IMPLEMENTED AND ON-GOING PROJECTS
Legal Aid and Education Programme
The aim of the programme is to provide legal education and legal assistance to the rural community to enable same assert their legal and human rights and justice which in turn enable the community enjoy a wide range of human and legal rights as guaranteed by the laws of our land and international law instruments. The programme area is Geita District. Under the programme we especially target the indigent persons and vulnerable groups especially the elderly, women, vulnerable children to access justice, assert and realize their rights through both administrative and legal actions. Our approach is Right based and as such we do advocacy work through which we educate the community on their rights and obligation under the Constitution and Laws of the Land; in order to raise their awareness on one hand and be able to scale up their support for recognition, protection and promotion of the right of the others within the community on the other hand.
CHILD RIGHTS AWARENESS RAISING AND ADVOCACY IN GEITA DISTRICT
This project was implemented from November, 2007 to March, 2008 in three Wards of Geita namely Kalangalala, Ihanamilo and Kasamwa Wards. The implementation of the Project was done in partnership with Plan International, Geita Program Unit. The role of IRS was to provide training to 630 participants comprising of local leaders, Local Government professionals and members and leaders of children clubs based in primary schools from within the 3 Wards. The training objectives were: To impart knowledge and skills on child rights to children, community leaders and professionals in Geita District; To increase the percentage of families, children and community members who promote and protect child rights; and to increase the percentage of children who actively participate in their own development process. Through the project 617 of the 630 participants targeted were actually trained in United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child [UNCRC], African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child [ACRWC], Tanzanian child laws and bills of rights as enshrined in the constitution, women and gender related laws, child protection, child abuse, leadership skills, communication skills and presentation skills.
The project has generally raised the community awareness on the rights of the child and has been able to scale up support for child rights promotion and protection from children themselves and parents alike in Geita District. Apart from awareness on child rights, through the project the community awareness on and support for women rights and human rights in general has been increased and enhanced within the community in Geita District.
The approved and actually expended budget which was wholly financed by Plan International Geita Program unit is Tsh. 13, 785,000/= [ Thirteen Million Seven Hundred Eighty Five Thousands Only].
IJUE SERA YA MAENDELEO YA MTOTO YA 1996 PROJECT [2009]
This project was successful implemented in 2009 with funding to the tune of Tsh. 16,604,500/= from the Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) an organization based in Dar es Salaam. The project was implemented in six wards. The six wards are: Kagu, Senga, Nzera, Nkome in Bugando Division; Lubanga and Kamhanga in Kasamwa Division, within Geita District. The objective of the project was to raise awareness of the Child Development Policy of 1996 as reviewed in 2008 which provide for the survival, development and protection of the child in Tanzania; and the local and international child rights instruments which provide for the promotion and protection of child rights. The goal is to scale up community support for the provision, promotion and protection child rights in Geita District. Under the project training was provided to 180 participants including local leaders, influential persons, teachers, students, religious leaders, local government officials, political leaders and CSOs leaders. The community at large was reached out to through artistic work such as songs and drama and educated on child rights, child abuse and child protection in the project area.IEC materials on child rights, UNCRC, ACRWC, Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania, Child Development Policy of 1996 as Reviewed in 2008 and child rights posters were disseminated in the project area.
COMMUNITY LED TOTAL SANITATION [CLTS] PROGRAMME [2008 TODATE]
This is another partnership between Plan International Geita Program Unit and IRS in which Plan provide for the management, technical support and financing while IRS and other local partners and the Geita District Council provide for the personnel in implementing the project. The project’s goal is: to reduce the prevalence and effects of water borne diseases through community led total sanitation initiatives while the objective of the project is to increase the percentage of the members of the community who have and use improved latrines. Under the Project IRS provides two staff who in collaboration with staff from the other partners provide education on environmental preservation and sanitation to the community. In particular the community is encouraged to construct and use latrines, desist from practicing open and free defecation in order to avoid infection from water borne diseases. Under the programme the following of Wards of Lwamgasa, Mtakuja, Kalangalala, Ihanamilo, Nyarugusu, Kaseme, Katoro, Nzera, Senga, Kasamwa, Kagu, Kamhanga, Lubanga and Nkome have been reached out since 2008 todate.
GEITA VOTERS’ EDUCATION INITIATIVE [GVEI] [2010]
This project is a joint effort between IRS and Community Development and Relief Trust [CODERT] an NGO based and operating in Geita District. The Project was implemented between July, 2010 and October, 2010 with the funding of UNDP and consultancy of Deloitte Tanzania Chapter who were responsible for the management of the grants. The Project funding was Tsh. 59, 914,500/= [Tanzanian Shillings fifty nine million nine hundred fourteen thousand and five hundred only]. The project’s goal was: to ensure that the voters in Geita especially the youth, participate effectively in the electoral process and make informed voting on the election day while the Project’s objective was to enhance rural youth and first time voters’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities in relation to the electoral process in 33 wards of Geita district by October 2010.
The activities under the project included training on voters rights and responsibilities to leaders of CSOs and journalists; raising awareness on voters rights and responsibilities in public meetings using art, drama and film shows; and dissemination of IEC materials on voters rights and responsibilities. The Project’s target groups included the youth, women, the elderly and people living in remote areas. Overall the project succeeded in raising the awareness of especially the youth on their rights and responsibilities as voters. Through the project we reached out to the target groups in all 33 wards of Geita during the duration of the Project. As a result many of youths than the 2005 election attended and participated in the electoral process notably the campaign rallies and turned out in record numbers and voted on the Election Day.