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The Zanzibar archipelago
The Zanzibar Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean, about 50 km from the coast of Tanzania, at a latitude between 4.5° and 7° South and a longitude between 40° and 39° East. It consists of two major islands (Unguja and Pemba) and several smaller islands. Zanzibar is part of the Republic of Tanzania, but enjoys a large degree of administrative autonomy from the mainland region and almost all ministries are independent of the central government. The archipelago has 1,303,569 inhabitants in an area of 2,461 km sq. The climate is tropical, with high temperatures from November to March, heavy rainfall from April to June, and little rainfall in November. The language spoken is Swahili, which is widely spoken throughout East Africa. The purest form of Swahili is spoken in Stone Town, the archipelago’s capital. Islam is the most widespread religion, practiced by 99% of the population.
The 2022 Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Tanzania 165th out of 189 countries worldwide. In rural areas, the income of a significant portion of the population is below the poverty line.
THE VILLAGE OF JAMBIANI
The village of Jambiani (where we have been implementing the SKILLS4JOB programme since 2022) has a population of around 7,000 and is located 55 km from the capital Stone Town, on the south-eastern coast of Unguja Island. The village’s economy is essentially subsistence-based: the men are mostly fishermen and farmers, while the women are involved in cultivating and harvesting seaweed and running small retail businesses. The village continues to suffer from a lack of public services in terms of health, education, access to drinking water and electricity.
The lack of adequate and accessible training courses prevents young people in the village of Jambiani from entering the job market and creating a dignified alternative lifestyle for themselves.
OBJECTIVES OF PROGRAMME
We are committed to:
- Renovate and secure the Jambiani Vocational Centre (JVC), a building constructed by local partner WHY Ngo within the village, which has remained closed since the Covid pandemic.
- Promote training courses based on SKILLS4JOB’s TSE method to develop individual work skills and facilitate entry into the local labour market.
- Spreading collaborative working solutions by developing entrepreneurial skills and promoting a local ecosystem of small social enterprises.
- Provide local teachers with an opportunity for professional development.
Activities
- Basic tailoring course (launched in 2022), taught by a local tailor and hosted in a fully equipped classroom at JVC.
- Basic course in hospitality and customer service (starting in 2023), with training modules on bar, restaurant, reception, room and maintenance management. The course includes an internship at Starfish Garden Lodge, a sustainable tourism facility in Jambiani.
- Basic bakery course (currently being set up), taught by local experts and held in a fully equipped classroom at the JVC.
- Moduli formativi complementari in informatica, igiene, sicurezza sul lavoro, amministrazione, educazione finanziaria, lingue straniere e comunicazione.
Beneficiaries
- Women of the village
- Young widowed mothers
- Young people who are not in education, employment or training
- Unemployed adults from Jambiani and neighbouring villages.
Economic sustainability
#SKILLS4JOB is supported by donations from members, friends, partner organisations, guests staying at Starfish Garden Lodge, and (future) income from economic workshop activities
