Driving Positive Transformation in Kigoma

The Head of the UN Resident Coordinator's Office (UNRCO) in Tanzania, Ms. Shabnam Mallick, recently visited Kigoma region to strengthen the UN’s partnerships in the region, see firsthand the positive initiatives in the region, and engage with the stakeholders involved in the second phase of the UN’s Kigoma Joint Programme II (KJP II).

The KJP is a joint programme involving 17 UN agencies, aimed at fostering development and ensuring human security in the Kigoma region. Tailored to meet developmental needs of the region, which hosts over 250,000 refugees, the KJP provides support to refugees, migrants, and the communities that host them.

The delegation, which also included the KJP II coordination team representing UNRCO and overseeing joint programme activities on the ground, engaged in high-level dialogues with senior regional government officials. Their objective was to reinforce the UN's dedication to empowering communities across the region and ensuring that the program aligns seamlessly with the Government's priorities in Kigoma.

Exploring the tangible impact of the KJP a key priority and the UNRCO team ventured into the heart of Kigoma region, witnessing firsthand the transformative initiatives facilitated by KJP. This included participation in a Village Health Nutrition Day, where UN and Government officials closely monitored children's physical development while promoting essential nutrition practices. Additionally, they visited the Maweni Regional Hospital's One-Stop Center which provides a comprehensive array of services, including police response, psycho-social support and counselling, medical care, and legal assistance, all under one roof—a true lifeline for survivors of violence in the region.

They also visited a furniture factory, supported by Education pillar of the KJP as part of the Integrated Programme for Out-of-School Adolescents (IPOSA). Here, young individuals are actively applying the skills they've acquired, consistently winning both government and private sector contracts to produce high-quality furniture.

Crucially, the mission aimed to engage with the individuals who make KJP II a reality. These UN officials are the unsung heroes behind the scenes, diligently working to ensure the smooth operation and continued success of KJP II. Their dedication to the cause and their collaborative spirit were evident throughout the mission.

The UNRCO team also met with the agency focal points who are on the ground leading the KJP interventions. Their discussions touched on a range of important topics, from broadening the perception of Kigoma beyond its refugee camps to finding innovative ways to address poverty and strengthen social safety nets in the region. The UN emphasized the significance of telling the stories of their initiatives in a way that resonates with everyone.

Ms. Mallick underscored the importance of establishing comprehensive sustainability plans for every thematic area of the program to ensure that the Government and local communities have the capacity to address the fundamental challenges that the program seeks to alleviate. "We are now one year into the second phase of the programme and we need to make sure that our interventions are driving sustainable and enduring positive transformation," she said.