Tanzania celebrates global Youth Day prioritizing policy and civic engagement skills

DODOMA: A youth-led initiative is empowering young Tanzanians with policy knowledge and civic engagement skills to enable them to participate more effectively in policy discussions and development processes.

Known as Key Jana Impact, the initiative was established by five Tanzanian youth who participated in training under the Danida Fellows programme, which seeks to equip young people from different African countries with knowledge and skills to contribute to sustainable development in their respective countries.

The project is implemented in partnership with ActionAid Tanzania and supported by the Embassy of Denmark in Tanzania.

Speaking during the International Youth Day celebrations in Dodoma, Key Jana Impact Communications Coordinator Erick Malliya said the initiative focuses on bridging the information gap between young people and policy processes.

He said the project was designed to equip young people with information on policies affecting their lives, enabling them to engage in policy discussions and processes at different levels.

“The project seeks to enable young Tanzanians to access policy information and strengthen their capacity to participate in different policy discussions and processes,” Mr Malliya said.

He said the initiative was currently being implemented in Pemba, Kigoma, Ruvuma and Mara, with activities also planned for Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.

According to him, the project focuses on issues including the economy, climate change and good governance, with the aim of enabling young people to make informed contributions to sustainable development.

He said the project had already provided young people with opportunities to engage with policy processes at grassroots level.

“In Pemba, for example, young people were engaged on policies relating to the blue economy, while in Mara, the focus included economic and governance issues. Some of the young people have participated in policy processes from the village and shehia levels,” he said.

Key Jana Impact project implementer and DANIDA Fellow, Thabiti John, said the initiative had established platforms where young people could access information and build their capacity to advocate for policies affecting their communities.

He said activities in Mara had covered the districts of Serengeti, Butiama and Tarime, where young people were being equipped with knowledge on policy advocacy and encouraged to share the information with other youth.

“In Tarime, for instance, we discuss issues affecting young people in a border community, including how they can benefit from cross-border economic opportunities between Tanzania and Kenya,” he said.

He said similar engagements had been conducted in Zanzibar on the blue economy and in Kigoma, with the initiative seeking to ensure that young people understand policies and governance processes at local level.

Meanwhile, Key Jana Impact Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Genila Hiel said the project had so far directly reached about 250 young people through activities aimed at strengthening their capacity in policy engagement and civic participation.

She said the initiative had conducted activities in Mara, Pemba, Ruvuma and Kigoma, while further activities were planned for Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.

“Our main objective is to strengthen young people’s participation in civic processes and policy processes. By the end of the project, we expect to reach about 600,000 young people directly and indirectly through conferences, workshops, meetings and other major youth platforms,” Ms Hiel said.

For beneficiaries, the initiative has provided practical knowledge on how young people can identify opportunities and become more involved in decision-making processes.

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Abdulbasit Ibrahim Kombo, a beneficiary from Pemba, said the project had helped him and other young people understand how they could make better use of opportunities arising from the blue economy.

“Pemba is surrounded by the ocean, but many young people did not have sufficient information on how to use this resource as an opportunity. Through the project, we have been guided on the opportunities available, how to access them and how we can benefit,” he said.

Mr Kombo, who is also chairman of a youth council in Mikoroshoni Shehia, said the training had strengthened his ability to respond to challenges facing young people in his community.

“After the training, I have been able to help young people access training on opportunities in the blue economy and encourage them to participate in decision-making and civic processes,” he said.

The initiative’s participation in the International Youth Day celebrations in Dodoma is intended to provide an additional platform for young people from different regions to exchange experiences and strengthen networks around youth participation and development.

The International Youth Day celebrations are being held under the theme “Different Environment, Equal Opportunities for Youth,” highlighting the importance of creating inclusive opportunities that enable young people from diverse backgrounds to contribute to development.