Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) and UNICEF Tanzania launched a capacity strengthening programme targeting youth-led and women-led civil society organisations (CSOs) across three of Tanzania’s key regions; Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Songwe.
The initiative marks a historic first: FCS’s first direct partnership with the United Nations, and a significant milestone in the mcollective effort to localise solutions for Tanzania’s most vulnerable children and adolescents.
Foundation for Civil Society (FCS) and UNICEF Tanzania launched a capacity strengthening programme targeting youth-led and women-led civil society organisations (CSOs) across three of Tanzania’s key regions; Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Songwe.
The initiative marks a historic first: FCS’s first direct partnership with the United Nations, and a significant milestone in the collective effort to localise solutions for Tanzania’s most vulnerable children and adolescents.
Also speaking at the launch, a representative Miranda Armstrong, Chief of Child Protection from UNICEF said, ‘By investing in the long -term capacity of youth-led and women-led CSOs, this program equips them with the institutional and programmatic resilience needed to thrive beyond donor-funded cycle.’
Regional Community Development Officer for Dar es Salaam Region, Ms Given Sure said “This partnership marks a meaningful step in our learning pathway, and we are proud to walk this journey alongside our CSO partners as we grow, learn, and create lasting impact together.”
Additionally, the Regional Community Development Officer in Dar es Salaam said, ‘Strengthening the capacity of youth-led and girl/women-led CSOs aligns directly with Tanzania’s national priorities.
It supports the aspirations of Tanzania Vision 2050 by promoting inclusive development and citizen empowerment and advances the National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC II) by enhancing community-led initiatives for violence prevention and response.’
Tanzania has a largely youthful population, with adolescents aged 10 -19 making up about 23 per cent of the total population. This demographic profile presents both opportunities and challenges.
Adolescents hold the potential to drive innovation and socio-economic progress, yet they also face multiple vulnerabilities that demand urgent, coordinated, and context-specific responses. These include high rates of teenage pregnancy, child marriage, and violence whether physical, emotional, or sexual, along with limited access to youth-responsive health and social services and few opportunities to influence decisions that shape their lives.
Youth-led and women-led civil society organizations (CSOs) are particularly well placed to address these challenges. Operating close to communities, they bring agility, contextual understanding, community trust, and the capacity to mobilize quickly.
They play a pivotal role in delivering services, advancing advocacy, driving innovation, and ensuring accountability.
Following a closed call for applications, 30 CSOs from Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Songwe were selected. The CSOs will receive tailored training, mentorship and institutional support to strengthen their governance, leadership, advocacy, financial management, and resource mobilization skills.
CSOs that successfully complete the intensive training, and mentorship will be invited to apply for a seed grant worth TZS 25,000,000 each. These funds will be used to deliver a pilot project.
