By Anthony John
As the distinguished Chairman of the TangaYetu Steering Committee, Dr. Deodatus Mtasiwa played an absolutely pivotal role in expertly guiding and overseeing the comprehensive implementation of Phase One of the TangaYetu initiative. The program’s ambitious and overarching aim was to fundamentally transform Tanga City into a vibrant, youth-centered, and truly community-driven urban model, while simultaneously improving essential social services and robustly promoting economic empowerment among its residents. For Dr. Mtasiwa, TangaYetu’s tangible achievements powerfully symbolize the immense strength and transformative power of collaborative efforts between dedicated citizens, proactive city authorities, and invaluable development partners.
Inclusive Development Through Community Engagement
Dr. Mtasiwa emphatically emphasized the paramount importance of starting with and prioritizing the community’s voice:
“TangaYetu meticulously sought to significantly enhance citizen participation in actively shaping the development trajectory of their own city, ensuring their ideas, aspirations, and priorities truly took center stage,” he explained, highlighting the grassroots approach.
Early in the program’s lifecycle, TangaYetu systematically organized extensive consultations where Tanga’s diverse residents were directly asked about their collective vision for the city. While numerous valuable suggestions emerged, a shared, profound desire for accessible public spaces to relax and connect stood out prominently. This clear community mandate directly led to the visionary redevelopment of Jamhuri Park, a historically significant site in dire need of restoration and revitalization.
“The park remarkably transformed into a unifying space where people from all walks of life could freely gather, relax, and genuinely enjoy themselves. It brought immense joy to residents, regardless of their background or economic status,” Dr. Mtasiwa shared with a sense of pride.
With invaluable input from Ardhi University’s expert urban planners and the dedicated efforts of a highly skilled local construction team, Jamhuri Park was meticulously transformed into a vibrant, welcoming, and truly inclusive public space. Today, it proudly stands as a powerful symbol of the project’s success and the transformative power of thoughtful, community-driven urban planning. [Image: Jamhuri Park before/after, or people enjoying the renovated park].
Youth-Centered Economic Empowerment
In addition to creating revitalized public spaces, the TangaYetu initiative strategically focused on creating meaningful opportunities for youth across vital sectors such as agriculture, aquaculture (the blue economy), and entrepreneurship.
“We diligently worked on projects like modern poultry farming, sustainable fish farming, and comprehensive agribusiness initiatives to actively engage young people in meaningful and productive economic activities,” Dr. Mtasiwa noted.
These impactful projects not only successfully created direct employment opportunities but also powerfully encouraged youth to harness Tanga’s abundant natural resources, including its expansive ocean and fertile surrounding lands.
“Tanga’s strategic proximity to the ocean offers immense untapped potential for blue economy activities like sustainable seaweed farming, responsible fishing, and value-added processing,” he added. “Our overarching goal was to empower youth to successfully transform these natural opportunities into stable, sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.”
Addressing Challenges in Implementation
Despite the notable successes achieved by the TangaYetu program, Dr. Mtasiwa candidly acknowledged that significant challenges were inevitably encountered during its implementation:
- Aligning Objectives: Early in the program, there were demonstrable difficulties in effectively aligning the Steering Committee’s ambitious goals with the operational realities and sometimes differing perspectives of the Tanga City Council. Dr. Mtasiwa observed, “Some City Council officials initially viewed the project as merely a convenient source of funds rather than a truly transformative initiative for the city.” This initial misalignment regrettably impacted the program’s early reception and its seamless integration into core city operations.
- Short Project Durations: Many of the individual projects implemented in Phase One had relatively short lifespans. This brevity limited the critical opportunities for thorough evaluation, adaptive learning, and comprehensive long-term impact assessment. The short durations hindered the program’s ability to fully realize and comprehensively measure its full effects on the community and existing infrastructure.
- Capacity Gaps: A profound and persistent challenge was the identifiable lack of necessary training and technical expertise among some city staff required to effectively implement and sustainably manage the projects. This skill and knowledge gap often led to regrettable delays and inefficiencies in project execution.
Key Lessons and Recommendations for Future Success
Reflecting thoughtfully on these challenges, Dr. Mtasiwa offered several key recommendations for substantially improving future phases of TangaYetu:
- Invest in Training for City Officials: Dr. Mtasiwa strongly emphasized the critical need for comprehensive and ongoing training for all City Council staff directly involved in TangaYetu projects, right from the outset. “Training ensures that everyone is aligned, understands the vision, and can manage projects effectively and efficiently,” he stressed.
- Extend Project Lifespans: To maximize overall impact and ensure greater sustainability, future projects should ideally have durations of at least one year. This extension would allow for regular quarterly evaluations, enabling effective tracking of progress and the timely addressing of any emerging issues, thereby significantly enhancing the potential for success and longevity.
- Prioritize Sustainability Mechanisms: It is absolutely crucial that all future projects inherently include clear, robust mechanisms for long-term sustainability. This ensures that the benefits continue to accrue to the community well after the initial implementation phase, helping to maintain and expand upon the gains achieved.
- Leverage Tanga’s Natural Resources: Dr. Mtasiwa strongly suggests expanding activities in sectors that capitalize on Tanga’s unique natural assets, such as the blue economy and urban agriculture. These initiatives not only provide sustainable income for the youth but also address critical issues like local food security.
These invaluable insights and strategic adjustments, derived from Phase One, could effectively serve as a powerful model for other cities looking to implement similar transformative initiatives, highlighting the profound importance of strategic planning and deeply community-focused approaches in urban development projects.
Dr. Mtasiwa firmly believes that TangaYetu has successfully established a replicable blueprint for other cities in Tanzania and potentially beyond: “Cities possess the inherent capacity to transform themselves by actively empowering their youth and authentically engaging their communities in truly meaningful ways,” he asserted.
He cited the tangible replication of TangaYetu project models in other regions, including Zanzibar and neighboring cities, as compelling proof of its widespread impact and relevance. “These projects powerfully demonstrate that young people in urban areas can indeed generate substantial income and significantly contribute to their cities’ economies through innovative activities like sustainable farming, responsible fishing, and dynamic entrepreneurship,” he concluded.
For Dr. Mtasiwa, the remarkable transformation of Jamhuri Park was a particularly personal highlight: “The park is now a place of immense pride for Tanga residents. It’s truly incredible to witness a historic site revitalized with modern planning and design principles, yet still beautifully retaining its original essence and community spirit,” he reflected with profound satisfaction.
The park’s resounding success powerfully underscores the vital importance of meticulously maintaining and strategically upgrading existing urban assets to meet contemporary community needs. “It clearly shows that old, underutilized spaces can be brilliantly revitalized to bring renewed joy, enhanced functionality, and deeper connection to a community,” he added.
A Vision for Sustainable Urban Development
Dr. Mtasiwa articulated a compelling vision for the future of Tanga and other Tanzanian cities: “By thoughtfully combining abundant local resources, deep cultural understanding, and cutting-edge modern techniques, cities can progressively develop in ways that genuinely reflect the aspirations and dreams of their people. TangaYetu has successfully laid a robust foundation for this ongoing transformation.”
With its unwavering focus on empowering youth, fostering authentic community engagement, and promoting the innovative use of abundant natural resources, TangaYetu is doing more than just changing individual lives—it’s fundamentally reshaping how cities across Tanzania and beyond approach the entire concept of sustainable urban development.
“Our vital work is far from done,” Dr. Mtasiwa concluded with a hopeful yet determined tone. “But the significant progress we’ve collectively made gives us immense hope and confidence for what’s still to come.”