TASAF beneficiaries hail govt for lifting them from poverty

THE Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) beneficiaries have hailed the government for its initiative the empowerment programme that has become a powerful tool for poverty alleviation.

One of the beneficiaries from Nyanyembe village in Mufindi District, Iringa Region Ms Atufena Kidenya said after losing her parents, she lived an impoverished life with her young brothers and sisters.

Ms Kidenya said after joining the TASAF programme in 2015 and started to receive subsidies and used them to start small-scale pigs’ projects to grow and boost earnings.

She said through the pig project, she managed to construct a house in 2021 to reside with her young brothers and sisters.

She said apart from the pig project, also she managed to initiate a tree seedlings nursery for which she has further boosted the family’s income by selling tree seedlings.

She said also that TASAF has been offering temporary jobs to her and fellow beneficiaries and paying them, thus boosting their incomes.

Another beneficiary, Mr Marco Kivamba from Italula ward in Kilolo District, Iringa Region said through the subsidies received from TASAF he managed to initiate the burning bricks project that has boosted the family incomes.

“Through the TASAF funds, I have managed to start small-scale projects namely burning bricks, pigs and agriculture,” he noted.

The government said recently that without the fund, over two million Tanzanians could still be languishing in abject poverty as hundreds of children fail to get post-primary education.

TASAF’s Executive Director, Ladislaus Mwamanga said six million people and 1.4 million households benefit from the programme extended from 2023 to 2025.