Tanzania

The Yoba for Life Foundation has been active in Tanzania since 2016. We train, support and coach promising probiotic yoghurt producers with technical and business advice, and ensure access to Yoba starter cultures. Certified producers are also linked to school markets. Hence, we create income and employment – especially for youth and women – and improve the health of local customers and rural communities.

Currently, 90 Yoba producers spread across the country produce approximately 17,000 liters probiotic yoghurt per week.

Yoba for Life Tanzania partners with Western Heads East (Canada) and the local NGO Mikono Yetu to support a large number of probiotic yoghurt kitchens in Lake Zone regions. Yoba for Life also partners with SNV Tanzania in Kilimanjaro region through its Income and Employment for women and youth Project (IEWY) in Hai and Siha districts where three cooperatives produce Yoba yoghurt. Finally, Yoba for Life Tanzania works closely with the local authorities through the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO), and Tanzania Bureaus of standards (TBS).

Children are susceptible to typical childhood diseases such as diarrhea, common cold and skin rashes. Moreover, children who lack proper nutrition are doing less well at school. Therefore, Yoba for Life Tanzania links certified local Yoba producers to school feeding programs using the model of the successful pilot in Uganda.   The program expands the market for the producers, while at the same time it contributes to childhood development by addressing the problem of mal-nutrition. As result of the yoghurt program both the school attendance and performance in class are increased.

Contact our local representative Costantine Nchangwe for more information on where to purchase the probiotic yoghurt, start a yoghurt program at a school, or how to produce Yoba for schools in your neighborhood.