Empowering Women Food Vendors in Alleviation to Poverty : A Case Study of Mzizima Ward in Tanga

In 2002, the MUWAKO Women Group was formed with 20 women members. The group is situated in Mzizima ward at Mafuriko village in Tanga Town District about 5 km from Tanga Municipal City Council. The group has intended to increase the income level among women so as to improve the standard of living in the community and the welfare of their families by meeting the human basic needs. One of the main objectives of the group is to alleviate poverty among women themselves and other members of the families through own initiatives, joint efforts, time and resources, especially the group aims to improve the standard of living through women economic empowerment and participation which lead to employment creation, income generation and skill transfer. Currently the group undertakes the following activities monthly and weekly contribution, petty like food vending, vegetable growing and making traditional mats. The mission statement is to improve the welfare of women in Mzizima ward through involving in Income Generating Activities basically food vending activities. This could be done by promoting the actively involving women in development effort through the ward. This project developed out to assist the members of MUWAKO Women Group and entire Mzizima societies to improve the stated of illiteracy and poor women who are characterized by low income and expenditure, poor nutritional status, low representation and inequitable share of power in household and in public decision making. The Survey findings revealed that inadequate skills in entrepreneurship and resource mobilization, poor market system, poor linkage with financial institutions (inadequate capital), low education and low income, contribute to low performance of women in food vending activities thus accelerating poverty in Mzizima society