NPA in Tanzania

NPA Tanzania works in close cooperation with local organisations, primarily centred in the Coast/Central Zone and the Kagera Region. The thematic focus of the country programme is Land and Resource Rights, Democratic Rights, Indigenous People’s Rights and Youth Rights.

Although macroeconomic growth rates have been positive for Tanzania in recent years, on a household level the majority of the Tanzanian rural population is not experiencing a positive growth rate. NPA Tanzania therefore emphasises the need to support civil society in Tanzania as a democratic corrective and as a pressure to ensure more egalitarian sharing of resources. Through its support to civil society NPA Tanzania is endeavouring to promote public watchdog functions – both locally and nationally.

NPA Tanzania supports local NGOs participation to the revision, implementation and monitoring of the Poverty Reduction Strategy and of the Local Government Reform. NPA’s partners represent the voice of the grass-root organisations in their interaction with the government, inform the population of the effects that new legislations and reforms might have on their daily life, and advocate for the empowerment of the many that would otherwise be completely excluded. NPA Tanzania is also actively engaged in a constructive critical role to disseminate information on and promote civil society interaction with MKURABITA - the formalisation programme in Tanzania. The major consultant to the MKURABITA  is Hernando de Soto’s Institute for Democracy and Liberty (ILD), funded by the Norwegian government.

NPA is implementing partner for the health, community services and education sectors in Lukole Refugee Camp in the Ngara District, Kagera Region populated with ca. 45.000 refugees from Burundi. This is under a tripartite agreement with UNHCR and the Government of Tanzania.  Security in Burundi is improving, leading to a continual flow of refugees in Tanzania returning home.  It is hoped that by 2008 the majority of Burundian refugees will have returned home.