In Ukondamoyo village, in Tanzania’s Tabora region, economic empowerment is not framed as an abstract right. It is measured in school attendance, food security, and the ability to make decisions within one’s own household. These factors sit at the core of child labour prevention.
For Piasia Michael, a 39-year-old farmer and mother of five, this shift began seven years ago when she joined a Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) supported through the PROSPER RESET project.
Before joining the VSLA, Piasia’s livelihood followed a pattern common to many rural women. Farming during the rainy season. Domestic work during the dry months. Limited yields. No access to credit. No capital to invest in agricultural inputs. Financial dependence on her husband was structural, not incidental. In this context, economic stress shapes household decisions, including whether children remain in school or contribute to family income. “I was not harvesting enough crops because I did not have capital to buy improved seeds or fertilizers,” she recalls.
Participation in the VSLA changed both access and capability. Through regular savings, small loans, and training on improved agricultural practices, Piasia was able to invest strategically in her land. In one season alone, she cultivated five acres of maize using improved inputs and harvested 80 bags. The following season, she expanded to seven acres, with an expected yield of over 100 bags.
This growth was not accidental. It reflected the combination of finance, knowledge, and collective accountability that VSLA models are designed to deliver. Crucially, it reduced economic pressure on the household, lowering the risk factors that often push children into labour. Income generation brought another form of change. One that is less visible, yet more structural. “Before, I had no right to decide on sensitive family matters,” Piasia explains. “Now my husband respects me because I can contribute to the family’s needs.”
With her earnings, she supports her children’s education, healthcare, and daily expenses. Four of her children are currently in school. Her eldest son is enrolled in a first-degree programme at Mwalimu Nyerere University in Dar es Salaam. This intergenerational impact matters. When women control resources, household priorities shift. Education becomes a protected investment rather than a negotiable cost. Children remain in school. Exposure to child labour decreases. Prevention moves upstream, addressing root causes rather than symptoms.
Economic agency also translates into physical security. Since joining the VSLA, Piasia has built a modern house and repaired an older one. In rural settings, housing is more than shelter. It signals stability, permanence, and resilience. She has also diversified her income through a small transport business, operating a minibus that connects Ukondamoyo village with Tabora town. Diversification reduces vulnerability to climate and market shocks, which are closely linked to negative coping strategies, including child labour.
Piasia is clear about what made the difference. It was not a one-off intervention or a single loan. It was the system. The VSLA provided a structured space for saving, borrowing, learning, and mutual support. It generated social capital alongside financial capital. Members exchange advice, absorb shocks collectively, and reinforce accountability within the community. “If you want to develop, join a VSLA,” she advises other women. “It is where you can save, access loans, and share ideas.” International Women’s Day often focuses on representation and rights. Piasia’s experience adds another dimension. Economic sovereignty as a foundation for child protection.
Her story illustrates a clear connection. Tackling child labour requires strengthening women’s economic agency. When women are financially empowered, households become more stable, children remain in school, and prevention becomes sustainable. In Ukondamoyo, gender equality is not a slogan. It is a practical pathway to ending child labour.
