In its efforts to create a broad base support to MKURABITA goals and objectives, the Program Management Unit organized a one day meeting for a briefing on the current status and progress of the Program to the three permanent parliamentary committees’ members. The briefing meeting was held on 14th January 2008 at the Chief Adam Sapi Hall, Bunge Offices in Dar es Salaam. The permanent parliamentary committees involved were Finance and Economy, Legal and Constitution and Community Development.

During the meeting, three presentations were made. These included a paper on the Overview of MKURABITA, Reform Proposals and MKURABITA Pilot Projects as well as Sources and Requirements of Funds. The forum received a positive response with active participation of about 55 members drawn from the respective committees.

In the discussion several concerns and challenges were raised by the committees’ members. Among those was the fear on the practicality of the anticipated reform proposals and the expected response from their constituencies. Likewise, availability of resources in view of the ever increasing demand for formalization among the potential stakeholders predominantly cited as a major challenge towards the realization of MKURABITA expectations.

In line with this briefing the Committee members will make field visitation to some MKURABITA pilot project sites in Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo and Handeni in order to have first hand information from the communities in quest. The visit is scheduled to commence on Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th January 2008.

Following the completion of the Diagnosis Phase, MKURABITA has now embarked on the Reform Design Phase which will be completed in March 2008.