In Tanzania, Skillshare International supports local partner organisations to deliver a range of health and income generation
projects.
Tackling poverty through performing arts
Tanzania House of Talents (THT) in Dar es Salaam encourages and supports talented young people aged 10-22 years to explore and develop their skills.
It aims to discover and nurture "Amazing Kids with Amazing Talents" in music, dance and the performing arts, to enable them to generate an income and ensure future employment.
THT delivers coaching and classes in a range of performing arts and life skills as well as a safe place for them to rehearse. It also provides lunch for the young performers, many of whom are orphans, homeless or vulnerable.
Skillshare International has worked in partnership with THT since 2007, and in early 2008 we placed development worker Rebecca Young in Dar es Salaam to support the project's growth and development. One of her greatest achievements has been directing this music video for the Malaria No More campaign, which features young people from THT.
Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College (KCMC) is a referral hospital for approximately ten million people in Northern Tanzania. It is the second national teaching centre for medical, nursing, allied health professional and chaplaincy students in Tanzania. KCMC Hospital has approximately 500 inpatients, 800 students and 1,400 staff.
KCMC's main activities are healing, teaching and research services. Occupational Therapy (OT) is one of the rehabilitation services offered at KCMC and addresses the comprehensive needs of disabled people. OT is a relatively new field in Tanzania and occupational therapists work in the organisations and centres that have sponsored their studies.
Skillshare International has worked with KCMC since 1998. We place qualified occupational therapists as development workers to provide services, support and advice to staff at the hospital and train OT students. We also provide the OT school with teaching resources and materials. The OT diploma course at KCMC has had a major impact on the rehabilitation services capacity of Tanzania.
RAMAT was established in 2004 to improve the livelihoods of the local Maasai communities in rural areas of the Ngorongoro District in Tanzania by providing technical skills and material resources to develop community education, women's empowerment and rural enterprise.
The Maasai community in the Ngorongoro District has the highest levels of illiteracy in Tanzania (more than 60%) and the local economy relies mainly on pastoralism which is declining due to diminishing pastureland; unreliable veterinary services and changing weather patterns. Gender inequality is also prevalent among the Maasai community and these inequalities contribute to low economic growth.
RAMAT is working to address these challenges by assisting 10,000 people residing in the Soit-Sambu Ward to decrease the illiteracy rate through the Community Literacy and Education Programme; to decrease dependency on pastoralism through the Enterprise Development Programme; and to increase women's empowerment by promoting the leadership and economic capacities of women.
Skillshare International's partnership with RAMAT supports their organisational development and promotes social change in the local Maasai community. The partnership works towards the success and sustainability of community outreach programmes and builds a strong resource base for community projects. Skillshare also placed an online 'virtual' development worker with RAMAT in 2007-8.
Accessibility to health services has been a major challenge to the rural community in the Uru North District in Tanzania. To address this issue, Skillshare International works with UNCODET, a local NGO with funding from the Big Lottery Fund for a five-year project.
Skillshare International placed a development worker at UNCODET to support the health and economic empowerment programmes. Through this project, women’s groups have been trained to manage their businesses and improve their products and marketing.
Skillshare has supported the rehabilitation and construction of two dispensaries, a shower block and a maternity wing. This intervention has reduced the long distances that local people have to walk to seek medical attention. Expectant mothers can now safely deliver their babies in a health facility and attend regularly for their young children's vaccinations.
