Feed the Future Tanzania Land Tenure Assistance (LTA) Monthly Report No. 61 - December 2020

To expedite its field work, LTA streamlined the sequencing of its activities, initiated field work to conduct VLUP and adjudication in seven villages in Iringa District, and deployed more field teams than usual to speed up the execution of the VLUP and CCRO delivery process in these villages. In the reporting month, LTA continued assisting the Participatory Land Use Management (PLUM) team to prepare VLUP for Nyabula village in Iringa District. The VLUP preparation process for Nyabula village that started in November 2020 was completed in the reporting month. Additionally, LTA, in collaboration with the District PLUM team for Iringa District, started and completed the preparation of VLUPs for Isupilo and Wangama villages in Iringa District. The preparation of the VLUPs for the two villages followed the participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approach, with the PLUM team providing trainings for the Village Council and Village Assembly. LTA continued to make progress with demarcation and adjudication in five villages in Iringa District. LTA assisted in demarcating 874 land parcels in Ng'enza village, 907 land parcels in Mfyome village, 701 land parcels in Sadani village, 699 land parcels in Mibikimitali, and 688 land parcels in Kaning'ombe village. Following the final editing of textual and spatial data attributes for parcels in Kipera and Lumuli villages, Iringa district, LTA delivered edited textual and spatial data attributes to the villages to initiate public display of maps and registration details for residents to check and object if there were any omissions, inaccuracies, or disputes. In the reporting month, LTA organized CCRO issuance ceremonies in Ibangamoyo and Mangalali villages, Iringa district. The two ceremonies were attended by the District Land Office staff, village leaders, village residents, and LTA staff. A total of 182 and 186 CCROs were delivered to the Ibangamoyo village land registry and Mangalali village land registry respectively. In the two CCRO issuance ceremonies, a total of 123 CCROs were collected by villagers who were excited to receive their CCROs. LTA also delivered 363 CCROs to the Kibena village Land Registry for issuance to beneficiaries who completed paying their contribution during the reporting period. LTA continued educating village land governance institutions and village residents. In the reporting month, LTA organized training sessions in Isupilo and Wangama villages, Iringa district, where the District PLUM team provided training to the Village Land Use Management Committee, Village Council, and Village Assembly on VLUP preparation and enforcement. LTA also continued educating village residents at hamlet level with respect to land rights. In collaboration with the DLO, LTA conducted 24 hamlet level trainings in Ng'enza, Mibikimitali, Mfyome, Sadani, and Kaning'ombe villages. During the training, LTA staff seized the opportunity to convey messages aimed to motivate villagers to contribute for their land registration and to sensitize villagers on appropriate precautions that should be taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. LTA continued striving to boost beneficiary contribution. LTA followed up with the pertinent bodies of 29 villages with respect to outstanding beneficiary contribution payments. The follow-up aimed at encouraging beneficiaries to make their contributions in a timely manner. Moreover, in pursuance to its recently adopted approaches and strategy with respect to beneficiary contribution, LTA organized a series of meetings with Village Councils and Village Land Registration Committees in seven villages to introduce an incentive system for influential village leaders who have agreed to assist LTA to boost its collection of beneficiary contributions and discuss other strategies suitable for each village in relation to payment of beneficiary contributions. LTA also organized the presence of Wakalas to collect beneficiary contributions in six other villages. At the same time, LTA assisted three villages to open bank accounts for the purposes of beneficiary contribution collection. In December 2020, LTA held a meeting with Mbeya DLO staff to discuss the progress of contributions and collection of CCROs following the issuance activity at Haporoto and Isangala villages. The DLO reported that there was no significant increase in contributions. Consequently, LTA visited Haporoto and Isangala villages to discuss with village leaders on the status of beneficiary contribution. The leaders were encouraged to motivate their villagers to make their contributions in a timely manner. LTA continued to work with the District Land Office to implement the Village Land Registration (VLR) program. In the reporting month, LTA assisted in the preparation of VLUPs for Isupilo and Wangama villages in Iringa