120 VULNERABLE YOUTH IN MUFINDI RECEIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING
University of Iringa lecturer and marketing expert, Blandina Kisawike, delivers entrepreneurship training to 120 vulnerable youths from Mpangatazara and Mapanda wards in Mufindi District. The training is being provided through the Youth Agency in Mufindi (YAM) project to equip young people with entrepreneurship and business development skills. Photo by Matukio Daima Media
By Matukio Daima Media ,Mufindi
A total of 120 youths from Mpangatazara and Mapanda wards in Mufindi District, Iringa Region, have benefited from entrepreneurship and marketing training aimed at empowering them economically and addressing unemployment challenges.
The training programme is being implemented through the Youth Agency in Mufindi (YAM) project in collaboration with the Mufindi District Council. It is designed to equip young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with practical business and livelihood skills.
Speaking during the training sessions yesterday, University of Iringa lecturer and marketing specialist, Blandina Kisawike, said the initiative targets vulnerable youths, including school dropouts, those abandoned by their families, and others who have faced various life challenges that have left them discouraged about their economic future.
She noted that the programme seeks to help participants understand that business success does not depend solely on financial capital but also on the ability to identify and utilize opportunities available within their communities.
“The youths have learned how to improve their businesses, identify markets, set appropriate prices for products and services, and make effective use of the resources around them to generate income,” she said.
Kisawike emphasized that lack of capital remains one of the most common concerns among young people, but the training has helped them realize that capital extends beyond money to include knowledge, skills, networks, and opportunities.
According to participants, the training has significantly changed their perspectives on entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
One of the beneficiaries, Petro Kalele from Mpangatazara Village, said some participants have already started engaging in small-scale agricultural and livestock-keeping activities, while others are preparing to join production and entrepreneurship groups.
“I aspire to become a large-scale farmer. The knowledge I have gained from this training will help me adopt modern commercial farming practices, access markets, improve my income, and support my family,” he said.
The programme also includes training on the formation and registration of entrepreneurial groups, a move expected to enable youths to access loans from local government authorities and financial institutions to expand their businesses.
“We have been taught how to form entrepreneurship groups so that we can apply for council loans, secure capital, and purchase working tools, especially for those of us who are pursuing vocational skills,” another participant said.
Vumilia Damas, another beneficiary, said that before joining the programme she had little direction in life, but she now recognizes various business opportunities within her area and is planning how to take advantage of them to earn a sustainable income.
For his part, Danford Mkumba, Assistant Manager of the YAM Project, said several youths who participated in earlier training sessions have already established businesses, while others have formed groups that are actively engaged in production and income-generating activities.
He stressed that continued support from stakeholders, including the government and development partners, would enable more young people to overcome poverty and build better livelihoods through entrepreneurship.
The project is being implemented by Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation (FCWC) through the Youth Agency in Mufindi (YAM) initiative in partnership with the Mufindi District Council, with support from the Deaconess Foundation, FCWC, and MFA.