TARA, with the Division of Antiquities (DOA) in Tanzania, organised community workshops from 3-6 August, 2009 in Kondoa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The workshops targeted community members from three of the rock art sites; Kolo, Pahi and Mnenia. The overall objective of the workshops was to create awareness on the importance of the Kondoa rock art as well as to get feedback on a proposed community project in the region. Based on its experiences in managing community projects in Africa, TARA and the DOA will strive to ensure that the community benefits from their heritage and therefore enhance the long-term conservation of the sites.

The workshops were attended by 75 community members and culminated in a half-day 'summit' attended by selected representatives to better define ways of moving the project ahead. The community showed a lot of enthusiasm and exhibited high levels awareness on exactly how they can be involved in site management, a critical ingredient for the success of any project. The rock art sites of Kondoa are very much alive as the community still uses them for prayers, rituals and ceremonies. Borrowing from the TARA engaging model the workshops .were a forum for both facilitators and participants to learn, compare and share experiences and not training sessions as is standard in such workshops. Site visits also enhanced the whole experience. The workshops were made possible through support from EPA - Ecole du Patrimoine Africain which was represented by Thierry Nzamba Nzamba, a heritage professional from Gabon. The facilitators for the workshops were;

	John Kimaro - Principal Conservator of Antiquities , Tanzania
	Jane Kessy - Conservator of Antiquities, Tanzania
	Achiles Bufure - Senior Curator, National Museums of Tanzania
	Jimbi Katana - Chief Curator, Fort Jesus Museum
	Patrick Abungu - Archaeologist, National Museums of Kenya
	Terry Little - Chief Operations Officer, TARA
	Gloria K. Borona - Manager, Community Projects, TARA

(03-8-09)