SMART KILIMO is an innovative agricultural empowerment project designed to mobilize and inspire young people and women in Arumeru District, Arusha, to embrace modern, sustainable farming practices.
About SMART KILIMO
SMART KILIMO is an innovative project aimed at transforming small-scale horticulture into a profitable, safe, and sustainable livelihood for youth and women in Arumeru District, Arusha. The project focuses on using smart agricultural technologies, modern farming methods, and eco-friendly practices to increase productivity, income, and food security.
By training and mentoring young people and women, and providing access to tools, improved seeds, and markets, SMART KILIMO helps turn agriculture into a viable career and entrepreneurial opportunity.
"SMART KILIMO addresses challenges through modern, climate-smart, and sustainable agriculture solutions that empower youth and women while protecting the environment."
Why This Project?
Despite fertile land and favorable conditions, many farmers in Arumeru use outdated techniques that limit productivity and income. Youth often see farming as unattractive due to low returns, while women face barriers to land, finance, and market access. At the same time, unsafe pesticide use and climate change pose serious risks to health and food systems.
Project Objectives
- Empower Youth & Women: Promote agriculture as a career through awareness, role models, and training.
- Build Skills: Provide hands-on training in smart horticulture, irrigation, pest management, and agribusiness.
- Introduce Technology: Promote tools like drip irrigation, greenhouses, soil sensors, and digital market platforms.
- Encourage Sustainability: Use eco-friendly, non-toxic farming practices to protect health and the environment.
- Strengthen Partnerships: Work with families, communities, government, NGOs, and private sector to grow the agricultural value chain.
- Reduce Poverty & Create Jobs: Increase incomes through higher yields, value addition, and better market access.
Who Will Benefit?
Primary Beneficiaries: 3,000 youth (ages 18–35) and women in Arusha engaged in small-scale horticulture.
Secondary Beneficiaries: Families, communities, and consumers accessing safer, more nutritious food.
Key Activities
- Community outreach and mobilization in schools and villages
- Establishment of training centers and demo farms
- Distribution of smart farming tools and improved seeds
- Market linkages with buyers, hotels, and supermarkets
- Support for agribusiness start-ups and cooperatives
- Access to microfinance and revolving funds
Project Impact
The SMART KILIMO project aims to achieve:
- Over 2,000 new youth- and women-led agribusinesses launched
- Increased yields and income from small land parcels
- Reduced health risks from pesticides and unsafe farming
- Strengthened food security and nutrition in Arusha
- A sustainable model that can be replicated across Tanzania
Project Partners
The project is led by KIHOHE Foundation in partnership with:
- Government authorities (local and national)
- Agricultural research institutions
- Private sector partners
- NGOs and community organizations
Sustainability Plan
SMART KILIMO ensures long-term impact through:
- Formation of cooperatives for collective action
- Value-added enterprises for local and export markets
- Microfinance and revolving funds for continued support
- Integration with government agricultural programs
- Reinvestment of revenue into expanding the initiative
Through SMART KILIMO, KIHOHE Foundation is committed to transforming agriculture into a modern, profitable, and sustainable sector that empowers youth and women while ensuring food security and environmental protection in Arumeru District and beyond.