Centre for Community Initiatives

What Centre for Community Initiatives does

Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) is a Tanzania-based non-governmental organization headquartered in Dar es Salaam that supports community-led development in urban informal settlements. Founded in 2004, CCI works through the Tanzania Federation for the Urban Poor (TFUP) and is an active implementing partner in the global Slum Dwellers International (SDI) federation, which spans more than 38 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The organization serves urban poor communities, informal settlement residents, rural farmers, and schools, with primary use cases in community organizing, savings schemes, housing improvements, sanitation, water provision, and climate adaptation.

CCI's program portfolio spans sanitation (household and shared toilets, simplified sewerage, DEWATS, pit emptying), water provision, solid waste collection, land/housing/shelter, climate change, HIV/AIDS, and energy. Distinctive project offerings include the DARAJA project (weather monitoring, iButton-based heat measurement, and an SMS-based community mapping system in Kombo settlement, funded by IKI/GIZ), the SASA Nature-based Solutions project in Mwanza (GIZ-funded, including Mirongo River protection and school environmental programs), the Maisha Bora Citizen Prosperity Index co-designed with the World Bank, and a biogas / natural gas energy production facility in Vingunguti. CCI also co-manages the Tanzania Urban Poor Fund (JENGA), established in 2008 with TFUP as a community financial-inclusion mechanism.

CCI is a private non-profit funded entirely through donor grants and development-partner contracts; it does not charge fees for its services and does not publicly disclose revenue. Key financial and strategic partners include GIZ, UK Aid, the World Bank, UN-HABITAT, the Government of Tanzania (OR-TAMISEMI), the Tanzania Meteorological Authority, Cities Alliance, IIED, UCL, and ARDHI University. The organization runs on a lean staff of approximately 5 employees and relies on peer-to-peer learning exchanges, a YouTube/CCI TV channel, and email newsletters for outreach and knowledge dissemination.

Name

Centre for Community Initiatives

Legal name

Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI)

Website

https://ccitanzania.or.tz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) is a Tanzania-based non-profit that supports community-led development, sanitation, water, housing, and climate adaptation for urban poor communities in informal settlements, operating through the Tanzania Federation for the Urban Poor and the Slum Dwellers International federation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Informal settlement support
• Sanitation and water programmes
• Urban poverty alleviation
• Climate adaptation projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) is a Tanzania-based non-governmental organization that runs community-led development programs for urban poor households living in informal settlements. Its core offerings include sanitation services (household and shared toilets, public toilets, simplified sewerage, pit emptying, DEWATS, and solid waste management), water provision, climate change adaptation, land/housing/shelter support, financial inclusion through community savings schemes and the JENGA urban poor fund, and research tools such as the Maisha Bora Citizen Prosperity Index. The organization also pilots innovative community technologies such as the SMS mapping system, iButton heat measurement, and natural gas production from human waste.

Product overview

Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) is a community development organization based in Tanzania that operates as a portfolio of programs and projects rather than a unified technology product. CCI's offerings include community-based programs in sanitation (toilets, sewerage, DEWATS), water provision, solid waste collection, climate change adaptation, and housing for urban poor communities. Key specific offerings include the Daraja Project (weather/heat monitoring), the Community SMS Mapping System, Maisha Bora Citizen Prosperity Index (research tool), SASA Project (Nature-based Solutions), and the Tanzania Urban Poor Fund (JENGA) for financial inclusion. The organization also operates a YouTube channel for educational content and documentary distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sanitation Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully implemented DARAJA project for heat risk awareness in Kombo settlement, Dar es Salaam
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• Slum Dwellers International (SDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI is an active member and implementing partner of SDI, participating in the global network of urban poor communities with membership across more than 38 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This alliance facilitates knowledge exchange and best practice sharing for addressing challenges facing informal settlement dwellers.
• Tanzania Federation for the Urban Poor (TFUP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI supports community organization through TFUP's network of savings schemes, working together on community-led development initiatives in Tanzania's informal settlements.
• Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI collaborates with TMA on heat measurement using iButtons and weather data analysis, as well as educating farmers on accessing early warning weather information.
• UN-HABITATcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI is implementing affordable housing schemes in Kigamboni following completion of a project in Chanika, Dar es Salaam, with ongoing collaboration for housing development in informal settlements.
• IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) collaborates with CCI on research and policy advocacy for urban poor communities.
• UCL (University College London)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI partners with UCL on research and academic collaboration related to urban development and community planning.
• ARDHI UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI collaborates with ARDHI University on land, housing and shelter programs and academic research.
• Cities AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI works with Cities Alliance on urban development initiatives and advocacy for the urban poor.
• DPU (Development Planning Unit)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI partners with DPU (Development Planning Unit) on knowledge exchange and research related to urban poverty and development.
• RESURGENCEmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRESURGENCE partners with CCI on urban development initiatives in Tanzania.
• WISERmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISER collaborates with CCI on climate change and environmental initiatives in Tanzania.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WaterAid: International NGO focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in low-income countries, including Tanzania. Comparable to CCI on water provision and sanitation programming, though operating at a much larger scale.
• UN-Habitat: United Nations agency for sustainable urban development and a core strategic/donor partner of CCI on affordable housing in Chanika and Kigamboni. Sets global norms and convenes partners that CCI engages.
• Slum Dwellers International (SDI): Global network of community-led organizations of the urban poor in 38+ countries. CCI is an SDI affiliate; SDI is the umbrella and convener, making it the most direct strategic counterpart for partnership and replication.

Direct peers

• Tanzania Federation for the Urban Poor (TFUP): Federation of organized urban poor communities in Tanzania that CCI supports and works through. Closely affiliated sister organization running community savings schemes and slum upgrading initiatives in the same informal settlements.
• Federation of the Urban and Rural Poor (FEDUP): South African SDI affiliate implementing community savings, profiling, and informal-settlement upgrading. Direct methodological peer to CCI in Anglophone Africa.
• Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDNa): Namibian SDI affiliate using profiling, savings, and exchange visits to support informal-settlement upgrading. Same SDI playbook as CCI, focused on a neighboring Southern African context.
• SPARC (Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centers): Indian SDI affiliate working with Mahila Milan on community-led housing, sanitation, and savings for the urban poor in Mumbai and other cities. Closest peer in terms of SDI methodology, scale, and program mix.
• Pamoja Trust: Kenyan NGO that supports Muungano wa Wanavijiji and applies SDI methods in Nairobi and Mombasa. Nearly identical operating model: community organizing, savings, mapping, and slum upgrading.
• Muungano wa Wanavijiji: Kenyan federation of slum dwellers and SDI affiliate active in Nairobi's informal settlements. Operates community savings schemes, profiling, mapping, and upgrading projects via the same SDI methodology CCI uses.
• Mahila Milan: Federation of women's collectives of the urban poor in India, part of SDI network. Runs community savings and slum upgrading via the same peer-to-peer exchange model CCI employs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC CCI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-community-initiatives

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre for Community Initiatives