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The issue of academic development, starting a business or even getting a job is sometimes not easy. Especially when you are struggling to find fees, place to study, capital or business skills or even a suitable job to achieve dreams and cover living expenses, the challenges are compared to climbing a steep mountain. Sometimes there are relatives and friends comforting or supporting in one way or another. Sometimes you also have to start at a minimum and use the resources you have to implement your goals, even if the situation is unsatisfactory. In all the effort of managing these challenges, we encourage you to move forward.  If you see yourself on a crossroads and need help in managing your challenges, feel free to contact us. Over the next three months we don’t charge any costs, because your success is our priority. Again, our service does not end with advice, but we give you guidance and we will work with you until you achieve your goals.

Dear reader,

With few words, I would like to thank you for reading our posts, to wish you happy holidays, a happy new year and blessings in fulfilling your dreams and plans.

If this is your first visit to this page, please take a moment to review the posts listed below. We will be glad to receive your feedback.

These  posts are aimed at encouraging young people in their quest for academic and economic development, and informing them on a number of topics, e.g. how to open a business, tips on how to develop themselves academically, manage personal income e.t.c. If there is a topic you would like us to present here that may be helpful to young people, do not hesitate to write to us. Also, don’t hesitate to let others know about this site / blog so that even they can benefit from it.

We look forward to next year, when we have enough readers, to open a forum for the topics we serve on our website. For more information on our topics, see here. This forum helps interested people to exchange ideas, get to know each other, and create a network to support each other on relevant topics (for example about special training opportunities, job opportunities etc.). If you are interested, feel free to join via this form. We will keep you informed about the developent of this plan, and after we have received enough registrations, we will open the forum.

I wish you all the best for your holidays and the new year, a wonderful break from your duties and many blessings in achieving new goals in the coming year.

Starting a business in Tanzania can be challenging due to different factors like lack of capital and poor marketing plan (undiognonized markets). Instead of looking on reasons which make businesses fail in Tanzania, I would like to focus our mind here on different aspects to consider, which can make a newly started business to succeed. I welcome you to dive in into the thoughts below.

Take a look on businesses in your neighbourhood and the ones you know about more. Think about those businesses which perform well but also about those which have been stagnant for years, and those which failed. What are the reasons which led to each of the mentioned results?

Surely there are many reasons, some of which are individual ones and thus beyond our knowledge. We can therefore not comprehensively jugde the failure of any business. Few common factors, however, I would like to look at which decisively determine the success or failure of a business.

1. Proper Marketing Plan. Tanzanians are aware of using any chances possible to make business. This includes opening business at places with high traffic or near/at their homes where the neighbourhood can be provided with needed goods and services while private domestic activities are performed. Wherever the business is situated, it needs to be oriented to the needs of the customers for it to prosper. Once a business saftisfies the major needs of the people, that is when the business is likely to grow and succeed. Therefore in satisfying ones own thirst of running a business it important to consider the needs of the potential customers (type of bussiness) in the area you start your business. An easy way to find this out is to conduct a market research.
2. You may be aware with people who go for a certain business opportunity and stay with it until they find a better business opportunity they change to. It is indeed legitimate to try out different businesses and gain experinces from them. However, this act has to be carefully reflected, especially if the outcome of the business has negative consequenses on the family you are taking care of. It has a different dimension, if have a stable income though an employment and try out different businesses. Taking responsibily for your own livelihood and that of your family is as important as being persistent to your business as it yields results.
3. Good Management of Capital. I have come across business men and women who take money from the business for private expenditure or take products from their business for private use. This is an act – if it is all necessary – which requires much discipline. Generousity in business can cost your business. Seperation of private matters with business matters is, I think, one of the basic thing a business man or woman should do. Well, talking about capital… Capital is indeed an important factor in starting a business. A persons taking loan to start a business should be aware of the debt and the necessity to pay back the money as he or she runs the business, considering that the first months of the business may be chatacterized with losses. A huge amount of loean obviously means a huge amout of debt, and a huge debt can likely lead to inability to pay back, especially due to loss, theft or poor management. If you consider starting a small business, consider starting a business which requires you little nor no capital. Remember the Tanzanian proverb: “Mtaji wa masikini ni nguvu zake mwenyewe” (The capital of a poor person is his own strength). Please get inspired in the internet or by your friends about different business ideas which required no or little capital. You can contact us for more ideas.
4. Learn to optimize your business. In fact, get business basics even before starting a business. Business may be easy, but being humble to learn and avoid mistakes can only help you. If you have already started your business, take time to get out of your business turmoil and learn how to optimize your business. Meet other successful business men and women, get advised by the bank, join a forum, seek a coach/counsellor and learn from different experiences, share ideas and learn from challenges. It can only help.

Do you have more factors to consider? Please, share them with us. If your have any question or concern, feel free to contact us. If you want to learn more about business, click on this link to get study materials.

All the best in your business.

To lack study fees in pursuing education in Tanzania is a common phenomena, unfortunately. The provision of loans to university students has lessen  this problem, and yet, the loan is not available to all students needing it. On top of that, there are difficulties for (unexperienced) students to get jobs which can provide them with money to pay their academic fees and cover their living expenses.

There surely be other factors hindering the way towards accomplishing your academic dreams, but that is not the thing this article is going to fucus on. The Focus here lies in encouraging you and giving you some ideas on how to attain your academic dreams. Before I provide specific ideas on how to go about the above mentioned problem, there is one more thought  I would like to share with you.

Success in accomplishing your academic dreams requires the courage to proactively take the responsibility of your own life. Disadvantages experienced due to the situation of your family, system or the environment you come from are to be examined carefully as you turn them into an advantage necessary to move on. This may surely require sometimes encouragement and guidance from another person. If you need someone, we are here for you. After setting up your mind, please consider the ideas below which can help you to overcome the barrier of study fees in attaining your education.

1. Registration for your study semester requires direct payment of study fees. Semester fees my cost about 600 000 /- Tsh. You are properly advised, if you secure this amount before heading for your university. Apart from taking it from your savings, you can borrow the money or collect of from friends and relatives.
2. Other expenses apart from academic fees, like rent/accomodation, cost for living/food, transportation etc. should be kept in focus. List all neccessary and unavoidable costs to be sure about the money which is actually needed. Consider the possibilty of saving costs by, for example, sharing an accomodation with other students/ people you know, taking enough food or other necessary items from home (e.g. sack of rice, beans, cooking untensils etc.)
3. While studying, consider taking lunch box with you if it can help you to balance your expenditures. Having Chapati, maadazi, or rice with beans/vegtable in your hotpot can make you enjoy a decent lunch as well insted of going for more expensive canteen food.
4. Consider looking for a part-time job. Free time (especially weekends) spent in working can help you to get money to cover living expenses and open doors and connections for getting money for your study fees, especially by working during semester breaks. You are well advised if you are not choosy. A student who is ready to work in normal places like in petrol stations, restaurants, stationaries, schools, saloon or any other places, depending on talent and availability of the job makes a big step towards independency. In case you have tried to look for a job at five different places, lower your expectations and try at ten other places. You will surely find something.
5. Last but not least: As you strain yourself, dont forget to rest. Mental hygiene is very important to balance your study life and generate strenght and endurance to continue. Everybody has his/her own way here. While other practice religion, other practice sports and arts. Go for your onwn unique way.

There are different challenges to overcome as students, while making sure that studies are managed and performed well. Please, be one of those writing their success stories and inspire others by encouraging them. Do you have questions or challenges, feel free to contact us. We will be glad to help you as good as we can. Stay blessed.

Form six, having finished their exams now, find themselves on the crossroad of important and independent decisions which will influence their career and their life altogether. This situation does not only face form six leavers, but all other young people who are desiring to pursue (further) educaton and create a better life in future.
Academic insitutions (schools, colleges, universities), now having been opened after the corona-relataed closure and many of them receiving applicatioin for study programmes already provide may not provide an in-depth support to young people regarding their career. The current short time frame for study application and the expected hectic in getting a place of study within this year may be a big unsurmountable challenge for a significant number of young people. Young people who need guidance in finding the right study programmes matching their potentials and future dreams, before submitting application, and not being able to get this support from parents, relatives or friends, may be in the danger of missing study opportunity or finds themselves in study programmes which do not fit to them. On top of this, failure to secure study fees has been a big reason for students not to pursue with their studies.
By providing career counseling service, we aim to provide support to youths on the way to secure their study opportunity a spart of the bigger goal to attain their education and make a better life. In particular, we provide help in 4 specified areas:
– determining your potentials and the right professional field fitting to them
– pursuing their desired further education in all academic levels
– job and volunteering services
– support in other matters pertaining attainment of their goals

If you need more information or assistance, don´t hasitate to contact us through the contact information below.

10.06.2020 – CCSN provides a seminar to students of Rorya Secondary School, Mwanza. Youths, being in a period of dramatic physical and psychological changes and at the same time required to meet the demands of the sorrounding environment and create their future, need support and guidance. Here we ran one of our regular seminars to provide support to youth in matters which are essential to imporove their sense of responsibility, their academic performance, helping them to make proper plans for future. On top of that, we also provide spiritual and individual counseling to students in need of matters concerning personal challenges and career counseling.