Among the organisations walking alongside the country on this journey is Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), a faith-based humanitarian and development agency that has been part of Tanzania’s story since the 1960s
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s ambition to transition from lower-middle-income to upper-middle-income status will depend not only on government-led strategies but also on the strength of partnerships that enhance community resilience and unlock people’s potential.
Among the organisations walking alongside the country on this journey is Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), a faith-based humanitarian and development agency that has been part of Tanzania’s story since the 1960s.
In her first 100 days as Secretary General of NCA, Anne-Cecilia Kaltenborn chose Tanzania for her first board field visit, underscoring the country’s importance to the organisation’s global strategy.
For her, resilience is the thread tying together livelihoods, health, gender equality, peace, and the environment.
“Building a resilient society is kind of the basis for everything,” Kaltenborn said in an interview with The Citizen.
“It’s important for women, youth, and men. And since about 80 percent of the workforce is in agriculture, making this sector more climate-smart and productive will directly support Tanzania’s middle-income ambition.”
Climate-smart agriculture
Agriculture remains Tanzania’s economic backbone, employing the majority of its people and contributing around a quarter of GDP. Yet, it is also one of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change. Erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, and soil degradation threaten not just food security but also rural incomes.
NCA has responded by investing in climate-smart agriculture, equipping smallholder farmers with tools to adapt.
In Mvomero, Morogoro, Kaltenborn observed farmers—especially women and youth—shifting to resilient practices such as improved irrigation, drought-resistant seeds, and soil conservation.
“Incremental changes toward more climate-resilient agriculture in more and more places will have an effect,” she explained. “It improves individual families’ lives, and at the same time strengthens the national economy.”
The logic is simple: when farmers thrive, Tanzania thrives. More productive farms mean more stable households, stronger local economies, and greater progress toward national income targets.
Health as a foundation of growth
While agriculture anchors livelihoods, health determines whether families can participate fully in development. NCA’s support to Haydom Lutheran Hospital has led to transformative results, most notably a 75 percent reduction in maternal mortality within the first week after giving birth.
The impact, Kaltenborn stressed, extends well beyond the hospital’s walls.
“When you can reduce maternal mortality by 75 percent, that makes a difference for the economy,” she said. “Children who lose their mothers have a much more difficult time in school and in life. Health is also economy, and economy is also health.”
This view reflects a broader reality: strong health systems are not just a social good but also a driver of economic resilience. Families spared from preventable deaths are able to invest in education, build livelihoods, and break intergenerational cycles of poverty.
Faith-based partnerships and peacebuilding
One of NCA’s defining approaches is working through faith-based organisations, a strategy that taps into deep community trust. Colton-Born argues that this method is not just about service delivery but also about preventing conflict.
“If you have an armed conflict, the gross national product is set back 30 years — an entire generation,” she said. “Working with churches and mosques ensures dialogue and peace. Dialogue always has results because it creates trust, and trust reduces the willingness for conflict.”
In Mvomero, she witnessed a simple yet powerful moment: Christian and Muslim leaders arriving at a meeting on the same motorcycle.
For her, this symbolised the potential of interfaith collaboration to foster unity in a region where diversity is often exploited for division elsewhere.
Gender equality and social transformation
Tanzania’s progress toward middle-income prosperity cannot be divorced from the empowerment of women. NCA has made gender justice central to its work, particularly in tackling gender-based violence (GBV).
Through partnerships with religious leaders, NCA has helped shift community attitudes dramatically—from 34 percent to 75 percent zero tolerance for GBV in certain areas.
“That is a fabulous result,” Kaltenborn noted. “And we must never underestimate the effect of women being part of the workforce and having their own economy. It reduces violence and strengthens families.”
She also pointed to ongoing debates around Tanzania’s Marriage Act, which still permits girl-child marriage under certain circumstances. For her, this is an example of where dialogue with faith leaders can drive meaningful legal and cultural change.
Linking environment and jobs
Beyond farming and health, NCA is exploring solutions to the growing challenge of waste and environmental degradation. Its ‘Waste for Value’ initiative connects plastic collectors with recycling companies, creating a circular economy that turns trash into livelihoods.
“We were able to see how this project benefits 10,000 households and 20,000 smallholder farmers,” Kaltenborn said. “It creates jobs, protects the environment, and shows how development aid translates into concrete results.”
This approach resonates with Tanzania’s own industrialisation agenda, which seeks to expand manufacturing while safeguarding natural resources.
Aid, responsibility, and local ownership
With global aid budgets under pressure, questions often arise about whether foreign assistance makes governments complacent. Kaltenborn acknowledged the tension but emphasised that aid should reinforce, not replace, national responsibility.
“It doesn’t have to make governments complacent. It’s about empowering the partners who want to make a change,” she explained.
Despite cutbacks in parts of Europe and the US, she pointed out that 85 percent of Norwegians continue to support development aid, providing NCA with stability.
“We are in it for the long run,” she affirmed.
Trade unions as untapped partners
Drawing on her background in Norway’s employer’s union, Ms Kaltenborn argued that Tanzanian unions could play a bigger role in development. In her view, unions are not just about wages and working conditions; they can mobilise communities, spread awareness, and complement humanitarian efforts.
This perspective mirrors Norway’s own tradition of dialogue between unions, employers, and government—a model that has underpinned its social and economic resilience.
A holistic web of resilience
From farmers adopting new methods in Morogoro, to women accessing safe childbirth in Haydom, to faith leaders riding together in Mvomero, NCA’s work demonstrates the interwoven nature of development.
Each initiative may address a specific issue, but together they form a broader ecosystem of resilience.
“Everything is related to everything,” Kaltenborn reflected. “Health is related to the economy. Women’s participation is related to violence reduction. Dialogue is related to peace and investment. When you put these pieces together, you get a good spiral of development.”
As Tanzania edges closer to its middle-income aspirations, the challenge will be to ensure growth is inclusive and sustainable.
Development partners like NCA bring not only funding but also models of collaboration—working with faith groups, empowering women, engaging youth, and protecting the environment.
The organisation’s long history in Tanzania, coupled with Norway’s enduring commitment to aid, suggests that this partnership will continue to play a meaningful role.
For Kaltenborn, the goal is clear: resilient communities that can withstand shocks, seize opportunities, and chart their own future.
“Resilience is not just about surviving,” she concluded. “It’s about thriving.”
