Her Initiative selects 50 young women to join its Panda Academy programme

DAR ES SALAAM: HER Initiative has selected 50 young women to join its Panda Academy programme, aimed at equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to transform their products and talents into competitive, sustainable and market-ready businesses. Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam today, July 15, 2026,  Her Initiative Chief Executive Officer, Lydia Charles Moyo, said many young women have the talent to produce quality products and offer excellent services but lack the opportunities and support needed to build competitive enterprises.

She said the six-month programme will provide participants with practical training in business development, entrepreneurship, leadership and market access to help them establish sustainable businesses and contribute to Tanzania’s economic growth.

“Through a Rights-Based Approach and a market-driven model, Panda Academy will equip participants with technical skills, business management knowledge, branding expertise and strategies to enhance the competitiveness of their enterprises,” she said.

Moyo said the 50 participants were selected through a competitive recruitment process involving practical auditions and interviews. During the programme, they will receive specialised training in nail technology, leather product manufacturing, beauty and cosmetics, as well as perfume production.

According to Her Initiative, Panda Academy has already supported more than 210 young women to establish and expand businesses in sectors including agribusiness, catering services, soap production, interior decoration and the beauty industry.

Moyo noted that although many young women possess exceptional entrepreneurial potential, they often struggle to grow their businesses due to limited access to finance, markets, branding, regulatory compliance and professional business support.

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She said Panda Academy was established to bridge that gap by providing a comprehensive business development platform that enables women entrepreneurs to build competitive and sustainable enterprises.

“As the programme has evolved, we have realised that sector-specific support delivers better results. This year, we chose to invest in the beauty economy because it reflects the aspirations of young women and offers significant opportunities in one of Tanzania’s fastest-growing industries,” she said.

She added that Her Initiative’s vision goes beyond supporting individual businesses, aiming instead to build women-owned enterprises that generate income, create jobs, strengthen local industries and contribute to national economic development.

Panda Academy Project Lead, Nancy Faustine, said participants will follow the organisation’s Learn → Earn → Lead framework, which guides young women from acquiring practical skills to building sustainable businesses and becoming leaders in their families, businesses and communities.

She said the programme includes training in entrepreneurship and business development, branding and packaging, financial management and pricing, digital marketing, business formalisation and regulatory compliance, mentorship from industry experts, and market readiness through business exhibitions.

Panda Academy trainer Vaileth Siyanga said many young women already possess valuable skills but often lack the systems needed to transform them into successful businesses.

“We encourage participants to think beyond making products. They learn how to build trusted brands, understand customer needs, price their products confidently, comply with quality standards and develop businesses that can grow sustainably over the long term,” Siyanga said.