YOUTH in Kilwa district, Lindi region have a reason to smile after Southern Corridor Alliance of Agriculture Producers (SCAAP) has introduced Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Agriculture (YEFFA) project in Lindi Region to help youth become self-employed through agricultural activities.

Kassim Kambwily, Kilwa district council, agricultural officer made this call recently during the launch of Kilwa Youth Development Initiatives’ (KIYODI) three-year Strategic Plan.

The event was attended by KIYODI members, ActionAid Tanzania staff, and Kilwa Community Development Officers.

He says that the YEFFA project in Kilwa District will focus on vegetable and fruits farming.

He urged KIYODI members and other youth from various wards in KIlwa District to take advantage of this opportunity to cultivate vegetables and fruits, including onions, bananas, and tomato, within their localities.

According to Kambwily, these crops have a huge market demand in Tanzania, neighboring countries and abroad. 

The project will be implemented by the Kilwa District Council in collaboration with SCAAP.

The project is expected to start in January 2025 in Kilwa District. Once it is ready, all the youth will be informed through the village government, the Kilwa Youth Development Initiatives’ (KIYODI) platform and other youth reflection platforms.

He urged the youth in all areas where they reside to take advantage of this opportunity because the SCAAP will assist them in finding markets for their produce.

"We want to see young people in the wards and villages engaging in agriculture so that they can become self-employed, increase their income, and have a better life,” he says

Additionally, the project will be implemented in the districts of Liwale, Ruangwa, Mtama and in Lindi Municipal Council.

 “We need a lot of young people in this project, now is the time to tell the parent not to sell the farm or land so that you can benefit from this opportunity,” he says

Kambwily says, all young people interested in farming are welcome to join this project.

“Any youth, who wants to farm, we want them to produce productively, we advise them to use good agricultural practices, and we will help them to get agricultural extension officers,” he says

Additionally, the district will support them by connecting them with agricultural extension officers for guidance and assistance.

Erick Mkinda, KIlwa District Council, principal community development officer expressed his gratitude to ActionAid Tanzania for the work they are doing in Kilwa District.

“We have successfully seen the three-year strategic plans of KIYODI and Dira Yetu Initiative that will guide them in their activities, ActionAid Tanzania has played a significant role in the success of various initiatives in Kilwa District, including education, environmental conservation, the economy, children's and women's rights, and other important issues, helping our district to attain progress and move to the next level,” he says.

KIYODI has made significant progress and has done well in the areas of good governance and accountability, as well as providing various education in the areas where they operate.

“The government will continue to support you by offering advice, expertise, and the office will remain open at all times to bring development to the residents of Kilwa,” he says.

Currently,  Kilwa District has an officer who works with youth. “It’s your time to tell him the things you need to do so that you can improve your economic status,” he says.

Said Mpuna, Kilwa Youth Development Initiatives’ (KIYODI)’s chairman and a paralegal at Lihimalyao Ward,  expressed  his gratitude to the ActionAid  Kilwa for training them on various issues related to  leadership, tax systems and  the Public Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETS).This training has brought positive changes in the area.

Through the knowledge gained from ActionAid Kilwa, a total of 15 youth were able to contest for various leadership positions at the village level.

Among those, three youth won the election in Kiwawa village, Njenga hamlet located in Kivinje, and songo songo hamlet located in Mitole village.

Additionally, various community challenges have been addressed within the youth reflection cycle, such as securing 20 percent of funds from the district council to the development of local villages. Mandawa village has benefited from this allocation which has significantly contributed to the area’s development initiatives.

The youth have been actively involved in monitoring the operation of the Lihimalyao market after noticing that the revenue generated was unsatisfactory.

"As KIYODI members, we are very proud of what we have accomplished. After conducting the monitoring, the revenue increased from 40, 000/- to between 100,000/- and 130,000/- per month,” he says

Additionally, they have been able to understand and educate the community about the proper use of public resources in the Masoko, Kivinje, Singino, Mandawa, Lihimalyao, Njingo, Miguruwe and Mitole Wards.

"We have successfully managed to collect youth opinions which have been included in the Tanzania Youth Manifesto (2020-2025),” he says

Currently, the KIYODI platform faces several challenges, including insufficient financial resources to support its operations, a lack of markets for the products it produces, and the absence of a dedicated office to implement its tasks effectively.

He expressed his gratitude to all the stakeholders and government officials who have enabled them to carry out their work efficiently and successfully, from the district level to the wards and villages, including Tumaini Jipya kwa Wanawake Kilwa (TUJIWAKI).