Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
2000 M Street NW
Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-589-2600
Email: iesc@iesc.org
Get Updates
Get the latest news from IESC, delivered straight to your inbox.
IESC F2F Volunteers Support Amana Bank to Target Needs of Agricultural Lenders and Borrowers in Tanzania
The USAID and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) guarantee supports financial institutions to increase their agricultural lending activities by covering outstanding principals on qualifying defaulted loans to borrowers in the agricultural value chain, with a focus on women and youth borrowers. This USAID/DFC guarantee…
Tanzania is blessed with 44 million acres of arable land and genial climate for agriculture. More than 45% of the country’s population is comprised of energetic youths and the future of Tanzania’s agriculture sector lies with them; their participation in the sector could lead to increased productivity, stronger food security, and job creation.
Johannes John, chairperson of Sasa…
read moreIESC F2F VOLUNTEERS STRENGTHEN FARMER GROUPS IN TANZANIA TO HELP THEM POOL THEIR SKILLS AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND TAKE MEASURES TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE
Tanzania’s agriculture sector employs over 75% of the total population and has the potential to reduce poverty, create jobs, and increase food security for Tanzanians. However, many of the opportunities within the agriculture sector remain largely uncultivated for youth and women…
Earlier this month, the global USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program celebrated the resiliency and unwavering dedication of its volunteers in a new and exciting way. This year’s annual F2F Volunteer of the Year awards were presented to one volunteer pair from each implementing partner organization to show our gratitude for their outstanding work. The award announcements took place over a two-week period leading up to International…
read moreYouth between the ages of 15 and 35 comprise 67% of the Tanzanian labor force. This group has the potential to make significant contributions to agriculture and food production as well as drive positive change within their communities and beyond. To further unlock this potential, the USAID-funded IESC Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Access to Finance Program addresses challenges and barriers in the agro-financing ecosystem to support youth in Tanzania….
read moreF2F volunteers support bank to target needs of agricultural lenders and borrowers
Since its establishment in 2007, AccessBank Tanzania (ABT) has strived to become one of the leading providers of financial services in the country. ABT’s services target the needs of lower- and middle-income individuals and businesses, including those engaged in agriculture production in rural areas of the country. To become a leader and meet the needs of its…
This blog was written by Bonnie Osborn, a Communications Specialist that has conducted successful volunteer assignments on the USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance program in Tanzania and the USAID Feed the Future Tanzania Enabling Growth through Investment and Enterprise (ENGINE) program. Bonnie had the opportunity to work closely with the women in the communities she served and believes their stories should be shared and celebrated…
read moreIESC F2F Volunteer Expert Supports Youth Cooperative to Strategically and Sustainably Manage Youth-Support Programs
Sokoine University Graduate Entrepreneurs Cooperative (SUGECO), a youth cooperative located in Morogoro, provides critical services to youth throughout Tanzania. SUGECO trains out-of-school and out-of-job youth and provides Tanzanian youth from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds with in-country short field assignments as well as…
F2F Volunteer Improves Financing Opportunities and Unlocks Capital for Rural Farmers to Improve Production and Increase Incomes
Although the area around Usangu basin in the Mbeya region of Tanzania is well known for its suitability for rice paddies, farmers like 31-year old Atanas Kikwembe were unable to maximize their production and improve their livelihoods. Atanas farmed for ten years in Ubaraku village Mbarali district on five to ten…
read moreIESC F2F Volunteer Supports Linking Tanzanian Smallholder Farmers to New and Profitable Markets
Even with irrigation systems and agricultural training provided by organizations like Agronomos Sin Fronteras Foundation (ASFF), Mboga na Matunda (MnM), a USAID-funded project, and the Tanzanian government, farmers in the Mufindi district of Tanzania still struggled to find buyers for their produce. This struggle led the farmers to lose money and…
Entrepreneurs reading the business license roadmap at the Iringa town marketplace
Entrepreneurs from the Tanzanian city of Iringa expressed their appreciation for the newly improved, transparent, and streamlined process for officially registering their businesses. With the assistance of the USAID Feed the Future Tanzania Enabling Growth through Investment and Enterprise (ENGINE) Program, the Iringa Municipal Council reviewed and…
read moreAfter graduating from Sokoine University with her agribusiness degree, Fatuma Issa Mbaga was determined to put her new education to good use to open an agribusiness. When she first started her business less than a year ago with 70,000 Tanzanian Shillings, she sold one product—tea masala. Recognizing that she needed to diversify her small business, Fatuma sought outside resources to help her expand.
[caption id=”attachment_4470″…
read moreNetworking event connects
beneficiaries from five USAID programs
In Mbeya City,
Tanzania, micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) lack opportunities
to meet, network and identify business deals with other MSMEs, agricultural
input suppliers, millers, food processors, business development service
providers (BDSPs), financial institutions, youth and women leaders, traders and
insurance companies.
In order
to…
ENGINE Supported capacity building leads to Successful Mango Cultivation Business
As a child, in lieu of playing with his friends, John Mwakitalu would opt to work in his family’s garden where he would “help the plants grow”. He was fascinated with the plants’ life cycles and wanted to learn more. In pursuit of this knowledge, John attended Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, and studied with the SUGECO Business…
read more The new four-year, $20 million program will help foster inclusive, broad-based economic growth.
Photo by USAID Tanzania/Flickr.
Tanzania is nearing a tipping point. In just the past five years, Tanzania has doubled its revenue, curbed inflation, and now counts itself among the top 20 fastest growing countries in the world.
IESC has been awarded a new four-year, $20 million program in Tanzania…
read more