Happiness Kuzenza (22) from Mpanda, Katavi region, began her journey in tractor operation with determination. Initially, she was emotional, but with time, she gained confidence. Remarkably, within a day, she was able to operate a tractor.
This example is particularly significant given that youth unemployment in Tanzania stands at 3.49% in 2023. Programs like YEFFA are helping to bridge this gap by providing young people with relevant skills for employment in agribusiness. In Tanzania, women face significant challenges in accessing farm machinery and agricultural technologies, with a noted gender gap in productivity. The YEFFA project is directly addressing this by empowering women like Happiness with skills to operate a tractor and/or other equipment thereby improving their access to modern farm technologies.
Beyond skills development, the initiative fosters business growth in Tanzania by unlocking financial and market opportunities, business management training, coaching, mentorship, and compliance support. These efforts by TAPBDS continue to close the gender gap in agricultural productivity, where women traditionally have less access to modern technologies.