Based in Dar es Salamm, Tanzania is ADD’s youngest programme, we work with disabled people’s organisations in three of Tanzania’s 26 regions, as well as national disabled people organisations in Dar es Salaam.
Since moving to Dar es Salaam at the end of 2006 ADD has been focussing on supporting the national umberella organisation SHIVYAWATA to enable them contribute effectively towards the growth of disability movement in Tanzania.
During the early part of 2008 ADD facilitated the formation of three new regional committees, in Lindi, Mtwara and the Coast region. This support will continue until these new groups are established and able to run as effective, independent organisations, estimated to be by the end of this year.
In Mtwara, support began with 20 days sign language training for 30 committee members and officials from community development. ADD supported the training by organising all arrangements and logistics - the actual training was carried out by trainers from the Tanzania Deaf Society.
The purpose of the training is to:
Create awareness of sign language - most members of the community are not aware that sign language even exisits;
Create a positive attitude with the community towards deafness;
Learn more about deaf culture and deaf history;
Improve communication between deaf people and the rest of the community.
The training was really successful with participants agreeing to establish deaf clubs to meet in their own time. The skills gained will enable deaf people to participate fully in all development activities by using an interpreter to facilitate communication. Another 10 day training course will run next year, aiming for participants to become qualified sign language interpreters.
A similar training is scheduled for 2009 in Lindi when the number of deaf people is known.
Leaders from the new committees have also been trained in basic book keeping amd accounts to enable them to manage their own resources.
Tanzania Albino Society
ADD has been supporting TAS, the Tanzania Albino Society, since it was first set up in 1999. TAS face a unique struggle because albinism is not widely recognised as a disability.
In 2007 the number of albinos being killed rose sharply and happening mostly in the areas of Mwanza, Shinyanga, Mara and Arusha. These killing continue, please click on the links below to read more.