Alongside The Genesis Charitable Trust, Ace Africa has been working across the Arusha region (Mateves, Musa, Olkokola and Arumeru Districts) in Tanzania to improve the food, nutritional and economic security of 10 community groups through training in nutrition-based enterprises and the management of HIV/AIDS.

The first objective of the project was to train group members in agriculture and to provide and sustain food for households. Part of this involved setting up nutritional awareness days to promote healthy produce and locally harvested flour and help community groups understand how they can generate their own. This has been hugely successful with well over 542 community members attending. Group members were also provided with start-up resources such as seeds, and garden equipment to establish their own kitchen gardens and share skills with the wider community.

Nutritional Awareness Day highlights

Nutritional Awareness Day highlights

The project also set out to provide training and skills to 10 community groups in the establishment of nutrition based economic enterprises. In the future, this would enable community members to have long-term economic security. Groups were trained in poultry management and business skills and have utilised the VICOBA system, which allows participants to expand their businesses through a community loaning system.

A&N trainees demonstrating how to make compost and fertilizer

A&N mentor delivers produce to an Ace beneficiary.

The VICOBA system has been extremely popular with a strong interest from mentors and community members. Currently, Ace will be able to train 10 community groups on VICOBA and have 100 members trained as mentors to advise; this will help meet the demand.

As one community member noted:“Many community members are interested in joining VICOBA as they recognize our discipline with money, our saving potential and our access to capital which allows us to establish individual businesses. VICOBA ensures us social and economic security”- Edna Joseph a Widow from Kimnyaki village, Kimnyaki ward

Aside from the challenge posed by VICOBA’s popularity, water shortages have been problematic in some areas. However, Ace is looking into building sand dams for these communities to assist with water storage. This will be a great help to all the organic kitchen gardens and help them flourish during years when rainfall is below average.

Ace Africa is delighted with all the progress that has made so far and will continue to work closely alongside The Genesis Charitable Trust for the benefit of the communities across our project sites in the Arusha region.