SBL’s Kilimo Viwanda scholarship program scoops an award

Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) through its Kilimo Viwanda Agro-schorlaship program has received an award , a recognition to the company’s support in developing vocational training in the country.

Through Kilimo Viwanda program, SBL was recognized for its dedication and commitment to skills development in Tanzania at a colorful gala dinner held at the Hyatt hotel in Dar es Salaam.

The recognition and the award follow a survey conducted by The National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACTVET) in collaboration with the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) and the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) to identify employers who support the development of vocational skills in the country. Kilimo Viwanda program emerged the top under Students Bursary Category

Kilimo Viwanda Scholarship Program, is an initiative introduced by SBL to provide scholarships to  students from farming communities annually to study agricultural related courses. The objective of the program is to strengthen the existing pool of agricultural experts in the country which is necessary in helping farmers increase productivity and ultimately their incomes.

Since its inception in 2020, the scholarship program has benefited over 200 students. The program is tailored to benefit students from underprivileged backgrounds who cannot afford to pay for their studies.

The program is part and parcel of company’s support to agriculture sector which represents almost 28 percent of the country’s GDP according to Five-Year Development Plan 2021/2022, with three quarter of the country’s workforce involved in this sector. 

Agriculture is undoubtedly the largest and most important sector of the Tanzanian economy, with the country benefitting from a diverse production base that includes livestock, staple food crops and a variety of cash crops.

There are plenty of business opportunities across domestic, regional and international markets. However, productivity is still low due to number of factors. The country’s agriculture is dominated by smallholder farmers dependent on rainfall. Farmers and other sector stakeholders face considerable challenges in modernizing the industry to increase yields. One of the problems facing the sector, is lack of enough extension officers.

Upon completing their studies, Kilimo Viwanda scholarship beneficiaries becomes experts, go back to provide fresh impetus to the development of the agricultural sector in their communities, including communities from which SBL sources its cereals for beer production.

Agricultural Extension Officers are very important in modern agricultural farming. They communicate with farmers supporting decision-making by providing information on sustainable farming practices. Agricultural Extension Officers propagate new, more effective farming methods based on the latest research thus help farmers to increase productivity.

Commenting on the award, SBL’s government relations manager Neema Temba who received the award on behalf of the company said, “We are happy to see our contribution is recognized through Kilimo Viwanda which is one of our social support programs,”

The government relations manager said SBL believes that by supporting training of agricultural experts, the company is also supporting to implement the Agriculture Sector Development Program Phase 2 which among others, envisages to increase productivity and the farmer’ incomes.

SBL is a manufacturing company that’s dependent on agricultural produce as raw materials for beer production. It uses barley, maize and sorghum which we source from local farmers.

Last year, the company sourced 18,000 metric tons of these grains locally, which is equivalent to 70 percent of SBL’s total annual raw materials requirement. 

The company currently sources barley, maize and sorghum from around 400 farmers located in 8 regions – Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, Singida, Dodoma, Shinyanga, Mwanza and Mara with plans for to expand the program even further.