Environmental conservation and protection, increase honey production as well as sustaining the
ecological niche required for bee populations to thrive.
supports their field movements, increasing efficiency in reaching communities for training, .
follow-ups, coaching, data collection, monitoring, and other extension services.
for savings groups organized and capacitated through DCT- DSC’s training.
i.e. District council and Ministry of Agriculture
collected from adjacent CA and non-CA plots. These samples undergo diagnostic laboratory analysis
for key indicators including soil organic matter,
macronutrients (NPK), and micronutrients.
Post-analysis, the comparative nutrient profiles are communicated to farmers and
relevant stakeholders to substantiate the pedological outcomes of
CA adoption relative to conventional tillage regimes, and CA Advocacy
and distribute it via gravity-fed supply for domestic and agriculture, thereby reducing operational energy costs.
The Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT)
The Diocese of Central Tanganyika (DCT) is an Anglican diocese and a member of the Anglican Church of Tanzania (ACT). Located in Dodoma, Tanzania’s new capital, DCT encompasses 3 of the region’s 7 districts. Established in 1927, DCT currently serves approximately 700,000 church members across 285 parishes, with a total of 300 priests and 540 non-clergy employees, making it the largest Anglican diocese in Tanzania.
History & Background of Developments Services Coordination
In the 1980s, DCT integrated evangelism with development efforts. However, in the 1990s, it separated these functions, leading to the establishment of the Development Services Company (DSC) as an autonomous department.
From 1990 to 2005, DCT, through DSC, adopted an integrated approach to community development via various Area Development Programs (ADPs). These programs focused on agriculture, livestock, environmental conservation, relief efforts, nutrition, education, health, and community water supply.
Since 2006, the Development Department has shifted to a sector-based approach, concentrating on key areas such as food security, environmental sustainability, economic development, gender empowerment, nutrition, and community water supply.
In 2020, the Government of Tanzania (GoT) enacted a Law requiring the registration of all organizations engaged in development work. Consequently, Development Services Coordination (DSC) was registered as a national NGO in April 2022, with the registration number 00NGO/R/3177, granting it the authority to operate beyond the diocese’s boundaries.
Participatory Tools
We use a range of participatory and digital tools to drive impact:
- PLA (Participatory Learning & Action),
- ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development),
- CCMP (Church & Community Mobilization Process)
- FAMA (Fact Association Meaning Action) Cards for community-led analysis and planning
Agricultural Innovation
- CA mechanization using rippers, hand hoes, and Two-Wheeled Tractors (TWTs)
- Drought-tolerant, early-maturing seeds from certified sources
- Airtight grain storage
- On-farm seed selection
- Demo and trial plots for teaching and learning purposes
Financial Technology
- Use of mobile e-savings platform for secure fund management
- Integration of QuickBooks with paperless approval functionality
Our Work
Our work is driven by a community-centered methodology that combines ABCD (Asset-Based Community Development), PLA (Participatory Learning and Action), and FAMA (Fact, Association, Meaning, Action) cards.
We begin by forming savings groups using one of two proven methodologies – Savings with Education (SwE) or Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA). These are distinct approaches, and DCT-DSC staff train and support each according to the specific partner and context.
Regardless of the methodology used, these weekly gatherings serve as powerful platforms for delivering integrated services across food security, climate resilience, environmental care, gender and economic empowerment, nutrition, and community water supply and sanitation.
Our Programmatic Approach Includes
- Multi-level training: Equipping CA Champion Farmers and SwE Facilitators as community-based resource persons to share knowledge within their communities.
- Multi-sectoral integration: Addressing poverty, food insecurity, climate vulnerability, and gender inequality simultaneously.
- Strategic partnerships: Collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), TARI (Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute), TOSCI (Tanzania Official Seeds Certification Institute), RUWASA (Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency), TFS (Tanzania Forest Services), NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), other dioceses, and local district councils.
- Sustainability focus: Promoting cheap, reliable, replicable interventions (e.g., fuel-saving stoves, Conservation Agriculture) and linking farmers to markets and government systems.
- We also strengthen the institutional capacity of four dioceses (DCT, Kondoa, Mpwapwa, and Rift Valley) on HR and financial policies.
Events
- Quarterly Program Review Meetings – Held with village governments, extension officers, CA Champion Farmers, SwE Facilitators, and staff to analyze data, celebrate successes, and solve challenges.
- Field Days & Demonstration Plots – Organized each cropping season in collaboration with TARI to showcase CA principles and drought-tolerant seed varieties.
- District NGO Coordination Meetings – Quarterly forums aligning DCT-DSC with other NGOs, district councils, and government officials.
- The DCT-DSC Meetings – The board meets to plan, monitor, and evaluate programs and/or projects. This meeting is conducted quarterly.
PROGRAMS AND / OR PROJECTS
Current Sectors, Intervention And Activities
Agricultural Innovation
Several minimum tillage options exist for Conservation Agriculture, including hand hoe cultivation, the maresha ripper (animal-drawn), and other low-tech solutions. The organization also utilizes a two-wheeled tractor ripper operated by selected and trained CA mechanization service providers to deliver ripping services that support farmers in achieving minimum soil disturbance, reduce workload, and increase area under CA.
CA mechanization using rippers, hand hoes, and Two-Wheeled Tractors (TWTs); drought-tolerant, early-maturing seeds from certified sources; airtight grain storage; on-farm seed selection; and demo and trial plots for teaching and learning purposes.
Church and Community Mobilization Process (CCMP) or Church and Community Transformation (CCT)
The Organization facilitates the promotion and training of Catechists
and Priests in Church and Community Mobilization Processes (CCMP), a framework
premised on the principle that development initiatives should cascade from
church communities to the broader society, resulting in holistic development
and improved livelihoods among vulnerable groups.
Training of churches and communities on CCMP/CCT and holistic development
Technical support of church and community action plans and implementation using their own identified local resources and assets to foster participation, empowerment, ownership and sustainability of their initiatives.
Community Water Supply
An elevated water storage tank has been constructed to store water pumped from sources and distribute it via gravity-fed supply for domestic and agriculture, thereby reducing operational energy costs.
Capacity building needs assessment and development of capacity building plan for CBWSOs (Community Based Water Supply Organizations)
Establishment and registration of CBWSOs.
Capacity of registered CBWSOs
Conduct baseline assessment and end line assessment by using CIT (Competency Index Tool)
Organize and conduct water quality status to understand basic water quality status of each system
Training of communities on water treatment
Rehabilitation of old or installation of new water system infrastructures (bore holes, shallow wells with hand pumps, pipe line, Distribution Points (DPs)
Clustering of CBWSOs in collaboration with RUWASA ( Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency)
Financial Technology
The deployment of a digital platform (e-savings) streamlines transactional processes for savings groups organized and capacitated through DCT- DSC’s training.
Use of mobile e-savings platform for secure fund management; integration of QuickBooks with paperless approval functionality
Climate Resilience
On an annual basis, the organization executes a comparative soil health assessment wherein paired soil samples are systematically collected from adjacent CA and non-CA plots. These samples undergo diagnostic laboratory analysis for key indicators including soil organic matter, macronutrients (NPK), and micronutrients. Post-analysis, the comparative nutrient profiles are communicated to farmers and relevant stakeholders to substantiate the pedological outcomes of CA adoption relative to conventional tillage regimes, and CA Advocacy
Gender Empowerment
Organizing and holding CA Advocacy meetings with stakeholders i.e. District council and Ministry of Agriculture.
Training of farmers on gender equity and equality.
Awareness creation on decision making, access to and control of productive resources by women and girls.
Community sensitization on sharing of domestic chores among men and boys to reduce workload on women and girls.
Promotion of women into leadership positions
Our Partners
