Kijana Leo

Propelling young innovators to greater heights

Kijana Katika Mabadiliko - "Youth in Transformation"

As its name implies, “Kijana Leo” is a Swahili television program for Tanzanian youth in the twenty-first century that delivers pertinent information regarding social innovation and entrepreneurship. It is a 60-minute youth-centred interactive television program that emphasises young people’s efforts in several spheres of development that contribute to youth prosperity and access to good work. 

The focal point of the television program is the showcasing of youth’s experiences as a means of motivating other young people to investigate opportunities and resources that may be utilised at the local level. 

Tanzanian youth have relied on television programs for amusement, news, education, culture, the weather, sports, and even music since the debut of music videos, as more and more means to watch television have become available. The appropriate use of television can provide youth with an informative experience that contributes to the development of their informal skills, connects them with opportunities, and inspires them so that they can contribute to employment and be equipped to shape their behavior and actions to support the achievement of their goals. 

Nowadays, more than 56% of Tanzanian homes have access to satellite TV, with AZAM TV, the country’s main provider, reaching 81% of these households. 

Tanzania’s viewing culture extends beyond the home, as most of the television viewing takes place in communal and digital spaces, allowing it to reach more people, especially in rural areas. Consequently, the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation (JMKF), AZAM TV, and the Prime Minister’s Office – Youth Development Division (PMO-LYED) collaborate with youth and youth organisations throughout Tanzania to use television as a platform to educate, cross-learn, and inspire youth on social innovation – with tremendous success. 

We are delighted to present here the nine bright stars of KIJANA LEO TV episodes have risen to greater heights in their various fields after appearing on the TV program. 

Kijana Leo Episode 001: Organic Waste

Using organic waste, a young female scientist fills a vacuum in fish-feed ecology. Diana Orembe’s motivation to assist her community was motivated by her realisation that the issue touched people she cared about. Hence, she took the bull by the horns by tackling a serious challenge to lessen and ultimately resolve the protein gap in the food ecology of Tanzanian and African fish farmers…

Kijana Leo Epidode 002: Keep yourself up to date.

The crew of Kijana Leo TV Program celebrated the International Women’s Day in 2022 with Jacqueline Lawrence, a young female problem-solver who is also the owner and director of Mbeya Highlands FM whom shone brightly on our second episode. Mbeya Highlands FAM whom shone brightly on our second episode.

Kijana Leo Episode 003: Farmer's Choice

For Tanzania’s 15 million smallholder farmers, harvesting crops is a daunting task. Whether they are harvesting rice, maize, sorghum, or other crops, farmers are forced to use manual threshing techniques that are inefficient and limit farm productivity. About 97% of Tanzania’s 6 million smallholder farms lack the machinery to aid in agricultural labor, and less than 50% have access to electricity at the community level.

Kijana Leo Episode 004: The Recycled light.

Innocent James has been a catalyst for the transformation of rural communities, motivated by the desire to bring change and instill a lifelong reading habit in primary school students in Mwanza. In this spirit, he founded Soma Factories Tanzania, a Mwanza-based social enterprise that manufactures solar bags from renewable cement bags. 

Kijana Leo Episode 005: Transforming trash into treasure.

Have you ever wondered where the plastic water bottle you throw goes after consumption? According to Tanzania’s National Plastic Pollution Hot-spotting and Shaping Action Report, over 315,000 tonnes of plastic waste were generated in 2018, with an estimated 34% of the plastic waste being collected.

Kijana Leo Episode 006: Hero of Cashew Nuts.

Zaidu Mbwana, a young Innovative social entrepreneur who is constantly recognized as a local innovator and hero at his home town of Tandahimba in the suburbs of Mtwara, graced Kijana Leo TV Program (Episode 006). 

Kijana Leo Episode 007: Dustless and More Powerful Together.

In episode 007 of Kijana Leo TV program, we see a group of youg people who put their talents to good use by developing and mass-producing dustless chalks to be used in schools across Tanzania. As their tale aired on Azam TV, they saw an immediate boost to their reputation and popularity…