ILO supports more than 500 young women and men in Tanzania to establish own businesses and combat HIV/AIDS

Dar es Salaam (ILO News) The ILO in collaboration with other participating UN Agencies in Tanzania implemented during 2015/16 the UN joint Programme on Youth employment (UNJP-YE) aimed at developing an integrated strategy towards addressing the youth employment challenge in Tanzania. The programme focused on, among others, promoting the working conditions of young women and men in self and/or wage employment in the informal sector through identifying income generating activities for youth living with or affected by HIV, training youth on business skills and economic empowerment.

Through the UNJP-YE, entrepreneurship development training for about 537 (135 Male, 402 Female) was conducted for Adolescent Girls and Young Women and Men under KIWOHEDE/SAUTI, Baylor and Support Mankind to Self-support (SUMASESU) in Kyela, Mbeya and Makete as a means to job creation targeting HIV affected and infected youth. The training was intended to strengthen the knowledge and skills of the vulnerable youth to engage in income generating activities and to enable them strengthen their economic base. Following the training, the youth groups were provided with loans targeted at ensuring that they implement their business ideas that are sustainable and would lead to creation of decent employment.

According to Ms. Getrude Sima, ILO National Project Coordinator (HIV/AIDS), who was recently on a field monitoring visit to the beneficiaries, the youth groups were trained on entrepreneurship skills, proper ways of establishing and doing business, developing capital and avoiding risk behaviours. “…The training enabled the youth not only to identify potential areas for income generating activities but also to implement businesses which are sustainable and decent…” Sima said. Ms Ngalaba, one of the trained beneficiaries, a mother of two confirmed that, “…My group ‘Umoja’ was among 12 groups that received ILO youth revolving fund through Kyela district council in March, 2017; … our group with seven members received TZS. 3m/- from which I walked away with TZS 427,000/-…” She said each group member started businesses of their own choice including - small groceries, coffee shops, hair-cutting saloons, small agriculture farms, shoes and clothes vending etc. “… I spent the loan to set up a small grocery where I sell onions, tomatoes, rice, dried fish and rice vending… the capital has so far grown to TZS. 900,000 in a period of seven months…”. She added that the profit obtained help her pay school fees for her three-year old twins, now attending nursery school. “…my life has greatly improved, I am very thankful to the ILO, SAUTI, KIWOHEDE and all who have supported us.” she explained.

On her part, another beneficiary, Ms Angel Banda said the ILO Youth Revolving Fund enabled her to establish a hair-cutting saloon, which brings her profit of TZS 5000/- per day. Ms. Banda accessed the ILO fund as a loan through Kyela district council where she got TZS 320,000/-“… Today my business has grown, and I generate a profit of TZS 150,000/- a month…” she said. She further urged other girls across the country to join hands and form groups that will enable them acquire loans easily from various sources including through Districts Youth development Fund or financial institutions and start up their own businesses. Commenting on the above support to the visiting ILO delegation, the Kyela District Council Executive Director (DED), Mr Musa Mgata said his office is aware of the youth challenges in the area and that it is doing everything in its powers to support them. “…the district council is working on by-laws on trade and investment to create better environment for investment in the area…this will encourage the establishment of agro-processing industries and the youth will certainly benefit from the plan…” said Mr Mgata. Mgata added that his office encourages establishment of both small and medium sized industries seen as the most reliable and best way to beef up the district and the country’s economy at large. He further commended the ILO support and said that the grants being accessed as loans by about 280 Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in the district, amounting to more than USD 30,000, and efforts by other NGOs to change lives of the people are highly valued and appreciated by the government. “…this is a very welcome programme, it has also promoted accountability among youth…” he said.

Kyela district council received 65.6m/- from the above programme for supporting youth in the district out of which 29.5m/- has been already provided to youth as loans. Other beneficiaries for the grants included HIV infected youth groups established under Baylor School of Medicine Mbeya and SUMASESU, Makete District. Baylor School of Medicine Mbeya received ILO grant of US$ 8,000 which was accessed by 80 HIV positive youth in Mbeya Municipal, Mbarali, Njombe and Mafinga while SUMASESU received US$ 12,000 which was accessed by 133 trained youth with successful business plans in Makete District.

The loans were provided to complement the work done by the Districts under the Youth Development Funds (YDF) and Women Development Funds (WDF). The funds have helped HIV infected and/or affected youth to realize their dreams through starting and expanding their own businesses and creating self-employment.