Programme Description:

Despite steady economic growth over the past fifteen years, poverty in Tanzania remains particularly widespread in the rural areas, and unplanned or un-serviced settlements in urban areas. Often hardest hit by poverty are households that are dependent on agriculture, as a result of food and nutrition insecurity combined with limited livelihood opportunities, and a high level of unemployment.

Thus far growth has not succeeded in generating adequate employment to adsorb the annual net increase to the labour force or reduce the proportion of the labour force that is currently under-employed. A growing informal economy; characteristics of limited access to resources, poor working conditions and low wages and income symptomatic of the current growth trend. Youth particularly in those rural areas and mainly women are most affected given their ‘triple burden’ with productive, reproductive and community responsibilities.

By promoting a human right based approach to programming and the delivery of results, attending to both processes and outcomes, the UN can be an effective partner in ensuring that growth and the reduction of poverty is achieved in ways that promote equity, non-discrimination, participation and accountability.

The Wealth Creation, Employment and Empowerment Joint Programme is among the key priorities of the UN in Tanzania designed to support the national goal of accelerating economic growth and reduction of poverty. The UN support is aimed at ensuring improved access to income and productive opportunities, decent employment and sustained food security for the most vulnerable.

Development Goal:

Ensuring sound economic management, promoting sustainable and broad-based growth, and reducing income poverty of both men and women in rural and urban areas.

Outcome:

By 2010; increase access to sustainable income opportunities, productive employment and food security in rural and urban areas.

Outputs and Key Activities:

This Programme focuses on achieving three key outputs:

• Strengthened institutional capacity to implement the national Employment Creation programme, and to mainstream employment and income opportunities into national policies.
• Strengthened capacity of Government and stakeholders to monitor and manage food and nutritional security.
• Increased and equitable opportunities for decent work and rural livelihoods, with improved agricultural productivity, quality of products, and market access.

The Joint Programme prioritizes interventions which will yield ‘quick wins’. It therefore focuses on:

• Translating economic growth policies into practical action focusing on the agro and rural sector;
• Support to foster agriculture and SME development for youth employment and rural livelihoods;
• Building national capacity for economic policy analysis, programme and strategy development,food and nutrition security management and monitoring of implementation;
• Mobilizing communities to participate and support economic development and planning;
• Promoting labour-based technologies to upgrade agro productivity and support infrastructures
• Promote creation of decent work opportunities especially for young men and women
• Encouraging the private sector to support business development and extension services for farmers;
• Working with training and research centers to equip groups of SMEs with the technical, business and life skills.