Hamida Rajabu, a resident of Dar es Salaam who is 23 years old and a beneficiary of panda on
the ground 2021 has matured tremendously as a result of the program over the past three years.
She signed up for the bakery category, and similarly to numerous other participants, she lacked
entrepreneurial and financial literacy prior to the program.
“I always knew I wanted to pursue bakery as a way to generate my own income and support my
family, but I didn’t know how to turn my interest in baking into a business until I joined the
Panda Program which transformed me drastically”.
“I enrolled in the program in order to master baking and have my own bakery business. The
program taught me about financial literacy, including saving, budgeting, record keeping, creating
goals, and capital management. My trainer Mankacakes and my mentor Mak juice mentored me
on cuisine skills and business branding, which are currently assisting me tremendously in the
operation of my business. Now that baking is my primary source of income, I do not hesitate to
accept cakes orders; I receive orders nearly every week . I have improved money management
skills and I have quite an engagement on my online business platform”.
Hamida Rajabu believes she has acquired all of these through the PANDA On the Ground
training program. Hamida believes the program has had a significant positive impact on her, and
she continues to encourage others to join each year.
PANDA program has been a game-changer for many young women who had the
opportunity to participate.