Voice believes in periodically reviewing on matters that touch the five rightsholders groups around the three thematic areas. This year’s Context Analysis in Tanzania highlights significant changes in Tanzania. Amongst others, changes include an evolving political context and increased control by the state, the Coronavirus pandemic and its potential impact on economic exclusion among rightsholder groups, enactment of draconian laws that restrict peoples’ freedom and access to information and justice.

In 2019, Voice in Tanzania framed the Calls for Proposals around Freedoms – Reinventing Uhuru, Mtandao Huru, Sauti yangu Uhuru Wetu around only one impact theme ‘increased political participation and citizen engagement. This Call for Proposals, #BadoUhuru! is meant to build on the lessons learnt from these Calls, to meaningfully engage with rightsholders. There have been reports of pre- and post-election intimidation, harassment of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and journalists, allegations of police brutality against opposition members and their supporters in Tanzania. This unhealthy signs for development will negatively impact on the already marginalised and discriminated groups.

What are we looking for?

Bold CSOs, coalitions, networks or collaborative partnerships are invited to submit proposals that will foster meaningful and healthy relationships between the state and society, as well as, strengthen political competence of rightsholders. There are many different options that you might wish to pursue, but here are some examples of actions/interventions we are looking for, to inspire your ideas;-

• Campaigns, coalitions, or bold movements that will scrutinise the status quo (state of things in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar);
• Demand accountability from the leaders on violation of human rights, police brutality and violence of any form on citizens;
• Continue to watch and monitor the civic (particularly digital) space and ensure it remains open, ensuring citizens can engage meaningfully and have the capacity to do so;
• Bridging gender gaps, power differences, resource imbalances etc. As it affects the rightsholder groups at the grassroots level;
• Actions advancing the rule of law, good governance, inclusive, transparent/accountable governance at the grassroots level;
• Effective implementation of existing laws that promote inclusiveness and rights of rightsholders groups;

Voice in Tanzania will prioritise collaborations among organisations led by or representing the Voice rightsholders. We will have a preference for projects that are truly committed to putting Voice rightsholders in the lead. Priority is given to applications led by organisations that represent or work on, for, and/or with the following rightsholder groups:

• Vulnerable elderly and young people
• Indigenous people and ethnic minorities
• People with disabilities
• Women facing exploitation, abuse, and violence

Intersectionality is at the very heart of Voice. Therefore, we have a strong preference for selecting projects that intend to work with more than one of the Voice rightsholder groups (Women and youth in particular) to address overlapping or cross-cutting challenges and promote inter-and/or intra-group solidarity.

For more ideas on what issues Voice prioritises on, please read the Tanzania context analysis summary, and also check out previous projects under Influencing and Sudden Opportunity grants implemented in Tanzania.

Proposals need to be at least 18 – 30 months with a budget of up to €200,000.

What do we mean by Influencing?

Based on the Voice Theory of Change, influencing is the process where rightsholders and their representatives will use a range of lobby and advocacy tools to influence individuals, families, communities, private business, religious leaders, (social) media, and other decision-makers’ policies, practices, and behaviours. We are less interested in supporting projects just organising workshops but more on those presenting out-of-the-box advocacy tools that are fun and creative, appealing to the Voice rightsholders. Ultimately, the combined interventions will lead to rightsholders:

• Claiming their rights as equal citizens;
• Having meaningful participation in political, economic, and social spheres, and;
• Accessing services and resources.

Influencing should happen and move across multiple levels from individuals to communities to (sub-) national. Actions at the individual level can reinforce actions at other levels. Influencing grant targets organisations and networks to strengthen their lobby and advocacy capacities and amplify the voices of rightsholder groups.

Who do we wish to fund?

Applications will be accepted from ONLY locally registered not-for-profit Tanzanian organisations working in Dar es salaam, Northern Zone regions (Arusha, Manyara Kilimanjaro, Tanga), Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba), Southern Highlands regions (Iringa, Mbeya, Njombe) and Lake Zone regions. Applicants registered outside these areas are nevertheless eligible to apply as far as they have a project base/office in the selected areas and can provide the intervention there without undue travel cost allocated to Voice.

International organisations are NOT eligible to apply as lead organisations but can be co-applicants in case of consortium applications.

What we won’t fund

• Organisations with an annual turnover of over €2 million.
• An application where the grant awarded from Voice is more than 50% of the total annual income of the applicant organisation.
  • The way to calculate this is to divide the requested amount by number of years the project will be implemented. The result will then be divided by the annual income.
  • If the result of this calculation is over 50% you can either reduce the requested amount or team up as part of a consortium where you can add up the annual incomes
• Funding of commercial services, investment or other commercial activities.

Practicing the Values of Voice

Voice believes in the principle of Nothing About Us Without Us. In practice, this means Voice rightsholder groups need to be at the centre of any effort. They must be involved in the conceptualisation, planning, and implementation of any grant. They are equal partners in any consortium, network, or coalition, playing key governance and leadership roles.

Linking and Learning

Linking and Learning is at the heart and soul of Voice. All grantees are expected to participate in facilitated meetings and gatherings enabling the exchange of ideas and learnings from each other’s experiences.  Applicants must demonstrate in their proposals how they will identify, document, and share their learnings as they implement their project. These may come in many forms such as blog posts, videos, photo essay or audio recordings.

Voice values diversity and inclusion. All grantees are expected to be able to interact with and learn from a diverse group of people coming from different backgrounds, orientations, and experiences. Interested applicants must be willing to work in a diverse community, which includes representatives from all of the Voice rightsholder groups.

This Call for Proposals is closed and no longer accepting applications. Come back here at a later stage to learn about the grantees that have been selected in this Call for Proposals.

The current open Calls for Proposals can be found here.