George Mgaza

George Mgaza’s career has taken him from classrooms in Dar es Salaam to sanitation campaigns across southern Tanzania—but his focus has always been people. “I began my professional journey as a teacher and counselor in private schools in Dar es Salaam,” he explains. “At the request of the Bishop, I later joined the Diocesan team.” That step marked the beginning of a career in community development that continues today at DMDO.

George holds two degrees, one in Population and Development Planning from the Institute of Rural Development Planning and one in Education in Guidance and Counselling from the University of Dodoma. He says these have shaped not just his technical skills but how he sees the world. “My first degree on education and counselling psychology created an outstanding perception of how I look at the community development.”

Now working as DMDO’s Sanitation and Hygiene Officer, George is responsible for “engaging with government authorities, local leaders and the community in uplifting sanitation and hygiene status to acceptable standards and a means to reducing diseases and barriers to prosperity.” His work ranges from planning activities with leaders to walking the communities to educate and mobilise. “Since our efforts to inspire people to improve their sanitation and hygiene practices rely on are behavioural changes, the transformation always takes time,” he notes. “This has been the main challenge. However, we are proud that changes are occurring and continue to explore new marketing approaches that can accelerate change.”

One of the achievements he’s most proud of is helping raise the proportion of improved toilets from 3% to 31% in under 14 months. He attributes this success to “extensive community engagement”, or marketing, in common speech, which made implementation smoother and more effective.

George's journey has been shaped by constant learning, both formal and informal. His training includes data analysis (NVIVO, statistical software), donor relations, financial investment, and sanitation-specific programming like Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). He’s also contributed to research, including co-authoring a paper on the “Determinants of Infant Feeding in Tanzania.”

At home, George is married with three children. He finds balance in music, playing guitar, drums, and flute, and in reading “new and controversial stuff.” When asked what keeps him motivated, he credits “constant learning on development initiatives and psychology, plus my family support.”

Reflecting on where he comes from and how it has shaped him, George says: “The role of my education cannot be underestimated in my commitment to community service. The knowledge and skills on data, social capital, population, food security, and agriculture planning have direct significance in the community, both in my employment and outside employment as well as my investment in the community.”