Reconstructing Communities with Hope

In the areas where Lyra is active, 90% of households are subsistence farmers with average land of 2 hectares per household. Over 80% of women in the VSL groups are farmers. Maize yields in Tanzania are 10% of those achieved in Europe. Many rural families face a hungry season, and cannot produce enough food for the family or surplus to sell.

Lyra also works with these broader communities to introduce additional training in areas like financial literacy and poultry farming, so they can build a brighter and more prosperous future for themselves. We encourage and initiate projects as an outcome of this training, and we’ve seen several successful cooperatives born from this type of collaboration with the community.

Ngojea Baskets, Chicks, IK projects

Imarika Kijana - Strong Youth

More than 80% of the rural youth in Tanzania is not in formal education. These young people come out of the school system to find no local employment opportunities. The education they have received has not equipped them with the skills to become financially independent, or contribute to the growth of their communities.

The IK project open their minds to the possibilities within their own communities and gives them hope for the future.

Reconstructing communities through education.

Making hope contagious

People are empowered and transformed through education and technology

Business Skills

156 rural based youth aged 15 – 28 trained across 2019, 52 % were female, and 32% single mothers.

A total of 171 (95 female, 76 male) rural youth became members of Youth Savings and Loans Associations (YSLAs). Seven new YSLAs were formed

Total assets for all YSLA groups grew from $1,400 to $6,100 by the end of 2019, with total savings of $5,200, and $4,500 lent to members.

VSLA (Village Savings and Loans Association)

Most rural areas don’t have banks.

Only 3% of rural communities access any kind of financial services, and these are mainly informal village savings and loans systems.

Most rural families don’t have savings.

That makes them vulnerable to shocks, like sudden medical costs. It also means they can’t access formal credit to invest in income generating opportunities.

Financial services are vital to help rural families out of poverty. Village Savings and Loans are an ingenious system which provide the mechanism and motivation to save. It makes it possible for even the poorest families to make very small savings each week and access loans.

VSLA members are often held back by lack of business skills and find it hard to identify opportunities for innovation. The most recurring request from VSLA members has been for business training. Rural communities typically have many similar subsistence businesses. There is huge potential and need for innovation, diversity and value-adding businesses in the rural economy.

Poultry Farming

Only 40% of chicks survive the first three months when basic poultry-keeping methods are used, as chicks are vulnerable to predators and disease. Lyra is introducing the Haybox Brooder, a small wooden box made of locally available materials which keep chicks safe and warm. The result is an impressive 80% survival rate and hens lay eggs sooner. A simple technology making a big difference to family income with more eggs and chickens for sale.

"I might have as many as 300 chickens one day"
Read about Honesta's success with the Haybox Brooder...

LAZARO'S STORY

"Agriculture is my main economic activity, farming maize and beans. I've been using my loans to buy modern seeds, fertilisers and agricultural chemicals. Through the VSL, I have improved my yield 5 times of what I was harvesting in 2011! I now harvest 500kg compared to 100kg before. I want to continue with the VSL and expand to other crops." – Lazaro Kalenga