LSF gives 960m/- grants to 13 local legal aid providers

Written by DAILY NEWS Reporter

THIRTEEN legal aid providers received multi-million shillings grants under the Legal Services Facility (LSF) Fund in a bid to enhance government efforts to provide legal aid services to the needy population in the country.

LSF is a basket fund created by the governments of Denmark and Tanzania to channel funding to legal aid providers operating in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, whose efficiency had been constrained by serious shortage of financial resources.

The Deputy Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Mrs Angela Kairuki was the guest of honour at the occasion and expressed her satisfaction in the process to allocate the funds to legal aid providers. “I am honoured to officiate this historical occasion in the justice sector in Tanzania.

I was privileged to officiate at the launch of the LSF and its first call for proposals and today’s event marks the culmination of a long process of application, clarification meetings and a series of interactions,” she said.

The 13 organizations yesterday received grants worth 720m/- for those providing full legal services and 240m/- for paralegals after 55 organisations were screened from which the winners were picked. Those picked include Zanzibar Legal Services Centre (ZLSC), Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), Women’s Legal Aid Centre (WLAC), Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA) and Tanganyika Law Society (TLS).

Others are Kilimanjaro Women and Information Exchange Consultancy Organisation (KWIECO), National Organisation for Legal Aid (NOLA), Environmental, Human Rights Care and Gender Organisation (ENVIROCARE) and Centre for Widows and Children Assistance (CWCA).

The remaining organizations are Tanzania Women and Children Welfare Centre (TWCWC), Mama’s Hope Organisation for Legal Assistance (MHOLA), Action for Justice in the Society (AJISO) and Women Wake Up (WOWAP).

She said the organizations would implement three-year projects, covering a significant number of new districts, which have not been reached by legal services. “I would like to see these projects reach fruition and make a difference to the communities, hence realizing our common goal of enhancing access to justice, especially to the poor and disadvantaged,” said the deputy minister.

Besides issuing the grants, yesterday’s event also saw the launch of LSF’s second call for proposals, urging legal aid providers, including those who missed the current grants, to apply for funding. In his introductory remarks, LSF Fund Manager, Kees Groenendijk, said the grants are meant to complement government efforts aimed to assist poor women and men get access to justice, including those living with HIV/Aids.

Source: Daily News (18/10/2012): http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/10634-lsf-gives-960m-grants-to-13-local-legal-aid-providers