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Caritas-DSM, an NGO (nongovernmental organization), under the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, has since January 1979 been providing social and economic support to community based activities in the Dar es Salaam and Coast Regions. It has as its mandate to engage in socio-economic projects for development at the grassroots, social services and emergency assistance. In the past Caritas-DSM had a heavy emphasis on Social Services because of the needs of that time.
The Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam geographically includes 2 Regions: the Coast Region and the Dar es Salaam Region (there are 20 Regions in Tanzania). These 2 Regions have a population of about 4.5 million people. 51% of all Tanzanians live below the poverty level but 75% live below the poverty in the Coast Region. In the remote areas of the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam poverty is endemic. Geographically it is very large with a larger population in each Region than any of the other 20 Regions in the country. There are 43 parishes with innumerable out stations in both totally urban and totally rural settings, as well as semi-urban and semi-rural in between. For this reason a Needs Assessment Survey was taken of the Archdiocese from June until September 1996 so that the development program could be designed to address the people’s needs. The Survey was taken in collaboration with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) of the University of Dar es Salaam. The Archdiocese has been engaged in a restructuring of the Caritas-DSM Program since November of 1995 and the Needs Assessment Survey was part of this on going activity.
The result of this Survey conducted throughout the Archdiocese was almost unanimous in that everyone, with the exception of one parish priest, over 2,000 people, identified women and youth as the neediest people in our society. They were in need of training and access to credit for self-employment, improving income and production. Therefore, our programs target women and youth.
Caritas-DSM has 5 major projects: Savings and Credit Scheme (SCS); Women in Development (WID); Organization Development for Food Security Production for Market (OFM); Mafia Island Integrated Development Program (MIDP); and the Center for Young Dhow Seamen and Fishermen (CYDSF); as well as, a Social Welfare Program.
Since the goal of this development program is to help people become economically independent the Savings and Credit Scheme approach offered the best method to achieve this end. It is our plan to include the Savings and Credit Scheme in all the projects so that our programs begin achieving sustainability from the beginning.
Tanzania is the 7th poorest country in the world. The GNP is $210 but there are people below that line who actually average $180 per person.
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