Linking the Community with Low Interest Rate Micro Credits Providers-The Case of Makongo Kinondoni Municipal

Makongo ward is a peri-urban area located 15km outside of Dar es Salaam city center, which is found in the Kinondoni Municipality. Community needs assessment was conducted to identify problems, needs, and strengths in a community using a questionnaire as the main method which was supplemented with interview, listening, community mapping and focus group discussions. The research findings revealed that there were many problems facing the Makongo community. At the top of the list was the low income earners need to access to low interest rate micro credits. The findings show that there were various micro credit providers but their interest rate are very high making difficult for economic development of a common man. While in despair they did not know what to do. The researcher spoke to the community so as to make the need known. After some advocacy and training the project to link the community with low interest rate micro credits providers came into being. Four Training workshops were organized and 150 participants attended the training. Brochures were distributed and there was a good response, 120 formed three groups of 40 members each, accessed micro credits at low rate and are still accessing