ZANZIBAR – Vocational Training

On what visitors see as tourism’s paradise of Zanzibar, the realities of life on the island gave rise in 1998 to the establishment of the Zanzibar Association for Children’s Advancement (ZACA), an organisation tackling the effects of poverty, such as lack of education and income opportunities.
ZACA’s Vocational Training Programme was set up to teach business and entrepreneurial skills to vulnerable teenagers who have dropped out of school on the island. With training in the likes of cooking, mechanics or tailoring, each graduate is equipped with tools to start their own business, helping them to earn a sustainable income for their future.
The Derek Moore Foundation is funding the key final part of the programme with the provision of a grant to cover the cost of supplying sewing machines to 14 newly trained tailors so they can start their business.
Each of the tailors is expected to give something back by teaching their skills to two other vulnerable teenagers in their community so they can also become self-employed and self-sufficient. So our grant will not only economically empower the 14 newly qualified tailors, but at least a further 28!

Project update

Here is a Report following the completion of our Project to provide sewing machines to graduates of a Zanzibar Vocational Training Centre:

The start-up tools for the tailors, who were trained for between 6 and 12 months, were purchased and distributed in July2019 with help from community leaders and guardians in the Kwaalinatoo, Karakana, Chuini and Shakani communities. A memorandum of understanding was signed by each graduate and witnessed by each community leader.

Prior to our provision of sewing machines, the graduates, once trained, had to borrow machines from neighbours and relatives. However each graduate is now running their own business and able to charge 15,000 TSH ( about £5 – 7) for a simple garment, which helps them cover their daily needs plus buy materials so that they can grow their own business.

Each graduate had agreed to train two more people in sewing skills. In the end, rather than train another 28 tailors, they have between them now trained a total of 79!

A few quotes from the graduates:

‘I can now make 2 dresses a day, earning up to £8 daily, and can now help to support my mother.’

‘On a good day I can now earn up to £14 per day!’.

‘I can earn up to £16 per day. The training has improved my life!’.