Activities of ANPPCAN Tanzania Chapter

ANPPCAN Tanzania chapter being a national organization is mandated to run programmes all over Tanzania, and has been drawing and executing programmes in the areas of child protection, empowerment, research and advocacy.

Child Empowerment

This is meant to help children grow up as responsible citizens who can foster moral, social and economic development. It is achieved by involving children in:

• Learning about their own duties and responsibilities at home, school and in the community
• Discussing what child abuse is and how to relate to neglected or abused children
• Forming school and community child rights clubs for in and out of school children
• Identifying the nature and causes of child abuse and neglect, along with its consequences
• Monitoring the observances and violations of children’s rights in their communities
• Child Rights Promotion (Child Participation)

Projects

ANPPCAN currently is involved into three main projects in Kisarawe, Dar es Salaam and Mkuranga District in the Costal regions.

• The project conducted in Kisarawe District Is known as “Development and Protection of Children Rights in Schools and Community”. This project is funded by HOPE-HIV from UK
• The project conducted in Mkuranga District is known as “Community Empowerment on combating Child Abuse and Neglect”. This project is funded by FOUNDATION FOR CIVIL SOCIETY from Tanzania
• The project conducted in Dar es Salaam is known as "Capacity Building Project for Children's Rights and Welfare". This project is funded by ANPPCAN REGIONAL OFFICE NAIROBI
  

Advocacy and Awareness Raising Activities

• Training of teachers on how to detect, prevent or overcome child abuse and neglect
• Parents awareness seminars on children’s rights
• Developing and circulating posters and billboards acclaiming child welfare or disclaiming child abuse and neglect as the case may be
• Supporting child welfare programs such as liaising with the police, health workers, and magistrates etc to promote justice for children. Safe motherhood education, immunization campaigns and child care homes
• Networking with other child welfare organizations/institutions
• Participating in media programs and using the media to raise awareness on issues affecting children

Service Delivery and Legal Interventions

• Following up known cases of child abuse and neglect

• Providing psychosocial support to victims of abuse
• Providing legal help and advice
• Reviewing local and international policies and their bearing on the welfare and interests of children
• Lobbying for favourable legislation to promote or ensure child safety and welfare
• Reintegration of displaced children with their families/caretakers

Research Activities

As a child focused organization dealing with the prevention and protection of child abuse and neglect ANPPCAN undertakes situational analysis and research on the state and nature of child abuse and neglect in Tanzania and publishes the results periodically. In 2005 ANPPCAN conducted a pilot study on the assessment of the Communities knowledge levels on Child Abuse and Neglect and Children’ Rights in Dar es Salaam and Pwani regions.

In 2006 ANPPCAN conducted a Rapid Assessment on Child Trafficking in Mbeya, Morogoro, Iringa, Kilimanjaro, Coast and Dar es Salaam regions. Most the selected sites are situated at the Tanzania borders with different countries hence existence of both internal and external trafficking. The findings revealed that children especially girls are being trafficked to major urban towns for domestic work and commercial sexual activities.

Also as part of a regional network ANPPCAN chapters in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia in collaboration with the Regional Office conducted an Action Oriented Research on Child Trafficking (Towards Elimination of Child Trafficking Project) in the four main border towns in 2008. ANPPCAN Tanzania conducted its research on the Tarakea border in Rombo district Kilimanjaro region. The main objective of the study was to contribute to the elimination of Child Trafficking in order to effectively address child abuse and neglect. The findings were used in planning and implementation of a one year project in Rombo district.

In 2010 ANPPCAN-TZ has conducted three different researches, two of them based in Mkuranga district where we intend to start two projects at the end of the year; one research covered the three district of Dar es Salaam namely Temeke, Kinondoni and Ilala. The exercise is still in the process of analysis.