Belgium offers 165,000 Euros to 20 Tanzania community based projects

By BUSINESS REPORTER

BELGIUM has pledged over 165,000 Euros (TSH 330 million) EUR to small-scale projects run by grassroots organisations throughout Tanzania following agreements finalised on 6 June  between representatives of 20 community-based organisations and BTC,the Belgian Development Agency.

According to a statement availed to businesslinktz.blogspot.com, the funding comes from the Belgian government’s MicroIntervention Programme(MIP), which has been supporting Tanzanian civil society since 2002.

“A key objective of this programme is development that directly benefits local communities”, said BTC’s Resident RepresentativeVincent Vercruysse.

“We fund organisations dedicated to the development of their own community,and which have the capacity to identify and execute the micro interventions they need.”

He said over 150 applications were submitted, from which an initial 20 proposals were selected based on potential impact, feasibility, and sustainability.

“Projects are located in seven regions that include Dar es Salaam, Coast, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Kagera, Morogoro and Arush and will cover a range of sectors including water/sanitation, education, health, and women’s rights,” he said.

A first installment of up to 40% will be transferred this month; subsequent installments are paid on satisfactory completion of each project phase. The average grant awarded to this year’s projects is just under TSH 16,000,000 (EUR 8000).

Representatives from each organisation were trained last eek in project and financial management by BTC, which oversees the MicroIntervention Programmeon behalf of the Belgian embassy in Dar es Salaam.

The MicroIntervention Programme funds communities in Tanzania as well as in 15other partner countries of Belgian development cooperation. It aims to support the most vulnerable populations by financing community-led, sustainable projects.

Groups receive grants of up to12, 500 EUR for an activity lasting up to one year, which is implemented by and for the benefit of the community.

Since the programme began in 2002, some 250 projects in Tanzania have received grants totaling EUR approximately EUR 2.5 million.