Did You Know?

Each year, around 10 million young Africans enter the job market, competing for only 3 million available positions. This disparity poses a crucial question: How do we create more opportunities for our youth? To tackle this challenge, the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) collaborates with AGRA on the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) program. This initiative works through the Rice and Maize consortia to open pathways for youth in Tanzania’s food systems.

YEFFA’s approach is multidimensional. It expands opportunities within the food sector and focuses on two primary avenues: Wage employment and Self-employment. At its core, the program emphasizes building young Tanzanians’ capacities by equipping them with essential skills to access and succeed in these roles. Entrepreneurship is strongly emphasized, encouraging youth to innovate and lead in the agricultural space.

From November 12-14, Maize & Rice Consortia stakeholders are convening in Morogoro to create a joint, market-driven work plan to generate sustainable jobs for Tanzania’s youth in these value chains. This collaborative, three-day workshop supported by the Mastercard Foundation and AGRA brings together SAGCOT, ACT, Smart Village Foundation, WEZESHA, NAFAKA Kilimo, ADP Mbozi, and NYDT to ensure alignment and impactful project implementation.

AGRA launched the YEFFA program in Tanzania in July. Gerald Mweli, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture for the United Republic of Tanzania, officially inaugurated the program.