Dependence Transformed: Zanzibar Joint Programme Driving Determination

Until three months ago, Nunuu, a young mother of one from Mkwajuni in Kaskazini Unguja, depended almost entirely on her parents for survival.

“I relied on them for food, soap, clothes, shelter, and all other necessities,” she recalls. “Sometimes I could hardly earn even 1,000 shillings a day.”

Today, Nunuu runs a small tea room in her community where she prepares and sells snacks such as samosas, cakes, pizza and bread. On a good day, she can earn up to 50,000 Tanzanian shillings.

Her transformation began when she joined vocational training at the Mkokotoni Vocational Training College in Kaskazini Unguja. The opportunity was made possible through the Zanzibar Joint Programme, implemented with support from the United Nations Population Fund in collaboration with the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Elders and Children and funded by the Government of Norway.

Nunuu enrolled in a six-month catering course, where she gained both theoretical and practical skills in food preparation and small-business management. After completing the training, she graduated and received start-up tools, including a cooker, to help launch her business.

“People always need food, and it’s a business you can start with small capital,” she explains.

Nunuu is one of 23 adolescent girls and young women from vulnerable communities of Kaskazini Unguja and Kaskazini Pemba who benefited from the programme. The initiative supported girls and young women from marginalised communities—including young mothers and those with disabilities—by providing vocational, entrepreneurship and life-skills training.

Ten participants were selected from the Wete and Micheweni districts and the Kojani sub-district in Pemba, while thirteen came from different shehias in Kaskazini A, Kaskazini B, and Tumbatu in Unguja. The participants trained in tailoring, decoration and catering—skills they considered practical because they are in high demand and require relatively small start-up capital.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony at the Mkokotoni Vocational Training School, the Minister for Community Development, Gender, Elders and Children, Anna Athanas Paul, commended the support of the United Nations Population Fund and the Government of Norway.

“The training you have received was aimed at equipping you with practical skills needed in the labour market and enabling you to start your own income-generating activities,” she told the graduates. “Empowering women and girls, especially those in vulnerable situations, is a key foundation for inclusive and sustainable development.”

For the United Nations Population Fund, the initiative helps ensure that adolescent girls and young women gain economic opportunities and life skills that reduce their vulnerability to gender-based violence and unintended pregnancies.

For Nunuu, the future now looks different. Her next goal is to expand her business and increase her daily income to 200,000 shillings. She hopes to supply snacks to hotels and larger markets—and eventually employ other young women.

“I want to grow my business and help other girls like me,” she says.

Thanks to the Zanzibar Joint Programme, Nunuu has moved from dependence to self-reliance—demonstrating how access to skills and opportunity can transform lives.