Anna Sanga did not want to stay idle after completing lower secondary school in Tanga. She pestered her parents to support her learn a trade that she can earn her own living. Youth aged 15—34 years old make 34 percent of Tanzania’s population according to official population census 2022.
  Many youth struggle to find decent jobs or run profitable enterprises because of mismatch in their qualifications and skills needed in the job market. Girls face a particularly more difficult situation because of gender stereotypes that exclude them from technical trades considered male. 

With funding from the European Union, Enabel Tanzania implements the Inclusive Green and Smart Cities (INCLU-CITIES) project in Mwanza, Pemba and Tanga. The project strengthens vocational training institutions, facilitates their linkage with employers, and promotes digital and green businesses in different value chains. 

With special emphasis on bringing girls in ‘traditionally’ male trades, INCLU-CITIES partnered with Vocational Education Training Authority (Kipawa) to deliver phone repair classes in Mwanza and Tanga. Anna’s father, a phone repairer too, heard it and nudged her daughter to go register. “I was worried as I went at VETA Tanga to register. I knew it is going to be all boys and men,” says the 21-year-old. And so, it was. She was relieved that in a class of 36 learners; she was among the three girls.  Intervention INCLU-CITIES focuses on urban areas to support Tanzania’s government efforts to develop business opportunities, skilled jobs and resilient to dynamics of climate and environment changes. It is estimated that by 2050 more than half of the population of Tanzania will be living in urban areas.  Vibrant businesses, skilled workforce and green investment will contribute to building liveable and inclusive cities. 

Anna found the phone repair classes at VETA useful. Theory and practical sessions helped the knowledge settle in. 

To facilitate transition from vocational training to jobs, INCLU-CITIES project coordinate collaboration between training institutions and employers.  To sustain this collaboration beyond the project lifetime, a structure called Skills Development Platforms (SDPs) has been formed to bring together employers, training providers and other stakeholders. Their dialogues results in tweaking training programmes to suit labour market needs and increase employment opportunities for graduates. 

For Anna’s case, this linkage took her to phone repair master craft on 14th Avenue in Tanga town. Master crafts are well positioned to support apprentices with techniques and nuances they may not attain at campus classes and workshops. 

“Technical work is only part of what a successful phone repair craft person should know. I spend a lot of time guarding my apprentices on keys skills like confidence, customer care, and legal issues related to our trade,” says Hussein. He has been in phone repair trade for nearly 20 years. “Fundi Hussein has taught me that the first quality I must have is confidence. If you doubt your capacity to problem solving you will fail to diagnose and address issues a client brings,” says Anna. After spending time at VETA and now as apprentice at Hussein’s phone repair shop, she has gained confidence in diagnosing issues in phones and thinking about solutions.  

Content with her choice of trade, Anna is looking forward to opening her own shop to repair phone and sell phone accessories. 

Overall achievement VETA Kipawa,the only formal vocational training institution offering phone repair classes in Tanzania registered a total of 72 youth for classes delivered in Tanga and Mwanza in December 2025 to February 2026. 

Anna is among more than 600 youths from disadvantaged backgrounds who have completed work readiness program and acquired skills that increase their chances of securing employment and self-employment opportunities. They learned cage fish farming, gas welding, electricity, sewage, motorcycle repair, and phone repair. 

Ends  

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