BACKGROUND

Community participation development Association Tanzania (COPADEA) was founded in 2004 and registered as a Non-Governmental Organization in 29^th June 2005 in Tanzania with a Certificate of Registration SO. NO. 13192 under the societies rule of 1954.

COPADEA is a membership organization mandated to operate in Tanzania. Currently, its interventions are programmed in the Lake Zone.

MOTIVES BEHIND ITS FORMATION

The need to form COPADEA arose from the realization by its members and community members who were facing extreme poverty and socio-economic deprivation and environmental deterioration. These communities have experienced consistent escalation of natural resource depletion and rising levels poverty due to diseases particularly the pandemic HIV/AIDS and Malaria.

For the more than two decades, Tanzania is still struggling to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic and Malaria. These two diseases have continued to claim lives of her people and significantly threatening the national social and economic development efforts. On average, the HIV prevalence rate in Tanzania is 7% with devastating impact felt in all sectors causing widespread suffering among individuals, families, and communities across the country. Despite of the government’s efforts to control the epidemic, there are pockets where the prevalence is on the increase.

The realization called for Institutional arrangement and programme management that would ensure and promote meaningful participation of the communities in efforts to restore the situation while simultaneously creating conducive atmosphere for social-economic development.

1. OBJECTIVES.

In pursuing its mission COPADEA has the following objectives:

• To promote and protect human rights and good governance
• To create public understanding of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and other relevant development issues.
• To empower communities to be able to engage with and facilitate local level changes in the areas of HIV/AIDS and community health.
• To promote marginalised groups access to social services including health and education
• To promote and facilitate marginalised groups to have access to and enjoyment of income generating opportunities including agriculture and technology support opportunities
• To design and implement interactive behaviour change communication strategies for informing and stimulating progressive debates in the community.
• To empower the community to identify their own development needs and to plan, implement and evaluate their own interventions.
• To conduct research that is deemed to be relevant to the objectives and aims of the organization
• To conduct consultancies for partners such as government, donors, NGOs and other institutions.
• To associate with local, national and international bodies whose interests are in line with the aims, objectives and functions of the organization
• To do all lawful acts and things as are conducive and necessary for

               Attainment of all or any of the objectives of COPADEA.

• To Promote and advocate for Environmental development.