Sabina Ally (32) is a mother of five children. She was raised in a rural farming community in the Morogoro Region with limited access to modern agricultural knowledge, financial services, or entrepreneurial support. Her experience with farming and chicken rearing was informal and lacked the structure to turn it into a viable livelihood. Access to loans or formal training had always felt out of reach.

Personal Growth through Youth and Agriculture Skills Development (YASD) Project

After enrolling in the YASD training facilitated by SAT, Sabina gained practical skills in agroecological farming, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through the Youth Saving and Lending Group (YSLG). Inspired by the sustainable livestock module, she decided to specialize in poultry farming.

Starting small, she invested in 10 improved Sasso chicken and 30 local breeds (both suitable for egg and meat production). Applying SAT’s teachings, she built a low-cost chicken house from locally sourced materials and began rearing chickens free range using organic feed she produced herself such as maize and leafy greens. She also adopted natural remedies for poultry disease control, reducing her dependence on costly veterinary drugs.

Successes and Impact

In just three months, Sabina began selling eggs and chickens to her community. Her strategic approach, fueled by the entrepreneurial training, allowed her to identify local market gaps and position her products effectively.

Her key achievements include:

• Generating consistent income from egg and chicken sales.
• Supporting her siblings’ education with the profits.
• Building savings toward starting an egg incubation with local chicken to expand the production.
• Becoming a peer mentor, inspiring other young people in her village to join sustainable agriculture initiatives.

Future Goals and Plans

Sabina’s vision is to expand her poultry enterprise by introducing egg incubation with the local chicken and increasing the flock size.

“Before the YASD project, I never imagined I could run a business. Now, with every egg and every chicken I sell, I see my future growing. I’m proud to be an agroecological youth entrepreneur!”

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About the Project

The Youth in Agriculture and Skills Development (YASD-MVOMERO) project addresses the social and economic challenges faced by out-of-school youth, particularly young mothers and individuals with disabilities. It specifically targets rural and peri-urban areas of the Mvomero District by empowering participants through practical education and skills development in organic agriculture and related enterprises.

The Youth in Agriculture and Skills Development (YASD-Mvomero) project is kindly supported by Land Vorarlberg.

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