Through our work in Tanzania, children in more than 30 schools are empowered to defeat hunger and poverty. Feed the Children has incorporated school-based income generating activities such as a dairy cow project, poultry keeping and beekeeping. Through these projects, students learn livestock skills in a practical way, which is knowledge that can be taken home to share with their families. Students also learn how nutrition can help them stay healthy and increase their attendance at school.
We work with local communities to create Village Savings and Loan (VSL) groups (locally called VICOBAs) and have trained field officers to become VICOBA promoters to extend this approach to more communities. Last year, more than 1,000 caregivers participated in these groups, increasing access to capital through group savings and administering loans to group members. These members also garnered important skills in financial management, learned market strategies, and gained knowledge on how to start small businesses. These VSL groups focus on women and offer members a safe place to save money and take loans where formal banks may otherwise not be available.
Children with stunted growth 34%.
People living below the poverty line 28.2%
Population
55.5 Million
Babies born with low birth weight
10%
Rural population with access to clean water
51%
Average years of schooling
5.8
Country Profile
Tanzania is the largest and most populous East African country. The country is rich in wildlife and scenic landscapes. The nation is home to Africa’s tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro, as well as the Serengeti Plains. Tanzania’s natural resources have made agriculture and tourism the most prominent sources of income.
However, lack of advanced technology and poor infrastructure has kept the country from improving its economy, and many often live in poverty. The World Bank estimates that nearly half of Tanzania’s population lives on less than US$ 2.00 per day Malnutrition prevents many kids from reaching their potential and excelling in school.
Support Our Programs
We are thrilled at the progress that we have made in improving the nutritional status of young children. We are increasing access to education for children who otherwise might not attend school. We strive to promote healthy behaviors through water, sanitation and hygiene training. We empower communities to overcome poverty and become self-sustaining.
In Tanzania, one way we do this is through school dairy cow projects. FEED, together with subject matter experts, provides the school with dairy cows, training to care for and keep the cow healthy, and materials necessary to create adequate infrastructure to house the cows. These dairy cows provide milk to the children at school as well as income to the school as they successfully market and sell milk in local markets.
Would you consider partnering with FEED to continue this important work? Your support enables us to continue implementing innovative school livelihood activities like dairy cows.