Tunduma, Songwe — Tunduma is a town that never sleeps. As the primary gateway between Tanzania and Zambia, it is a vital artery for cross-border trade in the SADC region. For the young people living in the Katete ward of Momba District, this bustling environment offers both immense opportunity and daunting challenges.
During a recent youth dialogue recorded on June 13, 2026, and published on July 20, 16 young men and women gathered to discuss their aspirations and the hurdles they face. The session was the tenth episode of the Dira Mtaani: Vijana Wanasemaje programme, organised by The Chanzo and Twaweza East Africa.
The conversation revealed a generation of active, resilient actors who are refusing to be sidelined by a system that often seems designed to exclude them.
While the government mandates that Local Government Authorities allocate 10 per cent of their revenue to empower women, youth, and people with disabilities, the youth in Tunduma described a reality where accessing these funds is nearly impossible.
“We hear every day on the media that there are funds available, 10 per cent from our council, and this council generates huge revenue for the country,” one male participant, who runs a daycare centre, noted.
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“But we youth here in Tunduma don’t get those funds,” added the participant who also decried the many taxes and levies he is required to pay to local authorities to run his daycare. “The criteria are too many. We ask them to simplify their rules so we can actually benefit.”
The youth detailed the gruelling process of applying for government loans. They described spending up to five months just to draft a constitution for their mandatory lending groups, only to face further delays and demands for complex business plans.
“For someone without formal education who needs a loan, it is very hard to break through because it requires spending a lot of money to find educated people to help write the business plan,” explained a young man who successfully navigated the process to buy a bodaboda. “That business plan is the main hurdle.”
Another participant, who just graduated from university and is now struggling to get formal employment, highlighted the structural flaw in group lending.
“You might form a group of ten people, get the Sh10 million, and one member runs away,” said the participant who holds a Bachelor of Procurement and Supply. “It pulls you back because you, who had good intentions, have to start paying off their share of the loan.”
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Faced with these bureaucratic walls, many young entrepreneurs are forced to turn to predatory street lenders, colloquially known as kausha damu (blood dryers) or vibandaumiza (pain huts). These lenders offer immediate cash but charge exorbitant interest rates.
One young woman bravely shared her experience of borrowing Sh1.5 million from a street lender, which came with an interest rate of Sh400,000.
“I managed to pay it back through suffering, by shifting the debt across more than six different lenders,” narrated the small-scale entrepreneur who also engages in teaching young people trades, such as making bedsheets by hand. “I would take money from one to pay another just to have peace for five days.”
Her story is not one of defeat, but of incredible resilience. She eventually secured a government loan, not to start a new business, but to strategically pay off the predatory lenders and reclaim her financial independence.
“These government funds are currently helping many Tanzanians to wash away the debts from the street lenders,” added the entrepreneur whose main dream is to have a bigger space which can accommodate many young people who can benefit from her trainings.
Despite these systemic barriers, the youth of Tunduma are actively shaping their own destinies. They are running day-care centres, welding shops, furniture businesses, and digital media libraries.
They are teaching each other skills like fabric printing and tailoring, creating informal networks of support where formal institutions have failed.
As Tanzania grapples with a youth unemployment crisis, where 900,000 young people reportedly enter the job market annually but only 50,000 to 60,000 formal jobs are created, the young people of Tunduma are not waiting to be saved.
They are demanding that the government meet them halfway by simplifying loan requirements and utilising existing identification systems like NIDA to streamline the process.
Their hustle is a testament to their agency and determination. In the face of a system that often robs them of opportunity, they are actively reclaiming their dignity and building the future of their border town.
