Title: Skills in Sustainable Fish Farming and Entrepreneurship. 

Testimonials

Focus Area: Youth Employment | Skills Development | Agriculture & Food Security | Environment and Climate Change

Aligned SDGs

Target: 170 youth aged between 15-24 who are unemployed or self-employed, earning TZS 150,000 or less per month, equivalent to approximately 2 US$ per day.  

Location: Mvomero district council in Mlali and Mzumbe wards.

Description: The Skills for Employment Tanzania (SET) project is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through the Swiss Embassy in Tanzania. YPO co-implemented this project with Swisscontact to improve vocational skills development (VSD) in Tanzania and increase employment prospects for youth.

Project Summary

Our training concepts:

Our approach, “Training while Working,” aims to establish self-employment fish farms and fish processing units for the youth in the Morogoro region. The approach will provide essential skills and create viable employment opportunities and livelihoods for youth.

Concept overview:

The training is a practical strategy to offer young people hands-on skills and experience from pond construction to fish processing. This real-life environment ensures that youth gain practical expertise in fish farming, including farm management, stocking, harvesting, fish feed production and market access to prepare them for real-world challenges. Following the technical training, trainees will transition to the incubation phase (self-employment, fish farms and fish processing units). During this phase, mentorship programs will be implemented to provide ongoing guidance, support, practical work experience, and problem-solving assistance, ensuring a smooth transition to self-employment. 

Supportive transition:

The self-employment fish farms serve as a supportive bridge, addressing common challenges/barriers faced by trained youths operating their fish farms. They provide access to affordable quality inputs (fingerlings and fish feed), essential infrastructure (pumps, pipes), compliance assistance with government requirements, advisory services throughout the fish growth phases, and market access for fish production.

Sustainability model:

The self-employment fish farms will engage in commercial activities, producing, feeding, and processing fish. The income generated from these activities will contribute to the program’s sustainability, ensuring its continued impact.