ILO donates USD250,000 to Isles women co-operatives

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has donated USD 250,000 as loans to women cooperative groups for Unguja and Pemba.

The funds have been released through Akiba Bank in implementation of the project that facilitates promotion of women welfare and reduction of child labour.

Radhia Ayoub, an officer from the Ministry of Labour, Youth Development, Women and Children revealed this when talking about women economic situation in the isles at a workshop on NGOs capacity building.

She said the four-year programmes started in 2000 by providing funds to women who were expected to work with the money and pay them backsaid.

She said majority of women have already established their two Saccos for Unguja and Pemba, where that of Unguja is known as Wahidi Saccos, while that of Pemba is called PECACO.

Ayoub mentioned the villages benefiting from the funds as Chwaka, Uroa, Fuoni, Mkokotoni, Matemwe and Kiembesamaki in Unguja.

Others are Konde, Wete and Ole in Pemba.

She said more than 617 women have benefited from the project 300 of whom are from Pemba.

She said more than 430 students managed to benefit with the fund in their efforts to rescue themselves from child labour and return to schools.

Ayoub said 237 youths were trained on different vocational careers, including providing them with equipment to enable them to employ themselves.

The ILO coordinator, Flora Minja urged stakeholders in the development project to be open to discuss issues of HIV/Aids in public in order to reduce infections.

She said the target of the project might be met if the rate of spread of HIV/Aids will be controlled.