LSF announces 3.1bn/- grants for expansion of access to justice services
THE Legal Services Facility (LSF) has issued 3.1bn/- grants to various partners who are implementing legal aid services programs for women and children across the country.
A total of 2.08bn/- of the budget has been channeled to 184 legal aid providers and paralegal organisations in mainland and Zanzibar as part of continued efforts to enhance access to justice in the communities through free legal aid services.
The fund is also meant to support six organisations that are supervising 92 paralegals in six zones across the country, a move that will help them to effectively implement their duties for the year 2023.
LSF Executive Director Lulu Ng’wanakilala said yesterday that the grant is part of efforts to support implementation of the newly launched Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign that is aimed at providing the service to women and children.
“This grant facility will also act as a catalyst in implementing the recently launched Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign which is invested in ensuring legal aid services benefit women and children,” she said.
The LSF boss noted that the campaign is implemented through provision of education on human rights, fighting gender-based violence, resolving land and inheritance disputes, legal systems, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms as well as capacity building for legal aid stakeholders in the country.
A part of the grant has been specifically earmarked for the Kilimanjaro Women Information Exchange and Community Organisation (KWIECO) towards implementing a project that focuses on addressing conflicts through alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
According to her, ADR is provided for in Section 107A (1) (d) of the Constitution that puts an emphasis on strengthening and enhancing dispute resolution between conflicting parties.
“Having such a system in place will enable ordinary citizens, especially women and children, to access their rights on time as well as creating an environment for timely addressing the emerging disputes,” she noted.
Other organisations that have received the allocation include Community Support Initiatives Tanzania (COSITA), Lindi Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (LANGO) and Civic Social Protection Foundation (CSP).
The NGOs that are based in Lindi and Manyara regions are implementing projects on agriculture, mining and blue economy in Lindi and Manyara regions that are directly responding to LFS’s thematic areas which seek to strengthen economic rights of the beneficiaries.
LSF in collaboration with COSITA will support women in Babati to access opportunities from agriculture and other related sectors of production through building capacity and by building their operational capacities as well as eliminating barriers on access to land ownership.
Moreover, LSF will work with LANGO to improve the economies of Lindi women living along the Indian Ocean by supporting them to effectively engage in seaweed and sea cucumber farming.
Again, the grant will support CSP on implementation of a project namely ‘Tanzanite for a Stronger Women’s Economy’ that was implemented in Mirerani in Simanjiro District of Manyara Region for the sake of addressing challenges facing women in the mining sector.
