Climate change has been recognized as a global pandemic caused by both natural causes and humans activities which are increasingly influencing the pandemic through burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and farming livestock among other causes. One of the effects is sea level rise which causes saltwater intrusion into fertile lands and human settlements resulting in a threat to food security among other effects.

This has been evidently seen in Kengeja, Pemba Island where UNA Tanzania has been working with the community since 2016 in dealing with salt water intrusion which is largely contributed by human activities such as sand extraction and cutting down trees (mangrove trees). Salt water intrusion has caused several challenges to Kengeja communities such as reduction of agricultural production, flooding, family evacuation, famine, low income and difficulties in keeping livestock.

Since then, several efforts have been put into place to ensure Kengeja people are involved in climate actions. One of the vivid examples is planting of 10,000 mangrove trees at “Mfuuni valley,” “Ukunda valley” and “Mchangani valley” places which are largely affected by saltwater intrusion. UNA Tanzania mobilized community members with different economic status, social difference, age and sex in the process of planting the mangrove trees. The mangrove trees plantation involved more than two thousand (2000) people from five (5) villages that to us counts as a collective community action to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNA Tanzania has been focusing on mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in Kengeja including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities. For example, revamping environmental school clubs is one of the efforts done by UNA Tanzania with the objective of educating future generations about the importance of environmental protection and how they might face bigger challenges than the current generation if further steps won’t be taken. These clubs were formed from 10 primary schools with over 500 hundred members.

As a mechanism to integrate climate change measures during the process of local planning, Local Government Authorities (LGAs) position is inevitable. UNA Tanzania revived 4 Local LGAs environmental committees with each having 12 members (48 in total). The committees closely manage different areas against environmental perpetrators who mostly cut trees for economic purposes without planting new ones.

In order to successfully reduce salt water intrusion, community members should keep planting mangrove trees and raising awareness amongst themselves about environmental protection, however it has to be known that everyone needs to be involved in the process including Private sector, Community Based Organisations, Civil Society Organizations, Media and the Government.

Below is a picture showing how salt water has affected communities’ farms where nothing can grow:

A family photo with the community members and UNA Tanzania.

Katika kuhakikisha ufanisi zaidi wa mikopo ya 10% kwa vikundi vya wanawake, vijana na Watu wenye walemavu itolewayo ya Halmashauri, Serikali imelegeza masharti ya kukopa mikopo  hiyo kupitia mabadiliko ya kanuni, 2021.

Kanuni mpya ambazo zimeanza kutumika kuanzia mwishoni wa Mwezi Februari zinaelekeza mabadiliko katika:

• Nambari ya wanakikundi katika vikundi vya wanawake na vijana kutoka 10 mpaka 5 huku watu wenye ulemavu kuwezeshwa hata mtu mmoja kutoka watu wa 5.

• Kila halmashauri zimeelekezwa kutenga kiasi cha fedha ili kuwawezesha maafisa maendeleo jamii kufanya tathmini na ufatiliaji wa mikopo iliyotolewa.

Kwetu UNA Tanzania na wadau wengine ,haya ni mapinduzi makubwa, kutokana na kazi kubwa tunayoifanya katika eneo hili. Tunaamini kanuni hizi zitasaidia kuwezesha vikundi vingi zaidi kunufaika na mikopo hii na kuleta tija na uendelevu kwa jamii.

In effort to collect challenges and success stories to ensure the 10% Empowerment loans from Local Councils for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities are more effective, UNA Tanzania, earlier this year, conducted a follow up visit with 8 youth organizations working to empower and engage young people in decision making and livelihood programs. During this visit we assessed the impact of 10% loan as a result of UNA Tanzania national advocacy work for effective governance of the loans at Local Councils in some groups in 6 regions in Tanzania. One of the tremendous efforts done in organizations was a group of Maasai women who purchased food processing equipment through the loans from the Longido Local Council. This organization is part of 21 Youth Organization in our Youth Livelihood Empowerment program.

Some of promising impact of 10% on Young people are notable as 150 youths in groups used the loans to purchase income generating tools such as sewing, milling machines and motorcycles. The tools facilitate them to run business on food processing small industries, livestock fattening, small-packaging busines, and retail business. Likewise, in Korogwe Tanga youth groups engage in fish farming. All these activities earn young people a leaving and add up to their household income.

Moreover, UNA Tanzania champions for effective management of the loans for Sustainable and meaningful impacting youth including young mother’s livelihoods.

In the past 3 years United Nations Association of Tanzania has been engaging in advocacy work at national policy level to ensure effective administration of the 10%  Empowerment Loans for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities groups at Local Government Authorities in Tanzania, with special interest in the youth 4% that goes to youth, but all the 10 % cuts across different groups of youth because women can access the other 4% and young people with disabilities  can access the 2% allocated for people with disabilities. We have worked with the parliamentary youth groups, TAMISEMI, CSOs and the department of youth in the prime minister’s office.

In 2018, UNA Tanzania conducted a survey of 17 districts documenting success stories, challenges and recommendations from beneficiaries, LGAs and stakeholders (CSOs) working with young people in the 17 districts. The survey revealed that there was lack of universality in the administration of the 10% within the districts, different standards and interpretations of the law.Thus, the need to have the guidelines that will interpret the laws and regulations for smoother governance of the funds.

Using the findings, UNA Tanzania conducted several engagements with TAMISEMI which led to a joint recommendation that UNA Tanzania lead the exercise to produce the guidelines for the administration of the 10% district funds.

As advocates for the effective implementation of the empowerment fund, this is an important UNA Tanzania has accepted TAMISEMI’s proposition to collaborate in order to speed up the process of creating the guidelines. The guidelines will;

• Strengthen the  management of fund for sustainability of loan and projects 
• Enhance   coordination and  monitoring of 10% loans  
• Strengthen loan repayment system  

On our last meeting, TAMISEMI in partnership with UNA Tanzania and Policy Forum invited different stakeholders and Community Development Officers to go through the first draft of the guidelines that were development last November. This gave in new minds and light to making the guidelines more effective not only for the beneficiaries but also for the Community Development Officers who are in charge to issue and follow up on the loans.

As we are heading towards the 2021 Universal Periodic review, Non-Governmental Organizations, the government and other human rights stakeholders in Tanzania are currently in the preparations for the third review of our country, to which UNA Tanzania is participating in an ongoing process of formulating the national CSOs Universal Periodic Review (UPR) 2021 report. We shared our contributions in regard with our engagements on youth economic rights and the progress of SDGs implementation in Tanzania from 2016.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is the world’s mechanism that provides a comprehensive review of countries’ human rights records and their adherence to international standards. The process was established in 2006 by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (HRC), with an ultimate aim of improving the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they occur.

According to the schedule issued by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Tanzania will be reviewed in October 2021. This being the current position, NGOs and the Government are currently required to develop reports that will be submitted for the actual review in Geneva in 2021.