Unleashing 101 Young Graduates as Community Leaders and Agents of Positive Change in Tanzania

Impact of Community  Leadership Program in Tanzania

In Tanzania 101 young graduates, (70% of them being young women) graduated from colleges across 12 regions in Tanzania, all searching for employment opportunities. They embarked on a journey characterized by the significant challenge of entering a labor market struggling to accommodate the nearly 1 million young Tanzanians entering it each year, with only about 340,000 new job openings annually. For years this imbalance has led to increasing unemployment, underemployment, and widening socioeconomic disparities.

These young graduates were driven by a shared vision of creating positive change within their communities, empowering themselves and their peers with essential 21st-century and digital skills. Their motivation came from their desire to improve their skills, become leaders in their communities, and make a meaningful impact on the lives of others. Most of them discovered the opportunity to join the Community Leadership Program through social media, DOT’s Partners, and word of mouth.

What stood out for me was being part of the team that co-created content for the Digital Business Program ~ Daniel, Lead Community Leader, Lake Zone

Unleashing 101 Young Graduates: A Journey to Transform Communities

During their training, the young leaders acquired a robust set of 21st-century and digital skills, positioning them not only as leaders in their communities but also empowering them with skills highly sought after in the job market. These skills included critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and digital literacy, which they effectively applied as facilitators of the Digital Business and Digital Jobs Programs in their communities.

After 6-8 weeks of training with DOT, 79 out of the 101 young men and women became Community Leaders facilitating the Digital Business Program and Digital Ambassadors facilitating the Digital Jobs Program in 12 regions across Tanzania: Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kigoma, Morogoro, Mwanza, Tabora, Tanga, Mjini Magharibi, Pemba Kaskazini, and Pwani. This transformative journey has been a critical component of the Daring to Shift project, in partnership with Global Affairs Canada.

As a community leader in Dar Es Salaam, I collaborate with my peers to achieve our goals. We worked as a team in mobilizing participants and scoping for partnerships ~ Mwanakombo, Community Leader

Challenges, Opportunities, and Collective Growth

After returning to their communities, the Digital Ambassadors and community leaders faced a mix of challenges and opportunities. They encountered obstacles such as limited digital access and connectivity due to infrastructural limitations, as well as varying levels of digital literacy among their peers. These challenges, however, opened doors to unique opportunities for innovation and creative problem-solving, nurturing a strong sense of resilience and resourcefulness among the community leaders.

Some of these young leaders were selected by their peers and empowered by DOT Tanzania to take the lead and support others in mobilization and partnership initiatives as well as addressing minor challenges within their communities. In parallel, DOT Tanzania proactively collaborated with ecosystem partners in the respective regions to provide a platform for hosting these community leaders and support the mobilisation of youth peers, particularly in marginalised and underserved communities. This approach enabled them to gain valuable work environment experience, easing their transition into the job market.

Facilitating Change for Community Impact in Tanzania

Among the Community Leaders and Digital Ambassadors, there are inspirational stories of remarkable personal growth and profound community impact through their roles as facilitators. Many have expressed newfound self-confidence, feeling at ease when speaking and sharing their views in public, and displaying empowerment in engaging in digital spaces.

Through the Community Leadership Program, DOT Tanzania has facilitated the transition of 101 young leaders into employment. Notably, 73% of program participants secured employment both during and after the program. This accomplishment highlights the program’s effectiveness in equipping young individuals with the necessary skills and opportunities for a successful transition into the job market. It enhances their economic independence and significantly contributes to the prosperity of local communities.

What I am most proud of as a Digital Ambassador is that after facilitating the Digital Jobs Program, the Open University decided to create a short course on Digital Marketing and retain me as facilitator ~  Lucy, Digital Ambassador

Collectively, the 79 young men and women have empowered 9,603 of their peers, including 6,331 females and 3,272 males, with digital skills for business and employment. Their communities have reaped the rewards of this effort, enjoying enhanced job opportunities, sustainable employment, and increased income.

Fostering Digital Empowerment and Gender Inclusivity

The Digital Jobs Program has been instrumental in making online employment more understandable and boosting the confidence of young graduates to participate in the digital economy. In communities where traditional office jobs have been the standard, it was initially challenging for some families to understand how young individuals could earn income by working from home. Additionally, young women have expressed increased confidence in their abilities and how they tackle their everyday challenges.

The program’s impact has yielded several valuable lessons and insights. It emphasizes the importance of customized support, recognizing that one size does not fit all in young individuals’ journeys to leadership. It also underscores the critical role of a robust ecosystem and strong partnerships in providing the necessary resources and opportunities for success. 

The program also highlights the irreplaceable value of gender-sensitive approaches, ensuring that all young men and women have equitable access to the benefits of the program, essential for fostering inclusive and sustainable development within their communities. Some of the female community leaders and digital ambassadors went through pregnancies and, with support from DOT Tanzania, they facilitated their cohorts online and created as much impact as their peers. 

These lessons underscore the need for tailored support, strong collaboration, and a gender-sensitive approach in any initiative aimed at empowering young leaders and driving positive change in communities.

About Daring to Shift Project:

Daring to Shift is a transformative multinational project implemented by Digital Opportunity Trust from 2019 to 2023 in various communities across Africa and the Middle East. This innovative initiative made possible through a partnership with the Government of Canada, has empowered over 1,000 local youth, with a particular focus on young women as agents of positive change. Over the project’s duration, it reached more than 40,000 community beneficiaries, with 70% of them being women.

The project focused on equipping youth with essential skills such as digital literacy, workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and social innovation. This holistic approach aimed to catalyze the creation of digital jobs, businesses, and local enterprises that address community-specific needs and value chains. The project is rooted in the belief that young people, as co-designers of their own futures, play a pivotal role in driving inclusive growth, fostering resilience, and enabling community recovery. By bridging the gender divide, transforming ecosystems, and promoting social and economic development, Daring to Shift represented a beacon of positive change across the regions it serves especially during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.