First Lady Visits Pact Tanzania Program and Launches  the Tanzanian National Plan of Action for Orphans and Most Vulnerable Children

The First Ladies Laura Bush of the United States and Mama Salma Kikwete of Tanzania joined together to launch the Tanzanian National Plan of Action for Orphans and Most Vulnerable Children.  The launch took place on the grounds of WAMA, a Tanzanian NGO dedicated to supporting the needs of women and children on Sunday, February 17. 

The event was a celebration of the significant support that the Most Vulnerable Children are receiving—help that is enabling them to stay in school, stay healthy and live a meaningful life even in the absence of one or both parents. Tanzanian government offices, donor agencies and implementing partners joined children and their caregivers in launching the new plan, with gift-giving, singing and dancing adding to the excitement. 

Funding from the Global Fund, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR and UNICEF is playing a large role in Tanzania’s comprehensive strategy for protecting orphans and vulnerable children nationwide. Pact Tanzania is working with the Department of Social Welfare and local partners in 41 districts to implement the National Plan of Action under the Global Fund and Jali Watoto (Care for Children) PEPFAR programs. Pact is aiming to provide essential services and anti-stigma training to a minimum of 380,000 children, families and communities by 2010. 

After the launch of the plan, the First Ladies toured informational booths showing the breadth of support offered to children in need.  Booths were set up covering psychosocial support and stigma, community care, health and education and household care. At the stigma booth, Dan Craun-Selka, Pact Tanzania country director presented Mrs. Bush with an Anti-Stigma Toolkit for Action.  Two of the training modules were developed in Tanzania under the Jali Watoto program and were officially launched by Mama Kikwete in December.

In the Household Care Booth, the First Ladies listened to a presentation on the Pact WORTH program, a savings-led village banking program that provides groups of women an opportunity to raise income and improve the standard of living of themselves and their families. Victoria Munene, the Pact WORTH coordinator, answered questions and showed the First Ladies some of the products made by the WORTH women and the literacy materials used by the WORTH groups.  Former first ladies Mama Nyerere and Mama Mkapa also toured the booth and met with Victoria.