Zanzibar – vehicle for training workshop

Customer vehicle for the operation of the training workshop

The projects in Zanzibar benefit from the cooperation and the many years of experience of the locally registered NGO, Pamoja Zanzibar.

As a constituent state within Tanzania, Zanzibar has its own government, parliament and president. The average annual income is $250. More than half of the population lives below the poverty line. It is estimated that about 12 % of the children suffer from acute malnutrition.

Minimal chances

The average age in Tanzania is just 17 years. This means there is a huge flood of young people who desire to start a career after finishing school... if only they got the chance. But few ever get this chance. For most young people the chances are slim to gain a spot in one of the few companies in the country offering apprenticeships. And, sufficient higher education bypasses the needs of the economy, which, with an average economic growth of around 6%, urgently needs well-trained specialists!

Apprenticeships as car mechanics and seamstresses

Our local partner Pamoja Zanzibar has been effectively meeting this need since 2009 by training young people in dual vocational trainings to become car mechanics and seamstresses.

To this end, Pamoja Zanzibar runs a sewing school as well as a car repair shop where customer vehicles are repaired on a daily basis. This is the only way for the car mechanic apprentices to obtain the essential, practical “hands on” experience with current vehicle models.

In order to be able to offer customers proper service and thus be able to maintain training operations, a replacement vehicle is required for customers to loan while their vehicle is being repaired. Up to this point, a Subaru Forester has been available to Pamoja Zanzibar for this purpose, but it has definitely come to the end of its life span ...

Specific goal: Subaru Forester

We would like to help enable Pamoja Zanzibar to purchase a new customer loaner vehicle, specifically, a “new” used Subaru Forester, allowing them to continue their training operations in a competitive manner. The old Forester proved itself on the rough roads of Zanzibar for many years to be the least prone to break downs and frequent repairs compared to all other vehicle makes and models. With this “new” Forester, apprentices will also be afforded the opportunity to continue receiving their solid training as customers continue to choose Pamoja Zanzibar.

Christian Hartmann-Fässler

Member of the Board

"I believe that individualized development projects, which respond to the needs of individuals or small groups, serve those in need better in the long term and ultimately provide a better livelihood for all."