Cash transfers and small projects improve rural resilience
By Business Insider Reporter, Dodoma
The Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) has helped lift over 1.8 million Tanzanians out of extreme poverty, with 400,000 households benefiting from cash transfers, community projects, and temporary employment schemes.
Tabling the 2025/26 Development Plan in the Parliament today, Minister of State in the President Office 0- Planning and Investments, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, noted that the program has been a savior to many Tanzanians.
According to the 2025/26 Development Plan, TASAF beneficiaries experienced improved access to education, maternal health, and income-generating activities.
“Our lives changed when we joined TASAF,” said Fatuma Athumani, a small business owner in Mtwara ans one of benefiticiries. “We used the grant to start poultry farming and send our kids to school.”
Beyond financial support, Prof. Mkumbo told the Parliament that TASAF has helped communities build schools, health centers, and feeder roads, especially in underserved rural areas.
To improve sustainability, he said TASAF has recently introduced village savings groups and training for productive income-generating activities, aiming to reduce long-term dependency.
Parliament has praised TASAF for reaching the poorest households, but called for expansion to urban poor communities and stronger auditing mechanisms.
“In the next phase, we want TASAF to go beyond welfare into full economic inclusion,” said one parliamentarian. The government has pledged continued funding and operational reform for TASAF under its post-2025 inclusive growth agenda.
