Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) has introduced training on entrepreneurial skills to its beneficiaries while implementing TASAF III Programme focused on poor households.
TASAF Executive Director, Mr Ladislaus Mwamanga
The TASAF III is basically poverty alleviation project carried out through the Community-Based Conditional Cash Transfer (CB-CCT) whereby poor households largely children and the elderly are being assisted in order to access social services.
TASAF Executive Director, Mr Ladislaus Mwamanga, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the institution came up with the idea following challenges experienced from the pilot project, saying beneficiaries are provided with education on entrepreneurship while receiving CB-CCT.
“We have ensured that each CB-CCT committee comprises an expert to provide beneficiaries with knowledge on entrepreneurship to improve their income generating activities,” said the TASAF Executive Director while briefing reporters on the visit of Regional and District Commissioners from Zanzibar.
The delegation of RCs and DCs visited Pongwekiona village in Bagamoyo District in Coast Region which is one of the villages receiving CB-CCT. Head of Delegation, Major (rtd), Juma Tindwa, who is the South Pemba RC, said the programme was ideal as community members were involved in entire process from getting beneficiaries to supervise the income generating activities.
“We have witnessed people giving testimonials on how TASAF III has helped them from poverty to own business,” he said. TASAF Training Research and Participation Specialist, Mr Amadeus Kamagenge, said following success in TASAF II the programme was aimed at extending of its scope to help pupils excelling to secondary school.
“The TASAF II programme has improved academic performance at both primary and secondary schools,” said Mr Kamagenge while addressing Pongwekiona villagers on Thursday. Mr Sufiani Sungura, one of the TASAF beneficiaries, said the programme has helped him to construct an iron sheets thatched house, adding that the programme has helped him to pay school fees for his children.
By LUDOVICK KAZOKA, Tanzania Daily News
