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Lagana Area Program

Sponsor a child

Program Type

Community Development

Planned Life Cycle

2022 - 2034

Location

Tanzania

Areas of Focus

Child Protection and Participation

Program Timeline

Status: Active

Progress

898people participated in activities aimed at supporting child protection and ending violence against children

Progress

29people participated in trainings, counseling or activities that teach healthy nutrition and feeding practices

Progress

11faith leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations were engaged in addressing the root causes of child vulnerability

A white jeep driving through a muddy path, featuring a rainbow and trees in the background.

Program Details

Context

Lagana is a farming community of about 27,000 people spread across five ethnic groups and evenly divided between women and men. Agriculture consists of subsistence farming and livestock keeping. Major crops include cotton, sunflower, sweet potatoes and maize. Livestock is mainly cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys. However, the land is under-utilized and the region is subject to a high incidence of drought, which has heightened the issue of food insecurity.

Other economic activity includes agricultural commerce, food vending and some petty trades.

Among the population are various vulnerable groups including orphans, widowers, marginalized women and people with disabilities. These groups are in difficult circumstances due to poverty, ignorance, gender-based violence and early marriage.

Fortunately, the political environment is stable, and the government is active and supportive of all community development efforts. Lagana's community has expressed similar support, which is a sign of hope and assurance for what can be accomplished to empower children and their families out of poverty.

...
Challenges
Lagana's key challenges revolve around education, health and livelihood. School enrolment is fairly high, but due to several factors, attendance is not. Water is scarce, especially during dry season, which forces women and girls to walk up to 13 kilometres to reach rivers. On top of that the water is untreated which raises the burden of disease. Finally, the agriculture that could improve economic conditions is not fully utilized.

Education
The number of schools and resources is insufficient with teacher/pupil and classroom/pupil ratios being double the national average. Children often have to walk long distances—up to 8 kilometres—to attend class. This is a critical barrier and especially during rainy season becomes insurmountable for some. Adjacent to this is a gender bias issue: the rate of early marriage among girls under age 18 is 59 percent—almost double the national average. This significantly impacts the ability of girls to attend and complete school. There have even been reports of families forcing girls to fail school exams to ensure their only alternative is to get married.

Livelihood
A combination of climate change, drought and ineffective farming methods keep yields from being higher. As a result there is not enough income and food for families to support themselves. Economic activity generates only about 60 cents US per day on average. Infrastructure for irrigation and for improving farmers' access to markets does not exist, further lowering production and income. There are 12 savings groups that loan money but the income of participating members is too low to be effective.

Health
Only 1.8% of the community's population has access to clean water. This increases the risk of diseases such as typhoid, diarrhea and intestinal worms. Many families are forced to sell most of the food they harvest, leaving too little for themselves. Hunger and malnutrition among children is the result. Health centres are often far away from villages, making access difficult. And there continues to be a reliance on traditional, but ineffective, practices to treat illness.

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Plans
Education
To help children develop the skills for future economic self-empowerment, World Vision will:
  • Deploy micro projects to support infrastructure building, provision of school desks and construction of toilets and classrooms.
  • Engage parents and school management committees to sensitize them to the importance of childhood education.
  • Advocate for improved educational services by empowering the community with government standards and performance measures.
  • Work with government and stakeholders to ensure availability of early childhood development classrooms.

Livelihood
To help the community develop economic self-sufficiency, World Vision will:
  • Partner with local government to implement models designed to improve productivity and enhance income.
  • Implement a savings and loans program to help families increase their resiliency and ability to provide for their own basic needs.
  • Implement technical programs that improve market access for farmers and strengthen rural value chains.

Health
To improve the physical well-being of children, World Vision will:
  • Help educate parents and caregivers on proper nutrition.
  • Equip families who have malnourished children with improved, sustainable agricultural techniques that improve productivity and ensure wider dietary variety.
  • Work with local government to increase access to safe, sustainable water supplies and improve knowledge of hygiene practices.
  • Establish programs that enable children to access community-based emergency health and nutrition support.
...
An image of children sitting on the ground in a classroom, writing in workbooks.

Results

Unless otherwise stated, data presented on this page reflects the most up-to-date results of World Vision Canada programs reported between October 2023 and September 2024, and any previous fiscal years available. Previously reported data may not match the current presentation as we continuously receive and refine data from our programs. If you have any questions, kindly reach out to us.