TANZANIA: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAR ES SALAAM 000139 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E JTREADWELL STATE PASS TO USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN PREL KPAO PHUM AID TZ SUBJECT: TANZANIA: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL REF: 09 STATE 132094 ¶1. SUMMARY: Mission requests funding in the amount of USD 65,500 to support two projects. Both projects seek to empower women economically while building their self confidence and understanding of their rights. First, Post seeks USD 47,000 to support Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania's (CCBRT) Mabiniti Centre, which helps women recovering from fistula and mothers with disabled children develop business skills. Second, Post requests USD 18,500 for the Morogoro Paralegal Center's (MPLC) efforts to increase awareness of women's inheritance rights and women's access to legal services. Both organizations have strong leadership and proven records of fiscal responsibility. The projects align with Mission goals and complement other activities. They are presented below in order of priority. END SUMMARY Mabinti Centre: Empowering Vulnerable Women -------------- ¶2. Organization's Background: Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT),founded in 1994, is a Tanzanian NGO which provides rehabilitation services and support for people with disabilities. From its inception as a community based rehabilitation program in 1994, the organization has grown into a large comprehensive disability program including a disability hospital and international training program. Over 120,000 people with disabilities and their caregivers access its services each year. CCBRT established the Mabinti Center in 2007 to assist with the social and economic reintegration of women who have suffered from fistula or who are mothers of children with disabilities. The Mabinti Centre has three full time trainers, two contract workers for the production unit, three part-time consultant trainers and one coordinator. CCBRT's Community Programs department, which operates in line with the WHO Community-based Rehabilitation Guidelines, oversees the Mabinti Center. CCBRT has secured funding from various sources including major partners like the European Union (the third 4-year project commenced this year) and the USG (PEPFAR). This would be the first USG grant for the Mabinti Center. ¶3. Problem: Due to a lack of adequate medical care, an estimated 3,600 women in Tanzania suffer the devastating effects of Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF or fistula) each year. Untreated, VVF can lead to chronic medical, social and psychological problems. Women who have suffered from fistula often become isolated and depressed. Family support may be withdrawn and husbands frequently leave. Estranged from their families, these women have limited economic opportunities. Although CCBRT provides medical treatment to women with VVF, medical rehabilitation is not sufficient to address the social and economic challenges these women face. Similarly, mothers of children with disabilities face social and economic challenges. Prejudice and negative attitudes about disabilities are common in Tanzania, and women are often blamed for the impairment of the child. ¶4. Project Summary and Description: CCBRT established the Mabinti Centre to economically empower women recovering from fistula and mothers with disabled children. The Center seeks to mitigate the effects of social and economic exclusion by teaching these women a trade and providing them with the entrepreneurial skills they need to become economically self-sufficient. Through their participation in this program, women will not only develop tangible skills, but they will also cultivate a social support network to help them cope with the psychological effects of fistula or stigma associated with having a disabled child. ¶5. The training program is broken into two main parts: one for women recovering from fistula and another for women with disabled children. Over an 18 month period, 36 women recovering from fistula will be given daily instruction in sewing, screen printing, and beading. In addition, the women will attend weekly English lessons and business seminars. The training will also incorporate sessions on life skills, focusing on communication, decision-making, leadership, and health education. Upon graduating from the program, the women will receive a business starter kit with a sewing machine, scissors, measuring tape and raw materials that will enable them to start their businesses. Simultaneously, CCBRT proposes to offer 90 mothers of disabled children a bi-weekly crochet course and supply them with a starter kit at the end of the two to four month course. ¶6. Project Budget: We request funding of USD 47,100 from the Women's Issues Small Grant Initiative for this project, to support costs associated with its training staff (USD 8,200); the training program, including transport, allowance, and lunch for trainees (USD 9,800); materials, including fabric, string, beads, and paint (USD 20,400); the starter kits (USD 4,400); and product development and marketing including a field visit, sewing machines, a printing table, and wood frames (USD 4,300). CCBRT will supplement these costs with sales of Mabinti products (USD 40,500) and support from DAR ES SAL 00000139 002 OF 003 other donors (USD 26,000),towards an estimated total project cost of USD 114,500. ¶7. Sustainability and Reach: Following graduation, the Mabinti Center will organize monthly meetings so the women can share business ideas and continue to benefit from the peer support network. Through these activities, the women will build their confidence and share their knowledge and skills with others. Moreover, the sale of Mabinti crafts will continue to support the center's operations. ¶8. This project would complement other Mission programs, including policy advocacy through PEPFAR for improvements in women's health and access to quality medical care. At the same time, it would fill a gap for the underserved sufferers of fistula. Improving Women's Inheritance Rights - MPLC -------------- ¶8. Organization's Background: Established in 1993, the Women's Legal Aid Center, Morogoro Paralegal Center is a non-governmental organization that provides legal counseling and aid in Morogoro region through a network of 100 volunteers. MPLC has established 28 paralegal groups in three wards of the Morogoro region and has a legal aid clinic in Morogoro town. MPLC's clinic helps 400 to 500 persons annually with its services, which include counseling and mediation; document drafting; awareness-raising; and efforts to improve women's access to land. With funding from Action Aid Denmark and the Foundation for Civil Society, MPLC conducted a campaign in two districts of Morogoro to raise awareness about land dispute resolution and joint land ownership. MPLC was awarded the Best NGO in Tanzania by the Foundation for Civil Society in 2008. ¶9. Problem: Although according to Tanzanian law, widows have the right to inherit land, in rural areas, there is only limited awareness of these rights. Communities often rely on traditional customs that do not allow a widow to inherit her husband's property. As a result, widows often find themselves impoverished following the death of their husbands. Based on MPLC's experience with rural communities in Morogoro, inheritance issues can be mitigated by explaining inheritance rights to community members, advising villagers about the importance of wills, and offering legal support to widows. ¶10. Project Summary and Description: To address this issue, MPLC proposes to increase the awareness and knowledge of women's inheritance rights, improve women's access to legal aid, and encourage Tanzanians to draft wills in the Mvomero and Hembeti wards (13 villages) of the Morogoro region. MPLC's project has several elements. To increase awareness, MPLC proposes to hold theatrical performances in eleven villages for an estimated 4,400 persons to educate them about inheritance rights. In addition, it will conduct focus group discussions on inheritance rights in two wards with 60 persons. Finally, MPLC proposes to train 50 local government officials on inheritance law. In an effort to improve legal access for women, MPLC will train 20 volunteer paralegals on inheritance law, court procedures, and legal counseling. In so doing, MPLC will expand its network of paralegals and increase its capacity to offer legal services to an additional 100 women. Finally, MPLC proposes to conduct train the trainer sessions in two wards for 60 persons on will writing. Participants in each session will draft an action plan on inheritance for the villages. MPLC will also produce a pamphlet on will writing and distribute more than 1,000 copies. The project will last for seven months. ¶11. Project Budget: MPLC is asking for USD 18,500 to support its activities. These funds will be allocated as follows: USD 3,900 for the theatrical performances, including costumes, play preparation, and transport; USD 800 for focus group refreshments and facilitation fees; USD 4,600 to train local officials including hotel, transport, per diem and training materials; USD 2,100 to train volunteer paralegals including refreshments, training materials, venue, and facilitators' fees; USD 500 for supervision of paralegals in the field including lodging and transportation costs for supervisors; USD 1300 for legal aid and counseling activities including transportation for volunteers, furniture for the clinic, and stationary; and USD 2,600 for the will writing train the trainer session including venue fees, training materials, participants' and facilitators' hotel, transport, and per diem expenses. An additional USD 700 and USD 300 will be used to cover the cost of drafting the pamphlet on will writing and following up on the train the trainer sessions respectively. MPLC requests USD 1,700 for organizational and coordination expenses. ¶12. Sustainability and Reach: Through the network of volunteer paralegals, the MPLC will continue to raise awareness and offer support to widows who have been denied their inheritance. Further, DAR ES SAL 00000139 003 OF 003 in raising awareness of this issue, fewer widows will be left without a means of supporting themselves and their families. ¶13. Given the critical role women play in agriculture in Tanzania, this project will be serve as an important complement to USAID's food security programming, which will focus on the Morogoro region, as well as USAID's efforts to increase access to credit for women. ¶14. COMMENT: After posting a request for proposals (RFP) on our website and circulating the RFP to key Mission contacts, we received approximately 400 grant proposals targeting a variety of pressing women's issues in Tanzania. NGOs from across the country outlined the need for projects aimed at reducing gender based violence, improving food security, addressing climate change, educating women about inheritance rights, providing legal services to women, establishing micro-credit facilities for women, developing women's entrepreneurial skills, and improving women's health. There were many worthy projects among the submissions; we will encourage a number of groups to apply for funding through the Ambassador's Community Grants Program. END COMMENT ¶15. The grant will be managed by the Political and Economic Section. Post wishes to thank S/GWI for considering these proposals. Additional information can be provided upon request. LENHARDT