Hakizetu

Hakizetu is a women and youth organisation based in the outskirts of Mwanza town in Tanzania. The organisation helps young women who are vulnerable or victims of domestic or gender-based violence, by providing them with life and business skills training. The young women are taught vocational skills such as tailoring, design and crafts. 

They train for one year and are placed with local businesses to gain practical hands-on experience. As part of the training, there is emphasis on the use of social media to promote their businesses and the importance of customer care.

Upon graduation, the young women are either helped to gain employment or, they are supported to establish their own small business in groups of three. This supports comes in the form of two sewing machines and some initial funds to rent a small shop to get up and running. Staff from the organisation regularly assess how they are getting on and give counselling and business advice as and when necessary.

This is an organisation that we are excited to be working with and we hope to identify and work with similar focussed organisations in the future. We aim to promote initiatives that put the rights and development of young women at their heart.

Along with TFSR-Cymru we will supply sewing machines for both the training and for those who continue and want to establish their own business. We also plan to hold servicing and repair workshops at the Hakizetu premises. This will help develop valuable skills to further strengthen the girls’ ability to sustain their businesses.