Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – August 22, 2025
By our reporter
In an official statement, TGNP Board Chairperson Gemma S. Akilimali emphasized that the organization is operating within its Constitution and financial safeguards:
“The appointment of the Acting Executive Director was made strictly under Article 19 (viii) of our 2021 Constitution. This was a necessary step to ensure stability while the recruitment of a new Executive Director is being finalized,” said Akilimali.
She also dismissed claims of embezzlement as malicious and unfounded: “These allegations are baseless and intended only to create confusion. TGNP has a robust financial management system, subject to rigorous internal and external audits. We are ready to account for every shilling at the right forum.”
Akilimali further warned those spreading misinformation:“We will not hesitate to take legal action under the Cybercrimes Act for publishing false and defamatory content. TGNP’s record speaks for itself our work continues uninterrupted, and our commitment to transparency and accountability is unwavering.”
While online debates have cast shadows, TGNP’s real impact shines through its 90+ Knowledge Centres spread across Tanzania. These centres are grassroots hubs tackling poverty, ending gender-based violence (GBV), raising policy awareness, and empowering communities to shape their own development.
From Mshewe Ward in Mbeya District Council, Sabina Mwaliego shared:
“Maternal services here have improved because TGNP trained us on Gender-Responsive Budgeting and the Triple A method — Assess, Analyze, Action. Today, women give birth safely in nearby dispensaries, and children and persons with disabilities are better served.”
A local government official in Kishapu District Council echoed the same:
“TGNP has strengthened our capacity to include community voices in budgets. With their help, we created ward-level forums where women and youth present priorities directly. This has improved access to health, water, and education services.”
A TGNP member who requested anonymity added: “The animation methods TGNP introduced empower us to act with what we have. Communities are no longer passive; women and youth are now shaping decisions, standing up against GBV, and finding local solutions to poverty.”
Beyond the grassroots, TGNP has worked closely with the central government to influence national policies and reforms — from education and health to budgetary processes — ensuring gender equality is institutionalised at every level.
As Mgadalena Buzugu, a Knowledge Centre leader from Kasulu Town Council, explained: “We are now able to link local priorities with national laws and policies. TGNP has made it possible for rural voices to be heard in the capital.”
Despite rumors, TGNP’s work continues to transform lives across Tanzania. Through gender-responsive budgeting, grassroots mobilisation, and national advocacy, the organisation has established a legacy of promoting equity, justice, and inclusive development.
As Akilimali concluded: “The true measure of TGNP’s accountability is in the communities we serve where women no longer walk 20 kilometers for safe delivery, where children are in school, and where citizens are claiming their rightful place in development. That is the TGNP we stand for.”
The Board Chair of TGNP, Gemma Akilimali, has emphasized the crucial role of Knowledge Centres (KCs) in transforming Tanzanian communities. According to her, the more than 90 Knowledge Centres established across the country are not only advancing the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and poverty but are also strengthening community awareness on policy issues and inspiring citizens to become agents of positive change at the grassroots.
“Knowledge Centres are engines of transformation. They have become safe spaces where communities learn, organize, and lead change. Through these centres, women, men, youth, and people with disabilities are empowered to confront violence, fight poverty, and influence local decision-making. The impact is clear—change is happening at the grassroots,” said Akilimali.
“The demand from local councils shows how effective and relevant Knowledge Centres have become. Communities want to own and expand this model because they see the change it brings to governance, livelihoods, and social wellbeing,” Akilimali added.
The impact of KCs has been strongly felt in over 80 local government authorities where TGNP works. Established in collaboration with different stakeholders and supported by donor-funded projects, these centres have proven to be a sustainable model of community mobilization and policy engagement.
Community demand has also grown. Several local government councils, including Mtwara DC, Mtwara MC, Lindi MC, Kisarawe, Ilala MC, Chalinze DC, Kibaha MC, Ruangwa DC, and Nachingwea DC, have now approached TGNP for technical guidance to establish their own Knowledge Centres after witnessing the transformative power of the model.
Alongside grassroots work, TGNP has also partnered with the central government on legal and policy reforms to create a more enabling environment for gender equality and inclusive development.
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