BANTU COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTER updated its History page.

BANTU ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

Bantu Community Development Center (BACODECE) was formed by twelve individual founder members in 2009 as a CBO operating mainly in Morogoro district, Morogoro region. Following initial success in ward activities, increase in membership and requests made to BACODECE to provide services to other parts of the country, a members’ meeting in November 2010 decided to register the organization as a nationwide NGO as well as expand the organization’s reach to other parts of Tanzania. It is now operating country-wide including Tanga, Morogoro, Lindi, Mtwara, Ruvuma, Mwanza and Coast regions.

BACODECE was registered on June 11, 2011 as an NGO by the Vice President’s Office under The NGO Act 2002 with registration number 00NGO/00004734. BACODECE also operates a current bank account with NMB and CRDB at Morogoro.

The aim of the organization can be summed up in the following statement

“Poverty alleviation and empower marginalize group through community-led mobilization, empowerment and action”. It is led by the believe that the community and youth hold the key in efforts to alleviate poverty of citizens through various educational, creating opportunities for self-employment and empowerment including acquiring innovation skills.

VISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION.

A community that maximize resources utilization in poverty alleviation, tangible nutritional initiatives, education enhancement and health services provision, environmental preservation and sustainable economic development.

MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION.

To build capacity to grass root communities through participation to the new political and social economic reform challenges, and bring about dignity, understanding, supporting most vulnerable groups in the prevention and care of infectious diseases and decision making through integrated interventions.

OBJECTIVES AND FUN CTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION.

THE OBJECTIVES OF BACODECE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

To esnure sustainable management of the Natural Resources Management for sustainable Development.
To collaborate with Government and other health partners in promoting health behavior and combating communicable and non-communicable diseases, to provide essential supports to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five.
Education enhancement to the community.
To fight against HIV/AIDS infections through influencing positive behavior change, raise awareness to impact improving the health status of women, men, MVC/OVC and youth and alleviate suffering especially among communities: the Children and People who are living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) with care and support initiative programs.
Corroborate with government and other National and International NGO, stakeholders with a partnerships on implementing the intervention programs aiming at the prevention of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and Hepatitis infections to communities:- Mostly vulnerable groups and providing care and support initiatives supports to infected and affected individual groups such as MVC/OVC, Key Populations (KPs): People who use and injecting drugs (PWUID), Commercial sex worker (CSW); Female Sexing with Women (FSW) and Men Sexing with Men (MSM).
To work on the front lines in the fight against AIDS and stigma reduction among PLWHA by providing the critical components necessary to support successful services, advocacy on life-long HIV treatment: comprehensive clinical nutritious food and psychosocial education supports, all delivered with compassion, dignity and respect.
To instil a sense of community belonging among all residents of the areas for purposes of jointly tackling community related problems in the area, e.g. educational, environmental, health, facilities and other social economic services, including availability of safe and clean water, poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS and disease epidemics etc.
To empower women particularly girls by establishing special programs for on school and outside the school mentorship and creating an enabling environment for the youth’s and girls of Tanzania to be self – dependent, employment and thus will contribute to the development of themselves with their specific area and be an active participant in development effort of the nation.
To conduct researches on various issues of economic, environmental conservations, public health and social development.
o co-operate with other institutions including local and international, which are ready or have a duty to assist or to carry out various development projects or programmes in the area aimed at uplifting the living standard of the people.
Develop Entrepreneurship Skills among the youths, women and community in establishing small income generating activities by engaging them in a range of cooperative models and other productive initiatives such as forming small Social Income Landing Community (SILC) groups.
To mobilize and utilize effectively human, physical and financial resources present in the area for attaining human social security and economic development of the entire area and deal effectively with development problems afflicting the area.
To formulate, coordinate and implement programmes aimed at checking environmental degradation and enhancing and sustaining healthily environment conditions over the area.
To establish, promote, form, support and manage youth centres in the areas of civil development, health services, libraries, parks etc. or any other economic activity associated with such facilities that shall be considered viable.
To fight against all forms of Gender Discriminations, stigma gender inequality, to increase access to legal and human rights advice and support to the women, girls and children by promoting and supporting the Child Protection Rights and Violence against Children (VAC).
To print, edit, publish and issue either gratuitously or otherwise, books, papers, reports, guide books, periodicals, circulars, articles, films and other matter or records in any form which may increase awareness of the objectives of the organization by members and otherwise in furtherance of the objectives of the organization.
To collect and disseminate information on all matters affecting the said objects or any of them and exchange such information with other entities of organizations interested similar objects as aforesaid whether in Tanzania or elsewhere and to hold exhibitions, seminars, meetings, lectures, courses and discussions for the benefit of society in the area and at large.
To render materials or other support to needy, handicapped, socially or gender disadvantage, People Living with HIV/AIDS, orphans, refugees and such members of the society who are in direct need of assistance to enjoy a decent life and compassionate.

FUNCTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION

To work effectively in HIV/AIDS prevention control and behavior change communication in the community.
To engage grassroots’ communities, stakeholders to propose and implement programs aiming at improving the life situations of individuals.
To act as a facilitator for youth and community in different programs including health, gender, education, social development, economic and poverty alleviations , environmental conservation e.t.c.
Linkages between youth to community members to other services provider within the area such as government and other stakeholders including referrals to particular services offered to create forums to mentor each other and sharing experiences.
Promote community-led socio-economic solutions to problems, challenges facing member’s respective communities.
To initiate and promote environmentally friendly activities for urban and rural communities;
To achieve sustainable agricultural production and agro-industry;
Providing youth with the necessary tools and knowledge to help others in their communities overcome poverty through specific training and/or provision of seed capital;
To promote community led socio – economic solution to problems/challenges facing members’ respective communities;

BELIEFS:

BACODECE is led by the belief that women and particularly the youth hold the key to alleviating poverty of Tanzanian citizens. It can deliver timely and quality products and services with minimum supervision.

CO - VALUES

Good governance
Gender equality and equity
Promotion of human rights for all
Uniquely community-led, result oriented
Trustfulness and faithfulness
Transparency
Confidentiality
Love and royalty
Sympathy and emphatic
Volunteerism
Professionalism
Hardworking
Accountability
Commitment
Integrity
Respect
Responsiveness
Compassion and solidarity
Motivation

BACODECE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES

In an Endeavour to attain the above stated objectives, BACODECE shall:

Mobilize and encourage women and youths in the country to initiate multistakeholder development projects and processes that are owned and rooted in the community they reside in.
Promote and facilitate the empowerment of youths to attain higher levels of education, skills and knowledge for self-reliance.
BACODECE shall use its membership particularly women and youth groups in communities to carry out projects, training and consultancy including research and work related to information technology and the built environment.
BACODECE shall assist all youth groups regardless of gender, race, faith or any other affiliation to obtain soft-term loans / financial assistance from financial institutions and/or donations to carry out poverty alleviation projects from within and outside the United Republic of Tanzania.

APPLICATION OF TANZANIAN LAWS AND RATIFIED INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS.

The Laws of the United Republic of Tanzania and ratified International Conventions shall apply as appropriate.

In case this Constitution and the Covenants conflict with the law, the Tanzanian Laws shall prevail.

PROGRAMMES

BACODECE has been involved in various development campaigns including tree planting, youth Enterpreneurship, women empwerment,conservation of water sources, irrigation, family planning, awareness on psychoactive substance abuse, HIV/AIDS awareness, provision of seed-capital to youth groups in communities and consultancy work. Among the activities conducted by BACODECE are facilitating youths to take part in environmental, knowledge and skills support to community economic groups and dialogue with local government leaders – opportunities, challenges and proposals for job creation and ward development projects.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION & LAND REHABILITATION

Due to limited resources BACODECE has only performed several activities related to environmental conservation. Training on the role of the community in conserving the environment was conducted by BACODECE in Mvomero, Morogoro Region in 2011.

BACODECE is now intending to implement catchment area conservation and land rehabilitation project in Mvomero and Korogwe districts, Morogoro and Tanga regions respectively - that will include the construction and running of water reservoir dams/storage for commercial irrigation projects run by youth groups.

ECONOMIC, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND MARKET ACCESS SUPPORT

In April through December 2012, BACODECE in collaboration with Environmental Management Organization

Foundation co-facilitated a youth-local government authority (LGAs) joint information sessions on social-economic opportunities in Gairo district, Morogoro region after youths in two wards approached the organization to find out what are opportunities for accessing entrepreneurship resources.

In the future this will act as a key engagement program for BACODECE especially working with communities to secure projects and/or markets for agricultural produce. We will also work with youths to establish and maintain local agro-industries for women and youths.

BACODECE had in 2013 facilitated community youth dialogues in Ndugumbi Ward, Makanya Street-exploring opportunities for youth to be empowered economically; this activity was conducted by BACODECE.

In 2011, BACODE facilitated Community dialogue in Mzimuni Ward [Makumbusho, Mtambani, Mwinyimkuu and Idrissa streets) in Magomeni, Kinondoni District - Dar es Salaam exploring the role of community in making follow up on government expenditure.

ICT SKILLS TRAINING

BACODECE endeavors to facilitate skills empowerment through training and mentoring among group members. BACODECE also seeks to provide seed capital and equipment for women and youth groups that engage in production with ICT being one of the priority components/areas.

Currently no activity has been implemented in this area but BACODECE plans to provide second hand computers/work stations and train teachers in resource centre’s / secondary schools in various ICT skills so as to be more effective and efficient in carrying out their work.

AWARENESS AND REHABILITATION OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE

BACODECE has organized dialogues in wards to create awareness on drugs and other psychoactive substance abuse secondary and primary prevention programmes.

BACODECE runned a drug and psychoactive substance abuse awareness campaign in the Morogoro Municipal district. dedicated to raising awareness and positioning BACODECE among Tanzanian citizens and other citizens in the social media sphere. We are currently seeking funds to establish drug clinic cum – counseling centers in the near future.

HIV / AIDS ‘BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE’ COMMUNICATION

BACODECE is experienced working for and with youth since its establishment in 1999.

BACODECE has experienced and competent communicators to carry out any intervention in the area of HIV, family planning and transactional sex affairs.BACODECE has in the past closely collaborated with PRINMAT and SHDEPHA+, civil society organizations with professional nurses and people-living-with-HIV/AIDS, respectively.

BACODECE boasts of a team of more than twelve HIV / AIDS professional doctors and nurses, counseling and peer communicators who are mostly university graduates carefully trained to interact with PLWHAs1. The approaches included use of performing arts for HIV/AIDS education, sports to dispel trauma, ‘weekend night’ vigils for barmaids and commercial/ transactional sex and writing contests.

CURRENTLY PROPOSED PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED IN MOROGORO REGION BRANCH.

There are several programs which are carried out as follows:

Economic empowerment to Youths, health services supports to KPS, PLHIV-AIDS and other community members through counseling, referral and linkage to health facilities (VCT, PITC), PCCB, PG&CD, PPP and other institutions, FBO, CBO or stakeholders.
Malnutrition improvement education and mentoring on nutrition improvement to the beneficiaries and community members at large.

IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS BACODECE WILL COLLABORATE WITH THE PARTICULAR GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, PARTNERS, NGOs, INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO ACCOMPLISH ITS ACTIVITIES.

PROGRAMS/PROJECT

1) ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT TO YOUTHS, HEALTH SUPPORTS TO KPS, PLHIV-AIDS AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH COUNSELING, REFERRAL AND LINKAGE TO HEALTH FACILITIES (VCT, PITC), PCCB, PG&CD AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS OR STAKEHOLDERS,

TARGET GROUPS;

- Youths, Women and girls

- Community members

- Households care takers

ACTIVITIES

Peer education on HIV and AIDS that targets youth organizations or youth sectors within the school, universities colleges and communities.
School programmes that deal with both the health as well as the emotional side of sex and give young people some of the life skills they need to negotiate safe sex.
Youth groups that talk about sex or offer support to young people with problems.
Youth-friendly health services, where young people can talk to other young people about the kind of problems they experience and get the help, information and condoms that they need.
Youth Empowerment Initiative, which has the potential of integrating the values of a good and productive citizen in youth, motivating them to lead a normal life by providing them a platform to develop and showcase their skills.
To establish a youth friendly centre where the following services such as VCT, continuous peer education and counseling would be available.
To mobilize youths with common interests to and from youth support groups
To prevent the spread of new HIV/AIDS infection to uninfected individuals or to prevent new transmissions to infected individuals through influencing positive behavior change, raise awareness, improving the health status of women, men, children and youth and alleviate suffering especially among the People who are living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), Malaria, Tuberculosis All types of Hepatitis infections
To advocacy and provide health education supports, prevention services to Key Populations (KPs): Commercial sex worker, (FSW), Men Sexing with Men (MSM) to create awareness on how they should develop habits of negotiating to practice safer sex so as to prevent HIV/AIDS transmissions with their partners during performing their business through condoms use, also to encourage People who use and injecting drugs (PWUID) to practice Harm reduction modalities programs, reducing their dose and how to cope with withdraw symptoms.
Linkages between youth to development initiatives, financial institutions, SACCOS, PPP, community development officers, community members to other services provider within the area such as government departments; community development programs from CDOs officers and other stakeholders including referrals to particular services offered
Promote community-led socio-economic solutions to problems, challenges facing member’s respective communities and to create forums for mentorship and sharing experiences.
To initiate and promote environmentally friendly activities for urban and rural communities to establish income generating activities including SILC groups and other local entrepreneurships business, to achieve sustainable economic and agricultural production and agro-industry;
Providing youth with the necessary tools and knowledge to help others in their communities overcome poverty through specific training and/or provision of seed capital;
To promote community led socio – economic solution to problems/challenges facing members’ respective communities;
- The program also will collaborate with universities, colleges and vocational training centers in Morogoro region in creating clubs which will be used as forum for discussing different development issues and services improvement
- To provide the skill & knowledge to the under privilege Strata of the society so that they can recognize and use the resources around them for their holistic empowerment.
- To identify, tap and optimally harness the potential of the under-privileged classes of the society in such a way as to strike a judicious balance between their own quality of life as well as towards their meaningful contribution to the society/nation.
- ‘The Credence’ undertakes special efforts to motivate people particularly from socioeconomically weaker sections and those living in slums, tribal, rural areas, for self-employment. The information regarding major role of women in economic empowerment of community is disseminated to the people, which make possible in highly marginalized areas.

4) MALNUTRITION IMPROVEMENT EDUCATION AND MENTORING ON MAINTAINING NUTRITION STATUS TO THE BENEFICIARIES AND COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

TARGET GROUPS;

- Community members

- Pregnant women

- Lactating mothers

- Children under 5 years and adolescent

- People suffering chronic diseases such as TB, Cancer, Hepatitis, diabetes and PLWHA.

ACTIVITIES

To collaborate with Government in the regional; RAS, RMO, DED, DMO’s office and other health and nutrition structures in the Provision of nutrition education on behavior change for the Pregnancy women, lactating mothers and community members; to adopt, practice and develop the habits of using diversified diet.
To advocacy the “mandatory” breast feeding of children particularly at the first 60 minutes after giving birth (Unless otherwise) and continue to practice exclusive breast feeding up to the 6 months of age and then to compliment comprehensive diversified diet after 6 months
To mentor the community members especially People who are suffering from chronic diseases such as PLWHA, TB, Cancer, Hepatitis and diabetes on the importance of eating balanced diet to prevent impaired immunity which causes faster progression of the diseases’ infections and seeking for early consultations and diagnosis of diseases and or infections related to nutritional status.
Conducting awareness campaign on improving wasting among children less than five years of age and overweight among children and preventing high stunting prevalence which is creating multiple burden of malnutrition.
To fight malnutrition, improve sustainable maternal nutritional and prevention of anemia to pregnancy women & lactating mother as well as reduce the risk of stunting to children less than two (2) years of age (1000 days).
To collaborate with extension officers to enabling the community members, to establish home gardening and practice small livestock keeping and use their crops to access meat, vegetable and fruits to obtain balanced diet and using the extra production as source of incomes for local entrepreneurships .
To mentor People suffering chronic diseases such as TB, Cancer, Hepatitis, diabetes and PLWHAtoadvocacyon the best practices of WASH during consuming food and making sure that their food contains all balanced diets to enable them to be healthier so as to prevent immune impairment which causes diseases faster progression.
To advocacy the emergencies and Food and Nutrition Security because according to the World Bank, Tanzania as a developing countries suffer greater costs resulting from disasters Observed changes in climate, such as global warming, are contributing factors to the increased incidences of droughts and floods in Morogoro and yields from rain-fed agriculture may be reduced by up to 50%.

STAFFING AND GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE IN MMC

Most of the work being carried out by BACODECE is on voluntary, the organization is still looking for donors, stakeholders to be supported with the financial assistance foradministration and coordination costs to support the proper implementation of her programs in all wards of because for all these programs we have started working with only 15 wards covering few streets.

If we will be supported in these initiatives activities it will bring about a tangible impact and improvement of services to the beneficiaries and community in general.

Currently branch has employed 7 full-time staffs and 6 part time staffs and enrolled 69 Volunteers in the BOCODECE project management in its respectively areas.

BACODECE is first and foremost bound by its constitution as an organization.

The constitution provides for several organs for the organization to function and achieve its intended objectives. The day-to-day running of the organisation is being managed being closely monitored by the executive/deputy director, and administration & operationsofficer and other employed programs staffs.

The following organogram illustrates the structure of BACODECE organizatio

BANTU COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTER

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

GOVERNING BOARD

MONITORING, EVALUATION, PLANNING AND RESEARCH

ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION MANAGER

LEGAL RIGHT, GENDER, POLICY INFORMATION

& ADVOCACY

MVC/OVC CHILD PROTECTION

& EDUCATION AND SOCIALSUPPORT

NUTRITION, CARE TREATMENT AND HEALTH PROMOTION

YOUTH AND ADOLESCENT KNOWLEDGE AND EMPOWERMENT

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FINANCIAL MANAGER

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT &

ENVIRONMENTAL COSERVATION

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMEN&

ENVIRONMENTAL COSERVATION

OPERATING BRANCHIES

In order to improve coordination of services delivery in implementing different program in Morogoro, BACODECE had Head Quarter in Morogoro region, purposely for joining with other stakeholders widening the Pool of proposing and implement programs aiming at providing support to beneficiaries and initiating operating its program’s activities.

The HQ office is situated at Block No. 1, Sabasaba street,in Morogoro municipality having full time senior staffs who are assigned to carry over day to day organization activities.

Currently in this office there are eleven (13) staffs which run organization programs voluntarily, these staffs are monitored by the head of Morogoro who is taking all the responsibilities and report to the Board of the directors. The Deputy Director who is the head of the branch has the power to manage a and operates bank account with any other legal financial transactions as he is the Chief Executive and financial Officer of the organization at the branch; He/ She is the chief Administrative Officer of in charge of all the staffs and workers of the Organization branch and accounting officer responsible for the organization's consistent achievement of its mission and objectives.

BACODECE PARTNERS, NETWOKING AND ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

BACODECE has a membership of more than 20 groups countrywide each group with more than 25 individual women or youths members.

Our greatest resource is our memberships who do most of the work on voluntary basis due to scarcity of funds from donors/development partners.

BACODECE is a Member: