Empowering youths, men and women in the food vending business, for a sustainable future
INTERFINi Consultant’s Phase Two of the Mpishi Hodari Program took place at Kibaha, on August 16, 2024, under the sponsorship of CRDB Bank Plc and in collaboration with Maestro Africa Solutions. The event was graced by the attendance of Kibaha’s District Commissioner, Hon. Nickson Simon, who also served as the guest of honor.
The Mpishi Hodari Vision
Launched in 2023, the Mpishi Hodari Program envisions clean energy as both an environmental necessity and a tool for economic empowerment. By transitioning to clean cooking methods, food vendors (Baba na Mama Lishe) make gains through lower energy costs, improved safety, time savings, and enhanced profitability. Vendors also contribute to the local economy as their businesses expand via job creation and support to related industries. The program also addresses the critical environmental, health, and economic challenges of unsustainable traditional cooking methods. It specifically targets 1200 small-scale food vendors in rural and peri-urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Pwani, Zanzibar-MjiniMagharibi, Morogoro, and Dodoma, providing them with the requisite knowledge on the benefits of cleaning cooking, resources, and clean energy alternatives to transit from the use of firewood, charcoal, and kerosene, traditional methods that pose significant health risks, contribute to environmental degradation, and increased living costs for vendors.
Expanding Impact
Building on the achievements of Phase One, which successfully trained 50 food vendors, a total of 70 food vendors participated in Phase Two. This aligns with furthering the program’s mission to transform Tanzania’s food vending industry.
Key Activities during the workshop event
1. Hands-on cooking demonstrations to experience the benefits of clean cooking technologies.
2. Workshops on Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship: focus on varied aspects of financial management (facilitated by CRDB Bank)
3. A wide range of stakeholders, including CRDB Bank, Kibaha Municipal Council, energy experts, and community leaders as well as clean cooking alternatives suppliers, including LPG Gas Stoves, efficient charcoal stoves, electric stoves, Briquettes (mkaa banifu), and alternative firewood (kuni banifu).
Looking ahead, the Mpishi Hodari program highlights INTERFINi’s commitment to sustainable development in Tanzania. With continued support from such partners as CRDB Bank, the program is set to expand, to benefit more food vendors nationwide. As Tanzania strives to meet its clean energy goals, initiatives like Mpishi Hodari play a critical role in ensuring inclusivity. Through education, training, and the provision of clean energy technologies, food vendors are emerging as powerful agents of change within their communities. We invite stakeholders, partners, and supporters to join us in expanding this impactful program and empowering even more communities across Tanzania.
