April 22, 2025 - Bukoba Town
ESS Creative and Legal Foundation recently visited Bukoba Town to explore opportunities for expanding access to justice across Tanzania. Our engagement with key stakeholders from the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign revealed promising possibilities for collaboration in promoting inclusive legal services.
Meeting Key Stakeholders
During our visit, we met with Hon. Hemed Mwita (Magistrate), Hon. Kasole (Magistrate), and Hon. Magesa, coordinator of the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign from the Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs. These discussions provided valuable insights into the campaign's objectives and scope.
Hon. Kasole (left), Erick Mukiza (middle) and Hon. Mwita (right)
Hon. Magesa on the left and Erick Mukiza on the right discussing
Understanding the Campaign's Mission
The Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign focuses primarily on promoting Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) throughout Tanzania. Beyond ADR, the campaign provides free legal support, ensures access to justice, and delivers public legal education to marginalized and disadvantaged communities.
Alternative Dispute Resolution offers flexible, cost-effective approaches to conflict resolution through mediation, arbitration, and negotiation. For many Tanzanians, particularly those in rural or economically disadvantaged areas, ADR provides a more accessible pathway to justice than traditional court processes.
Collaboration Opportunities
Our discussions revealed significant alignment between the campaign's objectives and ESS Creative and Legal Foundation's mission. This creates natural opportunities for partnership in developing joint programs that serve vulnerable populations more effectively.
The visit opened possibilities for scaling our initiatives through collaboration with justice institutions across Tanzania. We envision expanding our reach to better serve diverse groups including people living in poverty, disadvantaged communities, widows, elderly citizens, needy children, and people with disabilities.
Moving Forward
At ESS Creative and Legal Foundation, we recognize that true justice requires accessibility for everyone, particularly historically marginalized groups. Our potential collaboration with the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign represents a shared commitment to creating an equitable legal system where economic status, geographic location, or social standing do not determine access to justice.
We are excited about the prospect of working with Hon. Magesa and the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign team to develop concrete initiatives bringing ADR services closer to communities that need them most. We also plan to engage with justice institutions across Tanzania to build a robust network supporting inclusive legal services.
Looking Ahead
Our Bukoba visit reinforced our belief that collaboration is essential for creating lasting change in Tanzania's justice system. Through Alternative Dispute Resolution and potential partnerships with like-minded organizations, we can build a more inclusive and effective system of justice delivery.
We remain committed to ensuring every Tanzanian has access to quality legal support and fair dispute resolution, regardless of their circumstances. The journey toward universal access to justice continues, and we look forward to the possibility of walking this path alongside potential partners in the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign and justice institutions throughout Tanzania.
For more information about ESS Creative and Legal Foundation's initiatives, please contact our team.