Status of the organization

Kigoma Alliance for Community Needs (KACON) is a non-governmental organization formerly known as Kigoma AIDS Control Network, registered in 2005 under society ordinance and reregistered on 17th April 2018 under NGOs act of 2002 with registration number NGO/0001015. In the beginning KACON worked as a network or umbrella agency that aimed at strengthening collaboration among CSOs, community and other stakeholders on addressing HIV/AIDS problem in Kigoma region. On April 2018, KACON reviewed her vision and mission and transformed from her single-problem intervention to multiple-problems. Similarly, in the beginning KACON operated at the region level, whereas under transformation the agency operates in all regions in Tanzania mainland.

Head Office.

The organization’s head office is in Kigoma- Ujiji municipality. The office locates at Mnarani area in the Tanzania Red Cross compound, near NSSF Mafao building.

Area of operation.

The organization shall operate in Tanzania Mainland.

Vision, Mission and Objectives.

Vision Statement

Attain quality life standard; the standard whereby people enjoys prosperity of development.

Mission Statement

Mobilizing resources for supporting community members eradicate water, sanitation and health related problems, supporting most vulnerable children, empowering women in entrepreneurship, undertaking campaigning against gender based violence, improving services on reproductive rights, family planning, Malaria, nutrition to expectant mothers and under-five children and supporting youth development programs.

Objectives

The organization shall have the following objectives:

1. To contribute in the improvement of socio-economic status of people in areas where the organization works, by collaborating with respective communities, government and other stakeholders that have the same intention.
2. To engage communities in the identification of needs, existing resources and opportunities that will enable them improve their livelihoods.
3. To advocate for rights of the most vulnerable groups including; children, women, youth, out of school girls and boys, adults, disabled and other in Tanzania mainland.
4. To provide education and information on family planning and reproductive health to women and girls in rural areas of Tanzania mainland.
5. To improve health condition of people through behavior change communication.
6. To collaborate with the government, local and international organizations in carrying out various health programs viz. HIV/AIDS, Malaria, cholera etc.
7. To increase access to clean and safe water in rural areas of Tanzania mainland.
8. To undertake and promote reasonable natural resources utilization projects for preventing and control the spread of environmental degradation.
9. To collaborate with the communities in protecting river sources, natural forests, hilltops, and carry out environmental and land management education.
10. To assist rural communities in food security programs, Tanzania mainland.
11. To assist women/girls in the formation of organized income-generating schemes.
12. To assist and take care of the displaced people consequential from different calamities.
13. To support most vulnerable children through initiating care and protection programs in the community.
14. To promote nutrition condition for children below five years and expectant mothers by providing nutrition education to community members facing the problem in Tanzania mainland.

Experiences on the Field

Since her establishment KACON has largely dealt with short term HIV/AIDS project. Her main functions being; coordination and management of services at the grassroots level in the region. Coordination has been done by identifying all community-based organizations in the local community and empowered them with capacity to fight against HIV/AIDS in their areas. One of the major roles played by KACON was to link and recommend CBOs to get small grant from the Foundation for civil society, which supported them to tackle HIV/AIDS activities for their target groups.

Another area of experience has been on improving networking with private, government and Non-government organizations. For more than ten years, KACON has been working together with private entities, the local government and Non-government organizations in addressing HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Reproductive health and WASH related problems. The organization has been working closely with these partners wherever need for intervention arises in the operation area. Thus, since 2005- 2018 the organization has received financial and material support from the following sources:

1. Improving management in finance and staff capacity- (2004-2006): This was a two year funding from ACTION AID, aiming at improving capacity in managing the organization’s fund together with building capacity to key staff in the organization. The total budget ranged to Tshs 56,000,000/ including direct and indirect costs.
2. Supporting PLWHAs with nutrition food: This was a twelve months project funded by GTz for the purpose of boosting nutrition condition of vulnerable people living with HIV/AIDS. The project was implemented in 2008 and the assistance was in a form of food support. The project favored three districts namely; Kigoma, Kasulu and Kibondo. The food was given to the identified PLWHAs in 700 households in the above mentioned districts.