This week, we were honoured to host Ms. Beatrice Ogutu, Executive Director of ICS-SP (formerly Investing In Children and Their Societies, ICS Netherlands), and Mr. Dennis Chirchir, Head of Finance & Operations at ICS-SP. The meeting, hosted by C-Sema’s Chief Executive and the Director of the National Child Helpline, Michael Marwa, provided a wonderful opportunity to reconnect and explore new synergies for expanding our impact.
C-Sema’s journey with ICS-SP began in the early days of our organisation, 2011. In fact, the helpline received its first grant from ICS Netherlands through the Together4Change (T4C) alliance, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands. This pivotal alliance, focused on strengthening economic and social development, enabled ICS-SP to collaborate with a variety of international and local partners, including SOS Kinderdorpen, Wereldkinderen, and Wilde Ganzen.
The T4C grant, running from 2011 to 2015, played a significant role in supporting C-Sema’s initial set-up and operations. As the lead agent of the alliance, ICS-SP was instrumental in connecting us to resources and expertise that helped shape our path forward. What started as a single (multi-year) grant has blossomed into a lasting partnership, and we are deeply grateful to ICS-SP for their role in our early development.
During this recent visit, Beatrice and her team expressed interest in learning more about our ongoing work, particularly our Oak Foundation-funded initiative in Zanzibar, which focuses on preventing sexual abuse and exploitation through the strengthening of parenting programmes. Together, we explored potential opportunities for replicating the impact of our work in Zanzibar across broader regions of Tanzania.
ICS-SP’s parenting programming, specifically the Skillful Parenting programme, offers a comprehensive, 12-week group-based initiative designed for rural communities. The programme aims to enhance parental competence, well-being, and social support, ultimately benefiting children’s development and welfare.
C-Sema's Parenting Programme, delivered through the KUWAZA IV project in Zanzibar, targets parents, religious leaders, and local community leaders. They participate in a comprehensive 12-week training programme aimed at enhancing their knowledge of responding to the needs of children across different age groups, specifically those aged 7-10 and 11-14. Alongside this, children are simultaneously trained with age-appropriate content in the same timeframe. This dual approach aims to empower both parents and children, equipping young people with the knowledge to protect themselves by understanding their rights, developmental changes, needs, and the various forms of online and offline abuse, including identifying perpetrators and understanding reporting mechanisms.
This visit underscores our commitment to building meaningful partnerships that amplify the impact of our efforts to protect and empower children. We are excited to continue working with ICS-SP and other partners to achieve lasting change for children and families in Tanzania.
Stay tuned for more updates on the exciting opportunities this collaboration will bring!