Lyra empowers rural youth to bring change to their communities through entrepreneurship.
Tanzania has one of the world’s fastest-growing youth populations. Of the estimated 60 million people in Tanzania, more than 50 per cent are under 18, and over 70 per cent are under 30. Adolescents are from over 12 million of the overall population of nearly 60 million. UNICEF Report 2022.
Despite the current government investment in education, the majority of youth, especially in the rural areas, have very few options when leaving school, ending up earning subsistence incomes or stuck in poverty. These youths lack the capital, networks and skills that it takes to start and manage a business, ending up trapped in low-income subsistence activities and a cycle of poverty. Young people lose hope for their future.
Happy International Youth day! This year’s theme is “Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a world for all ages”, which aims to amplify the message that action is needed across all generations to achieve the SDGs by 2030 and leave no one behind.
Here at Lyra, we work towards many sustainable development goals and among them is goal number 8, Decent work and Economic growth. As we celebrate International youth day, we are celebrating the impact of the Imarika Kijana Project, a Swahili phrase which means strong youth. Imarika Kijana Project lies under SDGs number 8, and it came as an inspiration to young people in rural communities who have limited access to opportunities and dropped out of school or face limited options for a steady stable income. We provide an innovative “learning-by-doing package" that opens their mindsets and transforms their future.
The impact of Imarika Kijana Project.
Imarika Kijana Project was piloted in 2018, and since then more than 1877 young people aged between 15 -28 years old have received entrepreneurship training where 65% are women and 2% are people who are living with disabilities.
Meet Jarnesi Kilave, a young woman from Iringa and our beneficiary from Imarika Kijana Project.
Case study
My name is Jernesi Kilave, I am living with disabilities. Growing up has been very challenging for me as a young woman who is also living with a disability. I was raised by my parents. While studying in secondary school, I was also doing a small business to sustain myself. I graduated from Form IV (lower secondary) in 2015 but unfortunately, I didn't succeed in the next level of education so I had 1-year gap doing nothing after that.
Jernesi continues by saying that during that gap I became pregnant by a teenager who never wanted to be involved with my pregnancy and abandoned me. So, I started selling breakfast sacks to support myself and my unborn child.
Taboo: In the community where Jarnesi lives, it is taboo to speak about sex education yet a lot of young girls fall into that trap unknowingly, and as a result, the community disguises them. When a young girl gets pregnant before dowry or marriage it is a shame to her parents, it is defined by the community that the girl is not well raised.
Jarnesi continues by saying that when my parents became aware of my pregnancy “my dad rejected me, so I was on my own. I was depressed and gave up on myself, I felt like I was not part of society because of my disability and being pregnant at the same time”.
But in February 2021, I was introduced to Lyra’s Imarika Kijana program and was given training in weaving fabrics by people in the streets, which I can sell to sustain myself and my child. At the moment I only sell small quantities and do not receive much income.
Selling fabrics is the beginning of a better future, with opportunities for increasing my capital, or accessing government loans for people with disabilities. I plan to expand and start weaving baskets as a second business, which shall increase my income. I also have a 3-acre land area to which I have already planted trees in half of it. I plan to grow the whole area with commercial trees, which is a future investment.
Jarnesi continues by saying, my dream is to be able to educate my child to at least reach a higher level of education which I did not attain. But also I look forward to improving my livelihood, I want to build a house with three rooms and a living room which would be a legacy to my child if and when I pass on, I do not wish to see her become homeless as I once was.
She also said; I am also a founder of a disabled group in our Village, together with Evan Kilale and Frank Mbati who also attended the Imarika Kijana program. As disabled people, we face numerous challenges in our society, such as social isolation and lack of employment opportunities. As a group, we are unable to advertise our products on a wider scale outside of our society. On behalf of the other members of our disabled group, I would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to Lyra in Africa for noticing that there was a need for us people who are living with disabilities to be trained in the entrepreneurship course. Our deepest gratitude also extends to sponsors who have supported the Imarika Kijana program. We hope that the entrepreneurship course shall continue as a key way to advance us, disabled people.
Apart from the entrepreneurship training, the Lyra Imarika Kijana project as a package has also financial inclusion part where young people in rural communities have access to Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLA). Lyra has set up a network of 211 VSLAs (62% women), with over 5,000 community members and total savings of approx. TZS 800,000million and loans of TZS 500,000million with average annualized savings per member of TZS 157,000. Out of 211 groups, 163 have graduated and are now self-managed with minimal support from the network of Community-Based Trainers (CBTs) who have been trained by Lyra to supervise and form groups. Savings groups in rural communities have not only filled the gap of access to finance but also capital to startup businesses through group loans.
Lyra’s Imarika Kijana program empowers rural youth and harnesses the energy and talents of marginalized groups to create sustainable livelihoods. To read more about Lyra’s work and quick updates follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.