Reclaiming Development: Decolonizing Community Practices in Tanzania

Reclaiming Development: Decolonizing Community Development Practices in Tanzania offers a powerful critique of mainstream development paradigms and presents a compelling vision for grassroots, culturally grounded transformation in Africa.
Authored by Christina R. Shimba and Mathias Mkude—respected scholars and practitioners in the fields of gender, sociology, and public policy—this groundbreaking work examines the enduring impact of colonial legacies on Tanzania's development journey and explores how communities can reclaim agency through indigenous knowledge systems, participatory governance, and locally driven policy solutions.
From the legacy of Ujamaa and the philosophy of self-reliance to the politics of language, land, gender, and education, this book charts a bold and intellectually rigorous path forward. Drawing on decades of field experience, original research, and engagement with African thought leaders such as Julius Nyerere, Frantz Fanon, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, and Issa Shivji, Reclaiming Development challenges the top-down development model and replaces it with a framework built on sovereignty, inclusion, and sustainability.
Whether you are a scholar, development professional, student, or activist, this book offers essential insights into the future of community development—not as a foreign imposition, but as a people-led movement rooted in justice and dignity.

Mathias Mkude
Mathias Mkude is a dynamic sociologist and development practitioner with over a decade of experience in social protection, gender equity, child welfare, community development, and rural transformation. He has played an instrumental role in policy design, including national education frameworks and gender-responsive youth initiatives across public and nonprofit sectors.
He has led and contributed to research on human rights, maternal health, child and women's rights, health insurance, and development in pastoralist communities. His work has been supported by agencies such as PEPFAR, UNICEF, UNDP, UN Women, DFID, the Oak Foundation, and Children in Crossfire, reflecting his capacity to integrate academic rigor with practical policy impact.
Currently pursuing a PhD in Public Policy at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Mathias focuses on the application of voluntary policy instruments. He holds a Master's in International Social Welfare & Health Policy from Oslo University and an MSc in Social Protection Policy & Development from the Institute of Finance Management (IFM), along with a BA in Sociology from the University of Dar es Salaam.
As a lecturer in Gender Studies at the Tengeru Institute of Community Development, Mathias mentors aspiring sociologists and social workers while publishing research on gender, social security, and youth development. His scholarly and field-based work is dedicated to advancing equity, social justice, and sustainable transformation across Tanzania and the broader region.