Tasaf Executive Director, Ladislaus Mwamanga
A Total of 1,640 pupils who failed to join primary school because they had no means of paying for the requirements have been rescued by the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF).
The pupils from Chamwino, Kibaha and Bagamoyo districts were able to join school thanks to the introduction of a money transfer programme by Tasaf to poor households in the districts.
Speaking to The Guardian over the weekend, Tasaf Executive Director Ladislaus Mwamanga said they introduced the programme during the second phase of the Tasaf programme.
Mwamanga said they visited 11,576 households in the three districts, providing them with health services, food and enabling children aged between 6-18 years to go to school. Those between 0 and 5 years old were vaccinated against diseases.
Mwamanga said Tasaf was currently implementing phase three of the programme, focusing on empowering communities to propose projects, implement and monitor those that can improve their lives.
According to him, the second phase which ended in June last year, started in 2005 and cost 492bn/-. More than 18.6 million people benefitted from the social services that included supply of desks, chairs and tables to schools.
Other services were the construction of toilets and water supply systems, while patients were supplied with beds, medical equipment and health experts.
He said the programme engaged wananchi from the grassroots level so that they could obtain skills and capital to manage their lives. This was geared to empower special groups like adults, orphans and the disabled to form groups from one person to 15 people.
As a result 1,778 groups were formed and educated on how to run business and transfer money.
On achievements during the second phase, Mwamanga said Tasaf created employment for 400,000 young people from Tanzania mainland as well as Unguja and Pemba.
Further, it introduced labour intensive projects like farming, construction of roads, houses and facilitators. These help young people to invest and to meet their basic needs.
The third phase which was officially launched by the President Jakaya Kikwete on August 15 last year aims to increase the income and opportunities of beneficiaries and at the same time improve their consumption. Households which will benefit are those living under the poverty line, living on less than a dollar a day.
Expected to be implemented for 10 years in phases, the programme is expected to cost 4.2trn/- on completion.
He said local government officials have been involved in the third phase, including executives from wards up to divisions. This would ensure that each targeted household is reached. It involves Pemba, Unguja, Bunda, Kilombero, Mtwara, Mbarali, Lindi and Tunduru districts, he said.
He mentioned challenges facing Tasaf as including insufficient funds to meet people’s needs and insufficient manpower in some projects.
TASAF is a funding facility which provides a mechanism that allows local and village governments to respond to community demands. It was established in June 1999 as a key instrument to address the community’s social needs.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
