Background – Although Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world and is home to roughly 125 diverse ethnic groups,  it has enjoyed political stability for most of the past four decades and has had economic growth of 5% per year in recent years. The most important economic sector in Tanzania is agriculture, which employs four-fifths of the population and generates nearly one half of the gross domestic product. The population has not, however, benefited equally from this economic growth. The poorest Tanzanians, who mostly live in rural areas, have been virtually unaffected by the economic changes. One part of the problem is certainly the poor transportation infrastructure, uncertain water supply, and insufficient and largely nonexistent power supply. Even more serious are the traditional and outdated methods used by local farmers that no longer meet current economic or environmental needs. Many farmers simply do not know how they can increase their productivity and quality or where they can get the best prices for their products.

Project – In the Morogoro region, Swisscontact is developing agricultural training programs that will enable smallholders to increase their income. The primary target audiences for these new training programs are unemployed youths, school dropouts without diplomas, as well as smallholders. At least half of the trainees will be women. Working with the vocational training authorities, local authorities, and various stakeholders, Swisscontact is developing training programs for the agricultural sector in addition to continuing education activities for trainers and youth and social workers. Trainees learn to cultivate crops using efficient and environmentally sustainable methods. In 2010, the first year of the project, four courses were created with local partners in which 80 youths and 80 smallholders received training. In the second and third years of the project, roughly 700 youths and 700 smallholders will have the opportunity to take part in this training. The training will increase the chances that the young agricultural workers have of finding a job, and the smallholder families will increase their income using their newly-won knowledge and overcome poverty on their own.