Bring clean water to 100 villages in Tanzania

Transformation never been an immediate achieved but a gradual process all change makers go through over a period of strategy and implementation. For almost 11 years, we  been active leading positive changes to rural smallholder farmers in Kigoma Tanzania registered remarkable successes improving lives of the poor families. 

In the last 11 years, our local partner Mboni ya Vijana recorded the progresses in social solutions by successfully completion of;

• 184 water boreholes providing water to 110,000 direct beneficiaries,
• 38000 rural smallholder farmers trained in sustainable farming and entrepreneurship skills,
• 7400 supported directly with small businesses and farming initial capitals (money and input materials),
• 760,000 trees planted to schools, clinics and individual farms,
• We are registered certified seeds producer with 60 acres planted with clean and improved cassava seeds,
• More than 15,000 tons of biochar and composite are made and used by our smallholder farmers in farming every year since 2022.
• 160 youth have directly involved in employment in our initiatives

These success records have shown a steady and direct impact on yields for lives improvements as follows;

• Crop yields improved by 300% per acre because of the use of better farming practices especially improved seeds, crop/plant spacing, biochar and composite,
• Academic performance and pupils’ attendance in primary and secondary schools improved by 25% because of water access in schools,
• Stunting in children decreased from 37% in 2020 to 27% in 2024 as at Kigoma regional nutritional status report of 2024,
• 95% of the beneficiaries have built better houses with corrugated roofs from grass thatched roofs.
• Number of activities and businesses owned by women and young girls increased by 75% in rural than the situation in 2015 whereby only 10% women engaged in self-owned businesses.
• Planted trees, used biochar, composite and bio-fertilizers have improved soil health and carbon capture and store contributing to environmental safety.
• Locally source of better seeds reduced cost of cassava seeds by 50% to smallholder farmers allowing them to save money for other domestic expenditures.
• 75% of time used by the community for water collection from long distances, is now used for other production activities (farming, small businesses and education).

The proof of all the successes is prescribed by the beneficiaries who directly have impacted and are enjoying the initiative fruits. Here are some success stories from our beneficiaries;

Anjela is a 13^th years old standard seven student and head girls at Bugaga primary school. She leads the class in academic performance by recording at the first position in every class examination results. Anjela says, “girls are mostly subject to water collection and domestic works in schools and at home. We are not often doing very well in academic because of being burdened with many works than boys. I am very happy to be a student at Bugaga School because we have water here from the borehole allowing me and my fellow students to use the same time ratio in education and outdoor activities. I can define my difference because of this facility (water well) at my school. I use short time for watering vegetable and collect water for food and wash use than when there was no water here. I am now in the first position in every class examination results which I am proud of as a girl and for my school and the community. I expect to lead my education ambition at higher level and become a livelihoods solution driver likely to what Mboni ya Vijana is doing in our lives” she finishes.

“Farming was not for business but for inadequate food for my family. Often, I planted maize, cow peas and beans mixed on the same farm without a proper farm management. I harvested 4 bags of cassava, 2 bags of sunflower, 2 bags of maize, 4 buckets of cow peas and 3 buckets of beans per acre. I didn’t use clean and better seeds and I never know how to improve soil health or crop rotation. Mboni ya Vijana has changed me and family completely by train and support me in improved and sustainable farming. I improved my farming status using improved clean and better seeds, biochar, composite, fish hydrolysate and lactobacillus to improve soil health and nutrients and I witnessed the magic in yields per acre. I increased maize yields from 2 to 16 bags, from 2 to 8 bags of sunflower, 3 buckets of beans to 4 bags, 4 to 26 bags of cassava each per acre/year in the past 3 years. I have managed to build a better house with 3 rooms from the revenue I gained from the sales of extra harvests. I have enough food for my family and I provide needs for school, health and clothes for my family” – Faines, the woman with 4 children lives at Zeze village stated during an interview in June 2025.

Gimba is the 32 years old man married with 2 children lives in Rusesa Kasulu. He did not have the abilities to feed his family and had no future with better life. In 2022, he joined sustainable farming scheme and chosen to improve cassava farming by using clean and improved seeds. In 2025, Mboni ya Vijana visited him to know his progress and here he says; “On land we live and earn. The hope that I didn’t expect, has risen and become true from cassava farming. I chosen to concentrate with cassava farming after having trained by Mboni ya Vijana in improved and sustainable farming. I improved my farm with composite and used clean cassava seeds. I previously harvested just for food but a miracle came when I planted Taricas4 variety and harvested 32 bags at my first acre. I bought 2 acres and expanded the cassava farming to 4 acres planting improved clean and better cassava (Taricas4). The plant are just 6 months on my farm but I have enough to yield. I expect to build better house and buy a motorbike after harvesting this farm and sell cassava products next year (2026)”.   

Why are we declaring the success?

All these are the fruits of having;

A passionate and committed team of 23 young leaders who are leading the changes for the better and sustainable future,

Cooperation from the community and the government give us the pace to go fast and far as we all working to better and sustainable community and the planet earth.

Our Future

• Scale sustainable farming including seed production, farmers training in better farming skills and nutritious crops to four western Tanzania regions to contribute and improve food system in the region and beyond,
• Enhancing food system value chain by establishing crop processing center for value addition and storage under post-harvest loss reduction program.
• Environmental degradation and climate change effect mitigation by drilling 32 boreholes, planting 400,000 trees, soil management by train, make and use biochar and bio-fertilizers in 2025-2026,
• Train and increase entrepreneurship skills and small businesses support to 120 youth under hope rising scheme and 360 women with microfinancing.
• Building the partnership and collaborations with local institutions, government, international and individual donors for the projects

Thank you for your support which has allowed us to transform our community. 

Links:

• Local partner MVG