A Livelihood Project
For years, women have been marginalized, live in extreme poverty and subjected to Gender Based Violence (GBV) with impunity. The FINSCOPE survey 2009 concluded that 56% working-age Tanzanians had no access to financial services of any type or are excluded, with this figure rising in rural areas. More specifically, in Northern Pemba (Micheweni), almost 80% of the population has no access to financial services. According to the Household Budget Surveys 2004/2005 and 2009/2010, Micheweni is the poorest district in Zanzibar. About 74% of the people in Micheweni Districts live below the basic needs poverty line, and 33% live below the food poverty line. On the other hand, in Unguja 55% of the population is excluded from accessing financial services. Although there a lot of women interventions but challenges were still clouded in the women movement. Some women still have not been enrolled to any economic activity, some entrepreneurs produce low quality products with no reliable market and there are no forum where women could meet and address their social economic barriers. The project will empowered women social, economic and political
Overall objective: To contribute to reduced poverty and improved social justice in Zanzibar
Specific objective: Income increased and social, cultural, and political barriers to women’s empowerment progressively overcome for 7,000 rural poor women in eight districts of Pemba and Southern and Northern Unguja Zanzibar
Target beneficiaries: Rural marginalized women 7,000
Key intervention: Financial sustainability through (VIKOBA) Village and saving loaning groups current we have 280 VSLs.
Achievements
6,120 women both in Unguja and Pemba have been reached conducting village Savings and loans scheme and managed to save more than Tsh 900mls. 5,015 women are involved in Income Generating Activities (IGAs) which are grouped into four clusters that is cosmetic soap, vegetables, poultry and handcraft. That is 1830 in vegetables, 220 in Poultry, 1015 in handcraft and 705 in soap