Enable 500 Tanzanian youth to feed their families

Mboni ya Vijana works to improve the lives of rural families in Kigoma, Tanzania, where extreme poverty is a daily reality. Since our founding, we’ve supported families in becoming self-sufficient with food, income, and water security. We provide knowledge, training, financial services, and resources so that young people and smallholder farmers can grow food, create businesses, and build livelihoods that benefit not just themselves but their families and wider communities.

Our greatest joy is celebrating impact. Since beginning our work in Kigoma, we have helped improve food access for more than 38,000 people through better farming practices, supported 3,200 youth and women to start small businesses through microfinance, provided clean water to over 90,000 schoolchildren and community members through 196 boreholes, and planted more than 800,000 trees for environmental conservation. Families are now able to pay for healthcare, education, electricity, transport, and better housing—things that once felt out of reach.

In this update, we want to share the voices of those whose lives have been transformed thanks to your support.

Joyce’s Story – A Schoolgirl Finds Hope in Water
“My name is Joyce, I am 13 years old and a student at Kasyenene Primary School. I never believed our dry, rocky land could give us water. When Mboni ya Vijana announced they would build a borehole, I thought it was a scam. But within two weeks, I was the first pupil to carry water from our new well. Before this, I walked over two hours every day to fetch dirty water from a stream. Now, with clean water at school, I have time to study and dream. I’ve learned that the impossible can become possible, and I want to become an innovator who makes that happen.”

Christina’s Story – From Lost Dreams to Farming Success
“After failing my national exams, I thought my life was over. In our village, many girls are married off when they leave school, and I believed that was my only option. Then I joined Mboni ya Vijana’s free entrepreneurship and farming training. I learned how to start a small business, manage money, and make organic fertilizers. I grew maize and beans, earning nearly 1.9 million TZS from my first harvest while also feeding my family. Now, instead of being forced into marriage, I am respected at home. My dream is to expand my farm and eventually start a food marketing business. I’ve found hope in knowledge and skills, and I want to share that with my community.”

Selemani’s Story – Feeding a Family, Building a Future
Selemani, 36, is a father of four in Kasulu. “Before joining Mboni ya Vijana’s training, my land could barely feed my family for five months of the year. After learning improved farming methods and receiving a small loan, I harvested 24 bags of maize, four bags of beans, and eight bags of sunflower. I sold crops worth 1.3 million TZS and started a small fertilizer business for my wife, which pays for school uniforms, medicine, and food. With cassava now growing, I can feed my family year-round, and I’m preparing to build a better house. I thank Mboni ya Vijana and the donors who made this possible.”

These are just a few of the many voices that inspire us daily. Your support allows families to move out of extreme poverty and into lives of dignity and prosperity. Together, we are bringing lasting change to western Tanzania—and with your continued support, we will reach even more communities in need.