For more than a decade, empowerment training programs have been used as an intervention for strengthening the parenting skills and well-being of custodial grandparents in the United States. This paper reports on a pilot project that transplanted one such training program to Tanzania. The curriculum was modified, translated into Swahili, and presented by the author to 13 grandparents in a small, rural village near the Tanzanian capital. The responses to the program were extremely positive. The participants reported that the child-rearing techniques, methods of communication, and tools for education were helpful and applicable in their daily lives. Moreover, they stated that they were readily sharing the information with others in the community. The results suggest that empowerment training may be an important intervention in communities similar to the one studied. In addition, the program reinforced the idea that personal empowerment may serve as an important component for empowerment in the community.Empowerment is a process by which people, organizations, and communities gain mastery over issues of concern (Rappaport, 1987). Psychological empowerment refers to empowerment at the individual level and integrates a sense of personal control, a proactive approach to life, and a critical understanding of the sociopolitical environment. Community empowerment, however, entails members of a community gaining influence over conditions
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