TASAF beneficiaries open peanut processing mini-factory in Mwanza
The chairperson of the Wasikivu group, Laurencia Lugendo (far left), briefs the group’s mini peanut roasting and grinding factory to the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Governance, Constitution and Legal Affairs, Dr. Damas Ndumbaro (second left), during the committee’s visit to inspect the project.
Fifteen women from the Wasikivu group have established a small factory for roasting and grinding peanuts, as well as producing various types of soap.
Mwanza. Fifteen women beneficiaries of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) in Ilemela Municipality have established a peanut processing mini-factory after receiving Sh11.5 million in support from the programme.
The women, members of the Wasikivu group in Kabangaja Street, formed the group in 2022 with the goal of improving their economic wellbeing.
Through the fourth phase of TASAF, the group received the funding in 2024, which enabled them to purchase an electricity- and gas-powered machine for roasting and grinding peanuts. They now produce a range of products including peanut butter, nutritious flour, as well as liquid and bar soap.
Speaking on Monday, March 16, 2026, when the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Governance, Constitution and Legal Affairs visited to inspect the project, the group’s chairperson, Laurencia Lugendo said the idea for the initiative was conceived in 2022 before the group later secured Tasaf support.
The Minister of State in the President’s Office Public Service Management and Good Governance, Ridhiwani Kikwete, speaks after the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Governance, Constitution and Legal Affairs inspected a TASAF beneficiaries’ project and the construction of Mihama Dispensary in Ilemela District, Mwanza Region.
She said the project officially started in August 2024 under the supervision of the Community Management Committee, in collaboration with local leaders and municipal experts, and was completed in September the same year.
According to her, the project has enabled members to begin a journey toward economic independence while demonstrating how social protection programmes can transform the lives of low-income communities.
“So far our group has generated more than Sh3 million in profit and we have also purchased a plot of land where we plan to build a permanent office,” said Ms Lugendo.
Providing details of the project, Kabangaja Street Executive Officer Chiku Said said members of the community project management committee and local leaders received three days of training before implementation began.
The training covered project budgeting, financial management, committee responsibilities, store management, procurement planning, and environmental and social impact assessment.
She added that the group also received technical skills from the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO), enabling them to produce and sell their products to the public and increase their incomes.
The Minister of State in the President’s Office for Public Service Management and Good Governance, Ridhiwani Kikwete, said the group’s success demonstrates the impact of empowering women through TASAF programmes.
“The positive results we see today are not only that they are making profits, but they are also producing goods used by the community while improving their livelihoods,” he said.
He urged the group to promote their products more widely to secure reliable markets within and beyond the Mwanza Region.
In support of the initiative, the government provided Sh7 million, while Mr Kikwete said the Ilemela Member of Parliament, William Kafiti, who was engaged in other duties, had pledged an additional Sh3 million to strengthen the group’s development fund.
A member of the Parliamentary Committee on Governance, Constitution and Legal Affairs, Neema Majule said the group’s achievements demonstrate how TASAF projects are helping communities escape poverty.
She noted that although the committee had been reading reports about TASAF successes on paper, the visit provided an opportunity to witness the real impact on people’s lives.
“This is a major step forward. We will share your story with other women because when you empower a woman, you empower a family and the entire community,” she said.
Meanwhile, the TASAF Executive Director, Shedrack Mziray said that by July 2024 about 400,000 households had improved their economic conditions and graduated from the programme.
He added that more than 1,500 community infrastructure projects in sectors such as education, health and water had been implemented, while 74,967 community groups with over 900,000 members had been formed and collectively saved more than Sh17.5 billion.
In a related development, the committee expressed satisfaction with the implementation of the Mihama dispensary construction project, built at a cost of more than Sh232 million.
The facility includes an outpatient department building, staff housing, a maternity ward and sanitation facilities.
The project was implemented through community participation in collaboration with TASAF under the fourth phase of the poverty reduction programme.
After inspecting the facility, the committee chairperson, Damas Ndumbaro, directed that the dispensary be handed over to the Ilemela Municipal Council and called for the construction of drainage infrastructure to address rainwater flooding affecting patients and nearby residents.
“The first priority is to control the rainwater here by constructing proper drainage channels. As a committee, we are satisfied with the work done,” he said.
