Feed the Future Tanzania Advancing Youth Monthly Report: July 2021

The program is implemented by DAI Global, LLC, and is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program focuses on three key components: Livelihoods, Leadership, and Life-Skills. The Livelihoods component of the program is designed to improve the economic well-being of youth in Tanzania. One of the key interventions under this component is the Youth Savings and Lending Associations (YSLAs), which provide youth with access to finance and training on entrepreneurship and business management skills. In July 2021, a total of 482 youth borrowed money from their respective YSLAs, with 283 from Iringa, 149 from Mbeya, and 50 from Zanzibar. The total value of money borrowed during this month was TZS 65,969,600 (USD 28,435.172), with the Iringa region experiencing an increased amount of loans issued due to integration initiatives for strengthening young mothers on livelihood aspects. The program also provides training and capacity-building activities for youth, with a focus on employability skills, soft skills, entrepreneurship development, business management skills, and financial literacy. In July 2021, AY (through grantees Step-up Foundation and TACADECO) conducted trainings for 380 youth on the Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) curriculum, focusing on employability skills, soft skills, entrepreneurship development, business management skills, and financial literacy. In addition to the Livelihoods component, the program also focuses on Leadership and Life-Skills. The Leadership component aims to promote youth leadership and civic engagement, while the Life-Skills component focuses on providing youth with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their personal and professional lives. The program has made significant progress in July 2021, with a total of 126 youth-led and owned microenterprises receiving coaching and mentorship programs from grantee E-MAC in Mbeya. The coaching and mentorship programs aimed at equipping youth with financial and managerial knowledge and skills to successfully acquire finances and manage loans, conduct market exposure activities, and create market linkages to accelerate their profitability and business growth. Overall, the Feed the Future Tanzania Advancing Youth program is making significant progress in promoting youth development and entrepreneurship in Tanzania. The program's focus on Livelihoods, Leadership, and Life-Skills is helping to improve the economic well-being of youth and promote their leadership and civic engagement. The program has also made significant progress in providing access to finance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) development. In July 2021, AY grantee SIDO Iringa issued loans worth TZS 7,500,000 (USD 3,232.758) to seven SME groups, including Kitelewasi, Sweet point, Together We Can, Tupendane, Umoja wa Kijamii, Upendo, and Vijana Nguvu Kazi. The loans were allocated to improve SME operations, including the improvement of production premises, purchase of horticultural inputs, purchase of packaging materials, improving branding materials, and purchase of raw materials to elevate and scale up their businesses. The program has also strengthened young mothers' initiative through livelihood trainings, access to finance, and by providing start-up kits. AY grantee (Tone Irrigation Co. LTD) managed to conduct training in saving and lending groups formation, which led to the formation of four YSLAs, namely Umoja Kasyabone, Majengo Mapya Kifunda, Confidence, and Amani Ngeleka. These groups are all registered under the LGAs at district level, and all 84 young mothers have been facilitated with the Community Health Fund (CHF), which is a local government health insurance plan.