Members of Parliament have called on the Government to translate children's contributions to the National Development Vision 2050 into concrete policies and programmes, particularly in education, nutrition, healthcare and child protection.
The call was made on October 31, 2026, during a parliamentary training session on recommendations submitted by children during consultations for the long-term development blueprint.
The session was officially opened by Deputy Speaker Daniel Sillo at Parliament in Dodoma and brought together members of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare and Community Development, the Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation, and the Parliamentary Group on Early Childhood Development.
The discussions focused on how children's views could be incorporated into the implementation of Vision 2050, recognising that the generation whose future is shaped by the blueprint should also have a voice in determining its priorities.
One of the children who participated in the consultations, Raphael Charles, commended the Government for giving children an opportunity to contribute to the national development agenda.
He said a total of 14,000 children from Zanzibar and three regions of mainland Tanzania had been consulted, allowing them to highlight issues affecting their lives and future prospects.
“Children are the ones who will benefit from Vision 2050, so it is important that their views have been heard,” he said.
Mr Charles said the issues raised by children included access to quality education and healthcare, improved nutrition, clean and safe water, child protection and greater participation in decisions affecting them.
These priorities point to concerns that go beyond economic growth, highlighting the importance of ensuring that development translates into better living conditions and opportunities for younger generations.
MPs attending the training urged the Government to take the recommendations seriously, particularly proposals to improve nutrition in schools, eliminate violence against children and review the Marriage Act.
They stressed the need to ensure that children's contributions do not remain part of consultation records but inform policies, laws and programmes that directly affect their welfare.
The inclusion of children's perspectives in Vision 2050 also highlights the importance of recognising them as active participants in national development rather than merely beneficiaries of government programmes.
The training was conducted under the Parliamentary Strengthening Project (LSP III), funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).