TAI is implementing Women in Sunflower Business project at in Mondo ward of Kishapu District in Shinyanga Region. The aim of this project is to reduce poverty through economic empowerment to 25 young mothers found in Buganika and Buchambi villages.  

These young mothers conceived at young age (before 18^th birthday) and out of wedlock hence they were stigmatized by their families and community at large. Due to negative social norms in this area, when a girl conceive out of marriage is considered as and adultery, her value is diminished and she is despised and stigmatized in the community. Due to that the girls were suffering from isolation, depression and low self-esteem since they are seen like losers in their families and community at large. Most of them are neglected by the fathers of their children hence they depend on their parents’ financial support for them and their children to survive. 

TAI is supporting 1 group of 25 young mothers aged 16-25 years who are single young mothers with psychosocial support, parenting skills, financial literacy, entrepreneurship skills and initiation of sunflower business in order to transform their lives economically. 

TAI has achieved to start project implementation after securing all needed permits and collaboration from the government and community levels. TAI is implementing the project with full cooperation from local leaders of Mondo ward and Buchambi village where project beneficiaries meet. TAI has accomplished the following to date:

• Training of Trainers of Young single mothers on self-esteem and positive parenting skills; the champion of young mothers is progressing with cascading the training to young mothers and she has covered all subtopic of nurturing a child of 0-6 months and 7-12 months. These topics covers the potential needs of a child in each age category that will support welfare and wellbeing of the child, considering that these girls became mothers when they were not prepared. The training is imparting young mothers with positive parenting skills that will help them nurture their children well. The self-esteem part is helping them to regain their self-esteem and change the negative mindset towards themselves so that can utilize opportunities to thrive and reach their full potential. This training will be complete in the mid of April 2024.  

• TAI through our guidance and counselling expert is providing psychosocial support to address the depression they are went through. She uses both group counselling and individual counselling as well as peer experience sharing and inspire one another. These sessions are still going on depending on the need of each young mothers.

• TAI has also trained young mothers of savings and loans through VSL/VICOBA. From the psychosocial support and self-esteem training the girls have started changing their lives by engaging small business for instance 1 of the is selling drinks at the center of their villages while other 7 are selling liquid soap at their localities after being trained on liquid soap making by their champion. The girls have started operating their saving and loans group called Maua (flower). All of them are now putting small saving on weekly basis. This will help them support the remaining in starting their individual businesses and have savings as well support their daily basic needs. 
• All 25 young mothers are cultivating sunflower for their sunflower business. All have planted and until June 2024 they will have their sunflower harvest for processing and get oil for initial selling. 

• TAI is in procurement process of sunflower processing machine that will be installed in April to May 2024 at Buganika village ready for processing young mothers’ sunflower that will support their sunflower business.TAI is in procurement process of sunflower processing machine that will be installed in April to May 2024 at Buganika village ready for processing young mothers’ sunflower that will support their sunflower business.

• The project was planned to start in August 2023 and be finalized in July 2024. Basically, the setting up of the sunflower pressing machine was planned to be put in place between December 2023 and March 2024, however, due to the change in climate which resulted to more rains in this region (elnino) which is over the average rains, influenced the change of the plan (specifically setting up the machine) of project implementation. We therefore decided to push the plan of building the machine house and procurement of the machine ahead while other activities remains in the same timeline. Currently we have already finished the housing for the machine and by 30^th May the machine will be already installed. The harvest time of the sunflower will begin early June hence they will be having a connection of their sunflower to be taken to processing and direct to the market. By 30^th June 2024, TAI will be able to submit the entire project report, here at iMPACT direct’s website.

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