DODOMA: The Empowerment through Skills Programme (ESP), implemented by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), has signed a new agreement with its Community-Based Organisation (CBO) partners to promote gender equality, uphold human rights and enhance skills development across Tanzania.
The agreement, signed over the weekend in Dodoma, marks the start of another year of im- plementation, running from April 2025 to March 2026.
This initiative is part of ESP’s ongoing ef- forts to transform Tanzanian communities through inclusive and sustainable educational models.
The signing ceremony took place during a four-day CBO Refresher Workshop, which brought together representatives from 12 partner CBOs, accompanied by their Community Devel- opment Officers (CDOs) from various regions.
The workshop covered key topics such as fi- nance management, monitoring and evaluation, learning, mentorship, change management and team-building strategies.
As part of the agreement, the partner CBOs have committed to supporting the Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) in identifying patients with fistula and cleft lip conditions, further extending the pro- gramme’s impact on health and social inclusion.
Dr Alice Mumbi, CICan Country Represen- tative, emphasised the critical role CBOs play in driving social and economic transformation, particularly for women and girls.
“ESP partner CBOs are a vital bridge to the community, amplifying our reach, accelerating impact and ensuring no woman or girl is left behind.
Through their dedicated work, the ESP pro- gramme touches lives, dismantles harmful social norms and opens new economic opportunities for marginalised populations,” said Dr Mumbi.
Since its inception, the ESP programme has established a comprehensive capacity-building framework, supporting both Folk Development Colleges (FDCs) and CBOs in 12 communities across the country.
The programme has prioritised Training-of- Trainers (ToT) initiatives on Gender Equality, Human Rights, Environmental Sustainability and Occupational Health and Safety, while integrating ICT into its training approaches.
Reflecting on the workshop, ESP’s Senior Technical Advisor, Dr Paula Hayden underlined the central role of CBOs in long-term community transformation.
“Empowerment begins with access to knowledge, skills and safe spaces. These CBOs are not only implementing activities; they are shaping the future of their communities one training, one con- versation and one empowered woman at a time,” she said.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the ESP programme runs from 2021 to 2028 and aims to create alternative pathways to education, employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship for women and adolescent girls in Tanzania.
Funded by the Government of Canada in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania through Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST), through the Department of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (DTVET), the initiative seeks to increase female participation in skills training, improve access to gender and human rights education and promote inclusive economic participation in both the informal and formal sectors.
The programme also offers post-training sup- port to help beneficiaries transition into employ-ment or self-employment, thereby expanding op- portunities for underserved populations.
