Group Formation, Registration, Leadership and Group Management Trainings for Livestock Keepers in Kongwa District, Dodoma Region

EDC was contracted by RLDC to organize livestock keepers in Zoissa Division, Kongwa District in Capital City of Tanzania (Dodoma) to facilitate Capacity Building and Formation of Groups in 12 villages so as to improve the capacities of small holder livestock keepers to ensure familiarity, cohesion, trust and confidence between members. This assignment is expected to empower livestock producers technically through improved market information/business skills and to enhance their leverage and bargaining power through collective efforts among themselves and as well as other stakeholders in the livestock sector in their day to day activities.


The expected output was to have:
- 8 economic groups established and functional
- The groups registered to relevant Authorities


The assignment started on 21st April 2008 as programmed, with groundwork preparation and familiarization and mobilization of stakeholders, then proceeded in accordance with the work plan, with minor changes to the schedule whenever it was deemed necessary to fit into the circumstances then prevailing at the field


  1. To carry a participatory analysis of the situation of the livestock keepers, identify if they are organized and how, identify their weaknesses and the relationship existing among the livestock keepers in Zoissa Division
  2. To enable livestock keepers to recognize their existing human and material resources which forms the basis for group formation and strengthening, service delivery and common action
  3. To support the formation of livestock keeper groups and enable them to prepare their own constitutions which answer to both official requirements and their own specific needs
  4. To bring about the desired attitude in the livestock production and build the livestock keepers knowledge and ability to understand livestock keeping as a business and not just as a subsistence way of life
  5. To build the capacities of livestock keepers to organize themselves to increase the production using available services by the implementing partner in this case, JUVA Holdings Ltd., managing local infrastructures (dips, holding grounds) and group-based animal health services
  6. To facilitate self capacity, self confidence and management of group dynamics, internal organization, internal democracy, conflict resolution) in livestock producer’s organizations

    With the assistance from implementing partner, Juva Holdings, the we were tasked to form 8 groups whereby, each group was expected to have about 40 members in Zoissa Division according to the layout below:
    Group 1: Songambele A and B
    Group 2: Hogoro
    Group 3: Mkoka
    Group 4: Norini and Matongoro
    Group 5: Mageseni and Mlanje
    Group 6: Makawa
    Group 7: Kinangali
    Group 8: Leganga and Chitego


Envisaged Activities

  1. Familiarization and mobilization of stakeholders
  2. Introduction of the sub-activity of the project to the District Council, Ward and Villages
  3. Understanding through discussion on the existing situation and come up with better organized system and formalization.
  4. Facilitate training sessions for the development of the group bylaws and assist groups in the adoption and approval of the constitution including democratic election of leadership in a general group based meetings
  5. Help to prepare final constitution and conduct review meeting with respective groups and support groups to submit constitutions to authorities for registration
  6. Train group leaders on leadership skills and group management
  7. Facilitate group management for the existing dipping facilities and holding grounds
  8. Conduct wrapping up sessions with the district Council key departments for further support of the established groups
  9. Prepare and submit progress and final report to key partners.

Conducting Wrapping up Sessions
EDC consultants, accompanied by group leaders’ representatives, paid a visit to Kongwa District offices on Friday 16th May 2008 for the purpose of following up the group registrations as well as conducting wrapping up sessions with the district Council key departments for further support of the established groups. It was the pleasure of the EDC consultants who accompanied the group leaders to learn while discussing with the District Authorities that the group leaders, when cross examined by the officials about the group formation process and their roles as group leaders, the leaders were able to respond confidently and competently to all the questions to the full satisfaction of the officials. For EDC, this was a testimony that the leadership training was a real success.

Another follow up visit was conducted on Monday 19th May 2006, where, having lodged all the required documents, it was promised by the Authorities that the registrations were expected to be ready by the end of the week (23rd May 2008).