Michel Toto
By a correspondent in Dar es Salaam
UNESCO in collaboration with the Alwaleed Philanthropies has kicked off the second cohort of grantees, a move meant to support arts and culture education, capacity building, and sustainable community development.
UNESCO Head of Office Michel Toto made the revelations in Dar es Salaam recently during the Kick-Off Meeting for the Second Cohort of Grantees and Knowledge Sharing Session.
The move comes with testimonies indicating that the support to the first cohort grantees has helped to create a positive impact to communities where it was implemented.
Speaking during the session Rose Ngunangwa, Tanzania Media for Community Development (TAMCODE) Executive Director, a grantee from the first cohort thanked UNESCO and Alwaleed Philanthropies saying through the support, her organization in collaboration with community radios and digital platform journalists had been able to publicize the various economic opportunities in Katavi and Rukwa regions and to promote forest conservation, cultural tourism as well as use of clean energy.
“The support helped TAMCODE to also engage with local policy makers in Mpanda and Sumbawanga districts where we came with guidelines for the enactment of the by law on Intangible Cultural Heritage. We are grateful to district authorities, mayors and councilors in the two districts for their commitment to support us,” said Ngunangwa.
The UNESCO–Alwaleed Philanthropies Programme supports community-based development in Tanzania by enhancing the role of culture and arts through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
The initiative contributes to unlocking the economic and social potential of cultural heritage and creative industries, with a strong emphasis on youth and women empowerment.
The hybrid session brought together grantees from the first and second cohort, officials from the ministries of culture in mainland and Zanzibar, development partners, as well as UNESCO staff members from Dar es Salaam & Paris.
