TSF is capacitating individuals, families, groups and institutions with children living in destitute poverty so they can access basic needs, through its entrepreneurial flagship program entitled “EQUIP THEM”. The program has enabled entrepreneurship training, business coaching and start-ups for individuals, groups and schools.

After women groups have been trained on entrepreneurship, 24 small and medium enterprises were born and are now growing fast. These enterprises impact more than 100 primary beneficiaries daily. Poultry farming, horticulture and aquaculture are the projects currently running. They give these women power from within to be able to address their social-economic challenges while eradicating poverty.

Through economic empowerment, there is a power shift within the household and community in general: women are beginning to have a voice. The groups also give them an avenue for dialogue and a way to start a transformation towards a more gender-balanced structure.

Education institutions such as schools are a core part of the program. The Sangiti secondary school is running a modern garden using an installed drip system. Students get a chance to learn by doing and then take home these new skills. Moreover, they practice entrepreneurship through the sale of different surplus the farm produces.

On the other hand, St. Francis has adopted an integrated model in how they run the poultry and garden project, where they get meat and eggs. These are used to improve their diet as well as a means to generate income for the school through their sale. Manure from the poultry farm is used to improve soil for the garden. The vegetable garden also helps students to get hands-on experience in horticulture. Produces from the gardens, such as vegetables, are used partly for the consumption by the pupils and students, partly for the poultry project, and partly for sale in the market to generate some extra income.

The health sector has been one of the areas with special intervention. The knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing between north and south have been a blessing to the Kibosho hospital, the Huruma hospital, St. Joseph and the Neema Health Centre. All these have benefited from varied experts in dental, optometry and maternal health, as well as physiotherapy. There has also been some medical and diagnostical equipment for the respective departments in those health facilities and the community in general.

TSF Tanzania walks the talk in the daily life of communities, especially the Kilimanjaro community. This is what being present in the community means to us.