By 2030, 75% of East Africa’s population will be under the age of 34 and unemployed or under-employed. Already in Tanzania, 70% of the population is below the age of 35 and we face the paradox that these youth – the majority population – are the most excluded group in terms of financial inclusion, employment and viable livelihoods.

Tanzania is currently striving to achieve its Development Vision 2025 to become a middle-income country. The positive impact in terms of improvement of life conditions of the overall population that such an achievement should bring, depends on the capacity to translate the steady economic growth rate into concrete poverty reduction and shared prosperity.

Young people struggle to get out of poverty as reflected by the staggering percentage (82.3%) of youth in vulnerable employment, which rises to 93.6% when referring to rural youth. In response to this, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation introduced its Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) programme in Tanzania, Mozambique and Rwanda.

In Tanzania, the project aims at improving the income and livelihoods of over 18,000 rural, out-of-school youth between the ages of 18-30 years, by creating (self-) employment opportunities in the agriculture, renewable energy and water & sanitation sectors.

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IMPLEMENTATION OF OYE PROJECT

Mr. Donald Beatus Mlolwa, is a resident of Kigwa B Village, in Tabora Region. He is one of the best Solar System Installation Project beneficiaries in Tabora. The project established as a way to generate alternative energy for rural areas.

Through OYE Project, Mr. Beatus says he has benefited a lot from the project by improving his life through the skills given that helped him to earn income for his family.

Before being admitted into the Solar System Project, Mr Beatus says, OYE gave him a special installation solar system training before starting to work which gave him an opportunity to increase the extra ability to install satellite system for the television broadcasting.

“Before OYE project I used to live a very poor life. When I joined the OYE I chose to be join on Solar Energy System Installation. After the training, I came back to the village with other Youths, we established an enterprise and started installing Solar System”- Says Mr. Donald.

Currently, Mr. Donald is in the specialized group that has been initiated for the installation of solar systems called Kigwa Youth Solar Enterprise. And through this project, he has managed to build his own house with the help from his fellow partners.

The Enterprise has now become an agent for both Star Time and DSTV satellite dishes; young people have also started selling electronic equipment. Moreover, the Enterprise has entered into partnership with a technician who works from their office to fix radios and TVs in order to attract more customers. Members of the Enterprise have also trained

Donald’s life now is not like the old, due to the incidence that occurred with solar installation activities, now has been able to establish other activities including making Porridge Floor that is made by his wife and then he distributes it in various places. The Flour is made out of rice, finger millet, soybeans, maize and groundnut. The flour is sold at TZS 1,500 per half kg and TZS 3,000 per kg.

Kigwa Solar Youth Led Enterprise in Kigwa village, Uyui District, Tabora was established in December 2016 after receiving training in solar systems installation through Millennium Promise, an OYE local partner.

True Vision Productions (TVP) through the Swiss Embassy under the Development and Cooperation Agency in Switzerland, have succeeded in developing various documentaries for the beneficiaries of OYE project through SIDO in Tanzania.

OYE project which is implemented by SNV in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation  and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is aimed at reaching out to the youth in poor rural development between the ages of 18 and 24, at least 40% of them are older women.