SHIVYAWATA has conducted a one-day training for councillors of Lindi Municipality aimed at strengthening their understanding of disability rights and the legal and policy frameworks that protect persons with disabilities in Tanzania.

The training, held at the Open University of Tanzania meeting hall in Lindi Municipality, was facilitated by Novath Rukwago, SHIVYAWATA’s Legal Officer.

The session focused on strengthening councillors’ understanding of the National Policy, the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2010, and national and international frameworks that promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities.

Through the training, councillors were supported to strengthen their role in monitoring the implementation of disability rights and inclusion commitments across different social sectors within the local government authority.

The training was also attended by Juma Mnwele, Director of Lindi Municipality, who thanked SHIVYAWATA for organising the session. He noted that the training had provided an important opportunity to remind councillors of the legal requirements and frameworks relating to the rights and needs of persons with disabilities.

He also expressed the Municipality’s commitment to working with SHIVYAWATA to help ensure that persons with disabilities in Lindi Municipality can benefit from the opportunities and provisions outlined in the relevant frameworks.

The training forms part of SHIVYAWATA’s broader commitment to strengthening disability rights, inclusion and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in Tanzania.

SHIVYAWATA brought together representatives from Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) for a workshop to review and validate data collection tools for the Inclusion for Climate Resilience in Tanzania and Zimbabwe project.

The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to critically review the proposed baseline and mapping tools, discuss the relevance of the questions and provide recommendations to ensure that the tools adequately capture the experiences, needs and priorities of persons with disabilities in relation to climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

The discussions also helped strengthen the tools to ensure that the information collected during the field exercise will generate meaningful evidence on disability inclusion, climate resilience, access to services, participation, institutional responses and opportunities for advocacy.

The valuable contributions of OPD representatives will help ensure that the baseline and mapping exercise is participatory, disability-inclusive and grounded in the realities of persons with disabilities.

This represents an important step towards generating evidence that can support stronger advocacy for inclusive climate policies, Disaster Risk Reduction and resilient communities where persons with disabilities are meaningfully included.

SHIVYAWATA, in collaboration with the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa (KBTA), has taken an important step towards strengthening inclusive employment opportunities for persons with disabilities through the first Employers Roundtable held in Dar es Salaam.

The roundtable brought together more than 25 employers and human resources professionals to explore practical solutions for strengthening workplace inclusion and expanding employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

The discussions went beyond raising awareness. Participants explored actionable strategies to address the structural and attitudinal barriers that continue to limit access to employment for persons with disabilities. Key areas of discussion included inclusive recruitment practices, workplace accessibility and the role of employers in creating more equitable labour markets.

Creating Pathways from Skills to Employment

The roundtable forms part of broader efforts to ensure that skills development leads to meaningful economic opportunities.

Among the graduates from the first cohort of the training programme, 13 out of 20 graduates with disabilities have successfully secured employment opportunities. The progress demonstrates the importance of strengthening connections between skills development, employers and employment opportunities.

However, further collaboration is needed to expand opportunities for graduates and young persons with disabilities currently undergoing training.

SHIVYAWATA and its partners continue to encourage employers and other stakeholders to support inclusive employment through:

• Internship opportunities for remaining graduates;
• Employment and placement opportunities for young people currently in training; and
• Stronger pathways connecting skills development with sustainable employment.

Expanding Opportunities Through Entrepreneurship

Inclusive economic empowerment extends beyond formal employment.

A group of 15 young people with visual impairment has completed entrepreneurship skills training and is preparing for the next stage of their journey towards establishing sustainable livelihoods.

Partnerships are needed to support these young entrepreneurs through:

• Business mentorship and coaching;
• Start-up support and incubation; and
• Access to markets and enterprise development opportunities.

With appropriate support and opportunities, young persons with disabilities can build sustainable livelihoods and contribute fully to Tanzania’s economic development.

Building Partnerships for Inclusive Employment

The roundtable also brought together different stakeholders committed to advancing disability inclusion. Representatives from CCBRT and Sightsavers Tanzania participated in the engagement, contributing their experience and technical perspectives to discussions on strengthening disability inclusion and systems change.

The engagement reinforced an important message: disability inclusion in employment requires coordinated action.

Creating inclusive labour markets requires collaboration between the private sector, government, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, development partners and other stakeholders.

Moving from Dialogue to Action

The Employers Roundtable, which also received coverage from ITV and HabariLeo, represents part of a broader effort to move beyond dialogue and towards practical action.

As SHIVYAWATA and its partners continue this work, the focus remains on expanding opportunities, strengthening employer engagement and ensuring that young persons with disabilities are not only equipped with skills but also have meaningful opportunities to participate in the workforce and the wider economy.

Inclusion becomes meaningful when opportunities follow skills.