UN Tanzania Partners with Young Leaders and Police School for Global Goals

UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, and the Director for the Department of Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Amb. Celestine Mushy has launched a partnership with Weruweru Girls Secondary School in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region. This follows Global Goals outreach conducted at the school by Mr. Rodriguez and Amb. Mushy earlier this year. The launch of the partnership saw the UN train 400 current students, as well as all future students who attend the school in the years to come, to be Global Goals Youth Champions – young people who advocate for the Global Goals in their communities and in universities once they graduate from high schools.

Mr. Rodriguez also announced a partnership with the Tanzania Police School that will see UNDP Tanzania provide over TZS 220 million which will allow the school to upgrade its infrastructure. The TZS 220 million grant will enable the school to improve the environment in which policemen and policewomen are trained while also ensuring that they have access to modern technology. This initial support also seeks to build the foundation for One UN Tanzania to assist the Tanzania Police School to train all police officers on how to address gender violence and child abuse.

Commenting on the partnerships with both the police and the secondary school, Mr. Rodriguez noted that this is another step in promoting sustainable development in Tanzania and enhancing the potential to reach the Global Goals by 2030.

“Having travelled all over the country doing outreach at many schools and universities, this is the first time that we have ever trained Global Goals Youth Champions at an all-girls school. In partnership with the government, we hope that the training will enable these young girls to advocate especially for Goal 5: Gender Equality” said Mr. Rodriguez. He added that, “As One UN Tanzania,we’ve been working very closely with Tanzania Police School for some time now and I am happy that, through UNDP, we will be able to provide additional support in improving conditions for the school. This is crucial since all police officers trained here will go on to protect women and children all over the country.”

Amb. Mushy emphasized that it is through these kinds of targeted interventions that Goal 5: Gender Equality and Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions will be achieved. He said, “Training of the Global Goals Girl-Champions is a significant step towards the realization of SDG 5.” He added, “When more youth are educated and engaged in the implementation process of the Global Goals, the Government is likely to talk about gender inequality in historical terms by the year 2030”.

Commenting on UN’s engagement at the Police School, Ambassador Mushy said that “Violence against women and children is a setback towards the achievement of the Global Goals. However, the only way we can create peaceful societies is through educating our minds, our hearts and our souls about the equal rights others have in the society and be ashamed of our acts that destruct peace in our societies”. He added “the UN has played its part by committing funds to support gender desks; now the rest is individual responsibilities towards establishing peaceful co-existence in the societies we live in.”