Financial and development support from Stanbic Bank Tanzania, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Said Salim Bakhresa & Company Limited has boosted food entrepreneurs in Dodoma, where 320 women and youth have been trained in business skills, financial literacy and clean cooking solutions.
The initiative, implemented through the Stanbic Biashara Incubator, is part of the RISE Mama Lishe programme aimed at strengthening Tanzania’s informal food sector by improving business management skills and promoting cleaner and safer cooking technologies.
Under the programme, about 300 food vendors in Dodoma are set to receive energy-efficient cooking stoves designed to reduce charcoal and firewood consumption, lower business costs, reduce smoke exposure and improve workplace safety.
The support is expected to directly benefit Mama Lishe and Baba Lishe operators who depend on daily food sales for income generation.
Since its national launch in November 2025 in Dar es Salaam, the programme has expanded to several regions including Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Tanga and now Dodoma, which has been identified as a key hub for reaching more informal food entrepreneurs.
The wider goal is to empower at least 2,000 women and youth across the country during the 2025–2026 cycle.
The training sessions focused on practical entrepreneurship skills including business planning, pricing strategies, customer care, food hygiene, digital business tools and financial management.
Organisers say the aim is to help small food vendors transition from survival-level operations to more structured and sustainable businesses.
Speaking during the training session in Dodoma, Stanbic Biashara Incubator Head Kai Mollel said the programme recognises the important role played by food vendors in the economy.
“Mama Lishe and Baba Lishe play a critical role in feeding communities and supporting local livelihoods. Through this programme, we are equipping them with skills and tools that help them grow safer, more efficient and more profitable businesses,” she said.
She added that access to energy-efficient stoves is a practical intervention that reduces daily operating costs while improving working conditions for small entrepreneurs.
Programme Manager at GIZ, Lisa Zschunke, said the partnership demonstrates how clean cooking solutions and enterprise development can work together to improve livelihoods.
“This initiative is not only about business training, but also about supporting health, safety and sustainability. Energy-efficient stoves help reduce exposure to smoke while lowering fuel costs for entrepreneurs,” she said.
The programme also aligns with Tanzania’s clean cooking agenda, which aims to increase the adoption of cleaner cooking technologies and reduce dependence on traditional biomass fuels.
Organisers say this will contribute to long-term environmental protection and improved public health outcomes.
Stanbic Bank said the initiative is part of its broader commitment to supporting women and youth-led enterprises through training, mentorship and financial inclusion programmes delivered under the Stanbic Biashara Incubator.
Over the past three years, more than 3,000 food vendors across Tanzania have benefited from similar interventions.
As the programme continues to expand, partners say they remain committed to strengthening small businesses, improving access to clean cooking technologies and supporting inclusive economic growth across the country.
The initiative is expected to continue reaching more regions in the coming months as part of efforts to scale up support for informal food entrepreneurs who form a key part of Tanzania’s urban economy.
