PROJECT TITTLE: EMPOWERMENT OF GIRLS AND WOMEN AFFECTED FROM

GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN TARIME DISTRCT

1.0 PROJECT BACK GROUND

1.1 Socio-economic context

Tanzania has made significant progress in human development evidenced by the improvement in
the Human Development Index (HDI) score from 0.371 in 1985 to 0.531 in 2015, which
represents an increase of 43.1 percent over the 30-year period. This is according to the most
recent Tanzania Human Development Report (THDR 2017). Despite these positive trends,
vulnerability remains high: for every four Tanzanians who moved out of poverty, three fell into
it. A large number of non-poor people living just above the poverty line are at risk of slipping
below it. Beyond the persistent gaps between urban and rural areas, there are large disparities in
the distribution of poverty across geographic regions.

Despite the above, Tanzania reached an important milestone in July 2020, when it formally
graduated from low-income country (LIC) to lower-middle-income country (LMIC) status. This
reclassification reflected the country’s rising gross national income (GNI) per capita, which
reached US$1,080 in 2019, surpassing the US$1,035 threshold for LMIC status. Tanzania’s
achievement reflects sustained macroeconomic stability that has supported growth as well as the
country’s rich natural endowments and strategic geographic position. Tanzania’s graduation to
LMIC status presents an opportunity to assess the quality of past growth and to develop a
roadmap to guide its successful transition to middle-income status.

The African Development Bank report indicates that the economic outlook is positive, with real
GDP projected to grow 4.1% in 2021 and 5.8% in 2022, due to improved performance of the
tourism sector and the reopening of trade corridors. Energy and fuel price increases are expected
to persist in 2021, raising overall inflation to 3.9% in 2021 and 3.4% in 2022. Spending on large
infrastructure projects and depressed revenue performance are expected to widen the fiscal
deficit to 3.2% of GDP in both 2021 and 2022, financed mainly by external borrowing. The
current account deficit is projected to grow to 3.9% of GDP in 2021, due to the lingering effects
of COVID–19 on merchandise exports and increased imports of capital goods for large
infrastructure projects. It is expected to narrow to 3.3% of GDP in 2022. The major downside
risks to the outlook include business regulatory bottlenecks that constrain private sector activity
and uncertainties regarding the pandemic. Poverty and unemployment are expected to remain
high due to depressed private sector activity.

The national annual plans are guided by the Third National Five-Year Development Plan
2021/22 - 2025/26 (FYDP III) with a theme "Realizing Competitiveness and Industrialization for
Human Development" and sector specific plans such as Agricultural Sector Development
Programme Phase II (ASDP II). For instance, the ASDP II prioritized crops such as rice, maize
and cassava for the Lake Victoria agro-ecological zone (including Mara Region) citing its
contribution to food security and nutrition impact to smallholder farmers and availability of
technology for improving productivity and profitability.
Tarime district has the largest number of households in the region and it has the second highest
percent of households involved in smallholder agriculture in the region. Most smallholders are
involved in crop and livestock production including fishing. However, the district has the second
lowest percentage of households with off -farm activities and the lowest percentage of
households with more than one member with off-farm income. Compared to other districts in the
region, Tarime has the lowest percentage of female headed households (18%). The district has
the second lowest average household size in Mara region (5-6 members per household). The
district produces enough food for domestic consumption. Products are maize; beans; banana;
millet; rice; sweet potatoes; cassava, round potatoes, groundnuts and coffee. The district has an
area totalling 179,160 ha out of it 90,630 ha is an arable land but only 69,155 is under cultivation
which is 76.3%.

Gold deposits are available in the district at Kemambo, Matongo and Nyamwaga wards.
Previously, mining was done locally by individuals, but now the deposits are under ACACIA
Gold mine (Formally North Mara Gold Mine) a foreign company. Mining by local individuals is
currently done at Tagota, Mogabiri, Nyakunguru, Kewamamba at Kewanyongo sub village,
Mrito, kewanja and Kerende.

1.2 Ecological and climate context

The Mara Wetlands are riverine swampland dominated by papyrus, with a total area ranging
from 390 km2 to more than 500 km2, depending on seasonal flooding. Home to a wide array of
birds, terrestrial and semi-aquatic mammals, and fish, the wetlands are an important source of
habitat for wildlife as well as natural resources for local communities. The wetlands cover four
districts of the Mara region – Butiama, Rorya, Tarime and a small portion of Serengeti – which
are largely rural (90 percent) and experienced an average population increase of 28 percent
between the 2002 and 2012 censuses. For the whole Mara region the population density is
109.0/KM2 According to 2022 census and the annual population change is 3.1% between2012-
2022. Also 69% of the whole population of Tarime District live in Tarime rural areas while the
remaining which is 31% live in urban area.

The communities of the Mara Wetlands, including the 20 project villages, are vulnerable to
climate risks due to high sustained population growth, especially due to arable land and presence
of small mining activities leading to land conversion, high levels of poverty and food insecurity
(food insecurity is particularly pronounced between January and April, when harvested stocks
are generally depleted), dependence of rainfall for agriculture and deforestation and overgrazing.
Vulnerability assessment in the Mara River Basin as part of the USAID funded ATLAS project
noted drought and disease (both human and animal) as priority risks, seen as having significant
impacts on crops, livestock, fisheries, and human health. Livestock is considered as the resource
most at risk from climate change, ranked highly vulnerable to drought and disease and
moderately vulnerable to flooding and land use change.

To address issues directly related to the impacts of climate variability and climate change as well
as community identified vulnerabilities, the Mara Wetlands Integrated Management Plan 2018–
2022 identified agroforestry, sustainable production and management of livestock, establishment
of domestic water supply schemes, controlling soil erosion (including rehabilitating soils),
promotion of best climate change adaptation technologies (use of organic manure, rain water
harvesting, making of energy saving stoves and establishment of local native and fruits tree
nurseries)as among critical actions that need to be implemented.

1.3 Cultural context:

In Mara Region, there is diversity of ethnicity that is associated with different cultural attitudes
with various impacts on natural resource management. The dominant ethnic groups are Kurya,
Luo and Jita. In Tarime district and in the project area, the dominant ethnic group is Kurya. They
occupy the major fertile land in the districts mainly in highlands. Luo are also found in parts of
Tarime district. Jita are dominant in Musoma district and other small tribes such as Zanaki, Suba,
Ikizu, Isenye, Ikoma, Ngoreme, Kwaya, Ruri and Shashi also characterize the region’s ethnicity
picture. In Tarime district most people are agro-pastoralists. Maize, cassava, sorghum, finger
millet, sweet potatoes, groundnuts, beans are most produced, as well as milk and meat from
livestock kept.

Kurya is a native tribe and has maintained its culture over decades and this has strong impact on
management of land resources. For example, land is owned by clans thus it is difficult for the
village government to plan on how land can be used. On the other hand, such land tenure system
seems to be effective in that the owners have security over land resources, and they can therefore
manage it appropriately. In such a situation it is hard to find deforestation taking place by
insiders and outsiders. They have regulations and rules on how land resources can be managed.
This practice should be seen as an opportunity in natural resources management perspectives. On
the other hand, the clan system has large impact on population size in Tarime district. This is
because clans are confined in defined geographical areas, densely populated, and thus restricting
movement of people from one area to another area occupied by a different clan.

The only interaction (outlet) is through marriages. Under circumstance that the population in a
clan is becoming very large, resource degradation (such as land and forests) is likely to occur.
Overgrazing, limited land for cultivation and deforestation for charcoal making are problems
witnessed. In this regard, people are forced to move to the neighboring districts such as Serengeti
searching for agricultural land and pastureland. This is a threat to river basin management. Most
ethnic groups in the Mara Region are agro-pastoralists and they value the number of livestock as
a sign of wealth and a symbol of status in the society. As a result, large herds of livestock
particularly cattle are found in the basin. The survival of livestock depends largely on Mara
River resources particularly water and pasture. Excessive livestock keeping is a threat to the
basin ecosystem.

In terms of gender, there is also a significant division of labour and resource ownership based on
gender. For example, most of the land is owned by male and very few Female mostly of them are
widows - while female undertake most of the farming and household activities including for
example firewood collection. The fishing, mining, hunting and charcoal business, livestock
keeping are done by young and middle-aged male. Males are in most cases the head of
households but there also very few females who head households (less than 5%) and there are
those who tends to have another female to work for them through “Nyumbantobhu/
NyumbaMboke” arrangements. Nyumbantobhu is a traditional form of non-sexual same-sex
union among Kurya women of the Mara Region; the partnerships are formed between older,
usually widowed women without male descendants and younger, childless women, known as
mokamööna (daughters in-law). As part of the relationship, the younger mokamööna bears a
child from an external male partner. The elder woman serves as a grandmother to the resulting
child, thus securing her with an heir and ensuring the continuation of her lineage. Nyumbantobhu
marriages, like traditional Kurya marriages, are secured through the payment of a bride price in
the form of cattle; in the case of nyumbantobhu relationships, the bride price is provided by the
older woman to the family of the younger partner. FGM and early marriage are common cultural
practices in the region.

2.0 PROJECT PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

The proposed project aims to empower young girls and women affected Gender Based Violence’s such as
school drops, early marriages, FGM and all other forms of gender based violence practices by improving
their livelihoods. Women and girls in Tarime district after undergoing FGM face a series of serious
Physical and Psychological risks including Scar, drop out of school and forced to early marriages.
According to research done in 28 countries, FGM is being supported by the community in both Rural and
Urban area, where by most women lead by 16% in encouraging the continuation of FGM practices in
Mara Region.

The highest proportion of support for the continuation of FGM comes from Mara region, with 16% of
women supporting the practice. This is followed by Mwanza and Manyara regions with support from
13.3% and 12.8% of women respectively. Meanwhile, girls who have not undergone the cutting face
stigmatization in the society and being regarded as Curse in the family as well as in the Society. FGM
affects both the physical and psychological thought of girls, directly impacting their attendance and
performance at school which finally led to school drops to large number of girls and early marriages.
This then impacts their right to equality, economic potential and security. Girls often have lower literacy
rates and are pressured into early marriages. They are prone to poverty and vulnerable to HIV and AIDS
transmission and childbirth complications such as obstructed fistula, yet often have poor access to
healthcare due to low income as they still have no any sources of income because of all these negative
factors which bring life surprises their livelihood also are highly affected. After dropping from schools
most of these girls suffer psychologically and economically due to failure to reach their desire of
completing the studies and attaining professional works and economically because they do not have any
skills and professionals which can enable them to work an get an income to run their lives. They fail to
get basic needs for themselves and their new families hence this expose them to new life risks of
inadequacy to attain basic needs therefore our focus will be on two major areas which are awareness
creation on the effects of all forms of GBV in schools and community so that we can reduce the
magnitude of this harmful practices and economic empowerment to the victims of the practices who are
young girls and women in the project area.
This is a serious problem that needs urgent and interventions committed organization to address it,
therefore Our Organization is ready to empower young girls who are the victims of FGM and Other forms
of GBV in Tarime District. In many households the FGM and GBV practices are complemented to
inadequate access to household basic needs therefore FODEGE seeks to empower Girls who have
dropped from schools as the quensequences of GBV practices in order to improve their livelihoods. Also
the project will focus on awareness creation to the community on the effects of all forms of GBV to girls
and women through facilitation in community meetings and using of available local media in order to
make the message reach large number of people in the community, and also will add the component of
building their capacity to have equal access to resources, decision making at both household and
community levels and empower them economically through facilitation.

3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT

In Tarime District Mara region, women and girls experience oppression as a result of deeply rooted and
socially accepted gender-based norms. Women lack full access to resources and decision-making power
in their households and broader society. Additionally, harmful cultural practices such as Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) pose an ongoing threat to the lives and
opportunities of girls and women throughout the district. Circumcision ceremonies (popularly known as
saro) are practiced every other year and thousands of girls undergo FGM in each saro. According to the
available district data the total number of girls who undergone the cut in the year 2016 it was estimated to
be 4400 girls went through the practice, while in 2018 in 9 wards it was estimated to be over 2300. The
number seems to be decreasing but the reality the practice is still high since the community has developed
new method of performing the practice at Midnight which lead difficulties of getting the exactly number
of FGM victims at Household levels.
A number of measures have been used to combat FGM in Tanzania. The Parliament of Tanzania passed
an amendment to the Penal Code to specifically prohibit FGM, but this only applies to minors. The
government also has a National Plan of Action to Combat GBV 2017-2022, and there have been
prosecutions of persons found carrying out FGM. However, evidence suggests that the fear of prosecution
is driving the practice under-ground, rather than stopping it, and in some regions such as Mara, mass
FGM still takes place with little or no law enforcement. FGM violates human rights through subjecting
girls to discrimination, torture, and even in some cases excessive bleeding and death.
In cases of death, Girls/Boys who have gone traditional Circumcisions are not given a customary burial,
but instead their bodies are discarded in the bush to be eaten by wild animals such as hyenas and wild
dogs. Meanwhile, FGM's many survivors experience physical health damages such as genital scarring and
infections, as well as mental trauma and life-long social implications. After undergoing FGM, local
society views girls as being ready for marriage no matter how small she is, which often leads girls to drop
out of school and get married as early as age 12-15yeras. Through this, many gender based violence
increase at a household level due to huge responsibilities being handed over to girls which she can’t bear
it.
Despite of many risks, the generations-long tradition of FGM involves many social dynamics that make it
very difficult for families and individuals to abandon the practice. Even when the families are aware of
the harmful effects of FGM can bring, they continue to have their daughters circumcised because this
process is viewed as necessary to protect a girl's honor and maintain the status of the entire family.
 It has also been revealed that most of household who still encouraging FGM are those with economic
crisis, because they believe that after their girls have gone FGM practice will get presents and Money, and
they will look smart and beautiful to be ready and get married quickly (New brand item for selling at a
high price) this is very annoying and discriminating women dignity.
The stigma surrounding a girl's failure to undergo circumcision is still a cause of shame for families and
prevents these girls from becoming fully recognized members of their communities. Nevertheless, as
demonstrated above, the practice of FGM is a foundation of the spiral of violence widely experienced by
young girls and women in Tarime District. Stopping FGM is a necessary step in the process of
mitigating/eradicating Gender Based Violence and promoting human rights for women and girls in
Tarime district.

4.0 PROJECT GOAL

To see the community which is free from all forms of gender based violence’s, empowered
young girls and women to have equal access to resources and opportunities.

5.0 PROJECT OBJECTIVES

1. Improved access of livelihoods among young girls who dropped from schools due to the
effects of FGM, Early Marriages and other forms of GBV in the Project area.
2. Decline in Gender based violence among Young girls and Women through improved
access to awareness and knowledge on human rights, effects of FGM and other forms of
GBV to entire community in the project area.
3. Improved additional integrated income generating activities, resources utilization skills
and access to opportunities to female youth and women to improve access to household
basic needs

5.1 Project Indicators

1. At least 40% young girls who have dropped from school due to effects of FGM, Early
Marriages and other forms of Gender Based Violence have three new sources of income in the
project area.
2. Decrease of at least 50% of school drop among of girls students due to Effects of FGM, early
marriages and other forms of GBV have been attained in the project area at the eend of the
project. 3. At least 50% of the project target (female youth 25% and women 25%) practises three
intergrated income generating activities in the project area at the end of the project

6.0 PROJECT AREA

Project Area will be 20 villages (two from each ward) from 10 wards of Tarime District Council
in Mara Region.
7.0 PROJECT DURATION
The project duration will be 2 years from the date of its commencement

8.0 PROJECT TARGET GROUP

FODEGE aims to reach about 4860 people directly of which 1850 aged 20-60 years Women
affected by GBV and with limited access to resouces due to tradition practisess that expose them
to gender based violences, inadequate access to household basic needs low income and 1250 will
be men in 20 project villages, the total target groups will be 4860 with 1850 Female, 1250 male
and 500 youth (both male and female) ranging age of 15-24. Also the project will work with 20
clubs (10 from primary schools and 10 from secondary schools) in 20 schools of total 900 pupils
(girls and boys) aged 10-18 years , 40 teachers and 120 school commitee members and 200
Local Government authority members aged 20 to 65years, as showen in the table below for
more detail.

8.1. THE TABLE SHOWING THE SUMMARY OF PROJECT BENEFICIARIES

AGE AGE AGE (10 -18 Total number of
(20- (20 -60 (15 -25) yrs) direct project
60 yrs) yrs) beneficiaries
yrs)
GENDER M F M F M F
ADULTS 1250 1850 - - - - 3100
YOUTH - - 220 280 - 500
STUDENT - - - - 340 560 900
S
SCHOOL 60 60 - - - - 120
COMMETE
E
MEMBERS
SCHOOL 20 20 - - - - 40
TEACHER
S
Local 60 140 - - - - 200
Government
Authority
Leaders
TATOL 1390 2070 220 280 340 560 4860
9.0 PROJECT ACTIVITIES
NO: ACTIVITY

1. Project inception meetings to District, Wards and Villages levels

2. To conduct Project Baseline Survey in twenty (20) Project Villages

3. To conduct Sensitization and awareness creation trainings on effects all forms of Gender Based
Violence’s to 20 primary schools in the project areas
4. To conduct training on capacitation of Village and Ward Women and Child protection
Committees (MTAKUWA) on the effects of FGM/GBV at village and ward levels
5. To conduct Sensitization and awareness creation trainings on human rights and types gender
based violence’s at 20 primary and 10 secondary schools in the project area
6. To conduct Sensitization and awareness creation trainings on human rights and types gender
based violence’s and effects at community level to all project Villages
7. Training female youth and women on Income Generating Activities and rural enterprises skills
in all project villages
8. Advocacy and material support to survivors of gender based violence’s on better utilization of
the resources available in their surroundings
9. Empowerment training female youth and Women through Self Help Groups on saving, loans
and keeping records (VICOBA) skills
10. Training female Youth and Women on Group Dynamic skills

11. Conduct sensitization campaign at community level on changing behaviours, bad traditional
practises and taboos
12. To conduct sensitization training at community level on Gender Relation in 20 project villages

13. To conduct the sensitization campaign to influential, decision markers, religious leaders, village
government leaders, stakeholders and traditional leaders on the effects of FGM and GBV
14. To Establish demo plots of home gardening and horticulture for training purpose at both
household and community level as source of food and income to Female youth and Women to
all 20 Villages in the Project Area
15. Training both girls and women groups on value addition to agriculture products, marketing
skills and value chain to give equal opportunity to reduce economic effects of GBV in the
project Area.
16. Exchange visits with other Organizations doing the similar interventions related to gender based
violence’s for the purpose of learning on especially the region with high FGM Practises
(Mwanza and Manyara)
17 To Air out radio/TV, sports and distribute ELCl information materials
on FGM/GBV, such as Posters, T-shirts, pamphlet etc

18. To conduct Monitoring and Evaluation Sessions

19. To prepare of quarterly project report
20. To prepare yearly project report and End of the project Evaluation.
9.1 Monitoring the changes
FODEGE project team will monitor the changes by conducting; Bi - annual evaluation session
(BES), Bi - monthly evaluation meeting (BEM), Follow up visit, Monthly Supervision meeting,
Morning briefing meetings, Field reports, board meeting, observation, Questionnaire and
supportive supervision, Reflection meeting, stakeholders workshop meeting and observation.
These will be done by using baseline survey and Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats
(SWOT) prior information’s.
9.2 Methods to be used:
Monitoring and evaluation of project activities will be achieved through the following tools;
Participatory rural appraisal (PRA), People owned processes (POP). The instruments which will
be used to assess the outcome of the project are timeline, seasonal calendar and Focus group
discussion (FGD).
9.3 Measures to be used:
FODEGE intend to empower female youth and women who are victims of all forms of GBV in
the project area and eliminate all forms of gender based violence’s to young girls and rural
women’s in Tarime by cooperating with other stake holders and do improvements to their
livelihood since the inadequate access to basic needs in the household level is one of the causes
of GBV in the communities living in Tarime district through Project Monitoring and evaluation
(PME) system to enhance the sustainability of intended outcome by reflect, monitoring and
planning sessions weekly. This will be followed by quarterly management meetings and annual
board meetings. Moreover, there will be bi-annual progress reports. The basic for project
monitoring and evaluation system will be the objectively verifiable indicators and the
corresponding means of verification. While activities and output will be monitored primarily by
FODEGE project implementing team. The project outcomes and changes/impact induced by
project activities will be assessed through internal, external evaluation and external audit reports.
10.0. Estimated proposed Budget:
The project is estimated to spend a total of Tanzanian TZS.314, 000,000= Equivalent to
Usd.130, 833.00 whereby:
Activities costs Tzs.186, 572,600=
Recurrent expenditure (Administrations) Tzs.12, 382,984=
Personnel costs Tzs.89, 724,416=
Procurements Tzs.15, 700,000=
Transport and travels Tzs.7, 120,000=
Contingency Tzs.2, 500,000=
The detailed budget is attached to this proposal