Tanga City is Becoming a Global Blueprint for Youth-Led Urban Innovation

Tanga, Tanzania – Imagine a typical day in the life of Fredy Abdallah Mohamed Rashid, a bright Mpirani Primary School student in Tanga. Before the TangaYetu Initiative, Fredy’s scientific explorations were largely confined to textbooks and the leaves he could observe just outside his classroom. Now, thanks to the TangaYetu-supported STEM Park—East Africa’s first of its kind—his learning experience has undergone a profound transformation.

From Textbooks to Hands-On Discovery: The STEM Park Revolution

During a visit to the STEM Park, Fredy can directly engage with model skeletons and anatomical charts, even handling organ replicas to gain a deeper understanding of the human body. Abstract classroom concepts have become tangible knowledge.

“I could see the tiny pores, measure water uptake, and really understand how the leaves breathe.”

— Fredy Abdallah, Mpirani Primary School student

Beyond science, Fredy has acquired valuable computer skills—an opportunity rare in his community—allowing him to research topics in greater depth. He even learned practical techniques, such as accurately measuring water for plants during a workshop, which he now applies at home. As Fredy enthuses, “the STEM Park helps me to think, remember, and learn by doing,” enabling him to “reach my full potential.”

For educators like Raphael Anthony Mahindi, the STEM Park is a “treasure.” It supplies authentic equipment and materials, turning science lessons from a chore into a joy. More than an educational hub, the park serves as a vital safe space for young people—counteracting low motivation and disengagement in Tanga’s schools. Over 30,000 learners, up to early 2025, have benefited directly from this facility, which is breaking cycles of educational disengagement and opening pathways to promising STEM careers.

Phase 1 of TangaYetu: A Collaborative Vision

This STEM Park is just one of more than twenty initiatives finalized under Phase 1 of the TangaYetu Initiative, a collaboration between Fondation Botnar and the Tanga City Council. As Dr. Hassan Mshinda, Fondation Botnar’s representative in Tanzania, emphasizes, “The initiative’s success hinges on the unwavering commitment to youth centrality.” By placing young people at the heart of every stage of planning and implementation, TangaYetu champions them as architects of their own future rather than passive recipients of aid.

It is a remarkable transformation, positioning Tanga as a global leader in youth-led urban development and innovation. With Africa’s urban population projected to surge by 70% by 2050, Tanga’s model offers a vital blueprint for inclusive city development worldwide.

Why Tanga? A Strategic Choice for Transformation

Tanga was deliberately selected as a “secondary city” to proactively address and prevent the rapid, unsurveyed urbanization issues so prevalent in primary cities like Dar es Salaam. “Tanga offered unique advantages,” Dr. Mshinda explains:

• Smaller population density
• High road-density infrastructure and over 80% household water access
• Higher formal employment rates
• Strong political commitment from the Mayor and City Director

Fondation Botnar’s first-ever board meeting outside Switzerland was held in Tanga in 2018, underscoring the city’s potential for urban renewal.

Foundational Pillars: A Holistic Approach to Urban Renewal

Phase 1 (2019–2024) was structured around five key pillars, underpinned by human-centered design and the Evidence-to-Action (E2A) Framework:

1. Economic Empowerment
2. Innovation & Technology
3. Education & Skill Development
4. Community Engagement & Safety
5. Health & Well-being

This comprehensive strategy aligns with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and has benefited over 100,000 individuals across Tanga.

Innovations Driving Economic Empowerment & Digital Transformation

One critical focus has been addressing youth unemployment among the approximately 30,000 young people in Tanga who are neither in school nor employed. Key projects include:

• Youth Digital Skills for Employment: Trained 100 youth in digital marketing and online work, with 40% securing online jobs and collectively earning over TZS 10 million in 2023.
  (Zainab Msafiri launched “Aghena General Supplies” and Rock John founded “Tanga Delivery.”)
• FabLab: Tanzania’s first Fabrication Lab, training youth on CNC machines and 3D printers. Thirteen interns have moved into industry roles.
  (Sahil Abdulahman Ismail: “Our lab serves as a centre where young people learn not only technical skills but also how to apply them practically.”)
• Poultry Value Chain: Empowered entrepreneurs like Omari Mussa, who grew his flock from 500 to 4,000 chickens and now trains over 118 youth.
  (Paul Sikombe plans to open a local hatchery.)
• Fisheries & Agribusiness: Trained 362 youth in seaweed, sea cucumber farming, and crab fattening; supported climate-smart agriculture and Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming for high-protein livestock feed.

Data-driven governance innovations include the first City Observatory in East Africa to monitor ward-level SDGs (certified by UN-HABITAT), the youth-led OMAT data NGO (with a World Bank contract), and the TAUSI Digital Licensing Platform (10,000 new taxpayers).

The redevelopment of Jamhuri Park (Forodhani) into a vibrant hub for 50 youth enterprises has generated further jobs and revenue. “The park’s redevelopment, funded at over 1.6 billion TZS, has created jobs for more than 50 young people,” notes Mayor Abdurahman Shiloow.

Enhancing Education & Safety

Key achievements include:

• Desk & Chairs Project: Supplied 12,270 desks and 3,846 chairs, empowering 113 young carpenters, 39 adults, and 10 carpenters with disabilities.
• Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL): Assessed 2,081 primary students; enrolled 473 non-literate learners, with 81% graduation success.
• Safe School Zones: Infrastructure improvements around 11 schools, benefiting over 10,000 individuals and reducing traffic accidents.
• VACA (Violence Against Children & Adolescents): Reached 75,000+ beneficiaries, created 104 anti-abuse clubs, and rescued 12 child laborers.

Unwavering Commitment to Youth Centrality

Abdallah Mselem, Chairperson of the Youth Advisory Group (YAG), states: “TangaYetu has opened so many doors for us, allowing young people to gain life skills and apply their knowledge practically.” Leonard Chacha Kitoka, Managing Director of INNOVEX, adds that witnessing “first-hand the transformation this initiative has sparked in Tanga City” has been profoundly rewarding.

Challenges and the Path Forward

Despite successes, challenges remain:

• Limited resources and digital-payment barriers (e.g., PayPal).
• Complex labor laws for online work and municipal revenue pressures.
• Cultural norms discouraging women from reporting abuse.
• Youth expectations for immediate results (addressed through “Mindset Change”).

Going forward, TangaYetu enters a transformation phase focused on:

• Scaling and sustaining successful projects.
• Linking entrepreneurs to finance and loans.
• Expanding early childhood development and community digital hubs.
• Advancing climate-resilient agriculture and decentralized manufacturing.
• Co-designing with stakeholders for ownership and relevance.

A Blueprint for Urban Resilience and Inclusive Growth

TangaYetu’s Phase 1 achievements have set a strong foundation for a future where economic empowerment, technological access, environmental resilience, and social inclusion are realities rather than aspirations. By aligning with national strategies and SDGs 3, 4, 8, and 11, TangaYetu stands as a scalable blueprint for youth-friendly urban transformation across Tanzania—and potentially beyond.

As Dr. Mshinda concludes, “We are confident that the best is yet to come for Tanga City, as it truly becomes a lighthouse of opportunity and progress.”