Vision for Youth, Arusha URT
in the implementation of
The Behavior Change and Communication Project in Arusha Region, Tanzania
March 2015
Vision for Youth (V4Y)
P.O BOX 8323 Arusha, Tanzania East Africa
Sakina area, Sakina Majengo road.
Email: ;
Tel: +255 784 997418 / +255 762 580504
Web:
The Behavior change Communication Project in Arusha Region, Tanzania
The Project Narrative:
Organisational Background (one and a half page)
Established in 2008, Vision for Youth (V4Y) is a reputable national organization based in Arusha, Tanzania. It is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious organization registered in 2011 with Reg. No 00NGO/00004989 to work nationally in Tanzania Mainland with a very sound vision and mission of changing lives for the better future.
Our thematic areas of work range from youth engagement in socio-economic development to science and technology. Thus on gender, human rights, education, agriculture, environment, health and entire holistic community development.
Vision for Youth (V4Y) has seen that there is significance in looking at these issues broadly and practically. The most essential way to eradicate existing problem is to support youth and women attaining their dreams through different projects for sustainable development. We believe our greatest accountability is providing the best possible attention in youth and women development in our programs. In every decision we make, the welfare of the youth and women is our first priority.
We have gained recommendable experience in raising awareness and creating mass educative campaigns and continue to believe that creating more awareness and increasing knowledge among the youths and women will lead to the development of a new generation of Tanzanians made of leaders and role models able to create a conducive environment for a better and sustainable future by addressing Social, Traditional and Economic difficulties that may deter them. We have a strong result-oriented transparent team to spearhead a multitude of projects within the required time possible under strict accounting rules and regulations with strong core values.
Vision for Youth (V4Y) is always liaising with other Volunteer utilizing programs in the country and assisting in communitywide efforts to recognize and promote volunteerism by bearing primary responsibility for planning of effective volunteer utilization towards creating awareness campaigns against poverty, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and human rights violation in order to improve the life conditions of our youth and women.
In wake of curbing unemployment among the youth, and defending children and women rights, Vision for Youth (V4Y) has a number of projects which are on-going and others are up-coming. Project Behavioural Change and Communication (BCC) among students in secondary schools, colleges and universities around Arusha is one of our on-going projects. In this project, we equip these learners with life skills, communication skills, drug abuse avoidance, reproductive health, STDs and HIV awareness.
Vision for Youth (V4Y) is a gender sensitive organization given the fact that it’s Founder and Executive Director is a young woman. We have always stood together to cause behavioral change amongst all community members to shun gender based violence. Young women are on the forefront in our upcoming project “Women SHIELD the Nation” that aims at increasing awareness about the rights of vulnerable groups such as the girls, women and the disabled. The other up-coming projects are the Innovative Mobile Library Project, Equipping Youth with Entrepreneurship Skills (the EYE Project) Project; Youth Feed the Nation Project among others.
We believe our second greatest accountability is the trust of our supporters. For that basis we make sure that all funds and resources are used wisely, with honesty and full accountability. We can guarantee that 100% of grants are spent on the appropriate project.
Our Vision is to have a responsible and independent next generation, capable of overcoming the challenges they face and finding solutions to the problems that affect them and Our Missionis to promote and lead approaches that enhances sustainable livelihoods of the young people by ensuring access and equity in building capacities and hand-on interventions.
Sexual and reproductive health rights are one of our priority areas because Tanzania is facing challenges in achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially MDG 4 on child mortality and MDG 5 on maternal health. The maternal mortality rate is 454 per 100,000 live births, well above the 2015 target of 133 per 100,000.To positively change the violent environment upon which youth and women find themselves is a process; behavioural change happen with time through sensitization and awareness creation, increased positive social interactions; and involvement of all stakeholders at all levels.
Local Needs/Demographics (½ page)
Youth aged 10-24 years face severe consequences due to uneven and inequitable access to institutional sexual and reproductive health information and services. In response to this challenge, Vision for Youth (V4Y) has been conducting life skills training especially reproductive health trainings in secondary schools and colleges around Arusha city. This is due to inadequate resources to reach several secondary schools and colleges in rural districts of Arusha region.
There are issues in the society that have been regarded by many Tanzania culture and traditions as not being eligible to be discussed in the open or say by youth, yet they matter in people’s daily lives and affect their behaviors. One of these issues is reproductive health and sexual related issues, which are left to be discussed among elders and not the young people who later carry on the consequences of their silence in relationships. In this regard, there have been many cases of unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, sexual transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, gender based violence, harmful traditional practices like early marriages and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), stigma, discrimination and human rights violation.
Arusha Region in north-eastern Tanzania is predominantly inhabited by pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, seasonal cultivators and hunter populations in rural areas. Challenges in access to health services are compounded by the unique pastoralist livelihoods strategies and settlement patterns and the deeply revered traditional practices which influence health seeking practices in particular of women and girls.
The situation is worse in rural districts where more than 80 per cent of the whole population resides; however, education on reproductive health and its services reach them at a very low stage that is plus the poor social services including few, distant and unstaffed health centers.
Currently the Tanzania curriculum in secondary school does not adequately address issues of sexual and reproductive health. If the project supports schools to provide additional awareness and education, it will go a long way in improving awareness among the young girls in school. Teachers’ skills in sexual and reproductive health also need to be improved to enable them handle issues in a community that deeply values some negative practices and understand how to handle the unique challenges girls face.There is a very little voice to influence the government in parliament on issues of reproductive health resulting to very weak budgeting on reproductive health and policy enforcement.
Proposed Project Description (2-3 pages)
The project and its title stems from the fact young people aged 14 to 24 years have been denied or deny themselves rights to speak up especially on issues of sexual and reproductive health. Their freedom to be speech and be heard is in limbo. Whenever they try to engage in issues of sexual and reproductive health, they often get ashamed or embarrassed among their friends, relatives and community at large. The Behavior Change and Communication Project will act as an ice-breaker to start meaningful conversation on issues of sexual and reproductive health and stop risky and inappropriate behaviors at homes, schools, colleges and events related or resulting from reproductive health ignorance.
The main recipients of the project are youth aged 14 to 24 in 14 secondary schools and 3 colleges in the rural Monduli District in Arusha Region. Community members such as local leaders, teachers, and health workers will be the secondary beneficiaries of the project. The project will involve Faith and Community Based Organisations leaders and traditional leaders.
This initial seed grant will fund The Behavior Change and Communication Project in the selected district of Monduli where the main economic activities are livestock keeping, agriculture production and wildlife. More than 90 per cent of the population is engaged in livestock raring and agriculture.
Monduli District Council is one of the seven district councils of Arusha Region. Monduli District is situated between latitudes 3.00” to 4.50’ South of the Equator and Longitudes 36.50’ to 36.45’ East of Greenwich Meridian. It is bordered by Arumeru Districts to the East, Ngorongoro and Karatu Districts to the West, Mbulu and Babati to the South and Simanjiro District to the South-East and Longido district to the North.Administratively the District is 15 Wards and 48 Villages.
Our Project Goal:
To provide essential information and contribute to the enhancement of sexual and reproductive health services in Arusha Region.
Objectives of the Project:
- To terminate and avert juvenile sex relationships, immature marriages and unplanned pregnancies among 2400 young people by June 2015 in Monduli District.
- To prevent the spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections / Diseases (STIs / STDs) such as HIV/AIDS, Gonorrhea, Syphilis among 2400 young people by June 2015in Monduli District.
- To promote a culture of prevention and recognition of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence through increasing awareness and knowledge about the evils among 2400 young people and 238 teachers and community leaders by June 2015 in Monduli District.
Expected Outcomes and Activities for each Objective:
Objective One: To terminate and avert juvenile sex relationships, immature marriages and unplanned pregnancies among 2400 young people by June 2015 in Monduli District.Expected Outcomes for this Objective / Activities for this Objective
- Reduced early marriages-decreased number of young parents.
- Reduced unwanted pregnancies-reduced number of young mothers.
- Reduced drop-out rates from schools and colleges.
- Reduced rate of maternal death especially caused by unwanted pregnancies.
- Improved academic performance in schools and colleges.
- Reduced miscarriages and abortions.
- Reduced street children.
- Reduced spread of STDs.
- Increased awareness and knowledge about contraceptives
b)Through training of school staff.
c)Through training of students leaders.
d)Training of students through brainstorming, role play, lectures and Group Discussions.
e)Demonstrations by use of contraceptives.
f)Demonstrations on how to use a condom on penis model.
g)Through distribution of leaflets.
h)Edutainment activities e.g. drama.
i)Through use of pictures and charts.
j)Formation of Red Card Clubs.
k)Use of Evaluation Forms at the end of the training.
Objective 2: To prevent the spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections / Diseases (STIs / STDs) such as HIV/AIDS, Gonorrhea, Syphilis among 2400 young people by June 2015 in Monduli District.
Expected Outcomes from this Objective / Activities for this Objective
- Reduced rate of STDs prevalence rate.
- Increased fear for STDs and hence safe sex.
- Increased awareness and knowledge about how to use condoms.
- Increased need to test for HIV Voluntarily.
- Reduced death rates and street children.
- Reduced stigma and discrimination.
- Reduced dropouts from schools and hospitals.
- Increased awareness and knowledge about guidance and counseling.
b)Through training of school staff.
c)Through training of students leaders.
d)Training of students through brainstorming, role play, lectures and Group Discussions.
e)Through voluntary HIV testing.
f)Through demonstrations on how to use a condom on penis model.
g)Through distribution of leaflets.
h)Edutainment activities e.g. drama.
i)Formation of Red CardClubs.
j)Through use of pictures and charts.
k)Use of Evaluation Forms at the end of the training.
Objective 3: To promote a culture of prevention and recognition of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence through increasing awareness and knowledge about the evils among 2400 young people and 238 teachers and community leaders by June 2015 in Monduli District.
Expected Outcomes from this Objective / Activities for this Objective
- Reduced cases of sexual abuse.
- Reduced gender discrimination.
- Reduced cases of domestic violence and divorce.
- Increased involvement of girls and women in decision making.
- Increased girl completion rates in education.
- Increased awareness and knowledge about domestic, sexual and gender based violence.
- Reduced traditional practices that abuse women e.g. FGM.
- Reduced inhuman acts based on gender.
- Increased protection of children.
b)Training of Community trainers.
c)Through demonstrations.
d)Edutainment activities e.g. drama.
e)Through the use of pictures and charts.
f)Use of Evaluation Forms at the end of the training
Monitoring,Reporting and Evaluation:
Vision for Youth (V4Y) will be monitoring routinely using field monitoring forms and weekly reports. Also joint monitoring visits shall be conducted with stakeholders to get a reflection on the progress of the project. Information will be collected on a Monthly basis using designed questionnaires and field monitoring forms and reported in monthly, quarterly and annual reports by submitting them to the Advocates for Youth in soft and hard copy.Also Quarterly evaluations will be done in all the wards to evaluate the outcomes of the project. The information will be collected from monitoring reports, monthly project reports and field visits. Vision for Youth (V4Y) staff headed by the Executive Director together with other stakeholders will carry out evaluation, the information will be collected on a Quarterly basis through document review and using field evaluation forms and finally an Evaluation report compiled and shared with all the stakeholders.At the end of the project an external evaluator may be consulted to do an independent evaluation and then share the report with all stakeholders.
Description of Technical Assistance Needs(1-2 paragraphs)
Vision for Youth (V4Y) greatly values partnerships; it’s in such partnerships that staff shares experiences and technical expertise. We welcome you on board in the implementation and monitoring and evaluation of this project. We are hopeful that working together will enable us extend the project period to atleast 10 years so as to reach and benefit more young people. We also welcome volunteers and interns from Advocates for Youth and from entire USA to come and we share experiences and technical expertise in youth matters.
Existing Partnerships / Collaborations (1 paragraph)
We are collaborating with a large number of secondary schools, colleges and communities in Arusha in the implementation of various projects for example our Behavioural Change and Communication (BCC) project, we may not list here all the secondary schools and colleges that we are working with but just to cite two colleges are Zoom Polytechnic College Arusha and Data Sky Systems College Arusha. We train them in life skills such as sexual and reproductive health.
Prospects for Sustainability (1 paragraph)
The project will lead to the training of two teachers from each of the 14 secondary schools who will be working with Vision for Youth (V4Y) in guiding the Red Card Clubs. The project will lead to the training of 10 students’ leaders in each of the 14 secondary schools; who in turn will form school-based Red Card Clubs. The club leaders will be training their fellows and will work together with Vision for Youth(V4Y) though their trained teachers. The teachers, college students and community leaders will ensure sexual abuse is not committed again in their presence since the Vision for Youth (V4Y) will be working with them in the extension of this project and other projects. The trained community leaders will have gained skills and knowledge on how to handle cases of sexual and gender based violence. Vision for Youth (V4Y) will be conducting abrupt visits to schools and colleges to find out about the reproductive health rights for these young people. This will be done through the spirit of volunteerism and internships. Vision for Youth (V4Y) receives volunteers and interns from within and abroad who can keep the project alive.
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