Coming into Focus

(Excerpt from story originally published

on Medium on December 6, 2024)

A small climate-smart youth-owned Tanzanian company’s quest to improve its clients’ livelihoods and protect the natural environment on which they depend.

Agriculture is considered a primary pillar of the Tanzanian economy contributing approximately one-third of the country’s GDP and employing about 75 percent of the population. Various actors are involved along Tanzania’s agriculture value chain including small and youth-owned businesses who play a major role in the sector. Despite their significant contributions to the economic development of Tanzania, about half of these small and youth-owned companies in the country go out of business within five years of operations. Some of the key challenges they face as they pursue their vision and long-term objectives include a lack of anchors that can help them focus or the absence of documented strategies devised to carry out their mission.

GICL owners (second and last from left), TASSIM representative James Ruhaha (third from left), a few GICL staff members, and myself standing for a picture outside of the firm’s new office building

Given their important role in Tanzania’s agricultural economy, targeted support to youth, women, and other key stakeholders along various segments of the agriculture value chain can go a long way in helping sustainably increase farmer crop yields. This, in turn, would support the nation in becoming more food secure as well as improving livelihoods through increased incomes and job creation. This is particularly salient for Green Integration Co Ltd (GICL), a small climate-smart youth-owned Tanzanian company of about 15 employees that has been in operation since 2021. GICL offers various climate-smart agriculture technology solutionsincluding different irrigation system equipment, greenhouses, post-harvest storage technology, and technical advisory services.

That is why Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC), through the U.S. Agency For International Development (USAID)-funded Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance (F2F A2F) program, offered me the opportunity to travel to Tanzania as a volunteer and train GICL owners and staff on the strategic planning process with the ultimate goal of helping the company develop its five-year strategic plan.

Read full article on Medium.