The Youth Agency Mufindi (YAM) project continues to collaborate with the government to support young women with disabilities and underprivileged youth by providing them with entrepreneurial skills.
Speaking on the initiative, YAM Project Manager Zilipa Mgeni stated that this year, the project is conducting entrepreneurship training for 134 youth with disabilities from all villages in the three wards of Ihanu, Mdabulo, and Luhunga in Mufindi District, Iringa Region.
The project has been a significant support system for the community, especially for young people and girls. It has provided various training programs, including mental health education and medical assistance for youth and children with disabilities.
According to Zilipa, YAM has helped over 700 youth become self-reliant, including 134 youth with disabilities currently undergoing training. During International Women's Day celebrations, YAM collaborated with the Mufindi District Council to educate communities about the rights of children with disabilities, urging them to stop discrimination.
She emphasized that girls with disabilities face severe challenges, including social exclusion and being perceived as incapable of contributing to development, which affects their psychological well-being.
“After realizing that society lacked awareness about children with disabilities, YAM started training them in various skills. Once they completed the training, they were empowered to start businesses in tailoring, farming, and livestock keeping. When the community saw these youth becoming self-reliant, they began valuing and supporting them. We urge parents not to hide children with disabilities because YAM is here to help them,” said Zilipa.
She added that YAM, in collaboration with the government, aims to empower girls with disabilities so that by the end of their training, they can become self-sufficient and support their families without depending on society.
Zilipa also noted that many cases have been reported of girls with disabilities being abandoned after childbirth or having their children taken away by the men who fathered them. This has driven YAM to empower these women to stand on their own.
During International Women's Day, YAM used the platform to educate the community on treating girls with disabilities fairly, as they deserve the same respect as other women.
She called on the government to take legal action against men who impregnate girls with disabilities and abandon them, leaving them in emotional and financial distress.
“Many men take advantage of disabled girls, promising to marry them. But once they get them pregnant, they disappear, leaving the young women struggling with single motherhood. Others even take the children away, causing immense pain. That’s why YAM provides psychological support, entrepreneurship training, and skills in agriculture and livestock keeping to help them become independent,” Zilipa explained.
One of the beneficiaries, Dorice Deule, expressed gratitude to YAM for empowering her to be independent. She shared that after her father passed away, she faced extreme hardships.
As a mother of four children, she explained that men often deceived her with promises of a stable relationship but ended up abandoning her after she got pregnant.
"I have four children, each with a different father. Thankfully, two of my children were taken in by their fathers, but I am still raising two on my own. I am grateful to YAM for offering training in community psychology, farming, and livestock keeping. This program gives me hope for a better future," said Dorice.
The Youth Agency Mufindi (YAM) project was launched in 2021 and was originally set to run for four years until 2024. However, due to its success in empowering over 700 youth, the project has been extended until 2025 with a special focus on reaching youth and children with disabilities.
Currently, 134 youth with disabilities from Ihanu, Mdabulo, and Luhunga wards have begun their training under the project.
YAM is funded by the Government of Finland through its Diaconess Institute, in partnership with the Government of Tanzania, the Mufindi District Council, and the Foxes Community and Wildlife Conservation Organization.
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