By Deogratius Koyanga, Kondoa
More than 80 community gender facilitators (Waraghibishi) from Kondoa District Council and Kondoa Town Council have completed an intensive four-day training aimed at empowering them to lead gender-responsive and inclusive development in their communities. The workshop, held at Riverside Grounds in Kondoa Town, was organized by the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation and funded by the Irish Embassy through the Tuinuke Pamoja project.
The training focused on enhancing participants’ capacity to engage meaningfully in local government planning and budgeting processes, with a specific emphasis on the Opportunities and Obstacles to Development (O&OD) model. Community facilitators learned how to identify community priorities through a gender lens, mobilize voices at the grassroots level, and advocate for the inclusion of those priorities in council budgets and development plans.
These efforts are grounded in key legal and policy frameworks, including the Constitution of Tanzania, the Local Government Acts, the Public Finance Act, the National Strategy for Gender Development, and international commitments such as CEDAW, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Beijing Platform for Action.
According to lead trainer Mr. Deogratius Temba, the community groups and Knowledge Centers were guided through the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, which focuses on utilizing existing community resources to solve local problems. “Our aim is to build capacity for local transformation. The Tuinuke pamoja participants should not just identify problems, but also lead solutions from within the community,” he said. “They are now equipped to engage in the full budget cycle—from identifying gender-based priorities to tracking implementation and demanding accountability.”
In addition to budget literacy, the community women and men explored practical ways to improve access to essential services through gender-responsive initiatives. These include advocating for the availability of sanitary pads in schools to support girls’ education, promoting maternal and child health services, improving access to clean and safe water, and addressing gender-based violence. Ms. Fredina Saidi, one of the KC Member from Kishapu DC, Shinyanga, sharing the experience, emphasized the importance of participatory engagement, noting, “A KC is like a lamp that lights up issues in the community and guides people toward solutions. Through dialogue, we create opportunities for change.”
The training comes at a strategic moment as LGAs prepare for the 2025/2026 budget cycle. With these new skills, KCs and women groups are now positioned to support gender equity in policy and practice, ensuring that community voices are not only heard but reflected in decisions. Through the Tuinuke Pamoja project, TGNP and partners have also established Knowledge Centers (KCs) in Keikei (Kondoa DC) and Suruke (Kondoa TC), which serve as platforms for learning, advocacy, and civic engagement.
