CRS Work in Tanzania

Catholic Relief Services in Tanzania works with the Catholic Church and other local partners that are firmly rooted in their communities to provide high-quality HIV and AIDS, agro-enterprise, microfinance, and peacebuilding services. Projects extend from the lake zone in the northwest of the country to the southern coast.

Program Overview: CRS Tanzania: Overall Programming

HIV and AIDS

Currently 1 million adults in Tanzania are living with HIV, and many have traditionally had poor access to health care. To help these people receive the services they need, CRS Tanzania places a strong focus on HIV and AIDS programming. Projects provide antiretroviral therapy, support to children orphaned by AIDS and other vulnerable children, and home-based care to improve health and encourage community support. These initiatives include training in essential life skills, disease prevention and ways to live positively with HIV. In addition, CRS integrates HIV and AIDS interventions with agriculture and microfinance programs to help Tanzanians produce sufficient food and income for their daily needs.

CRS Tanzania's largest HIV initiative is delivered through the AIDSRelief program. Funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, also known as PEPFAR, AIDSRelief is a consortium led by CRS that provides high-quality care and antiretroviral therapy to people living with HIV in nine countries. In collaboration with 51 government and faith-based HIV treatment facilities, AIDSRelief in Tanzania supports antiretroviral therapy, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and tuberculosis services. As of August 2008, more than 63,245 patients have received HIV care services through the program, including more than 19,150 on antiretroviral therapy. By February 2009, AIDSRelief Tanzania plans to support 30,125 patients on antiretroviral therapy at 65 hospitals and health centers in four regions.

In 2004, with PEPFAR support, CRS Tanzania began assisting orphans who had lost one or both parents to HIV-related diseases. Through the primary support of Church partners, these programs now support 35,000 orphans and other vulnerable children. Services focus on education, health and nutrition, shelter assistance, protection, and vocational training for older clients.

Program Brief: CRS Tanzania: Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Agro-enterprise

CRS Tanzania is piloting groundbreaking work in agro-enterprise, targeting poor farmers in the country's semiarid northern and lake zones. The goal is to increase farming incomes by developing markets for local crops, connecting farmers to new market opportunities and improving yields for greater sales. Key crops include pigeon pea, chickpea and orange-fleshed sweet potato—familiar crops for Tanzanian farmers and ones that are easily adopted for cultivation.

CRS' agro-enterprise projects help farmers assess new seed varieties for high yields, market quality and drought resistance. Farmers then select one or two varieties for further multiplication and dissemination across a community. CRS partners provide technical and marketing assistance to maximize yields and generate more income for poor farmers. In addition, CRS Tanzania is helping to stop the spread of cassava diseases by giving farmers access to disease-resistant cassava plants, enabling them to grow more roots to both eat and sell.

Microfinance

CRS is helping Tanzanians build their assets by organizing savings and internal lending communities (SILC) as part of all our projects in Tanzania. These valuable community groups encourage members to save small amounts of money each week, typically 50 cents to $1. Members can then withdraw small loans against the pooled savings to use as capital for microenterprise ventures, such as opening a small shop or purchasing a goat to breed livestock. SILC groups also often contribute to a social fund, which is used to support members in times of need and implement community projects, such as supporting orphans and people living with HIV. More than 320 groups with almost 8,500 total members have formed.

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Peacebuilding

Despite its multifaith and multiethnic population, Tanzania has generally remained free from internal strife and avoided outside conflict. In fact, it hosts thousands of refugees seeking safety from war and unrest in neighboring countries. However, issues such as violence during the 2000 presidential elections, high rates of poverty and a general lack of civil rights education have threatened social cohesion in Tanzania.

To promote peace among diverse communities, CRS provides support to the Tanzanian Episcopal Conference's Interfaith Peace Initiative. This initiative works to unite communities by fostering communication between various religious groups represented in Tanzania. The program also educates community members about civil rights by gathering politicians, government officials, law enforcement personnel and religious leaders to learn together. In addition, the Interfaith Peace Initiative collaborates with traditional groups such as councils of elders, which for centuries have provided their communities with a forum for airing and addressing grievances before they erupt into violence.

CRS in Tanzania

CRS Work in Tanzania

HIV and AIDS

Agro-enterprise

Microfinance

Peacebuilding