Training of Communities in Human Rights and Land Issues, provision of Legal Advice to the Communites
The Land Management Programme (LAMP) is a Sida supported district development programme for Babati, Kiteto, Simanjiro and Singida Districts. A Plan of Operations 2002-2005 is the principal guiding document. The four districts maintain a special budget and meetings in an Inter-District Forum, called Group 4.
1. Availability of Legal Advice
Where the villagers are informed and trained on their rights, cases occur that require legal action. Due to economical and other constraints, the villagers are not able to take legal action. They will need financial and legal support to defend their rights. The support needed is both at an individual and group basis.
2. Training on Women's Rights in Simanjiro
In the districts where women are contributing to economic activities, especially Maasai women, the women benefits and distributions are not considered by men. Most women have not enough knowledge on their rights, e.g. Land allocation, land ownership etc.
3. Training on Childrens' Rights in Simanjiro
Child labour exists in the following areas: Mirerani, Komolo, Nyumba ya Mungu and Landanai villages. The mentioned areas have large activities of fishing and mining. In order to stop child labour, the District Council will train 25 people in these villages on child rights.
The results from the training are expected to include decreased child labour, and increased knowledge in assisting to stop illegal employment.
4. How to obtain Certificates of Village Land Ownership
LAMP has been in the forefront of assisting villages to obtain Village Title Deeds as part of the National Land Reform. This has mainly been done together with Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) The Village Land Act has been particularly relevant to this process and has been instrumental in enabling villages to obtain ownership of village land and for example develop the concept of Community Based Forest and Wild life Management.
However, there is still much uncertainty regarding the village land ownership and the process of obtaining it. Instead of Village Title Deeds, villages today are expected to obtain Certificates of Village Land Ownership. How this is done or how a Village Title Deed is to be exchanged for a Certificate is still not very clear.