Help Tanzanian Youth Make Tech to Help Themselves

As part of Twende's broader mission to empower Tanzanian communities through technical innovation, this initiative specifically focuses on equipping girls and women with hands-on technology and problem-solving skills. The program enables participants to design and develop practical solutions to local challenges they face in their everyday lives.

Impact and Participation

Through the Creative Capacity Building (CCB) program, we have successfully engaged a significant number of women and girls who have gone on to design and develop a variety of impactful community-based projects. These participants include:

• Women entrepreneurs and fresh graduates
• Secondary and primary school students participating during their holidays

Each of these individuals brought unique perspectives and determination to the makerspace, contributing to innovative solutions that respond to the needs of their communities.

Key Achievements

The initiative has led to numerous positive outcomes, including:

• Upgrading our makerspace infrastructure to better support participant learning and collaboration.
• Acquiring tools and materials necessary for sustained innovation and prototyping.
• Development of functional technologies serving community needs, including:
• A curtain hole puncher
• A manually operated water pump
• A chicken plucking device
• A potato peeler

These projects are not only solving real-world problems but are also a testament to the creativity and technical capability of the women and girls involved.

At Twende, we believe in unlocking the creative potential of every individual. Over the past months, we have deepened our impact through a series of hands-on STEM programs and Creative Capacity Building (CCB) workshops that empower youth and communities to create meaningful solutions to local challenges.

STEM Outreach Program: Learning by Doing

We extended our STEM Outreach Program to two additional schools and several youth organizations. These sessions transformed classrooms into collaborative innovation hubs where students explored real-world applications of science and technology. By integrating practical problem-solving with local relevance, participants developed confidence in their ability to innovate.

Creative Capacity Building: Skills for Life

We trained 34 youth in our CCB workshops, equipping them with hands-on technical skills, design thinking, and entrepreneurial mindsets. The workshops are part of our Design for Second Life Innovation Project, which encourages upcycling, digital integration, and sustainable development.

Notable inventions from this cohort include:

• Wild Animal Repellant – a tech-based solution to protect crops and support food security.

• Chicken Plucker – an automated machine that simplifies poultry processing.

• Vegetable Slicer – a timesaving tool now used in a local school, reducing food prep time from 4 hours to just 1 hour.

Nurturing Young Innovators

We continue to build innovation ecosystems through our school-based Innovation Clubs. Here, students receive regular mentorship to evolve their ideas into practical, scalable solutions for community issues.

Maker Space Engagement

Twende’s makerspace remains a vibrant hub of creativity. This quarter, we hosted 8 groups of innovators, offering them continued access to tools, materials, and mentorship to refine their prototypes and bring their ideas to life.

Why This Matters

Every workshop, every innovation, and every young person engaged is a step closer to a future where communities solve their own challenges through technology and creativity. With your support, we are not just building projects, we are building people.