• by IPS Correspondents (dar es salaam)
• Sunday, November 13, 1994
• Inter Press Service

DAR ES SALAAM, Nov 13 (IPS) - TATU SALUM SITS RESTLESSLY, WAITING FOR CUSTOMERS TO BUY HER FRIED FISH.

"THE JOB IS VERY RISKY. I DON'T HAVE A REFRIGERATOR (AND) SOMETIMES THE FISH GOES BAD," SAYS TATU (38), A MOTHER OF TWO, WHO STARTED SELLING FISH TWO YEARS AGO AFTER HER HUSBAND DIED.

IF SHE IS LUCKY, TATU MIGHT BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THE ASSISTANCE THE UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP) IS GIVING TO A PROJECT THAT AIMS TO HELP SMALL TRADERS AND THE UNEMPLOYED.

THE NATIONAL INCOME GENERATION PROJECT (NIGP) IS A MULTI- DONOR, MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PROGRAMME UNDER WHICH GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR COOPERATE IN PROJECT EXECUTION, PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING.

IT WAS CONCEIVED BY TANZANIA'S NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT COUNCIL WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM UNDP AND OTHER DONORS, SAYS JOSE VICTOR ANGELO, UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE IN THE COUNTRY.

THE PROGRAMME'S MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO CREATE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE ACTIVITIES FOR THE JOBLESS AND INCREASE THE INCOMES OF SMALL SELF-EMPLOYED TANZANIANS.

IT "WILL HELP MANY PEOPLE PARTICULARLY SCHOOL DROPOUTS," SAYS DAMAS DANDI, CHAIRMAN OF 'POVERTY AFRICA', A NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION BASED IN DAR ES SALAAM.

FOR EXAMPLE, PETER MKUMBE, WHO COMPLETED A SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAMME IN 1992, BUT FAILED TO GET A JOB, RECEIVED A LOAN EQUIVALENT TO 500 U.S. DOLLARS TO START A GROCERY.

THE PROJECT ALSO SEEKS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOS) AND PRIVATE FIRMS TO PARTICIPATE ALONGSIDE GOVERNMENT IN INITIATIVES LIKE THE NGIP.

"THE AIM IS TO INVOLVE NGOS IN REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT," SAYS ANGELO.

ACCORDING TO AN INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION (ILO) REPORT, THE NUMBER OF JOBS CREATED ANNUALLY IN TANZANIA HAS DROPPED FROM 30,000 DURING THE 1970S TO 9,000 IN 1992, WHILE MORE THAN 600,000 SCHOOL LEAVERS ENTER THE JOB MARKET EACH YEAR.

ANGELO SAYS SPECIAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR NGO STAFF WILL BE CARRIED OUT TO ENABLE THEM TO IMPART SKILLS TO BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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