OVER 30 Community change agents from Kondoa District Council and Kondoa Town Council have completed an intensive four-day training designed to enhance their capacity to lead community transformation with a strong gender perspective.

]The training, held at Riverside grounds in Kondoa town, was a collaborative effort between the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP Mtandao) and The Aga Khan Foundation, with crucial funding from the Embassy of Ireland under the ‘Tuinuke Pamoja’ project.

Throughout the workshop, participants were introduced to modern approaches for identifying and analysing challenges faced by women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups. A key focus was the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model, which stresses the importance of communities utilizing their internal resources to solve local problems rather than relying solely on external aid.

Deogratius Temba, a Facilitator in gender and community development, explained that the training aimed to strengthen the Change Agents' ability to educate and mobilise communities for active participation in development processes, particularly in budgeting and community planning, from a gender-inclusive viewpoint.

"Through this training, the Change Agents have gained a deep understanding of how to engage in the entire local government budgeting process, starting from the identification of gender priorities through the O&OD system, all the way to presenting their proposals at the council level," Temba stated.

Participants also gained skills in using various government tools, including policies and budget guidelines, to ensure the needs of women and other special groups are effectively addressed in community development plans.

Fredina Saidi, another workshop facilitator, emphasised that the Change Agents were also trained to apply participatory methods, enabling communities to analyse their own challenges and propose locally relevant solutions.

"Being a Change Agent is like being a light that shines on the darkness of social challenges," Fredina Saidi remarked. “Through this training, the participants are now empowered to spark meaningful dialogue within their communities, track the implementation of development plans, and ensure no one is left behind on the path to progress.”

The timing of the training is critical, as local government authorities are currently preparing to formulate budgets for the 2025/2026 financial year. This provides the newly trained Change Agents with a significant opportunity to actively represent community members, especially women and marginalised groups, in the budgeting process.

The ‘Tuinuke Pamoja’ project continues its vital role in empowering grassroots communities to raise their voices, participate in decision-making, and promote accountability among leaders, all aimed at building inclusive societies that uphold gender equality.