In 2025, SOS Children’s Villages was one of the recipients of TYY’s development cooperation funding. Through this funding, TYY directs 0.7% of its operating budget towards development cooperation. We have now received a report on the project’s progress in Tanzania and the activities our contribution supports.
The project works with young people in the Iringa region, supporting their health, rights and opportunities to earn a living. It runs from 2025 to 2027 with support from Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs. TYY’s contribution is allocated to the part of the project focused on improving the livelihoods of young mothers.
According to the September report, 25 young mothers completed a six-month tailoring programme at Rungemba Community Development College. Alongside practical sewing skills, they received entrepreneurship training and psychosocial support. Accommodation, meals and childcare during lessons made it possible for them to participate. Twenty of these students also learned batik making, soap production and groundnut processing, giving them additional ways to earn income.
Anita practising tailoring during vocational training supported by the SOS Children’s Villages project in Iringa..
A separate group of 20 young mothers received equipment and materials to start or expand their businesses. They are now working in areas including beauty salons, small restaurants, juice production and tailoring. These are results reported for the project activities that TYY helps support alongside other funding.
SOS’s public stories give a more personal picture of this work. Steo runs a restaurant and supports herself and her child after receiving entrepreneurship and health education through SOS. Anita, featured during her tailoring studies, hopes to open her own business and eventually teach other young women.
There are still practical challenges. Although the local government supplied the college with 100 sewing machines for training, the project currently lacks the resources to provide each graduate with a machine to use afterwards. The project team is working with local authorities and other partners to help graduates access the equipment they need to turn their training into a livelihood.
