Tanzania Youth Coalition to empower 300,000 youths through agriculture across seven regions
Fanuel Maliva (left), a resident of Magulilwa Village in Iringa District, takes part in a training session on the Agriculture Policy, Youth Policy, Industrial and Trade Policy, as well as the Land Policy, held yesterday. The training seeks to equip young people with essential knowledge to tap into opportunities within the agriculture sector and contribute to both personal and national development. The session was organised by the non-governmental organisation Tanzania Youth Coalition (TYC) through its YEFFA–Kilimo Sauti project, with support from AGRA. Photo | Friday Simbaya
Iringa. The Tanzania Youth Coalition (TYC), through its YEFFA–Kilimo Sauti project, is set to empower over 300,000 young people across seven regions by equipping them with knowledge and skills to thrive in agriculture.
Funded by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra), the initiative aims to create employment for youth through policy awareness and practical training in agribusiness.
In Iringa Region, sessions were held from May 8 to 9, 2025, at the Regional Library Hall, with participants drawn from Iringa and Mufindi district councils.
TYC Project Officer Domitila Jonace said the training focused on educating youth about key policies such as the National Agricultural Policy, Youth Policy, Industrial and Trade Policy, and Land Policy.
TYC Project Officer, Domitila Jonace, speaks during the YEFFA–Kilimo Sauti session, noting that the project not only aims to raise awareness of key policies but also seeks to inspire confidence among young people to apply this knowledge practically in building sustainable and productive agricultural ventures. Photo | Friday Simbaya
“By educating youth on these policies, we are providing them with the intellectual tools needed to engage meaningfully in modern, sustainable agriculture,” she said.
The Executive Director of the Youth Self-Empowerment Association and a participant, Samuel Mhanga urged fellow youth to discard the notion that agriculture is for the uneducated.
“Agriculture pays—contrary to what many think. Young people should embrace it as a source of jobs and income,” he said.
A farmer from Idetero Village in Mufindi District, Lustica Mhongole, called for the training to be extended to rural communities.
“Agriculture has the potential to transform lives. I will continue to educate my peers about the opportunities it offers,” he said.
YEFFA—Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture—is being implemented in Iringa, Ruvuma, Njombe, Dodoma, Rukwa and Singida regions.
It positions youth at the centre of Tanzania’s agricultural transformation through policy literacy and enterprise support.
