Arusha. Seventy-nine young agribusiness practitioners from five regions have completed a two-week financial literacy training programme aimed at equipping them with skills to serve as community trainers in financial management, investment and entrepreneurship, in a move expected to strengthen agricultural productivity and improve food security.
The training was delivered under the Vijana Kilimo Biashara (VKB) programme, implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and in collaboration with the Bank of Tanzania Academy (BoT Academy).
Upon completion, the participants were certified as financial educators (CFEs), enabling them to train farmers, livestock keepers and small-scale entrepreneurs within their communities.
Speaking in Arusha, BoT Academy Principal Dr Nicas Yabu said the trainees, drawn from Arusha, Dodoma, Singida, Morogoro and Manyara regions, had been equipped with financial knowledge and the responsibility to cascade it at grassroots level.
He said the programme seeks to shift financial awareness from formal institutions to rural communities where most agricultural activity takes place but where financial literacy remains limited.
“We have trained them on how to earn, save and invest. The aim is for them to return and empower communities to use financial resources effectively and build stronger livelihoods through agriculture and enterprise,” he said.
The training covered financial services, savings culture, investment opportunities, credit access and responsible borrowing, with inputs from the Bank of Tanzania, UTT AMIS, insurers and commercial banks.
WFP Country Representative Officer-in-Charge Christine Mendes said the initiative is part of the VKB programme, which aims to equip young people with skills for employment and agribusiness development while strengthening financial management.
Since 2023, more than 77,000 young people across eight regions have been reached, while the latest cohort brings the number of certified financial educators to 150.
One participant, Shedrack Minja from Manyara, said the training had shifted his mindset, adding that agriculture should be treated as a business requiring planning, saving and reinvestment.
The BoT Academy and WFP signed an MoU on July 31, 2025, to strengthen financial literacy among youth through the VKB initiative.
