General

Nicaragua recently returned to the VLIR-UOS list of partner countries -after a few years without project opportunities- because of its potential for academic cooperation and the interest of Flemish HEI to work with Nicaraguan HEI. VLIR-UOS supports interventions that empower higher education institutes in their role as drivers of change. All interventions frame within the VLIR-UOS Country Strategy for Nicaragua which fits in the national human development plan (PNDH), higher education priorities and the JSF. The strategy is translated in 3 domains: environment (climate change, effects on disease, agriculture, biodiversity, natural resources, link economy, link ecotourism&labels/entrepreneurship, waste management), territorial development (land transition, local development&governance, productive landscapes, agroforestry, spatial contexts, rurality, conflict, agricultural development, sustainable development, link public health/disease control) and society (inclusive governments, human rights, social&community development, education, local governance, migration, transitional justice, intercultural issues, land rights, gender&violence, youth&violence, link public health/disease control). Special attention should go to cross-cutting and supporting issues related to higher education and research (research strategy/thinking, problem based research and innovation, academic English, proposal writing, open library & access systems, gender mainstreaming and balances, intercultural diversity, multidisciplinary research). The programme will be a kind of exploratory phase aiming at motivating researchers to submit project proposals for TEAM and South Initiatives. At least a few projects should be able to take place.

General

This programme aims to improve the livelihoods of family farmers, small-scale entrepreneurs and pastoralists in eight districts in Tanzania and northern Zanzibar. This will be done through the strengthening of their member based organisations they seek support from to improve their business environment, productivity and voice in society. Trias also believes that a higher participation of these groups in the economy will lead to a more stable and more prosperous and inclusive society. Therefore, the Tanzania programme will improve the capacities and performance of 5 Member based organisations, 7 SACCOS, 1 milk cooperative and 35 VICOBAs through advice and support on technical and financial matters as well as organisational development. Together these organisations - of which 42% are women and 21% are youth - reach more than 38,320 people (35100 farmers and 3,220 entrepreneurs) with their services. These organisations have proven to be legitimate actors for change in society, and have shown concrete willingness to work on an inclusive society and a sustainable environment. The Tanzania programme will especially focus on improving their capacities related to inclusivity, leadership, integrated service delivery (including access to finance and business development activities), advocacy, networking and cooperation. The MBOs have selected 6 value chains to work on: fresh vegetables, onions, garlic, poultry, milk and honey (all having important economic potential and a pro-poor and pro-women character). Furthermore, the programme has a special focus on the environment especially related to land use planning, protection of wildlife corridors, human wildlife conflict prevention and erosion prevention and will invest in smart use of ICT.

Objectives

6 MBOs of FF and SSEs based in dynamic urban areas and in the surrounding rural areas have been strengthened and are contributing to a better business environment and a more inclusive and sustainable economy in Northern Tanzania.

Target Groups

Our intermediary target group are the ‘direct key actors’ within our programme; being: the staff and leaders of our 7 local partners, as well as all members having received training and/or credit. This is estimated at around 12,000– of which 44 % Women, and 22% Youth (baseline 2016) Our final beneficiaries are the members of the MBOs within our programme: organized family farmers (FF) and small-scale entrepreneurs (SSE). In 2016, this membership consisted of 38,320 people - of which 42% women and 21% youth.