University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)

The University of Dar es Salaam was born out of a decision taken on March 25th, 1970, by the East African Authority, to split the then University of East Africa into three independent universities for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The University is situated on the west side of the city of Dar es Salaam, occupying 1,625 acres on Observation Hill, 13 k.m. from the centre of the city of Dar es Salaam. UDSM’s website>>

TUSEME Theatre Project for Female Empowerment

TUSEME is a Swahili expression that means, “let us speak out.” At the University of Dar Es Salaam, the TUSEME Project started in 1996 as an outreach program aimed at empowering girls to overcome their inhibitions and voice their concerns in public. It emerged as a response to concerns that girls were not sufficiently involved in discussions of problems affecting them and their proposed remedies. The TUSEME project therefore was founded in order to train girls to express publicly their views in matters that affected their academic and social development and learn to take part in finding solutions to those problems.

The underlying philosophy of the project is rooted in the use of art, specifically theatre art, as a tool for shaping consciousness and galvanizing people into action. The Department of Fine and Performing Arts at USDM has conducted research and discussions about the role of theatre in social development, with particular attention to the use of theatre in traditional African settings. They found overwhelming evidence that theatre was being effectively used to transmit important messages on many occasions in traditional African society. TUSEME capitalized on these concepts and developed its strategy for addressing the problems facing girl students in secondary schools. TUSEME therefore is a theatre-based empowerment process. Read more about the TUSEME Project>>

Institutional Assessment

With a vision set at becoming a reputable world-class university responsive to national, regional and global development needs, the University’s mission is positioned towards an “unrelenting pursuit of scholarly and strategic research, education, teaching and public service directed at attainment of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development of Tanzania and the rest of Africa” UDSM’s Institutional Assessment>>

Institutional Profile

UDSM seeks to create awareness about civic engagement through avenues such as conferences and research publications. The three-tiered civic engagement program at the university focuses on the provision of health services, democracy education, and research; as well as promotion of environmental protection and management. UDSM’s Institutional Profile>>