Our impact
At Citizens for Change, our work is powered by partnerships with leading organisations dedicated to creating safer, more inclusive communities. Together, we have delivered impactful projects across diverse contexts, amplifying youth voices, addressing systemic barriers, and fostering sustainable change. Below, we highlight some of our key initiatives and the partners who have made them possible.
Building the Infrastructure for Youth-Led Mental Health Action
PARTNERED WITH
ConnectGo, Child’s i Foundation, Association of Care Leavers Uganda, Care Leavers Network Tanzania
TIMELINE
On-going
THE PROJECT
Too often, young people leaving care are left without support, connection, or a sense of agency. Youth Solutions is being created with these young leaders, giving them the tools to transform their experience into action. From co-design workshops in Dar es Salaam to peer-led mental health campaigns, Youth Solutions is not just a platform, it’s a movement. Together, we are shifting the story from isolation to impact, ensuring care-experienced youth shape the future of mental health in Tanzania and beyond.
Building the Infrastructure for Youth-Led Mental Health Action
Co-Creating Relational Wellbeing with Young People on the Move in the Global Majority
PARTNERED WITH
National Research Foundation South Africa, Fondation Botnar, Human Sciences Research Council, Railway Children Africa, University of Dar es Salaam
TIMELINE
2025-2027
THE PROJECT
What holds us together when everything else is in flux? Our ongoing research with young people on the move unpacks the hidden networks of care that sustain hope and belonging. With every insight, we’re building a new foundation for wellbeing, crafted by the young people at its heart.
Co-Creating Relational Wellbeing with Young People on the Move in the Global Majority
Exploring the Social Value of Student-led Prototypes for Safety and Inclusion in Schools
PARTNERED WITH
ConnectGo
TIMELINE
2025
THE PROJECT
What happens when students lead the way? In schools across Tanzania, we invited young people to design and test their own solutions for safety and inclusion. Each prototype - shaped by lived experience and local insight - sparked new conversations, new alliances, and sometimes, real shifts in school culture. Our research measures more than just outputs; it captures the social value born when young people are trusted to build the future of their own schools
Exploring the Social Value of Student-led Prototypes for Safety and Inclusion in Schools
Building a Youth-Led Movement for Inclusive Schools
PARTNERED WITH
TIMELINE
2023-2025
THE PROJECT
Change in schools rarely starts at the top. In partnership with Porticus Foundation, we helped young Tanzanians move from frustration to action - creating their own movement for safer, more inclusive classrooms. Students and educators came together in new ways, learning to share power and redesign old systems. The result? A growing network of youth advocates who are not just asking for change, but leading it.
Building a Youth-Led Movement for Inclusive Schools
Action Research on Values-Based Education
PARTNERED WITH
Aga Khan Foundation
TIMELINE
2024
THE PROJECT
What does it take to turn values into action? With the Aga Khan Foundation, we set out to understand how values-based education shapes not only what and how teachers teach, but how students learn. Through deep listening and collaborative research, we uncovered the ripple effects of investing in character and empathy. Our findings now guide teachers and leaders as they build schools where values aren’t just taught; they’re lived.
Action Research on Values-Based Education
Fostering Safety and Inclusion in Catholic Schools
TIMELINE
2024
THE PROJECT
How do children define safety, belonging, and inclusion? In Catholic schools across Tanzania, we turned to the real experts - students themselves. Their stories, ideas, and dreams formed the heart of our research, revealing simple yet profound ways to make every child feel seen and secure. These lessons, drawn from the voices of the young, are shaping policies and practices that make school a place where every child thrives.
Fostering Safety and Inclusion in Catholic Schools
From Precarity to Security: Empowering Street-Connected Youth
PARTNERED WITH
Railway Children Africa
TIMELINE
2025-2027
THE PROJECT
No one chooses precarity, but together, we can build security. In collaboration with Railway Children Africa, who are working alongside street-connected youth and supporting them to form associations that create pathways to livelihoods, learning, and a sense of belonging. We explored how this project is nurturing these young people’s relational wellbeing and the results remind us that every young person, no matter where they start, can be the architect of their own future. The work demonstrates what’s possible when hope is matched with real opportunity.
From Precarity to Security: Empowering Street-Connected Youth
Amplifying Youth Voices in Care Reform
PARTNERED WITH
World Childhood Foundation, Railway Children Africa, Pamoja Leo, and The Families and Futures Coalition of Tanzania
TIMELINE
2022-2023
THE PROJECT
Policy change should start with those it affects most. Through partnerships with World Childhood Foundation, Railway Children Africa, Pamoja Leo, and the Families and Futures Coalition of Tanzania, we supported care leavers to share their stories of growing up in care and then shared their insights with decision-makers. Their courage and insight is shaping Tanzania’s care reform agenda, ensuring that the future of care is co-designed by the young people who know it best.
Amplifying Youth Voices in Care Reform
See Our Findings
Unravelling Power Dynamics to Prevent Violence
PARTNERED WITH
Women Fund Tanzania-Trust
TIMELINE
2021-2023
THE PROJECT
True safety begins with truth. With Women Fund Tanzania-Trust, we dug beneath the surface to map the hidden power dynamics that enable violence. By bringing survivors, activists, and community leaders together, we sparked honest dialogue about how power is used and misused, and began charting new pathways to prevention. This work lays the groundwork for more equitable, violence-free communities, shaped by those who refuse to be silent.
Unravelling Power Dynamics to Prevent Violence
Tanzanian Students' Experience of Safety and Inclusion in School
Partnered with
Porticus Foundation
TIMELINE
2021
THE PROJECT
To understand what really keeps children safe and what makes them fearful, we asked them. Using social norms theory and social network analysis, our research in Tanzanian schools revealed the quiet strength of peer relationships and the hidden barriers to inclusion. The voices of students illuminated both the challenges and the hope; reminding us that lasting change comes when we see school through their eyes.
Tanzanian Students' Experience of Safety and Inclusion in School
The Social Value Created by Fostering Young Changemakers
PARTNERED WITH
Femina Hip
TIMELINE
2021
THE PROJECT
When you invest in young changemakers, the returns are exponential. Our Social Return on Investment study with Femina Hip, Tanzania’s largest youth platform, uncovered the extraordinary value generated when young people are given real opportunities to lead. For every dollar invested, communities gained connection, hope, and new possibilities. This research fuels our conviction: when young people rise, everyone benefits.
The Social Value Created by Fostering Young Changemakers
“Kate is an impressive researcher and an important voice for children in care in Tanzania.”
"Kate and the Citizens for Change team have experience in the implementation side of the equation as well as the research side, allowing them to come at the problems we face from a realistic perspective, and see the real-world implications of our work."
"Kate strongly believes in providing opportunities to young people, and empowering them to gain experience and knowledge."
"Kate and the Citizens for Change team excel in providing opportunities for young peoples’ growth and development, always fostering an environment where individuals can thrive without fear of judgment. Their approach is both inclusive and supportive, ensuring that every young person they work with feels valued and capable."
"Citizens for Change’s super power is in making everyone feel included in the process, taking you through a journey of self analysis and change without you realising what you are doing. They are able to make others see their vision so effortlessly - before you know it, you are hooked and walking towards the vision with them."
"Citizens for Change’s super power is in making everyone feel included in the process, taking you through a journey of self analysis and change without you realising what you are doing. They are able to make others see their vision so effortlessly - before you know it, you are hooked and walking towards the vision with them."
"Citizens for Change’s facilitation style was thought provoking, engaging, fun, and helped us to dig deep. Everyone felt appreciated, included, heard and consulted. There was a deep sense of ownership of the words that were used and the direction became an organisational direction, not set by senior management or a consultant, but a team led effort."
"Citizens for Change’s skills seem to be limitless. They were able to look through data that seemed like a keyhole view on the work that we do. The richness of what they were able to show us from an outsider's perspective shapes how we celebrate ourselves to date."
"Kate is a forward thinker, a trend setter, always looking for new ways to do things that will bring about great impact at a minimal financial cost. She knows her value and because of that, she is able to help others know their value. I can attest to that because I see myself and my work differently after engaging with her."
"Kate is an exceptionally skilled and accomplished researcher with a remarkable ability to effectively conduct and communicate her work. Kate exemplifies outstanding skills in formulating research questions, selecting appropriate methodologies, and gathering and analyzing data while critically evaluating information to identify patterns, assess validity, and draw meaningful conclusions."
"Citizens for Change’s unwavering precision in data collection, analysis, and reporting ensured the accuracy and reliability of findings. They expertly interpreted complex data sets, discerned trends, and generated invaluable insights that significantly contributed to informing the design of our programmes and advancing knowledge in the child protection space."
"Kate and the Citizens for Change team demonstrate a thorough understanding of ethical considerations in research, including participant consent, data privacy, and integrity in reporting findings. Notably, they completed the assignment within the stipulated timelines and milestones with remarkable proficiency and assurance."
"Under Citizens for Change’s supervision, I have grown from a fresh high school graduate passionate about children’s rights into a young professional equipped with the skills and confidence to make a meaningful difference."
"As a researcher, Kate is ethical, a lifelong learner, and continuously explores new perspectives. She values the wisdom of people at the community level in driving positive changes. Through her innovative research methodologies, she has been dedicated to uncover blind spots in the violence prevention environment, contributing significantly to the understanding and strategies in this field."
"We love working with Kate and the Citizens for Change team. They have a fantastic energy and enthusiasm to take on and develop whatever ideas we put to them, and this is born out of a deep knowledge and understanding of the issues around disadvantaged children and youth in the Tanzanian context."
"Citizens for Change brings insight and wisdom, commitment and rigour, but do so in a way that is pragmatic; they know what it takes to get things done, and they take on the challenges we always face with a sense of fun that makes working with Citizens for Change a real pleasure every time."
"Kate and the Citizens for Change team have a great way of pulling diverse ideas together and giving words and language to make big concepts more digestible. I have loved watching Kate lead workshops, and her ability to guide a conversation into tangible and practical actions. Citizens for Change’s approach is always refreshing and very people centered, ensuring people feel understood and comfortable."
"Working with Citizens for Change is rewarding as it’s sure to be a great learning experience and fun, which can be so overlooked but so key when handling difficult conversations and hard topics to have someone that can navigate that process with a sense of ease and a focus on enjoying the process too."
