Launched in 2019 with support from Switzerland’s Fondation Botnar, the TangaYetu initiative aims to improve the health, education, and economic prospects for Tanga’s youth. Coordinated by Patrick Waziri, its first phase (2019-2024) has seen numerous projects targeting mindset change, entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihoods in fishing and poultry, educational enhancements, and urban renewal. As TangaYetu transitions into its second phase, Mr. Waziri reflects on its journey.
Q1: Mr. Waziri, can you briefly explain the TangaYetu initiative and its main objectives?
A: My name is Patrick Waziri, and I am the coordinator for the TangaYetu program. This initiative is a partnership with the Tanga City Council, funded by Fondation Botnar in Switzerland. Our primary goal is to implement projects that improve and strengthen the health and well-being of children and youth in Tanga City. TangaYetu operates under the larger “Our City” umbrella program of Fondation Botnar.
Q2: TangaYetu’s first phase recently concluded (March 2024). Could you highlight some key sectors and types of projects undertaken during this period?
A: Yes, the first phase ran from 2019 to March 2024. We implemented various “sector projects,” meaning projects in specific sectors. These included:
- Education: Improving learning environments and outcomes.
- Health: Though not as detailed in this excerpt, it’s a core focus.
- Youth Economic Empowerment: Creating sustainable livelihoods.
- Social Welfare: Projects to protect children from violence and abuse. In this first phase, we had over 20 distinct projects and consultancies.
Q3: One of your foundational projects was “Mindset Change and Entrepreneurship.” Why was this so crucial, and what did it achieve?
A: We started with the Mindset Change and Entrepreneurship project because, as you know, Tanga is a coastal city, and there are certain cultural attitudes, especially among youth, that we needed to address. The project aimed to prepare youth mentally to receive and benefit from other TangaYetu projects. We conducted training to show youth the opportunities available in Tanga, how to access them, and how to start businesses with minimal capital. We initially targeted 1,000 youth, but due to its popularity, we reached 1,036 participants. A key achievement was establishing 17 savings and loan groups for youth, as many are unbankable and lack collateral. These groups, with 10-15 members each, saved over 18 million Tanzanian Shillings within six months. We are now in discussions with the City Council to link these youth to the 10% municipal loan window (4% for youth, 4% for women, and 2% for people with disabilities) to finance businesses started through TangaYetu.
Q4: Tanga has rich coastal resources. How did TangaYetu leverage these for youth employment in the fisheries sector?
A: We introduced youth to various opportunities in the marine sector. Our fisheries project had five components:
- Seaweed farming: Primarily targeting young women.
- Sea cucumber cultivation: (Often called “matango bahari” by the ministry now) – focused on young men due to its demanding nature and need for security.
- Crab fattening: For youth.
- Tilapia fish farming.
- Fibreglass boats: We provided 14 boats (12 for youth groups, 2 for young women in Mwalongo ward) to replace traditional, less durable, and environmentally damaging wooden canoes. This was a first for Tanga, offering modern fishing methods. Overall, this project directly benefited 400 individuals who are still in business. Our future plan for the boat component includes supporting youth with GPS for fish tracking.
Q5: Could you tell us about the Hatchery project and its significance?
A: The Hatchery was initially started by the Ministry for fish production (crabs and sea cucumbers). When they planned to establish a larger one elsewhere, we were given the opportunity to take over and develop it due to our good relationship with the government. It became crucial for addressing the scarcity and high cost of crab and sea cucumber seedlings for our youth farmers (over 100 in crab fattening). UNDP later partnered with us to install solar panels, ensuring 24-hour operation despite power cuts, which is vital for a hatchery with labs. This provides an affordable, reliable seedling supply for our youth.
Q6: Beyond fisheries, what other economic empowerment initiatives, like poultry farming, were implemented?
A: We had a significant poultry project to expose 50 young people to modern poultry farming and, importantly, transform them into prominent poultry entrepreneurs – “champions.” These champions not only benefit themselves but also assist others. Many have started their own small enterprises and are now looking to register companies. They offer extension services to smallholder farmers in Tanga, train fellow youth, and some have even secured large tenders, like supplying over 5,000 chicks per month for the Black Maendeleo organisation.
Q7: Education is a key pillar. What were TangaYetu’s main interventions in this sector?
A: We focused on improving student learning outcomes and enhancing the learning environment.
- Learning Environment: Following consultation with the Tanga City Council, we identified a significant shortage of desks. We produced and supplied 4,090 desks for primary schools, 3,000 chairs and 3,000 tables for secondary schools. This project also temporarily employed over 100 local artisans, including 10 individuals with disabilities, who made the furniture.
- Learning Outcomes: We implemented the “Enhancing Learning Outcomes” program in 20 pilot primary schools, reaching 2,000 students. This used the “Teaching at The Right Level” (TaRL) approach, an effective method from India, which groups students by their learning ability rather than age to improve reading, writing, and arithmetic. We are now discussing expanding this to all 50+ primary schools in Tanga with the city. Schools like Chuda, Kana, Kisimatui, Kwanjeka, Majengo, and Masiwani were part of the pilot.
Q8: The Forodhani Public Space project has gained significant recognition. Can you describe its impact?
A: Forodhani was a well-known but underutilised area in Tanga. Our vision was to develop it into something like Zanzibar’s Forodhani, a vibrant hub for youth employment and family recreation. Before, it had one vendor paying a small rent to the council. Following research at Ardhi University and redevelopment, Forodhani now hosts over five leading vendors and more than 30 youths we supported with food-selling tables. The impact is enormous: increased employment for youth, significantly increased revenue for the City Council (from one taxpayer to over 50), and it has become a joyful, safe gathering place for families and children, especially during holidays like Eid. The “co-creation” approach used in its development has been recognised as a best practice nationally, even influencing the growth of Dodoma market.
Q9: Digital skills are crucial today. How did TangaYetu empower youth with online opportunities?
A: We recognised that many youth have smartphones but mainly use them for social media, unaware of online earning opportunities. We trained 100 youths to identify and capitalise on these online opportunities. We introduced them to platforms like Upwork, taught them proposal writing, and provided online marketing training. Some youths secured short-term jobs managing social media comments for companies like Tigo, involving the deletion of negative comments. Others have started graphics design businesses, stationery shops, or secured pharmacy jobs due to their newly acquired computer skills.
Q10: How has TangaYetu supported the Tanga City Council in its goal to become a “Smart City,” particularly concerning revenue collection?
A: One of our goals is to enable Tanga City to provide youth and child-friendly services, which requires revenue. We supported the council with the new “Tausi” system for business registration and licensing. We engaged with an NGO called OMATI (Okoa Maisha kwa Takwimu – Save Lives Through Data), which was formed by TangaYetu youth who received digital training. OMATI collected data on Tanga’s businesses and assisted in their registration in the Tausi system. This identified previously unknown, untaxed businesses, bringing them into the tax net and thus increasing the City Council’s revenue.
Q11: What were some of the major challenges TangaYetu faced during its first phase?
A: We faced several challenges:
- Stakeholder Coordination: Managing over 20 implementing partners was complex.
- Internal Coordination: Sometimes “blame shifting” occurred between the fund manager and the secretariat.
- Communication Breakdowns: With multiple bodies like the Steering Committee, secretariat, and fund manager, maintaining a consistent communication flow was difficult.
- Political Pressure: We received requests from politicians to fund activities outside our scope, which could be hard to refuse.
- Youth Expectations: Many youth were overambitious, expecting quick financial gains (like buying a car) and would drop out when they realized success is a gradual process.
- Misuse of Assets: Some youth misused project assets; for example, we had cases of fishing boats being used for illegal activities like transporting “mirungi” (khat).
- Low Participation of Women/Girls: Coastal cultural norms sometimes limited female participation, with a prevailing view that girls should stay home.
Q12: Looking ahead to Phase II, what are TangaYetu’s key focus areas and aspirations?
A: For Phase II, we’ve refined our priority areas:
- Education: Continue improving learning outcomes and school environments.
- Health: A significant intervention will be on mental health, especially addressing the rising issue of drug abuse in Tanga. We plan to help those affected and link them to opportunities to prevent relapse.
- Technology Adoption & Innovation: We will continue supporting our Fab Lab to foster young innovators.
- Entrepreneurship: This remains vital. We’ll focus on matching youth skills with labor market needs and promoting job creation. We also aim to deepen collaboration with other development partners now active in Tanga, like Enabel (Smart City project), the EU, World Bank, and UNDP, often drawn here by TangaYetu’s initiatives.
My vision for Tanga in the next five years, championed by TangaYetu, is for it to become a well-developed primary city with healthy, employed youth, improved education, and strong partnerships. We even aim to get Tanga on Google Street View, so someone in Europe can virtually tour Ngamiani or Kiomoni!
Q13: Finally, can you give us a sense of the scale of investment in TangaYetu’s first phase?
A: For Phase 1 (2019-2024), for projects where funds were managed here in Tanzania, we utilised about 7.5 billion Tanzanian Shillings. For projects funded directly by Fondation Botnar from Switzerland, it was at least 2 billion. So, roughly, TangaYetu has mobilised and utilised close to 10 billion Tanzanian Shillings in its first phase. The transformation we’ve seen in Tanga during this period is significant, and local and regional authorities widely acknowledge this.