University of Sussex-UDSM’s ‘Ustawi wa Vijana Tanzania’ Initiative Fosters Youth Well-being and Violence Prevention Research

By Jackson Isdory, CMU

In a landmark blend of scholarship and social action, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), in collaboration with the University of Sussex, United Kingdom (UK), has launched a pioneering youth-focused research initiative tackling emotional well-being, gender-based violence (GBV), and the promotion of healthy relationships among young people.

The programme known in its Kiswahili name as “Ustawi wa Vijana Tanzania (UVITA),” was officially inaugurated at UDSM on 6 August 2025. This transformative, three-year participatory research project is co-funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

“The UVITA Project is a powerful demonstration of how university-led research can move beyond lecture halls to the frontlines of societal transformation. This is research with consequence,” said Professor Neema Mori, UDSM Director of Public Services, representing the Deputy Vice Chancellor–Research, Prof. Nelson Boniface.

Prof. Mori emphasised that as Tanzania navigates complex societal shifts from rapid urbanisation to digital disruption, UDSM is leveraging its research capacity, talent base, and strategic partnerships to promote evidence-driven policymaking and inclusive growth. “The future of our nation rests in the hands of informed, empowered, and emotionally resilient young people. UVITA is our blueprint for that future.”

The initiative not only reinforces UDSM’s commitment to research excellence but also promises tangible community impact through its innovative, youth-centred approach.

Presiding over the launch, Ms. Felista Mdemu, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, reaffirmed the Government’s alignment with UVITA.

“This project supports the 2024 National Youth Development Policy and the Second National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children (2024/25–2028/29). By centring emotional well-being, creative engagement, and youth-led solutions, it complements national policy while setting a benchmark for public service innovation,” she said.

Since its founding, UDSM has stood as a leading public research university in Africa, producing generations of scholars, policymakers, and social architects. The UVITA project fits squarely within its tripartite mandate of teaching, research, and public service.

“UVITA provides an integrated platform to address youth challenges through context-relevant teaching and community-based research; student-led innovation in psychology, sociology, and the creative arts; and policy translation that shapes local and national discourse,” noted Dr. Richard Sambaiga, UVITA Project Coordinator and Head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UDSM.

Calling the initiative “groundbreaking,” Dr. Sambaiga stressed that it places young people at the centre, not merely as research subjects but as peer researchers, artists, and change agents. “This applied model combines academic rigour with lived realities, producing evidence-based interventions that truly resonate with Tanzanian youth,” he said.

A research agenda rooted in Tanzanian realities

UVITA breaks from conventional top-down models by deeply rooting its research in Tanzania's socio-cultural context. Moving beyond Western psychotherapeutic approaches, the project pioneers innovative, culturally resonant healing methods. These include participatory storytelling, community-responsive media, therapeutic art, somatic practices, and culturally adaptive wellbeing frameworks.

Operating across three sites – Wazo Hill (Kinondoni), Mbagala (Temeke), and the UDSM Mwalimu Nyerere Mlimani campus – UVITA empowers young men and women aged 18–25. They actively co-design tools to promote mental wellness, reduce Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and foster respect, consent, and constructive gender dynamics.

The University of Sussex contributes its expertise in development studies, gender research, and mental health innovation. “UVITA's exceptional strength is its Afrocentric foundation,” explained Dr. Lyndsay McLean, Principal Investigator from Sussex. “We are not exporting solutions; we are co-creating locally rooted, youth-driven models with potential to inform global practice.” This partnership redefines North-South collaboration as a co-learning process built on equality, cultural sensitivity, and mutual respect, moving beyond a donor-beneficiary dynamic.

Radical youth inclusion defines UVITA, placing young people not as passive subjects but active researchers, storytellers, and problem-solvers shaping the project’s core. Steven Lutumo, a young man from Mbagala, testified how UVITA changed how “I see myself and others. I learned masculinity isn’t about dominance, but understanding and care. This project taught me to listen, express myself, and lead with empathy.”

Similarly, Jackline Jonathan from Wazo Hill noted that “UVITA showed me my experiences matter. It’s not just about surviving challenges, but transforming them into stories that inspire others. I feel more confident, informed, and driven by purpose.”

Articulating the relevance of the project, a UDSM student Emmaculate Nkuba optimistically pointed out that “This project arrived at the perfect time. As a UDSM student, it connected academic theory with real-life applications, building my resilience, self-awareness, and sense of civic responsibility.”

These lived experiences powerfully reinforce UVITA's mission: to promote healing, reframe harmful norms, and catalyze generational shifts in attitudes and behaviour.

Forging Impact Through Strategic Collaboration

UVITA is powered by a dynamic ecosystem of partners. Key collaborators include civil society organisations like Kijana Jasiri Resilience Organisation (KJRO), Young and Alive Initiative (YAI), Tanzania Association of Psychologists (TAPA), and Tanzania Media Women’s Association (TAMWA), alongside government institutions such as the Ministry of Health and the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG). This multi-stakeholder collaboration ensures the project’s outputs are academically robust, policy-relevant, and community-validated.

The project is intentionally designed to align with critical national and global frameworks, including Tanzania’s National Youth Development Policy (2024); The National Action Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children (2024/25–2028/29); and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being; SDG 5: Gender Equality; SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions).

This strategic alignment guarantees that UVITA’s findings and tools, including policy toolkits, briefs, and advocacy materials, are readily applicable for uptake by ministries, local government authorities, and educational institutions.

“This is a replicable model for youth engagement, research application, and systemic change. The possibilities are as vast as the partnerships we build,” emphasised Dr. Sambaiga.

UVITA stands as a testament to UDSM’s commitment to being both a beacon of academic excellence and a catalyst for equitable national development.