ARUPA has three main targets: the youth, the women and the most vulnerable children. For each group, ARUPA works on different projects and activities.
A: Youth Desk
For the Youth: Currently, the most important program is AYETA (Youth Empowerment Program in Tanzania) and WAJIBIKA Project. Details are given for each section in different chapters and more analysis provided in the form of documentary and features. Formally, the young people section was running two interventions – one in promoting Youth to Youth HIV/AIDS Management and another Youth to Youth Environment Conservation Initiatives. The two initiatives have been resumed under AYETA.
B: Gender and Adolescent Desk
For Women: Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation (CAFGM) and a new proposed project (Promoting Human Rights and Enhancing Paralegal Aids in Manyara Region) are expected to bring remarkable changes. Previously, the African Queens of Drums from Nzali and Mtumba Village Women Group were the active interventions supplemented by Tumaini Women Group which has expanded into three groups of small scale livelihood development initiatives (involving Mshikamano and Tupendane Groups comprising 28 people living with HIV/AIDS – PLWHA). They all take care of our vulnerable children including 12 living with HIV/AIDS. The new programme (AYETA) seeks to empower them and facilitate their small scale saving schemes through entrepreneurship and small scale economic projects which have been approved as the only reliable sustainable facility. This Desk oversees also the implementation of the project aimed at tracking the Millennium Development Goals.
C: Children Rights Desk
For children: The Desk under Gender and Adolescent Sector has the role to coordinate and promote the children rights from infancy to adolescent stage. Thus Maternal and Child Health (PMCH) is one of the major sections under this Desk. So far radio programmes have been produced and aired although financial constraints remain as the major challenge of the section to be addressed by the new strategic plan. In this section violence against children is campaigned in collaboration with partners. The recently challenge escalated through a special research: include Female Genital Mutilation aimed at children from their infancy which promote underage marriage. This Project is undertaken by ARUPA in collaboration with international organization (Human Rights Watch) from USA. Psychosocial services for vulnerable children and other compulsory humanitarian aid will be enhanced through the new programme which has been developed for youth empowerment in Tanzania. More details for the new Programme continues here.
TRACKING MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGs) No 4 &5
Background and Situation Analysis
World Health Organization (WHO) Statistics of 2009 show that about 1500 women die from pregnancy related complication everyday of which 99 % are in developing countries. In Tanzania current statistics estimate maternal mortality ratio to be 454 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. This ratio is somewhat lower than the ratio estimated for the 10-year prior to the 1996 – 2010 (578 maternal deaths per 100,000 births) and the 1990 – 1996 (529 maternal deaths per 100,000 births) according to TDHS.
Until today, millions of women lack access to both information and health services, putting their lives at risk. The maternal mortality rate for example in Dodoma Region still remains at an alarming stage as it stands at 124 per 100,000 and Singida Region at 207 per 100,000.
Through the Tracking MDGs/REMMOC, ARUPA is expecting tremendous changes by implementing the project through financial support from the Tanzania Media Fund (TMF). Hence, coming up with a proposal for raising awareness and galvanizing public opinion as a means to boost development support needed to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 (particularly MDGs number 4 and 5) aimed at reducing maternal death and child mortality. Through this project efforts done under both MDGs and government strategies will be revealed and enhanced.
This project proposal stands as Fact Finding Mission (an investigative journalism approach and strategy) followed with production of informative and educative materials collected from health experts and people in grass-root level in a bid to empower and raise the voice of the marginalized people in rural and peripheral urban centre and aimed at creating awareness, enhancing HIV/AIDS control and Reproductive Health Education to both Women and Young people as the bases and preventive methodology.
Being approached in the first place, for financial support, the Tanzania Media Fund (TMF) advised ARUPA to collaborate with media outlets interested and committed to such public interest, investigative and poverty alleviation programmes for Broadcasting. With this proposal, 4 out of 11 media outlets interested to start implementing the Project are identified here: RADIO NYEMO FM, RADIO KIFIMBO FM, ABM Radio FM, and IMPACT RADIO FM.
AYETA (Youth Empowerment Program in Tanzania)
For the past two years, ARUPA has been embarked in a long term Programme review and development starting from March 2014 to March 2019. AYETA has been elaborated to help youth of Tanzania to face challenge and development barriers using appropriate methodologies. This Program has a special focus to Orphans, Vulnerable Children, Adolescent Girls and Teen Mothers. It seeks to empower unemployed and school drop-out youth, especially graduates youth with skills and trainable in entrepreneurship, farming, veterinary, poultry, piggery, horticulture, eco-tourism, I CT, embroidery and decoration, artisan and small scale mining, carpentry and welding, music and film production, photographic and graphic works, saloon and barber, discotheque and grocery out of other youth initiatives for income generating projects.
Statistics avail
able in the ministry of Social Development, Gender and Children in Tanzania indicate that over 20 per cent of the population are adolescents, among them 4,109,000 are adolescent girls living in Tanzania and 39 per cent are girls who are married and 25 per cent are impregnated before 18 years of age respectively.
AGTM–PEP (Adolescent Girls & Teen Mothers - Participatory Empowerment Program) is one of the major Programs undertaken by African Rural Press in Action (ARUPA) as a long term program aimed at supporting adolescent girls and young people particularly teen-mothers who are both in school and school drop outs most of them being vulnerable and disadvantaged.
ARUPA for 12 years has been implementing AGTM-PEP in Dodoma Region under an Outreach Program dedicated to the community based organization as a wing of ARUPA formed by Women Group (Tumaini Women Group) and affiliated to ARUPA. The Program so far has supported over 400 vulnerable children since its inception in 2002.
The new Program (AYETA) is an ongoing Program that has been introduced for the continuation of adult education for youth empowerment with special focus in entrepreneurship facility, addressing HIV/AIDS/STIs, Psycho-social service, especially for girls between the ages of 12 – 20 years who are in school and school dropouts including unemployed youth from the higher learning institutions.
Under the new program, 100 groups have been formed under 10 Area Development Program (ADP) in 4 branches of Dodoma, Manyara, Morogoro and Singida regions with a total of 4500 orphans and vulnerable children, 2000 being adolescent girls, 1000 teen mothers and the rest 1500 being mixed vulnerable and poor youth from universities and undergraduates.
AYETA has specific goals and objectives to improve the quality of life for vulnerable adolescents especially girls and teen mothers by increasing their knowledge and skills of mental, physical and financial support through livelihood development facility (LDF).
Effective proposed approaches used to address the plight of both vulnerable children and adolescent girls and teen mothers.
Empowering the Youth to Protect their Health Programme (EYPH)
The Program will help the young people to acquire the personal resources they need to transition into adulthood as healthy productive citizens. Life – skills training includes helping youth develop health awareness, confidence and effective communication skills. Sexual and Reproductive Health Education will be emphasized hand in hand with HIV/AIDS/STDs control, prevention and raising awareness among youth by youth.
Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Empowerment Programme (YEEEP)
ARUPA and its local partners will support highly vulnerable youth through programmes that provide education and training, life skills and hand-on experience in paid work and internships. The information and Training Centre at Mlezi provides other tailored skills with special emphasis to rural journalism.
Psychosocial Support
This component includes ensuring the meaningful participation of children in issues affecting their life through listening, asking questions, responding to children’s problems, encouraging them to set goals and reach their potential and provision of recreational, education, shelter and health services
Adolescent Development Centre (ADC)
An Adolescent Development Centre is a space of adolescents. In the Centre, they come to spend time with their peers, to socialize, to interact, to share each one’s experiences, distress, cheerful, ambitions, expectations and to access for any available support depending on various resources mobilized by ARUPA in collaboration with friends, partners and donors to make their dreams become vivid. The Centre also reveals and enhances the talents of youngsters through practical discussions, live debates, radio shows and capacity building.
WAJIBIKA project
'Wajibika' Be Accountable Project is the project under Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), Wajibika is the Youth movement for economic and environmental, justice to bring sustainable and development. It is funded by Youth Global, KFUK-KFUM Norway. Areas where this project is implemented are: Mbeya, Ilula, Lushoto and Dodoma.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF ARUPA
-Promoting African heritage such as cultural and natural resources, including folk music in remote villages
-To sensitize and create awareness on the effects of harmful traditional and modern practices including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), drug abuse, child labour, traditional population control and contraceptives for abortion, prostitution and commercial sex as well as violation and discrimination against women and children.
-Promote and raise the status of rural journalism in Africa and strengthening collaboration, training and capacity building for both media practitioners and media stakeholders.
-Organizing research workshops, convention, investigative journalism, seminars, debate and dialogue, fact finding mission and special assignment particularly on burning issues affecting the life of rural people such as human rights abuse, HIV/AIDS and other dreaded disasters.
- Promoting empowerment of women and youths and develop the sense of self supporting in identifying economic, social and political problems facing them and reach or take appropriate action for development sustainability.
-Lobbying and advocacy for human rights, democracy, good governance, accountability, transparency, freedom of expression and fighting against corruption, embezzlement, misallocation and mismanagement of public resources and properties.
-Encouraging development groups and becoming voice for voiceless, raising funds and seeking technical supports for humanitarian services to an affiliated groups of ARUPA such as Tumaini Women Group providing supports to over 70 orphans affected by HIV/AIDS and a group of youths providing environmental care and STDs/HIV/AIDS Education to their fellow youths in colleges, schools, offices, villages and elsewhere.
-To encourage and promote rural artists and seek National / international exposure through concerts.
ORGANISATION POLICY
- Awareness raising:
- Popularisation: Of human rights, national and international policies such as land policy, natural resource policy, social, economic and political status, health policy, women and children policy as well as promotion of human rights and enhanced paralegal aids.
- Education: Environmental health, population growth, community health, reproductive health, STD/HIV/AIDS pandemic and other communicable diseases.
- Community awareness: Raising at Grass root level for community involvement).
- Gender balance
2. Networking:
- Establishing Groups of women and youths, pressure groups, peer groups and task forces as well as strengthening already formed groups and identify where allocated for further support.
- Strengthening linkages with community, partners, donors, local government, International agencies, religion institutions, Central Government, National and international media organisations.
- Arrange and participate in National, Regional and International festivals, symposia conferences, competitions and seminars and concerts.
3. Research and Fact Finding Mission
Data collection for documentary and dissemination through community, public and independent media, national and internationally.
Conflict management and socio-economic status.
Training and workshops for stakeholders on:
- Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance, fighting against corruption.
- Gender issues.
- Income Generating Activities (Small Scale Business Management and Entrepreneurship).
- Internet and Computer Literacy
- The role of media in various fields.
- Poverty Reduction
- Environmental care and Climatic Change Mitigation.
4. Establishing Information Centre and other important Youth Friendly Services
- Hostel for girls and young women -Teen-mothers
- Community media - Radio, Magazine, Newsletter
- Library and Training Centre for Youths/ Women
- -Internet service installed and linked with routers
5. Publicity and Production
- Quarterly magazine and monthly Journal.
- Periodical, text books, booklets (serial) , posters, calendars and leaflets, brochures, t-shirts and caps, badges and road flyers.
ADOLESCENT FEMALE PROTECTION
AfPDP is a special programme aimed at empowering the Central Corridor of Tanzania to advocate strongly and effectively on health related issues by increasing the Adolescent female capacity to understand their roles and participate fully in the society’s development as well as promoting non-governmental organizations by increasing their capacity to formulate policy priorities, monitor their implementation and hold decision-makers to account. ARUPA, therefore, believes that mainstreaming a gender perspective is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels.
It is a strategy for making women's as well as men's concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality. However, mainstreaming essentially offers a pluralistic approach that values the diversity among both women and men.