Njombe is a city in southeastern Tanzania. It is the regional capital of the Njombe Region and the district headquarters of the Njombe Rural District and the Njombe Urban District. It is located at almost 2000 meters elevation on the edge of the Kipengere Range. Njombe region has a population of 700,000, Njombe Rural district 85,000 and Njombe urban district 130,000, with 16.1% of the population living below the poverty line for basic needs.

The agricultural sector dominates the local economy of the Njombe region, both subsistence and commercial farming. Most of the region’s income comes from the agricultural sector. Also, in the Njombe city the main economic activities are related to agriculture and horticulture.

The aim of the project is to provide the Retired Teachers’ Association with the means to provide vocational education (tailoring, auto mechanics and carpentry) in remote areas where vocational education is not yet available.

The Retired Teachers’ Association in Njombe was founded in 1979 by a group of retired teachers from the Njombe district. The association aims to provide primary and secondary education in remote areas where the government is currently unable to provide this education. Thanks to this initiative, the retired, highly experienced teachers can continue to use their valuable teaching experience for the community, thus supporting the government in expanding access to education in hard-to-reach regions. The association provides vocational training in tailoring, auto mechanics, and carpentry.

The main outcome of this project is to ensure that annually 100 young people in remote areas also have the opportunity to participate in vocational training, thus finding work and securing an income.

The Association of Teachers can pay its running costs with the income from the sale of products and the tuition fees of the students.

€3,800 is needed to supply machines and tools for vocational training by the Vraag en Aanbod International Foundation.