08/04/2018
Dawia Ramadhan Matata, a wife to Gastor Faustine Kimaro and mother of 3 children,is an entrepreneur and primary school teacher in Babati district.
She first attended training on making batiki; organized and conducted by SIDO Manyara from 18th to 24th January, 2016 in Babati. She also attended food processing training from 12th to 16th September 2016. These trainings were both funded by Women Youth Economic Empowerment Project by New Zealand Commission Fund of Pretoria, South Africa.
Immediately after acquiring the batiki making skills, she had a desire to start a batiki making business; this includes the making of batiki and tie & dye, and selling them directly to individuals. She applied for a loan worth 2,000,000 Tzs (equivalent to $950) from SIDO Manyara that facilitated her business.
Later after the food processing training, she decided to start another business of making rosella wine, tomato sauce, jam, peanut butter, nutritional and corn flour (sembe). . She was also quoted saying, “I have acquired knowledge and skills of making batiki, rosella wine, tomato sauce, jam, peanut and corn flour. So the knowledge has not just made me grow as an entrepreneur but also have the ability to decide which chain of products to concentrate on after the trainings”. Again, a loan worth 2,500,000 Tzs (equivalent $1,200) was awarded to her by SIDO Manyara to facilitate her business.
A strong passion to grow and market her products made her start an enterprise called ‘Ivan’ in November, 2016.
Dawia had an opportunity to be half funded by SIDO Manyarain collaboration with Women Youth Economic Empowerment Project by New Zealand Commission Fund of Pretoria, South Africato attend SIDO Central Zone Exhibition in Kigoma, from 30th August to 5th September, 2017. She later got another opportunity to attend SIDO Northern Zone Exhibition in Kilimanjaro region from 18th to 22nd December, 2017.
“I have increased my income and also been able to pay for my children’s school fees.” These words were quoted from Daiwa, communicating how grateful she is to SIDO Manyara management.
SIDO has been the helping hand and platform for entrepreneurs like Dawia to sustain and run successful businesses.