Tanzania
In its Cooperation Programme for Tanzania 2021-2025, Switzerland focuses on promoting the social and economic development of young people. It aims to strengthen state institutions and local, national and international civil society organisations in the fields of health, governance, employment and income, and has made gender equality a cross-cutting theme in this regard.
Context Tanzania
In 2020, the World Bank categorised Tanzania as a lower middle-income country for the first time. But not everyone has benefitted from the country’s economic growth. Around 14 million people live below the national poverty line of 21 US dollars per month. Rural areas, young people, and households headed by women are particularly affected by poverty.
After two decades of slow but steady progress, Tanzanian politics is moving towards a more inclusive democracy, although civil society organisations and democratic processes remain subject to severe restrictions. Although access to healthcare has improved, services are of poor quality. Sustainable development is being held back by pronounced gender inequalities. Because the gross domestic product (GDP) is highly dependent on natural resources (agricultural exports), climate change will have an impact on Tanzania’s economic development in the years to come.
Efficient, effective and inclusive state institutions
Switzerland is helping to strengthen key state institutions and local authorities. The aim is to ensure they work more efficiently, effectively, systematically and sustainably, are less vulnerable to corruption, and provide faster and more accountable support to society, particularly with regard to the needs of young people. Cooperation focuses on specific areas such as: high-quality and gender-sensitive primary healthcare, gender-based violence support services, social protection, labour market-oriented vocational training and inclusive financial solutions and innovations. In the healthcare sector, for example, contributions from Switzerland and other donors helped improve the quality of services in 90% of the country’s 6,000 clinics.
Strengthening civil society
Switzerland wants to protect and strengthen civil society so that citizens can express themselves freely and play an influential role in shaping social, political and economic issues. Together with partner organisations, it creates opportunities for young people in particular to get involved in national and local institutions and hold them to account. For example, civil society organisations were involved in monitoring processes to assess the implementation of development plans and budgets. Their feedback led to an improvement in the quality of service in the education, healthcare and agriculture sectors. Switzerland continues to play a leading role in the media sector. The rural radio stations it supports are drawing an increasing number of listeners and provide millions of young people with information that is relevant to their daily lives.
Better living conditions for young people
Switzerland is committed to improving the living conditions of young people, especially young women, affected by poverty. To this end, it facilitates access to labour market-oriented vocational training, innovations and financial solutions, as well as to gender-based violence support services and social security for poor population groups. Switzerland supports public services and private sector engagement in order to improve the social and economic prospects of young people, allowing them to exploit new income opportunities and make their existing activities more productive. Recent Swiss support for vocational training projects has enabled roughly 90% of the target group – disadvantaged teenagers and young adults – to be employed or become self-employed in the agro-industry and renewable energy sectors.
Approach and key partners
Switzerland promotes gender equality as a cross-cutting theme and takes into account at all times the increasing influence of climate change. It has a range of instruments at its disposal for supporting the Tanzanian government and non-state actors in the country, and for initiating partnerships with Swiss and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The SDC is leading the implementation of the Swiss Cooperation Programme for Tanzania 2021-2025, and is represented in the country by the Swiss embassy. The SDC works closely with the State Secretariat at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Stories
Skills development for Tanzania’s vulnerable youth
Through its project SET the SDC contributes to skills development for vulnerable youth in Tanzania so that they can find gainful employment.
Celebrating 10 years of Niambie, Tanzania’s youth-focused radio show
Switzerland has supported media in Tanzania for ten years. Among the supported media is Niambie, a youth-focused radio show produced by BBC Media Action.
Tanzanian women’s small businesses are lifting them out of poverty
Despite its growing economy many Tanzanians remain in extreme poverty. Women and the youth are particularly vulnerable. The social insurance programme TASAF aims to bring people – particularly women – together for their economic empowerment. In Dar es Salaam two groups of women have bundled their energy and created sustainable small businesses. As a result, they have escaped extreme poverty and are able to stand on their own two feet.
openIMIS: the open source software that facilitates access to healthcare
openIMIS is an open source program that connects patient, provider and payer data to improve access to healthcare. How the SDC supported this project.
The fight against malaria: lessons learned in Tanzania to benefit the world at large
Switzerland is committed to ridding the world of malaria by 2030. We take a closer look at the SDC's cooperation programmes in Tanzania.
Contact
Eichenweg 5
3003 Bern