PARENTS and guardians have been advised to motivate their children aged between 10-19 years who are out of school to enroll into the Accelerated Hope and Development for Urban Adolescent (AHADI) programmes for behavioural change.
Implemented by World Vision Tanzania, the project uses evidence-based models, including care groups and IMPACT Plus Club to create a multiplier effect through a peer-to-peer education and behaviour approach in Dodoma and Dar es Salaam regions, to raise awareness on issues of sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among others.
World Vision Tanzania Project Manager, Ms Mwivano Malimbi made the call in Dar es Salaam recently while Canada’s Minister of International Development, Mr Harjit Sajjan visited Baba Watoto Organisation, which is implementing the project.
Mr Sajjan was accompanied by Canadian Member of Parliament, Arielle Kayabaga and a delegation from the High Commission of Canada.
According to Ms Malimbi, through the above approaches the out-of-school adolescents were empowered to transition well into adulthood as active citizens with competencies, values, confidence and social connectedness.
She said the goal is to reach 60,000 youths by March 2024, noting that the assessment carried out by World Vision discovered that 20 per cent of the targeted number between the ages of 15-19 were out of school.
So far, for Dar es Salaam, the project has reached 28 per cent of school dropouts and 35 per cent for Dodoma.
“To acquire a national identification card, a holder has to be 18 years old and above. The government has to re-look this special group,” she said.
The Executive Director of Baba Watoto Organisation, Mr Ngunga Mwamnyenyelwa, revealed that the centre has been supporting adolescents in schools as well as out-of-school, to deal with challenges relating to sexual reproductive health rights for two consecutive years.
On the other hand, he said, the AHADI project is executed in three administrative wards of Ubungo District including Mburahati where the centre is located.
