Dodoma — EMPOWERMENT through Skills Programme (ESP) in partnership with Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) have signed an agreement with community-based organisation and folk development colleges to implement awareness raising on gender equality and human rights.
The agreements were signed over the weekend whereas the CBO attended a three days orientation workshop from there they will be trainers of trainers since they have the potential to transform the lives of men, women, boys, and girls in communities across the country.
Given their strategic position in the communities and their mandate for social change within the CICan Empowerment through Skills Program (ESP), CBO and folk development colleges they were provided with sustainable capacity building training on gender equality, human rights, leadership, governance and accountability. CiCan Senior technical advisor, Dr Alice Mumbi said the aim of the orientation workshop was to develop a shared understanding of ESP's Train-the-Trainer Resource Toolkit (ToT) whose modules are simple, interesting, and tailored to the needs of each district in terms of community awareness-raising and demography.
She mentioned some of the areas cov- ered in the toolkit as gender equality, human rights, psychosocial support and counseling, the principles of adult learn- ing and overarchingly, the importance of improved economic participation by women and adolescent girls in the country.
In her opening remarks, the assistant director of Folk Development Colleges in the ministry of education, science and technology, Ms Margaret Mussai, called upon the participants use the knowledge to transform the lives of women, men, youth and other community stakeholders through the critical work.
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After the workshop, CBO Trainers through the agreement signed will further cascade the community awareness raising sessions in their respective communities and institutions. Girls, women, men, boys, and other groups such as boda boda drivers, daladala drivers, traditional, political, and religious leaders, parents, and teenage moms are among the target demographics for increas- ing awareness and advocating for change.
The Empowerment through Skills Program is a seven-year program (2021- 2028) implemented by Colleges and Institutes Canada in close collaboration with Tanzania's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
The Empowerment through Skills Program is funded by the government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada and will strengthen alternative pathways to educa- tion, employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship for women and adolescent girls.
Working with 12 Folk Development Colleges (FDCs) and 12 Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in 12 communities across Tanzania, ESP aims to increase rates of participation among women and adolescent girls in skills training programs and improve access to business, skills, gender, and human rights training in their communities.
The Program will also expand oppor- tunities in the informal and formal sectors through post-training support to transition to employment or Self-employment.
