Beyond Survival: What Women Entrepreneurs in Kigoma Really Need to Grow

Insights from CIVISCE’s recent needs assessment

Clear Vision for Change (CIVISCE) recently conducted a needs assessment among women engaged in small businesses in Kigoma region western Tanzania, including fish vending, knitting, soap making, and poultry farming.

The findings highlight a powerful reality: women are already active entrepreneurs, with most having more than three years of business experience. However, their ability to grow is significantly constrained by limited access to capital, materials, equipment, and markets.

“We work hard, but we don’t have enough materials to produce more.” — Knitter at Buzebazeba Kigoma

A key challenge identified is the lack of basic business systems. Most women do not keep records, making it difficult to track income, manage costs, and plan for growth. At the same time, there is strong demand for practical skills such as product quality improvement, marketing, and financial management.

Importantly, the assessment also revealed social barriers. Some women, particularly those in fish vending, reported experiencing verbal harassment when accessing fish supply.

“Sometimes when we go to buy fish, we are insulted.” — Fish vendor at Kibirizi, Kigoma

This reflects gender-based dynamics that affect women’s ability to operate safely and confidently in business environments.

These insights will directly inform the design of CIVISCE’s upcoming She Builds programme, which will focus on strengthening existing businesses through practical training, improved production capacity, and supportive working environments.

By grounding our interventions in real community needs, CIVISCE remains committed to delivering solutions that are relevant, sustainable, and impactful.