Vocational & Entrepreneurship Training Skills
In 2013, which happened to be OMAWA’s third consecutive year supporting educational initiatives we introduced vocational training project for older students in the Shimbwe, Moshi rural district area.
This project aims to give young adults the opportunity of gaining employment through vocational training; young adults that may have missed the opportunity of support through OMAWA’s Child sponsorship programme. By ultimately bridging the gap between education and employment, OMAWA continue to take small sustainable steps to improving lives in Northern Tanzania.
OMAWA have, and continue to support 30 youths from Shimbwe through vocational training. Their courses vary, and include; carpentry training, Welding and entrepreneurship training. Throughout the project we have had some great feedback from students and their trainers.
One of the first youths to join the programme in January 2013, Tesha managed to establish his own carpentry centre that is serving in Shimbwe juu village following his training – an incredible achievement!
Why supporting vulnerable youth (OVYs)?
HIV/AIDS pandemic is increasing by affecting the lives of youth in Sub Saharan Africa. By 2011, an estimated 1.6 million Tanzanians were living with HIV/AIDS, with 1.3 million being aged 15 or younger. HIV/AIDS has resulted in an estimated 1.3 million orphaned youth and this kind of phenomenon continues to affect the rest of Sub Saharan Africa, (Tanzania HIV and Malaria Indicator Survey 2011 – 2012 – THMIS III) by Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS). Despite the awareness being carried out, the HIV infection is still prevalent, high and evidently seen in rural areas of Tanzania.
However youths are the most vulnerable since many of them are orphaned or even infected by the disease. This has led to severe restriction in terms of opportunities and choices especially when they are orphaned.
Rural parts of Tanzania have got large number of orphans than urban centers because people living in rural areas are not informed/ educated on prevention methods of HIV/AIDS.
Most of the orphan and vulnerable youth are made up of youth whose parents died of HIV/AIDS living them with grandparents who are unable to take care of themselves talk less of the youth. Some are a result of divorce where the father is irresponsible and the women are forced to take their children back to their families thus increasing the burden on her mother who is a widow and has no source of income. In addition to this, because of poverty many families cannot care for their children as a result these children are also abandoned with no support. These orphans are usually malnourished, dropouts and start roaming the streets at tender ages because they don’t have anybody to directly assist them. As a result, some of youth get involved in prostitution and burglary to make a living. Some of the young girls are forced into early marriage which ends up breaking because they were not prepared for marriage.
The age of these orphans, however, is fairly consistent across parts of the area. Surveys suggest that about 15% of orphans are 0-4 years old, 35% are 5-9 years old, and 50% are 10-18 years old.
Therefore there is an urgent need to adopt mechanisms needed to support these vulnerable youth (OVYs). We see these both as a valuable end in itself and a long term means to promote more cohesive considerate and creative individuals/societies with equal opportunities and rights for all.
Target Group (Beneficiaries)
The main target group are the most underprivileged youths orphaned /affected by HIV/AIDS of rural Moshi district.
Selection of Beneficiaries: The focus of the project is to support vulnerable youth in rural communities who have no means of support. The goal is to help vulnerable youth (OVYs) attend vocational training to be equipped with skills that will improve their lives. The process of identifying youths to be supported is done in collaboration with local government which identifies Orphans and vulnerable youth (OVYs) in the community and OMAWA conducts a verification process. OMAWA staff visit the Orphans and vulnerable youth (OVYs) and collect information about the youth and family background and living situation. The information collected are documented and includes any possible disabilities, living conditions etc.
Selection Criteria
They must be Orphans and Vulnerable youth (OVYs)
School drop out
Street Children
Orphans and Vulnerable youth (OVYs) from youth headed household.
HIV/AIDS orphaned youth from old/weak grand parents and guardians.
Vulnerable youth from families whose surviving parents are weak and sickly of HIV/AIDS
Most vulnerable youths affected by HIV/AIDS and from very poor household
If you, your business, a family member or friend would be interested in sponsoring a student through vocational training, get in touch today; or if you think you could run an event or have any fundraising ideas to support this project then contact us on josephmaro@hotmail.com
Entrepreneurship
In the entrepreneurship training, youth who are out of school learn the basic concepts of entrepreneurship. The training is developed from entrepreneurship and marketing classes and is tailored specifically for the realities of entrepreneurship in Tanzania. Youth learn the basics of accounting, sales, and marketing in their trainings. Trainees also have to write a business plan and a marketing plan during the training, and have to execute 3-5 hands-on assignments.
The entrepreneurship training is structured to equip these youth with enough knowledge to help them start a small business. Based on our experience and skills, our youth learn various hands on skills which they turn into a career or small business upon the graduation.
