MUFINDI DISTRICT COUNCIL TO PROVIDE LOANS TO YOUTH FROM DISADVANTAGED ENVIRONMENTS UNDER THE YAM PROJECT

 

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The Mufindi District Council in Iringa has committed to continuing the provision of 10% loans derived from the Council’s internal revenue to over 700 youths from disadvantaged backgrounds. These youths have been identified through the Youth Agency Mufindi (YAM) project, aiming to empower them as drivers of economic change in their communities.

The Council has accumulated over TZS 2 billion, in addition to the initial TZS 1.6 billion, for group lending. Following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s temporary halt on loan issuance to streamline lending processes, the funds have continued to grow. Now that the government has resumed lending, the Council plans to distribute loans to women, people with disabilities, and youth, with YAM project beneficiaries among the prioritized groups, as they have already received entrepreneurial and business training.

Mufindi District Council Chairperson Festo Mgina emphasized this during the annual YAM project event aimed at combating gender-based violence, held at Igoda Primary School grounds in Mufindi.

“These youths are already visible in our villages, and to help them progress, they need capital. If we don’t provide these funds, we will not have done justice to them,” Mgina stated.

He urged the YAM project youth to seize the loan opportunities by organizing themselves into groups through their ward leaders to qualify for the loans. The Mufindi Council has a history of providing loans to youth, such as the TZS 120 million loan granted to tailoring and carpentry groups through the non-governmental organization Rural Development Organization (RDO), which has shown great success.

Praising the efforts of the RDO, Mgina equated its work with that of the investor Fox in Mufindi. He called for full support for the YAM project by facilitating loans for its youth.

Danford Mkumba, Assistant Project Manager of YAM, explained that the project, which operates in Luhunga, Ihanu, and Mdabulo wards across 16 villages, started in 2021 and is expected to conclude in 2025. Funded by Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, YAM is implemented by the non-governmental organization Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Trust (FCWCT), in collaboration with Finland’s Deaconess Foundation.

The beneficiaries of the project are children and youths with various disabilities and those from vulnerable environments. Mkumba noted that YAM works closely with multiple stakeholders, including Mufindi District Council officials, village and sub-village leadership, Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, university staff from Iringa, and various NGOs such as TAPCAP, Inuka, Neema Craft, and ZAPDD, among others.

The project aims to strengthen child protection committees in the target villages and train youth in entrepreneurship, life skills, and various vocational trades to reduce dependency. It also seeks to ensure equal opportunities for disabled youth in employment and self-employment and to provide rehabilitation services and assistive devices for children and youth with disabilities.

In its four years of operation, YAM has exceeded its goals, reaching 420 youths with life skills, entrepreneurship, and modern agriculture training—120 more than its target of 300. Additionally, 90 girls and 26 youths with disabilities have received forestry and value chain training, surpassing the target by 80%. The project has also trained 228 service providers, far exceeding the target of 32, and 131 children with disabilities have received rehabilitation services and assistive devices, surpassing the target of 80 by 51 children.

Mkumba highlighted that the project has distributed 600 piglets and initial feed to 300 youths, and some youths are currently undergoing vocational training in carpentry, masonry, mechanics, and other trades. He noted that the project aims to continue supporting these youth beyond the initial targets.

Luhunga Ward Councilor Adam Mgovano expressed his gratitude for the YAM project’s impact on the youth in his ward, acknowledging the significant role the Foxes investment company has played in improving the local infrastructure, including roads, health centers, and classrooms.

Representing Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation (FCWC), Nico Foxes announced that the project has been extended for one more year, with a possibility of further extension to 2030, allowing for the inclusion of more villages and wards within Mufindi.

The guest of honor, Mufindi District CCM Chairman George Kavenuke, praised the YAM project and reiterated that the CCM government, under President Samia, will continue to support all investors. He emphasized that the contribution of Foxes in Mufindi District is substantial and worthy of emulation.