• Synthetic media detection technologies

Required Documents
All interested organizations must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number from Sam.gov. The following documents are required for application:

• SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance – organizations)
• SF424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction programs)

Additionally, applications must include:

1. Cover Page containing an executive summary (1 page)
2. Technology Solution Proposal Document (maximum 8 pages)

Completed application forms should be sent via email to GECTechChallenge@state.gov.

Deadline: Proposals will be accepted until 8:59 PM Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on August 13, 2024.

Award: Up to three participants will receive grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 USD.

Submit your innovative solutions and be part of a transformative movement.

More details at the following link;
https://tz.usembassy.gov/u-s-embassy-dar-es-salaam-launches-250000-u-s-tanzania-tech-challenge/

UNA Tanzania participated in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Mid-term Stakeholders Consultative Session in Morogoro On 13^th and 14^th May 2024. The session was convened by the Legal Human Rights Centre (LHRC) and the Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC). More than 50 participants joined the session working on various thematic areas, such as, women’s and children’s rights, minority and People with Disabilities’ rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, general human rights, and human rights defenders in general. As part of the UPR process, Tanzania is anticipated to be reviewed for a midterm period spanning from 2022 to 2024. This consultative session is an integral aspect of that process. For the years 2022–2024, a shadow report is anticipated to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in November 2024.

Mr. Goodluck Willy (on the right) Sustainable Development and Human Rights Programs Manager at UNA Tanzania on a discussion during the stakeholders Universal Periodic Review working session in Morogoro.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a cornerstone of global human rights progress. Tanzania actively participates in this process as a UN member. But young people, a crucial demographic, have been inadequately reflected in the report. UNA Tanzania actively participated in the stakeholders consultative session to ensure issues of concern to young people’s rights are addressed.

Furthermore, on 16^th May UNA Tanzania collaborated with THRDC to address this gap by holding a youth consultation session focused on youth inclusion in the UPR Mid term process. The session brought together stakeholders and youth representatives from around 30 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Dar es salaam to explore, integrate youth voices and recommendations as well as champion their fundamental rights.

The session aimed to empower youth representatives by:

• Building their understanding of the UPR process.
• Facilitating the development of actionable recommendations for the UPR Mid-term report
  

  Youth represenatatives at the consultation session on the Universal Periodic Review in Dar es salaam.

These recommendations targeted key areas like good governance, ICT access, education, and economic empowerment – ensuring young people’s needs and aspirations are heard.

Stakeholders emerged from the session committed to collaborating in enhancing youth participation in Tanzania’s UPR process by not only submitting youth recommendations but also championing the integration of a youth thematic group in the mid term report to make youth voices explicitly heard. This collective effort signifies a vital step towards the full realization of human rights for all and leaving no one behind!

For the past year, UNA Tanzania has been implementing the climate resilience project in Mpwapwa District which aimed to pilot a regional resilience model in Tanzania to strengthen the ability of communities to cope with and regulate the effects of climate change. The model focuses on engaging the communities to drive their nature-based solutions that can help create sustainable living conditions in the district. In partnership with LM in Tanzania and International Aid Services in Kenya, we are changing the lives of farmers and the community in the district.

The project’s heart is ensuring farmers are equipped with knowledge and are implementing best agricultural practices that allow farmers to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate. After a series of capacity strengthening, we supported farmers with farm inputs across the villages in Ng’ambi Ward and 2 community institutions; 1 school and 1 church. The inputs included 250 kg of millet and vegetable seeds, 150 kg of plastic sheet for ground installation of the rainwater harvesting reservoir, 630 triple layered food preservation bags and 4 herbicides/pesticides sprayers. Providing farm inputs to farmers in the ward was an integral component of the project that ensured the farmers were supported to take action towards adopting and becoming resilient. Through the project support, the farmers were able to diversify crops and venture into drought-resistant crop varieties such as millet. Together with applying the improved farming methods that they learnt from UNA Tanzania’s trainings , their crop yield improved significantly, from 4 sacks per acre to 8-9 sacks per acre.

“Before the project, I was a maize farmer. However, there are numerous challenges with maize farming. Because of our arid terrain in the region, by February, the maize becomes burnt by the sun. So, we invest a lot in maize agriculture, but we harvest very little. After receiving awareness from UNA Tanzania about the best farming practices and millet cultivation that is resistant to climate change, I realized that there is a great need to change and shift  to millet cultivation to ensure that I get enough food for my family while boosting the economy in my household through selling the extra sacks. And I am so happy with this seasons yield. I harvested a total of 18 sacks in my 2 acres field” – William Samwel, a farmer in Ng’hambi Village.

William Samwel captured during harvesting at his farm

Agriculture, livestock rearing, and a few, small-scale industries comprise the largest percentage of Mpwapwa District’s economy. In the Council, more than 80% of the workforce is still employed in the agricultural sector. However, climate change poses a great threat to the Council. It has led to unreliable rainfall and prolonged drought season. UNA Tanzania took a crucial step to train the community on rainwater harvesting and food preservation techniques to enhance the availability of water and nutritious food even during long droughts. Farmers, pastoralists, and other community members were trained on basic skills of rainwater harvesting and practically demonstrated how to establish local cost-effective rainwater reservoirs at home to prepare for harvesting rainwater in their households that can be used for irrigation and domestic use. The community members were also capacitated on food preservation skills and crop value addition aiming at ensuring food security in their homesteads, improving nutrition, and sustaining their livelihood.

“After receiving the rainwater harvesting and food preservation training, I started saving money and eventually built a water reservoir at home. I’ve been able to harvest over a thousand liters of water, which made it possible for me to grow a vegetable garden at home and later preserved them. Lately, my family’s diet has greatly improved since every meal consists of vegetables. At the same time, I even sell water to my neighbors who are experiencing water scarcity.”  says Felista Isaya, an entrepreneur.

Felista Isaya, an an entrepreneur in Ng’hambi village drawing water from a reservoir beside her house.

UNA Tanzania is transforming lives in Mpwapwa district by improving their adaptation capacity and building a resilient community that can thrive through the changing climatic conditions