Hands that build voices from 60 years of Italian-Tanzanian cooperation

4 August 1965 - Signature of the First Bilateral Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between Tanzania and Italy

Today marks the 60th anniver­sary of the signing of the first bilat­eral Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the United Republic of Tanzania and the Italian Republic, signed in Dar es Salaam on 4 August 1965.

This landmark agreement signi­fied the beginning of a unique part­nership between two states and two nations, united by a common objec­tive: to foster sustainable, inclusive, and people-centred development in a newly independent country.

This article features selected excerpts from the forthcoming pub­lication: “60 Years of Partnership – The Story of Italian Cooperation with Tanzania.” Through the voices and testimonies of women and men, we retrace the evolution of Italian cooperation in Tanzania, from its origins in the early 1960s to the pres­ent day.

1965–1985: The Early Steps of the Cooperation

“I arrived when Tanzania was still under the British rule, and I was lucky enough to be here for the tran­sition to independence: the Union Jack was still hanging everywhere. At midnight on 9 December 1961, it was lowered so a new flag could be raised.

I remember an enormous cele­bration; everyone was singing the Tanzanian anthem, a wonderful hymn that simply asks the Lord’s blessing and protection for the nation. And I believe that blessing has truly been granted: there have never been ethnic conflicts, and the Country lives in peace. People are very welcoming. That was also pos­sible thanks to the inclusive vision of Julius Nyerere, the first President.”

Sister Adolfina, now 94 years old, from the Consolata Sisters in Iringa, remembers with these words her first year in Tanzania, the country where – she didn’t know it at the time – she would spend the rest of her life. Over time, more Italian con­secrated and lay people arrived.

Just a few years later, in 1965, also the Government of Italy, strongly willing to support all newly inde­pendent African nations and under­standing the potential of Tanzania and the strategic value of a bilateral agreement, decided to strengthen the relations with a technical agree­ment, which was simple and con­cise in its form, but innovative for its times.

It provided a framework for the involvement of Italian industries in the implementation of projects of common interest and for the pro­vision of technical assistance activ­ities, with a focus on enhancing human capital development in Tan­zania. With this aim, the agreement also included scholarships for Tan­zanians to undertake studies in Italy.

While missionaries were focused on promoting vocational training, skills development and basic servic­es, especially in the education and health sectors, the governmental cooperation aimed at enhancing the industrial and infrastructural capac­ities of the country.

Just to mention a few examples, Italy supported the construction of TIPER (Tangany­ikan and Italian Petroleum Refin­ing Co.), the first oil refinery in the country, together with the TAZA­MA pipeline, the first oil pipeline between Tanzania and Zambia, completed in 1968.

Additionally, Italy began invest­ing very successfully in Tanzania’s agro-industrial potential, financing the TANITA cashewnut factory in Dar es Salaam through Italian cap­itals.

During the late ’60s and the ’70s, the Italian Development Coopera­tion initiated an important devel­opment programme geared to sup­port the growing needs of the health sector.

Favouring synergies with the existing religious structures that had been in Tanzania in some cases since the 1920’s, the action of the Italian NGOs also began, among the first being Doctors with Afri­ca CUAMM (in 1968 at the Ikon­da Hospital and two years later at the Tosamaganga Hospital), CEFA (European Committee for Training and Agriculture) in 1976 and Cen­tro Mondialità Sviluppo Reciproco (CMSR) in 1984.

1985–2000: The Evolution of Bilateral Cooperation

“First of all, remember that we work with other human beings. We share the same humanity, even if we have different needs […] No country can do it alone. Even the strongest needs the weakest. Only by work­ing together can we lift the fate of humanity.”

Mr. Johannes Kamonga has worked with the Italian Cooper­ation for more than 30 years and you can see in his eyes that he really believes that cooperation between countries is extremely important to positively change the world we live in and provide a better future for all. He started his journey with CEFA Onlus, in the ‘80s and he is now the president of the CEFA Trust in Tan­zania.

The first years of his career, between 1981 and 1985, were marked by a sharp increase in Ita­ly’s development contributions to Tanzania. The country became the fourth-largest recipient of Italian development aid in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of funds.

In the wake of the initiatives carried out by the Italian Development Cooperation in previous years, Italy began, from 1985 onward, to emerge as one of Tanzania’s main bilateral donors.

Throughout this period, Italian companies carried out an increas­ing array of infrastructure projects, among which roads, hydroelectric power plants, like the Matembwe power plant, and strategic upgrades to key transport nodes.

Notable interventions comprised the rehabilitation of the ports of Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Pem­ba; improvements to the railway junction at Tabora; and enhance­ments to the national road network, including the Arusha-Minjingu corridor, the first road system in Dodoma during the late 1980s, and the Bukombe–Isaka and Kobero–Nyakasanza roads.

The presence of the Italian civil society organizations and missionaries also grew exponentially, with significant gains in the health and education sectors.

Organisations such as Fondazione Ivo de Carneri, CUAMM, COPE, CMSR and LVIA worked hard to ensure that better services were reaching the people. It is estimated that in those years, three Italians out of ten living in Tanzania were involved in cooperation projects.

2000–2020: New Challenges, New Tools

“I remember the village women gathered around the borehole as we were drilling: the waiting, the tension. After two failed attempts, the third strike hit water. The explosion of joy was unforgettable. But the real impact was showed a few months later: the women chatting calmly around the well, their faces transformed. Before, you could see the strain dry, anxious expressions. I’ll never forget that scene.”

Cooperation is among people, individuals, before states. And the communication, the emotional link between people is what strikes the most, according to Mr. Giorgio Colombo, from the Istituto OIKOS, an Italian who arrived for the first time in Tanzania in 1998 and decided to settle in the country in 2009, after working in Mozambique, Eritrea and Kenya, because, he says, “Tanzania struck me more than the other countries.”

He arrived in the country when the presence of the Italian civil society further consolidated in Tanzania. In those years, more organisations were registered locally, and the number of initiatives benefiting Tanzanian communities grew accordingly, in rural development and health.

Notable examples include: the rural electrification initiative at Matembwe; a livestock programme to boost milk production and marketing in Njombe; a major agricultural support that led to the construction of the Mahinya College in Ruvuma Region; an economic/environmental development scheme, focused on water, in Maasai pastoral areas and several health-service-strengthening projects across Tanzania.

Partnerships were also developed between the National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani in Rome with Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar Ministries of Health.

The year 2016 saw a big change for the Italian development cooperation, as the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) started its operations – a specialized body in charge of the development and cooperation activities financed by Italy, under the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

2020–2025: Navigating the Present, Embracing New Priorities, and Shaping Future Visions

“Every day brings a surprise; something always happens, and you have to be ready, quick, patient—so many things I wasn’t, and maybe never would have become if I hadn’t come here. It has been a school of life.”

Life is indeed a surprise, as Ms. Valentina de Cao, from Comunità Solidali nel Mondo, says. And the most important thing is to keep learning, to keep improving, to strive for the best and to do it every day.

With her words, it seems that involuntarily she recapitulates the journey started more than 60 years ago: “As aid workers, our job is to support the system—, working in a humble and discrete way, contributing to the definition of the policies, promoting medium- and long-term, sustainable action. The goal is reached by walking together.” Italy has been walking with Tanzania in many forms and for many years now, and the intention is to keep walking towards a better future for all.

In fact, the Italian Development Cooperation has launched numerous initiatives involving a broad network of partners local institutions and development actors such as Italian and Tanzanian CSOs, research institutes, universities and international organisations.

Current Italian-financed projects focus mainly on expanding access to essential services, particularly for vulnerable groups, and on strengthening human capital development, by upgrading technical and vocational education. The aim is to ensure that young Tanzanians can acquire market-ready skills.

Disability and social inclusion have taken centre stage through integrated actions addressing rehabilitation and access to education and health services. Key initiatives in this sphere are promoted by the NGO Comunità Solidali nel Mondo (ComSol), working with CEFA, and by the NGO Call Africa.

Since 2025, Tanzania has once again been designated a priority country for the Italian Development Cooperation and, in 2025, it has been included among the focus countries of “The Mattei Plan for Africa”, which was announced at the Italy-Africa Summit, held in Rome in January 2024. This recognition will contribute to the consolidation of initiatives in long-standing strategic sectors, thus reinforcing a forward-looking commitment that builds on the achievements of the past.

This brings us to the conclusion of this story – for now. There are countless other stories that could be told, each representing just a small part of the vast contributions made by the many women and men who have dedicated, and continue to dedicate, their lives serving the people most in need.

These individual journeys collectively embody the enduring partnership and deep friendship between Italy and Tanzania, which we celebrate today. Let us continue to walk this path together, united in our shared commitment to building a better world, more inclusive, more just, and where no one is left behind.