Tanzania: Unesco's Alwaleed Project to Promote Culture, Education in Tanzania

22 October 2024
Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)

UNESCO has launched the Alwaleed Philanthropies project aimed at empowering communities and enhancing culture and arts while strengthening technical and vocational skills for sustainable development in Tanzania.

Led by HRH Princess Lamia bint Majed Al Saud, Alwaleed Philanthropies works globally to combat poverty, empower women and youth and foster intercultural understanding.

Titled "Crafting Change: Fostering Community-Based Development through Culture-Related Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Employment," the project seeks to create economic opportunities for youth and women while preserving Tanzania's rich cultural heritage.

This initiative is part of a three-year partnership between UNESCO and Alwaleed Philanthropies, aligned with the recently adopted global Framework for Culture and Arts Education, which emphasises local cultures, teacher training and recognition of artistic skills.

During the kick-off hybrid meeting in Dar es Salaam, Michel Toto, Head of Office and Representative to Tanzania, shared that the project aims to create lasting community impacts through financial and technical support for five selected projects.

UNESCO Programme Coordinator Ke Leng noted that the focus on community-based development will enhance the capacities of local cultural institutions as knowledge hubs and skill incubators.

Boniface Kadili, Director of Culture in Tanzania, described the project as a milestone in harnessing the role of culture and arts through TVET and community-based development approaches. He emphasised that this education will help preserve Tanzania's unique cultural heritage and promote cultural entrepreneurs as agents of economic transformation.

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In June 2024, UNESCO called for project proposals, receiving 38 applications from local civil society organisations. After a thorough evaluation, five outstanding projects were selected to receive funding: Mwanyanya Green Society, Tanzania Media for Community Development (TAMCODE), Youth Alliance for Progress Organisation (YAPO), Readership for Learning and Development (SOMA) and the Centre for African Development through Economics and the Arts (ADEA).

The joint UNESCO-Alwaleed Philanthropies project aims to strengthen the role of culture and arts through TVET, promoting the economic and social importance of cultural heritage in Tanzania.

The kick-off meeting included officials from various ministries, UNESCO staff from Dar es Salaam and Paris, grantees and social media influencers.

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