Partnerships are an integral part of Denmark’s development strategy, partnerships that are grounded in equality, mutual respect and a commitment to avoiding dogmatic or top-down approaches.
However, in reality, putting this into practice is by no means straightforward, especially when financial support is part of the equation. In that case, power dynamics inevitably come into play, influencing decisions, priorities, and ultimately the nature of the relationship itself.
Overcoming these dynamics with a view to establishing more equal partnerships requires effort, reflection, and a willingness from all parties, both those providing support and those receiving it, to engage differently.
Together for impact
In 2022, MS TCDC and Danida Fellowship Centre entered into such a partnership. We called it Together for Impact. From the beginning, the partnership focused on developing and hosting transformative learning interventions to achieve the strongest possible impact within three main pillars: Learning for Change, Youth Leadership for Change, and Enablers for Change. The ambition was to strengthen learning, collaboration and institutional development across two learning organisations working in the field of capacity development, the one Danish and the other Tanzanian. The partnership receives funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
Experienced learning institutions
Both MS TCDC and Danida Fellowship Centre are learning institutions with a long history in capacity development. While Danida Fellowship Centre supports learning activities, research projects, university partnerships, and Master’s scholarships linked to Denmark’s development cooperation programmes, MS TCDC works with youth leadership, civic engagement, and capacity development across Africa. Neither of the two organisations are newcomers in the field. Each brings more than 50 years of experience to the table.
From the very beginning, the intention of the partnership was to draw on this extensive experience to design a collaboration that is deliberate, reflective, and grounded in practice.
Innovation, knowledge exchange, and mutual learning
Looking back, we are doing pretty well.
Since 2022, the partnership has evolved into far more than a traditional organisational collaboration. There have been bumps and misunderstandings along the way, but the bottom line is clear. The partnership has become a dynamic space for innovation, knowledge exchange, and mutual learning.
In the articles that follow, we offer insights into both the challenges and the gains we have experienced along the way.
Happy reading.
Read the July 2026 newsletter about the Together for Impact partnership between MS TCDC and Danida Fellowship Centre.
