Youth Cluster Reflection Meeting

Coming to the end of the project, UNA Tanzania, reflects on how for the past 1 year the project has been beneficial to the 21 Clusters that we work with through our ‘KIJANA PAZA SAUTI, KAMATA FURSA!’ Project this February 20th and 21st,2020.

The objective is to follow up on the progress of the clusters, challenges, best practices and the way forward to reaching the goal set at the beginning on the implementation of the project in 2019/20.

The workshop included 25 participants, 4 women and 21 men, who collectively discussed on reviewing youth access to 4% loan given by municipalities. Success is proven by 30 Youth groups have managed to access the 4% out of the 119 groups in the clusters. The total amount of loan accessed by the 30 groups being 98,350,000 Tanzanian shillings. Challenges are sort out to being by-laws by the LGA’s which does not cohere to the National guidelines which guides the disbursement of 10% women, youth and people with disabilities funds, untimely handling out of the funds despite prior applications.

Reaching out to Zanzibari Clusters, challenges are that there is not a law guiding the provision of Youth loans, this calls for more intervention and advocacy by engaging UNA Tanzania who have played a key role in ensuring Youth from Tanzania Mainland are aware of the availability of funds while informing the government on gaps existing in an overall process to access the funds.

However, the 21 Clusters have expressed their appreciation since the clusters have helped to develop youth platforms that provide awareness and motivation to youth to engage and grab economic opportunities and develop legal economic projects for sustainability.