From the concept "wrapped up in its Vision and Mission", it is evident that VICOBA works for the improvement of the livelihood and welfare of the community through its philosophy of human empowerment. VICOBA dedicates and addresses itself to the well being of poor people and vulnerable groups of the society such as women, the young, the ages, the disabled, widows and orphans,etc.
VICOBA also works for the less fortunate people who are living under difficult conditions and who are living where there are poor social services or none at all. In order to accomplish this Mission, VICOBA carries out, among other things, a vigorous and extensive training work/programme. It trains the community and organized groups in the community in various aspects and skills.
Training, one could say, is VICOBA's foremost undertaking/ work in the persuit of its Vision and Mission, that is ,to get rid of poverty among the community
Training covers the following areas;
1. Training in Self-awareness – gender skills
Every member of a VICOBA group is made aware of who he/she is and where he/she is in the community. This awareness enables him/her to know his/her responsibilities in and towards the community, and, indeed, in the VICOBA. This training engenders in the members a sense of self-fulfillment and eventually a sense of self-actualization (self-status). Indeed, it liberates a person mentally and psychologically.
2. Training in Life Skills
This involves self-help skills and volunteering spirit. It enables members of a group and eventually the groups themselves to engage themselves voluntarily in productive activities and ventures in view of improving their economic gains, their livelihoods and their welfare
3. Training in Entrepreneurship Skills.
This training opens up one's vision to see and grasp business opportunities. It enables group members to know and to select viable productive activities for the betterment of their economic advancement as well as that of their communities as a whole
4. Training on Agriculture and Livestock
Through this training VICOBA makes its members to acknowledge that Agriculture has been, since time immemorial, the back-bone of economic and social development in every nation on this earth including Tanzania. Thus VICOBA trains its members in the skills necessary for modern agriculture: methods of modern farming, harvesting, food processing and storage etc. To drive the lessons home, VICOBA has even established its own "shambas" (training/agricultural demonstration farms). VICOBA members are also trained in Livestock rearing: such as cows, goats, pigs, poultry, fishery and bee-keeping.
5. Training in Environmental Skills
Today the world environment poses serious problems to every kind of life. The ozone layer has already been tempered with. Green-house gases (Carbon dioxide-CO2) are in the increase because of massive industrial works in the developed world and they cause immense atmospheric pollution in the whole world. These phenomena are causing unexpected and unexplainable disastrous storms in many parts of the world destroying cities, shores, landscapes (landslides) animals and people. They also cause radical climate and temperature changes which, in turn, bring about droughts in many parts of the world, and particularly, in Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and even in Tanzania). In Tanzania, for example, since the year 2000 the ice fields remaining at the plateau of our lively Mount Kilimanjaro, the Pride of Africa, are reported to have shrunk by 26 percent; the ice is recorded to have melted down 5.5 meters already and the process is still continuing. VICOBA is aware of these environmental problems and it draws the attention of its members to the dangers of these problems and to how they badly affect human lives and to how they indirectly cause poverty in many parts of the world where they occur. Therefore VICOBA trains its members in the methods of improving the environment around them e.g. planting trees, protecting water sources, avoiding bush fires, preventing soil erosion, bio gas construction etc, so that it's Vision and Mission may one day become realities.
6. Training in Handicraft Skills
In Tanzania handcraft is in the sector of small and medium businesses. It is very common and arts articles are found in every part of the country: wood carvings, figurines, statues, beads, patellas; drawings on paper and canvases (batiques) etc. The traders in these articles of art supports the country's tourist industry and are foreign exchange earners when sold to foreign tourists or exported to other countries in the world. The training in handicraft skills covers also tailoring (dress making for men's and ladies wear), embroidery cobblers work (shoe making) etc. VICOBA trains its members in making these arts work and encourages them to involve themselves in this lucrative trade from which they can earn livelihoods and their general welfare. This, indeed, is one of the direct ways of fighting against poverty
7. Training in Financial Literacy
VICOBA is an "acronym" of Village Community Bank. And a bank has money/finances as its "article of trade". It is therefore logical that VICOBA should train its members and their groups in all the aspects of finance. They are taught the theoretical concepts of the roll of money in every day life and in the economy of a nation and the practical part of it such as the use of books of accounts, banking, the savings and investing, etc. This training avails the members with the necessary skills and knowledge in "creating money", "handling money" and "using money" in a professional manner and profitably.
8. HIV(HIV = Human Immunodeficiency Virus;
AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
HIV-AIDS is a worldwide known incurable disease, and is endemic in Tanzania. HIV-AIDS is one of the leading causes of deaths which affect a country's work-force and consequently a country's economic development. HIV-AIDS is also one of the leading causes of poverty in every community in which it prevails. In the light of this awareness, VICOBA cannot fold its hands and watch. It has drawn and it will continue to draw the attention of its members to the spread of this disease in order to enjoin them in the fight against its spread in the community. In so doing, VICOBA indirectly intensifies its fight against poverty, which unfortunately, is one of the real results of HIV-AIDS infection.
©2015 , Vicoba Benki ya Maendeleo Vijijini
