Leadership, Learning and Growth

Dearest Community,

This quarter has been a meaningful one for all of us at UCRT. As we welcomed the UN Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, we’ve been reflecting on just how important these landscapes are not only for livelihoods, but for culture, identity, and the environment itself. For the communities we work alongside, rangelands are not empty spaces, they are living systems, carefully managed over generations. This year, supported by our partners, UCRT will engage in key strategic events and policy spaces to amplify pastoralist voices and highlight the importance of rangelands and community-led solutions.

With the early arrival of the rains across much of Tanzania, many communities felt a sense of relief. After the short rains last year failed to provide enough, this season has brought hope. At the same time, there is concern if these rains come too early, what does that mean for the months ahead? The possibility of a long dry period still weighs heavily, reminding us all how closely livelihoods are tied to climate patterns.
Quarter Highlight
Progress Made In Documenting Our Model

With the support of Sustain Africa, we are close to completing the documentation of UCRT’s model. This is an important milestone for us. Capturing our approach in a clear and accessible way will help strengthen our work, support learning across communities, and create opportunities to share this model more widely with partners and stakeholders working on community-led conservation and land rights.

We’re also proud to be featured in IUCN Policy Matters – Issue: Reimagining Conservation, a publication that brings together practitioners, researchers, Indigenous leaders, and activists to question dominant conservation models and explore more just and effective alternatives.

The publication reflects on how conservation has often excluded or displaced local communities—and why those approaches are failing both people and nature. In the article, Paine Mako shares the journey of UCRT in securing collective rights for justice and sustainability in Tanzania. It highlights the work of communities in securing Certificates of Customary Right of Occupancy (CCROs), agreeing on land use plans, resolving long-standing boundary conflicts, and ensuring women have a stronger voice in decisions about land and natural resources.

Access A Copy Here

Strengthening Governance Through Learning: Simanjiro to Yaeda Valley

Simanjiro pastoralist leaders gatherer to strengthen the protection of communal CCROs.

This quarter, we facilitated a learning exchange between pastoralist leaders from Simanjiro and the Hadzabe and Datoga communities in Yaeda Valley.

The exchange brought together 28 participants from 7 villages, with four representatives from each village: a village chairperson, a women’s representative, a youth representative, and a traditional leader. During the two day visit, they spent time learning directly from the experiences of Hadzabe and Datoga communities.

The focus of the visit was on strengthening the management and protection of communal Certificates of Customary Right of Occupancy (CCROs). Through discussions and shared experiences, participants explored practical approaches to managing communal land, resolving challenges, and maintaining strong community governance systems.

For leaders from Simanjiro where land grabbing and encroachment on communal lands remain ongoing concerns, this exchange created space to reflect, learn, and consider how these practices can be adapted and applied within their own community context.

Women Leading Change: Redefining Leadership in the Datoga Community

Mariam Bayonga is the first female Datoga sub-village chairperson.

Mariam Bayonga, a sub-village chairperson from Gulew in Domanga village, comes from the Datoga pastoralist community, where leadership has traditionally been reserved for men and women have had limited access to decision-making spaces.

During local government elections, Mariam decided to run for office. Despite pressure from friends and relatives to step down, she continued her campaign, walking between households, engaging directly with voters, and attending community meetings. Her opponent relied on traditional views about leadership, while Mariam focused on direct engagement and trust-building.

On election day, she won by more than thirty votes. Her election is more than a personal success,  it reflects a gradual shift in attitudes toward Datoga women’s leadership and opens up space for greater participation of women in community governance and decision-making over land and resources. We’re proud of Mariam’s achievements and wish her all the success as sub-village chairperson.

UCRT Announcement From One Of Our Founders

Makko Sinandei elected as Chair of Traditional Leaders in East Africa.

We are proud to share that Makko Sinandei, Founder and Senior Advisor of the Ujamaa Community Resource Team (UCRT), was recently elected to serve as Chair of the Maasai traditional leaders in East Africa.

In recognition of this important customary leadership role, UCRT, together with Maasai customary leadership across East Africa, is honored to support the upcoming ordination ceremony. The ceremony will take place during the week of 25th–30th May 2026, with the main ceremonial events scheduled for 29th and 30th May 2026.

This ceremony is a significant cultural and leadership event for the Maasai community. It will bring together Maasai representatives from seven districts in Tanzania and leaders from three counties in Kenya, including elders, customary leaders, women, youth representatives, and community members. The gathering represents a historic moment of unity and collective commitment among Maasai communities across the region.

The ordination symbolises more than a leadership transition. It reflects a shared vision among the Maasai people to strengthen solidarity across borders, restore and safeguard cultural identity, defend territories of life, and expand the space for Maasai voices, recognition, and participation in decisions that affect their communities.