ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLUB IN SECONDARY SCHOOL
Youth unemployment in Tanzania remains a significant challenge, with rates for young people being higher, sometimes estimated around 11.5%, and this situation continues to affect many young people who complete their education without clear pathways into employment or self-employment, leaving them struggling to secure opportunities and build sustainable livelihoods in a competitive and limited job market.
Causes of Youth Unemployment in Tanzania
Youth unemployment in Tanzania is driven by factors such as skills mismatch where graduates lack practical and business skills due to a focus on theory, rapid population growth that exceeds job creation, dependence on low-productivity agriculture and limited industrialisation, limited access to capital, gender discrimination, lack of job information especially in rural areas, and unfair practices like nepotism and corruption.
The Entrepreneurship Club Initiative
Tanzania Community Rising introduced Entrepreneurship Clubs in secondary schools to engage vulnerable boys and girls from poor families, including orphans, by equipping them with entrepreneurial skills, where members are selected with support from teachers and also elect their own leaders to manage the club.
Practical Learning and Production Activities
Club members learn through practical activities such as producing soap, oil, shampoo, and engaging in farming and livestock keeping, while also taking responsibility to find markets for their products, with commissions given to motivate active participation.
Financial Management and Impact
Income generated supports students’ education and basic family needs, with each club managing its own account to ensure transparency and independence, while the main goal is to prepare vulnerable youth to become successful entrepreneurs and reduce unemployment.