Enable 500 Tanzanian youth to feed their families

Mboni ya Vijana is celebrating 10 years since its foundation on 22^nd of September 2024 with remarkable transformations and growth in income, food, environments and social aspects to Kasulu rural community. The transformation and growth achieved, have not been only the strength of Mboni ya Vijana but with the support from our partners and donors.

Water

Since we commenced implementing our vision, mission and functions, we have learnt a great deal about water surveying, drilling and installation of rope hand pumps to ensure community members have access to abundant clean water for farming and domestic use. We have so far managed to drill and build 142 successfully boreholes providing water to more than 85,000 persons from which 80% of them being the students in primary and secondary schools benefiting with water every year. Water achievements have brought improved education as shown by National examinations form four and primary education result increase from 50% to 88%improved health and working time by 20% and reduced drought effects by 60% to villages in Kasulu.

Food Security

We are proud of our community which has put into practice the improved and sustainable farming methods we have delivered to increase their food security. Previously farmers in rural areas like ours used local poor farming methods with limited yields. For example, one acre was yielding a maximum of 300kg of maize but now yields in cassava, maize, sunflower and other crops have improved by more than 150%. One acre farms which produced up to 3 bags of maize, now harvest 18 – 28 bags, sunflower increased by up to 8 bags per acre, cassava increased from 8 to 30 bags per acre. All these increases have huge impacts on living conditions to the smallholder farmers in Kasulu rural. Up to 31^st May 2024, more than 18900 farmers have reached and benefited with our food system services. We have now become a certified crop seed producer which will allow us to provide better quality seeds enabling us to help many more people going forwards.

Income Security

Many families have benefited from our entrepreneurship training. This scheme has been running since 2015 reaching 2674 clients by 31^st May 2024. The clients have been receiving training in starting small businesses and can access micro loans through our microfinance scheme. Clients have been able to reroof their houses, buy schools uniforms and books for their children, afford medicine and buy foods for their families from the profit generated from the businesses. The average increase in income is between 30 and 60%.  

Youth Education and Training

Youth in rural areas like Kasulu, youth tend to be conservative and risk averse which hampers community development. We have been working hard to build up their confidence, creativity, innovation to overcome this. Since 2014 we have trained more than 620 youth in various skills such as welding, carpentry, soap making, biochar making, starting small businesses and other skills to contribute to local and global development and combat climate change.

In 2024 we initiated our Hope Rising Scheme which is mobilizing, training and supporting youth between 13 and 20 years old who failed to continue with formal education. These youth had lost hope in their dreams but we help them to be able to create jobs and employment for others. So far we have 28 youth in the course which runs for six months who then will be financed to start their small businesses. We hope to greatly expand this next year.

Environmental actions

We are celebrating planting of more than 200,000 trees, most of which are indigenous and fast growing for carbon sinks, biodiversity habitats and shade, with some to provide nutritious fruits. We have made 28 tons of biochar from agricultural waste and used it to improve yields, and trained more than 20,000 people in how to mitigate the effects of climate change. We have also provided water to over 140 sites to enable agriculture to continue year round.

Strengthened organization administration

Since 2014 when Mboni ya Vijana was founded, we have managed to secure land for our headquarters via a donation from our village; constructed the an administration block, storage facility, workshop, training classrooms, a food processing factory, two greenhouses, a cafeteria, a football playing ground, 3 3 fish ponds and 68 beehives. These facilities are essential for our sustainability as they bring in income to support our work, bring services to the community and enhance our reputation. We have installed network connectivity booster to enable WIFI, increased our staff from 3 to 11.

None of this would have been possible without your support, so thank you again for your generosity.

Benedicto