Tanzania – Childcare, Protection and Youth Empowerment

Almost 2 million children in Tanzania are classified as Most Vulnerable Children (children under 18 who are living in extreme deprivation which endangers their health, wellbeing and long-term development), with approximately 40% of those having lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS. Many orphaned children experience neglect and discrimination, and often do not attend school. The main challenge facing children’s education is a lack of financial resources, as many children are forced to leave their schooling so they can work and create income for their families. In the Arusha region, the Department of Social Welfare has identified 54,911 Most Vulnerable Children. The cause of this is largely due to population growth, family disintegration, death of parents, substance abuse and poverty.

SOS Tanzania has worked in the Arusha region since 2000. To strengthen the program’s quality and relevance, and respond to the actual needs of the target group, a wider approach has been developed, building resilience on both child, family and community levels. The program has multiple elements to it:

Foster families: Establish, train and support foster families to take care of at least 100 children.

Youth employment: Provide vocational and life skills training for youth to help them become employed and self-sufficient. Every youth has an individual plan to become self-sufficient and exit the program. This is supported and followed up by SOS Tanzania.

Family strengthening: Strengthen the capacity of caregivers through positive parenting strategies and strengthen the caregivers’ social and financial resources. Focus on rural areas where poverty, domestic violence and family disintegration are widespread. Every family has an individual plan to become self-sufficient and exit the program. This is supported and followed up by SOS Tanzania through trainings and family visits.

Local communities: Support local authorities to strengthen their knowledge to manage the community-based child protection system and implement the existing National Plan of Action on Violence Against Women and Children.

Children’s rights: Children and young people in SOS Family Care are empowered to prevent and respond to violence and abuse through child participation trainings, children’s clubs and community activities.

Photo: Anne Kidmose