WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS CAN NOW ACCESS A 4% COUNCIL LOAN- SUCCESS STORY FROM AMANI GROUP – ENDIAMTU WARD, SIMANJIRO DC.

The greatest challenge facing women entrepreneurs is failing to formalize their business activities due to lack of technical skills. Most of them are not familiar with how to prepare documents for their business legal registration. Amani Group is one of the women entrepreneur groups conducting their business activities inside the Mirerani mining areas from Endiamtu ward, Simanjiro district in Manyara region with a total of 35 women group members that engage on selling fruits, foods and vegetables inside the tanzanite mining area. Group members use to buy goods among themselves as a way of getting customers and quick profit. Although the group seemed active, it missed some opportunities from Simanjiro district council as it is not registered, therefore they are not able to apply for 4% loans from the council.

“This group was founded in 2021. We organized ourselves and determined that we needed to engage in small economic activities, but since 2021 we were unable to get formal registration from the council because we don’t know how to prepare documents like a constitution and group work plan as pre-requirement. We tried to seek assistance from some stationery but we did not succeed.” Said the chairperson of Amani Group.

Civic Social Protection Foundation (CSP) through the Tanzanite kwa Uchumi Imara wa Mwanamke, planned to enroll 10 weak groups in project activities, and through scaling up to identified groups, Amani group was among them. It’s true that the Amani group is doing well in entrepreneurial activities in Tanzanite mining areas, but they are not officially recognized as a registered group. CSP facilitated on preparation of the constitution for the group, opening bank account, developing document keeping box and assisting them to have legal registration.

“We are happy that CSP prepared the constitution for our group; previously we failed to apply for some of the opportunities in Mirerani because we were ineligible to do so, However, currently we are happy that the community development officer has received our constitution, minutes of the meeting and bank account for registration to be approved.” Victoria, Secretary of Amani Group.

Before the Civic Social Protection Foundation started to implement the Tanzanite kwa Uchumi Imara wa Mwanamke project in Mirerani, most of the women groups were weak as they did not have work plans, financial management skills, and were not registered. Currently the Amani group members have increased efficiency of their entrepreneurship business in Mirerani area which maximized profit as a result of the coaching and monitoring from CSP in collaboration with Mirerani Town Executive Officer. Women use the maximized profit they gain to pay school fees for their children and other living costs for their children and some plan to make more investments for other projects.