MRADI WA IEA - SOS NA MANUFAA YA KAMATI ZA MTAKUWWA

Описание: In the year 2025, we have our partner SOS, who has enabled us to revitalize committees at the council level as well as at the ward level. From July to September, we revitalized three committees.

In September, the SOS organization, in collaboration with the Regional Commissioner’s Office of Iringa, facilitated the second phase of training for MTAKUWA members and the revitalization of MTAKUWA committees. The goal was to develop the work plan for the year 2024/2025 through 2028/2029 as part of the implementation of the Initiatives for Empowering Adolescents (IEA) project.
The process of revitalizing committees and preparing the work plan at the council level is ongoing, and this is Changarawe Mafinga, where SOS has come to observe the implementation of committees that were revitalized at the street, ward, and council levels. They are now going down to the village level to follow up with committees at the village and street levels, and to monitor all issues related to gender-based violence and violence against children.

This committee has 18 members. It includes the chairperson, who is the Ward Executive Officer, and the secretary, who is the Community Development Officer. Other members include various representatives—representatives of persons with disabilities, religious leaders, representatives of women’s groups, influential community members, and children from their councils.

The Women and Children’s Protection Committee at the ward level has the responsibility of advising and influencing decision-makers to prioritize interventions related to violence against women and children in ward, village, or street plans.

For the first time, we held a public meeting here in our street and educated citizens about gender-based violence, and we continue to provide education to all groups—because once someone becomes informed, they can influence every corner.

We are very grateful to our partner SOS, who has shown great commitment to addressing all issues of gender-based violence. Whenever you involve them in matters concerning gender-based violence or violence against children, they are always ready to help. We appreciate that they received the training in August, and by this October they have already begun educating the community. They have provided education through public meetings on parenting issues and matters related to preventing gender-based violence and violence against children.

Furthermore, the Initiatives for Empowering Adolescents project, within three years, in collaboration with various partners, aims to reach more than 300 young mothers, 30,000 in-school and out-of-school youths, over 100 youths with disabilities, and 150,000 community members—providing them with education, skills, and motivation to participate in development activities. These are some of the transport officers and ambassadors who were sworn in last September after being trained by SOS.
During the seminar, we were given T-shirts, which carried important messages. The information they carry reaches many citizens and our clients. There are numbers provided—such as 116—for reporting any challenges. We also receive information as leaders and forward it to the offices located in Mafinga Town, Boma Ward, for further cooperation.
One day, I encountered two young men fighting over a child, each claiming the child as his. The situation became violent, but because of the training I had received on youth matters, I had to intervene. I spoke to both of them, and they listened. I reported the matter to the relevant authorities and the police. The police came, took us to the station, and I also reported the matter to the SOS youth organization, who also helped.
We thank God because we initially struggled. We faced many challenges, but reporting them was the problem. When we told youths to go to the police, they were afraid. But now, because the offices are nearby, we start there and then proceed to the police. Cooperation has improved greatly, and more cases are now being reported, while minor issues can be resolved.
One day during my bodaboda work, I found a young man beating his wife, who was carrying a one-week-old baby. I stopped and tried to talk to him, but he refused to listen and was very aggressive. There were many people around, so I had to call the police and report the incident. The police came and arrested him. We are very thankful to SOS and encourage them to continue strengthening these efforts so that all youths become more aware.
According to SOS manager Victor Mwaipungu, more than 150 ambassadors who were trained are motivated, offering good cooperation, and achieving the goal of delivering the right message to drivers and their passengers—promoting community safety and enabling girls to be protected from teenage pregnancy.

This is MAKUTANO TV.