[SOMA UKURASA HUU KWA KISWAHILI HAPA]
Tanzania is one of the countries with the largest youth population in the world. However, these young men and women are most affected by extreme poverty and destitution.
National Bureau of Statistics report reveals the labor force has more than doubled, increasing to 25.8 million from 12 in 1990[1], of which youth aged 15-34 make up approximately 65 percent[2]. Each year, 800,000 young Tanzanians, the educated included, enter a job market that is generating not more than 40,000 new jobs. With this increase of the workforce and a significant increase in working age populations in urban areas, young Tanzanians have become particularly susceptible to becoming unemployed, underemployed or misemployed.
Plausible efforts to eleviate poverty have been made by the Government of Tanzania under The National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty II (MKUKUTA II in Swahili). Thanks to the implementation of The National Development Vision of 2025 Tanzania’s gross domestic product (GDP) has doubled over the past ten years from US$21.5 billion in 2007 to US$47.4 billion in 2017[3].
Renewed thrust has been felt of making Tanzania a middle-income economy through industrialization. The current Government, under president, John Magufuli, has tasked Local Government Authorities (LGAs) with building opportunities in local communities by creating one hundred new “industries” per region by the end of the 2018 budget year. If rightly implemented and sustained this effort coupled with LGAs mandate to set aside at least 10 percent of their revenue for youth empowernment will go a long way to try and address youth unmployment in Tanzania.
That said, Tanzania continue to be one of the poorest economies in the world. Young people in particular are ill prepared and lack opportunities to contribute effectively in to the economic vision. The 2014 Tanzania Integrated Labor Force Survey (ILFS) conducted in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO) also emphasized that youth lack sufficient technical knowledge and soft skills needed to be successful in today’s workforce.
When child pregnancies, drug and substance abuse and the HIV/AIDS epidemic are thrown in to the mix millions of youths in Tanzania end up being destitutes, orphans or single mothers. Considering the scale of the problems , the limited Government resources and poor welfare infrastructure it is hard to see how destitution can be tackled anytime soon.
This is where Kimbilio comes in.
Kimbilio is a Christian grassroot social network that aims to be a one-stop around-the-clock professional, free, private and confidential service agency for eleviating poverty, destitution and abuse for children, youths and women irrespective of their religious or political affiliations
One of its kind in Tanzania, Kimbilio (swahili word for Refuge ) plans to work with local community members and organizations, local service providers, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, cooperatives and associations, private sector and the Government of Tanzania, to achieve the following results:
T1. Drop-in Services: to facilitate life-saving needs such as food, shelter, protection and security to endangered or disadvantaged youths. In providing social support, compassion and acceptance we make them feel needed and grow in self-worth, dignity and self-respect. A Drop-in service will be offered via a dedicated 24/7 helpline, online, and by simply walking in.
T2. Employment Hub: To enhance Employability skills of youth. We focuse on growing opportunities for youth to secure decent employment in both the formal and informal sector.
T3. Enterpreneurship Hub. To enhance enterpreneurial acumen through training and support to enable young people establish and improve viable youth social enterprises. This will include inception, hatching, incubation and acceleration of social business ideas.
T4. Leadership Hub: To strengthen Leadership and positive community engagement by youth. This focuses on enabling youth to be responsible and learn the skills to negotiate, influence and engage in decision making processes across sectors and in different spheres in either the public, private or civil society space.
T5. Life skills and Counselling: To enhance Life skills for healthy living , by providing youth with the skills to navigate issues at a personal, family and community level and enable them to make healthy choices.
Life skills training
will consist of faith, religious and human rights, gender norms and roles, interpersonal relations, communication and decision making skills. T5 will leverage the expertise of T2 in career advise and financial literacy and T4 for youth engagement. In addition to peer group activities, young people will receive individual counselling sessions and referrals for services.
We urgently need supplies to meet an ever increasing demand. PLEASE DONATE HERE Your donation no matter how small is always greately appreciated.
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[1] National Bureau of Statistics, “Integrated Labor Force Survey: Analytical Report” (Tanzania: National Bureau of Statistics, 2015).
[2] Ibid.
[3] World Bank. Databank. https://data.worldbank.org/country/tanzania
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