In Tanzania, Dorobo Fund initiatives are carried out by the Ujamaa Community Resource Team. In the mid 1990’s the Daudi, Mike and Thad recognized that a community based NGO was needed to help local communities address resource management and governance issues. In partnership with experienced local activist from these communities, Ujamaa Community Resource Team was founded.

UCRT works to empower communities to secure the legal rights over their lands and natural resources. They believe that building the skills, knowledge and management capacity within these villages and households is crucial in allowing these communities to take advantage of the economic and livelihood opportunities provided by these resources.  In this way, UCRT and their partners seek to transform communities into enabled groups of people who can make wise and informed choices about their resources in today’s changing world.

Mission

To promote and enhance community capacity to improve their livelihoods and sustainably manage their natural resources.

Vision

Improved livelihoods for pastoralists, hunter-gatherers and agro-pastoralist communities through social justice and sustainable natural resource management.

From 2014 - 2023 UCRT achieved:

• 117 rural communities engaged in sustainability and food security planning, impacting 410,914 individuals.

• Legal land rights of 1,500,000+ hectares secured for marginalised communities.

• 1,320+ women educated and empowered to receive legal ownership of their land through our Women's Rights and Leadership Forums.

• Increase in women elected to village council in 70% of villages with our Women's Rights and Leadership Forums.

• 150+ students provided full scholarship to continue their education.

• A new Constitution protecting the rights of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer minorities presented for referendum in 2016.

Programmes

A number of basic values and principles underlie all of the work that UCRT carries out. These are reflected in our six core programs:

1. Land Rights Activities: UCRT works with communities on demarcation and boundary reconciliation, mapping, village registration, certifying land occupancy, and facilitating the development of land use plans and bylaws.

2. Community Natural Resource Management: UCRT trains communities to identify locally available resources that can be utilized for economic development. UCRT helps facilitate village formulation of sustainable natural resource management plans and supports and guides villages to ensure they enter into fair contracts and agreements, such as eco-tourism projects or hunting agreements, with investors.

3. Community Capacity Building: UCRT trains village councils on good governance, book-keeping, financial management and conflict resolution. They train village assemblies on land acts, village land acts, local government reform program, and current government laws and policies.

4. Lobbying and Advocacy: UCRT works to influence policy and lawmakers realize community needs. They are involved in building community leadership constituency at the grassroots level, and prioritize gender mainstreaming and women empowerment through equal representation.

5. Education Support: UCRT provides secondary and tertiary scholarships for students from poor families from pastoralist and hunter-gatherers. They also have a special program of educational support for the Hadzabe and Akie hunter-gatherer communities.

6. Institutional Capacity Building: UCRT promotes reproductive health issues including family planning and HIV/AIDs mainstreaming. They also promote networking and coalition building with other development stakeholders.