USAID project to train 20,000 youths in entrepreneurship
What you need to know:
About 20,000 youths in Iringa, Mbeya and Zanzibar set to benefit from an entrepreneurship drive sponsored by USAID as one of the measures to address unemployment.
Arusha. At least 21,500 youths from Iringa, Mbeya and Zanzibar will benefit from skills upgrading programme in entrepreneurship, leadership development and income generation sponsored by the American aid agency, USAID.
The programme is being implemented by Feed the Future Tanzania targeting to connect the youth go training in entrepreneurship and technical training in a bid to address unemployment.
"The programme aims to increase income opportunities for the young people through rigorous, professional training and matching them to formal and informal jobs", said Rashid Mwinyi, an official of the initiative from Zanzibar.
Speaking to journalists at the East African Youth Leadership Summit which ended here yesterday, the official said the initiative aims to support the youths with projects which will impact on their lives.
"We are targeting young people aged 15 to 35 years while promoting healthy lifestyles", he said noting that the activity collaborates with the local government, the private sector and the civil society organizations.
The Feed the Future Initiative was launched in 2010 by th US government under the Barack Obama administration to address global hunger and food insecurity and began as an effort to combat food price hikes in 2007/2008.
The initiative is primarily coordinated by USAID and besides gunning for increased food production through agricultural development, it targets improved nutrition particularly for the vulnerable populations such as women and children.
One of the beneficiaries of the initiative from Kyela district, Mbeya region Ms Mkami Yusuf said the challenge facing youth roped in the programme is that they cannot manage well the credits extended to them.
"The problem is that some of our members cannot handle credits well", she said, noting that the entrepreneurial skills being imparted on them would attempt to address the anomaly.
Ms Johari Yusuf from Iringa Rural district said the programme has extended its activities to fighting female genital mutilation (FGM) which until recently was prevalent among the young ladies.
"We have told them to discard this outdated tradition (FGM) and we are seeing good results. The rates have gone down significantly", she told reporters on the sidelines of the conference.
In Kyela district, Mbeya region, the programme is being implemented under the motto 'Inua Vijana', according to its youth leader Ms Tumaini Kyejo.
