Urgent and concerted efforts by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), government and host organisations are needed to rekindle the diminishing entrepreneurship spirit of the 1700 plus youths trained last year by a group of apprentices called Kazi Nje Nje in 11 districts in the country.

This conclusion is a result of a one month random survey carried by The Guardian in eight districts (Mbeya, Mtwara, Lindi, Tabora, Urambo, Singida, Arusha, and Bagamoyo) out of eleven where Kazi Nje Nje apprentices conducted the training to out of school youths in a bid to defuse the growing unemployment in the country.

The survey was prompted by complaints that the trained entrepreneurs have been abandoned by ILO, and the government leaving host organisation struggling not knowing exactly what to do, a move which is believed to have frustrated the beneficiaries of the Kazi Nje Nje project (trained entrepreneurs) and hence defeating its whole meaning.

Speaking on the phone Joseph Migunda, the leader of the Kazi Nje Nje apprentices, who conducted the training last year, said it was excellent though it was too compacted.

He said what is happening now is frustration on part of the trained entrepreneurs as hundreds of them were motivated to join the training with anticipation of getting support not only knowledge.

“The training was done in a great way and was okay in my opinion, it was supposed to be followed by any kind of support be it moral, material or financial support to those trained,” and this should have been done by host organisations and the government as ILO had already kick started the process of defusing this time bomb,” Migunda said. “What we did we only gave them knowledge, but the major problem of youth starting business in this country is not knowledge only,” he added.

His statement was seconded by a trainee from Mbeya Region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were motivated upon hearing about the training.