By Alfred Zacharia
Parliament approved a budget of Sh76.06 billion on May 27, 2025, for the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups for the 2025/26 financial year.
Presenting the budget in Dodoma, the Minister, Dr. Dorothy Gwajima, outlined five key priorities for the ministry.
She said the ministry, through its departments and institutions, will focus on promoting public participation in planning and implementing development projects at the grassroots level, coordinating and improving the delivery of social welfare and community development services, and recognizing and supporting the development of special groups, including people with disabilities, the elderly, and other vulnerable citizens.
Other priorities include improving the teaching and learning environment in the ministry’s training institutions and strengthening the role of non-governmental organizations in national development.
Dr. Gwajima also said the ministry continues to oversee the implementation of the National Programme for Mobilizing and Coordinating Development at the Grassroots Level (2022/23–2025/26).
The programme is designed to put citizens at the center of development by changing attitudes, perspectives, and practices among grassroots experts to improve service delivery.
Highlighting past achievements, the minister mentioned efforts to protect children from abuse through the National Online Child Safety Campaign, which was carried out in 26 regions across mainland Tanzania.
The campaign aimed to raise awareness among parents, guardians, and children about online safety.
She also said the government has started a programme to empower small-scale traders. So far, 601 entrepreneurs, both women and men, have received loans worth Sh1.1 billion, and the initiative is ongoing.
Dr. Gwajima encouraged citizens to read the full budget speech, which is available on the ministry’s website: www.jamii.go.tz.
The budget was passed unanimously by all Members of Parliament.
