Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania s1

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN TANZANIA

KARAGWE DIOCESE

Vulnerable Children OVCs/MVCs School Support Programme.

TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR) FOR THE PROJECT PHASE II

JANUARY 2011 – DECEMBER,2013.

01. Introduction and Overview.

The ELCT – Karagwe Diocese has been supporting poor and vulnerable children since the outbreak of HIV/AIDS pandemic in the year 1982 as part of Church’s diakonia services. Due to obvious increase of the OVC’s in the area as a result of HIV/AIDS, the diocese was obliged to initiate a project to support orphans. The project started by offering small scale services and support provided through Home Based Care (HBC) services. The increase in number of orphans in need and their needs left most of vulnerable orphans more distress and poor due to the increase in stigma amongst community members, as a result more were left un attended and thus deprived of their rights.

In response to the situation the Diocese used its grass root structures to identify and inventory children who were in real need of support so that the diocese could assist them to access to primary and secondary education as well as equip them with vocational education/professional courses that could enhance their employability and therefore improve their livelihoods.

The Diocese has been being supported by Danmission throughout the period. The project officially started in the year 1991 and it was implemented in line with DanchurchAid funded project the KZACP/ACP-KAD of which provided staff to implement these activities.

The first specific Evaluation was done in October 2007 which concluded to have a 3(three) years phase and be Evaluated for re-planning for the next following findings. The first phase was established to be January 2008 – December 2010.

02. Major conclusion from the 2008 – 2010 phase Evaluation.

The evaluation noted that, the project was successful in bringing the issues facing OVCs and MVCs to the attention of relevant duty bearers in society, these included parents and guardians, government leaders at district, ward and village levels as well as church and other community leaders and communities at large.

The report showed that the project promoted the participation of all stakeholders including community members, Faith based organizations, schools, Wards and Village Governments and district council in addressing the problems of OVCs and MVCs. As a result of community empowerment the issues facing OVCs and MVCs are now treated as development issues that would need the attention of all stakeholders. Furthermore, the project contributed in information dissemination as well as raising awareness on Human Rights in the society generally.

In addition, it had created awareness about the importance of education among community members. Finally the project contributed to the achievement of the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, especially the priorities related to addressing the issues of orphans and most vulnerable children in society.

03. Description of the problem.

The school support project finds the main problem to be the un-realization of children’s rights, especially their rights to education, health, correct information and participation. In addition, violation and abuse of children’s rights within marginalized poor families and communities at large is still a big problem in the district. The contributing factor to this injustice is might be attributed to lack of community awareness especially on human rights, low economic opportunities and empowerment as well as commitment to the rights of a child. Furthermore, duty bearers especially guardians of the poor and marginalized sector and communities at large(Supported by the patriarchal system) has yet not internalized the significance of poor boys and girls education in terms of resources and emphasis.

On the other hand, rights holders including parent’s, guardians, boys and girls themselves are less empowered and do not have the capacity to demand for their rights because they don’t even understand their rights, but also lack the skills, guts and will to hold duty bearers accountable for their actions or omissions. The dependence syndrome developed by long-standing needs based approach that focused on provision of handouts to the OVCs is another main problem and a meaning to this project as it evolutes to rights based approach aiming for ownership and sustainability.

It was however noted that there are specific situations relating to gender aspects in Karagwe District context which include the following:-

· Some women and especially girls are being discriminated especially in Rural Communities at the household level, as a result they are less likely to access economic resources and are subservient to males in many aspects of life, and they are therefore rendered vulnerable to violence, sexual abuse and ignorance.

· A Boy child is given priority to education rather than a Girl Child in the Rural Community in Karagwe, this particularly addresses gender inequality which makes women and girls more vulnerable to all walls of life. Girls are often forced into transactional sex due to lack of skills services and alternative survival strategies.

· Girls are prepared to become care takers responding to a man’s voice in the family and households as a result as younger women they are not taught about sexual health. They do not have the skills and confidence to negotiate for safer sex and generally cannot refuse unwanted or unsafe sex.

· Girls and women are given less chances in leadership than their opposite sex; this ascertains poor access to basic social services in health and education among rural poor girls and women.

· Rearing the children in the home is rather a woman’s duty different from the man (Father).

· Decision making is for men and women are there to respond to what has been decided. There is limited participation of communities in decision making processes that affect their lives. Most women and girls in Karagwe district communities rarely consulted on issues that affect social and economic development in their villages.

· Discrimination in dissemination of HIV/AIDS information, low involvement of women compared to men in participating in meetings and forums in rural communities is another problem necessitating addressing as women have equal rights to participate. Further more, most rights holders do not communicate with duty bearers including local politicians.

04. Project phase II – January 2011 – December 2013.

Primary targets have been as follows:-

I. Orphans and Vulnerable Children aged 10 – 18 years.

II. Vulnerable adolescents and youths aged over 18 years attending institutions higher learning and vocational institutions, out of school.

III. High risk adolescents groups and Children who may vary according to the area (Eg. Children in fishing communities/Children in Prisons/Shanties or HIV infected.

IV. Poor marginalized and vulnerable and families.

Main Secondary Target.

Duty bearers which are legal or moral from communities at their different capacities who have capacity to guarantee protection for OVCs and MVCs to address gender equality.

Main Secondary targets include:-

· Local community structures like Village Aids Committee, Ward tribunal, Ward development councils, Village Governments as well as Church structures.

· Local Government, Religious, Community and Traditional Leaders at Village, Ward, Congregations up to the district level.

· Teachers in Primary and Secondary schools and other community extension officers.

· Community based groups (CBO’s, Theatre groups, Village Most Vulnerable Children Committees, formed by the Government.

· District council departments

· Private enterprises, child rights activists.

· Community Radios in Karagwe(FADECO/Karagwe) station.

05. The goal of phase II (Overall objective)

To build a healthy and educated Karagwe district community by fulfilling children’s rights through provision of equal opportunities and access to public social services.

Having described the project package with interventions to be carried, it is for this important reason for the project implementing organs to seek for capacity to Evaluate the project for allowing the next steps as it will be indicated by the findings and conclusions to be, as well as possible replanning workshop.

Thank you and humble to submit.

Venant Thomas Mugenyi

Project Coordinator

Karagwe Diocese.