Category: Women's Empowerment, Economic Opportunity and Prosperity, Food Security, Outreach to Marginalized Communities
Project Description: The one year project, with possible expansion, focuses on empowerment of grassroots women living in semi-urban areas of Tanzania, with special reference to experiences obtainable in Iringa and Singida. Many of the grassroots women are involved in small businesses such as sunflower oil extraction, food vendoring, shop keeping tailoring and making of traditional costumes. The project will enhance these networks through training programs, study visits, trade fairs participation and intercultural exchange activities; all are intended to empower women to cope with a fast globalizing world. This initiative will be achieved through provision of loans, cutting edge monitoring and capacity building training from a team of Fulbrighters, other US Department of State (DOS) Alumni as well as a few non-alumni who are dedicated to the mission and vision of this project . Essentially, the focus is to identify and promote entrepreneurial women’s networks, whose members are equipped with entrepreneurial skills, in fostering their political, social, cultural and economic empowerment. The project will enhance these networks through training programs, exposure/study visits, participation in trade fairs and intercultural exchange activities; all are intended to empower women to cope with a fast globalizing world. Experience in many underdeveloped countries, such as Tanzania, reveals that a combination of training and micro-finance to women can yield good results in promoting their socio-economic status as well as that of the community and the country in general. In addition, the project will facilitate networking among Fulbright and other DOS alumni who will share their expertise and American experience, firstly with Tanzanians and finally, with the rest of the African population. Some cultural exchange programs will promote understanding among grassroots Tanzanians and Americans. For instance, at cheapest rates, tours will be organized for students from USA to visit and learn about Tanzania’s grassroots women initiatives. Similar arrangements will be made for Tanzanian students to visit America. Home stays will also be part of this project at the expense of those who would like to make use of such wonderful cultural experience. Some project members have experience in these areas. For example, the project team leader has participated in such activities in Iringa where many American students have been hosted by families (these families have more than five years of hosting young Americans and other foreigners). Finally but not least, the project, through its experts, will offer consultancy services to local and international organizations. Consultancy firms are mushrooming in Tanzania and other Sub-Saharan Africa. And this too can be used to sustain this project beyond the one year period. The end product of this project is creation of a model which can be adopted in the rest of Tanzania, Sub-Saharan Africa and the whole continent of Africa.
Donor: US Department of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs
Award Amount: $25,000
Total Cost Share: $239,765
Grand Total: $264,765
Location: Iguguno Village, Iramba, Singida and Mwang'ata Ward, Iringa, TANZANIA
Local Partners:
- Makoa Law Chambers Advocates and Tanzania U.S. State Alumni Association (TUSSAA), Tanzania women's Bank in Dar es Salaam,
- Jumuiya ya Wanawake wafanya biashara Kinyangiri (abbreviated JUWAKI, in English, the Kinyangiri Entrepreneurial Women Association) and Iramba local government authority in Singida and
- Muungano Charity Organization (MCO) and Iringa local government authority in Iringa.
International Partners: State Alumni Your Global Community, AGEN-USA, SCORE, One Village Planet-Women's Development Initiative
Submitted to US Department of State by Rasel Madaha
For details on other projects please visit our official website at http://www.agentz.org/index.php/program-areas
