DWS Associate Programs
Tanzania
 A Pare woman from Same District in northeastern Tanzania received a pregnant cow from the Same Rehabilitation Project, operated by LWF/DWS Tanzania. In return, she gave the first female calf to another family, and so on. For many families, the one-cow donation is a source of better nutrition and extra income from the sale of milk. © LWF/DWS/J. Stephens |
Tanzania's generous policy toward refugees and asylum seekers has enabled hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighboring countries to find safe haven there. Rated 160 out of 175 countries on the UN human development index, this country of 36 million people hosts 600,000 refugees.
Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS) has completed the process of transition from an LWF/DWS field program to national NGO status, becoming an Associate Program of the LWF from 1 January 2006. TCRS is now governed by a national Board of Trustees, with a majority of Trustees appointed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), the Tanzanian LWF member church. TCRS continues its ecumenical Christian response to refugees that began in 1964 at the invitation of the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) and the WCC. The program collaborates closely with the Government of Tanzania and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to facilitate the return of refugees while empowering them to develop sustainable communities.
TCRS has the following program emphases:
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Community Empowerment, assisting communities to develop strong leadership, economic security through sustainable livelihood, and access to public services.
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Disaster Relief, responding to disasters according to clear criteria, strengthening national and regional ACT partnerships, and building disaster preparedness in local communities.
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Refugees, assisting refugees to secure vital needs and develop self-reliance, emphasizing dignity, peace and security for refugees and host communities.
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Organizational Development, continued strengthening of the governance, management, and staff capacities needed for an independent local NGO, owned by the ELCT.
Kibondo Development and Refugee Assistance
 Burundian refugee family repatriating, TCRS Kibondo Refugee Program, 2004. © LWF/TCRS |
TCRS is involved with 63,000 vulnerable people in Kibondo District in northwest Tanzania, working in partnership with the District Council and local churches to provide leadership training, skills training for income generation, HIV/AIDS awareness building and improvement of household water and sanitation.
As an implementing partner of UNHCR and WFP, TCRS provides camp management for 70,000 Burundian refugees in camps in Kibondo District, advocates for refugee rights and welfare, and promotes refugee self-reliance, group empowerment, ethnic peace and reconciliation, and good refugee relations with host communities. TCRS is also managing the voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees back to Burundi, now that peace has been consolidated.
Ngara, Karagwe and Kilwa Development
 Literacy class, TCRS Kilwa Community Empowerment Program, 2005. © LWF/TCRS |
Local ELCT, Catholic and Anglican dioceses are partners with TCRS in improving the quality of life for 60,000 vulnerable people in Ngara, Karagwe and Kilwa Districts. Activities include village leadership development, HIV/AIDS awareness, collective savings schemes and skills training in income generation.
TCRS Organizational Development
Capacity building of TCRS board members and senior national management staff is ongoing, combined with progressive replacement of international staff. Other efforts strive to broaden the TCRS international and local donor base, and to raise grassroots awareness, ownership and support. All of this is to further strengthen TCRS as a national relief and development NGO, owned by the ELCT.
Website of the Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS).
For further information please contact:
Mr Tore Samuelsson, Program Officer
Local representative
Mr Mark Leveri, Director
