BY SPECIAL REPOTER
DIGIMALI project is organized and implemented by Her Initiative in partnership with The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to enhance digital skills to youth and women entrepreneurs for self-employment and entrepreneurship.
DIGIMALI stands for “Digital and Mjasiriamali”.
The project aims to address youth and women unemployment by training 100 young entrepreneurs across Tanzania on how to start and manage businesses online using digital tools through a training program that will impact 2,400 micro businesses.
Additionally, the training aims to enhance financial literacy among Tanzanian youth to promote financial inclusion.
A lot of young people are exploring alternative options to cross the unemployment threshold and by moving into entrepreneurship through the informal sector with the aim of solving becoming self-sustainable and creating jobs. The growing informal sector remains underserved while its potential for alleviating poverty and bridging the unemployment gap particularly among youth is immense.
Currently, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) contribute to 27% of the GDP employing more than 5.2 million people (FSDT 2021). With the right support, entrepreneurship could become an integral part of Tanzania’s economic development.
DIGIMALI project is designed to support (MSMEs) by enhancing knowledge in online business, digital business ecosystems, business finance, financial literacy, and business management to drive self-employment opportunities and maximize the target group eligibility to scale up their businesses i.e. for loans and overall access to finance, access to market and compliance.
“Opportunities at DIGIMALI have significantly changed my business especially on the usage of digital platforms in broadening the market base for my products. Following completion of the training boot camp, we are being mentored individually to ensure we put the training into practical use and for us to be able to impart knowledge to other youth.” - Amos Eugene, CEO Nivushe Nijifungue Salama, a DIGIMALI beneficiary.
Successful selected entrepreneurs are being trained and mentored on the knowledge of using digital platforms to improve their businesses. Beneficiaries are expected to train other entrepreneurs on business management digital skills. As an incentive, upon completion of the program, the direct beneficiaries who will successfully impart their knowledge to their counterparts will be awarded free sponsored ads for their business and will be awarded a DIGIMALI training completion certificate.
“Training alone is not enough to change perspectives on how to run a business. Through our DIGIMALI project, we are paying visitations to 100 youths from 14 regions in Tanzania in order to improve their businesses by mentoring them on how they can creatively use digital opportunities to grow their businesses”, Lydia Charles, Executive Director Her Initiating.
The project targeted youth and women who run businesses specifically (MSMEs) that employ 2-5 people because of their importance in creating jobs for the most vulnerable and as a backbone of the local and national economy.