SCF Mikuyu Tanzania

Mikuyu Tanzania

Region:

Tanzania, East Africa

Area of expertise:

Green futures & livelihoods

Type:

Projects

Since 2007, Mikuyu Tanzania (previously Livingstone Tanzania Trust) has worked alongside communities to tackle barriers preventing children from accessing quality education. Operating primarily around Babati Town in Tanzania’s Manyara Region, Mikuyu Tanzania has earned a strong reputation for delivery and integrity through close collaboration with communities and local government leaders.

Mikuyu Tanzania’s holistic strategy addresses three major contributors to poverty – education, sustainable livelihoods, and health – simultaneously in targeted locations. By recognizing the interconnectedness of these areas and working closely with communities, the organization builds momentum for change and cultivates belief that transformation is achievable.

Our partnership with Mikuyu Tanzania began in February 2011 with the ambition to help the organization develop income generation programs benefiting local families engaged in farming and entrepreneurship. Over the years, our collaboration has evolved and deepened significantly. We progressed into supporting Saving and Loan Projects for local women’s groups, small-holder farmer training, and in 2018, enterprise training through Street Business School. This long-standing partnership has expanded income generation opportunities, building resilience and increasing the capacity of local households to support the education of their children.

During these years, Mikuyu has consistently promoted chemical-free farming, but engagement with communities suffering from chemical input overuse and soil depletion revealed the need to move beyond ‘avoiding chemicals’ toward actively promoting regenerative soil management methods – catalyzing a new 5-year strategy.

Farming for Regeneration Pilot

This 18-month pilot supported by SCF represents the foundational stage of Mikuyu Tanzania’s ambitious 5-year strategy to transform smallholder farming practices across four communities around Babati Town. The initiative addresses critical challenges facing rural farmers: declining soil fertility, expensive chemical input dependency, erratic rainfall, and limited income opportunities – all of which directly impact children’s ability to attend school and thrive.

Working in partnership with Impact Lead Tanzania (ILT), Babati Town Council, SJS Organics, and community leaders, the project establishes a replicable, community-driven regenerative agriculture model that will ultimately reach 800+ farming households, restore soil health, ensure reliable harvests, and build climate resilience while addressing the root causes of educational challenges.

SCF support enables four core components:

Establishing a farmer field school: Creating a one-acre demonstration plot in ChemChem community that showcases regenerative agriculture best practices including composting, agroforestry, organic inputs, integrated pest control, intercropping, and water harvesting. This plot serves as a living classroom where farmers can see and learn techniques firsthand.

Capacity building: Training five Lead Farmers, two Ward Agricultural Officers, and ILT staff in regenerative agriculture techniques and business skills at the SJS Organics Training Centre. These trained individuals become local champions who mentor other farmers and ensure knowledge stays in the community beyond the project period.

Youth economic empowerment: Training five youth from ChemChem to become Local Service Providers (LSPs) who produce and sell organic farming inputs. This creates sustainable income opportunities for young people while ensuring farmers have access to affordable, locally-made organic alternatives to expensive chemical fertilizers.

Monitoring & learning: Developing comprehensive systems to track adoption rates, measure impact on soil health and farm income, and document lessons learned for replication across the remaining three communities.