In Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, something more than a school is being created – a place where young women find strength, confidence, and new perspectives. The Zanzibar Bridge project offers women aged 18 to 25, who live in extreme poverty and are often orphans navigating life on their own, a real opportunity for a self-determined future through high-quality, career-focused training in the hospitality and tourism sector.
In Tanzania, a large part of the population lives below the poverty line, often on less than USD 1.25 per day. Many girls are forced to start working at a young age and drop out of school. Traditional gender roles and a lack of resources further deepen this inequality. At the same time, the growing tourism and hospitality industry urgently needs skilled professionals – a gap this project addresses in a targeted and sustainable way.
In June 2024, the school in Kizimkazi was completed, including an on-site training hotel and training restaurant. From January 2025, 40 young women studied there with great dedication and commitment, successfully completing their training in December 2025.
Together with its partner, the More Than A Drop Foundation, the DERTOUR Foundation is supporting the expansion of the school in Kizimkazi and creating new educational opportunities for disadvantaged young women.
The Aldiana Club Zanzibar Kwanza already employs five of the graduates; in the future, graduates may also have opportunities to work at ananea Diamonds Mapenzi.
The number of participants in the basic training program will increase from 40 to 60 in 2026 and to 80 in 2027. Training modules include English language skills, kitchen operations, service, housekeeping, computer skills, and front office – everything young women need for a successful career in hospitality. Starting in 2026, two new programs will be launched for the first time: a hotel management course for 20 women who aspire to leadership roles, and an entrepreneurship course for 20 future founders, covering business management, business planning, financing, and marketing.
The training program combines professional qualifications with personal development. The goal is not just employment, but a life lived with dignity and independence. Each student benefits from hands-on training that closely links theory and practice, complemented by digital learning modules and individualized support.
A key element of the project is its internship program. All participants complete two three-month placements in selected four- and five-star hotels, including the Aldiana Club Zanzibar Kwanza. These partnerships open doors to real career opportunities and demonstrate the lasting value of education.
DERTOUR guests have the opportunity to visit the project, which is within walking distance of the Aldiana Club, in a personal and respectful way. The focus of each visit is meaningful exchange with the young women and insight into their daily lives.
Cooking classes at the Aldiana Club Zanzibar Kwanza designed and led by the students are currently in development, creating space for shared experiences, learning, and connection. Even today, DERTOUR guests can visit the project’s small, family-run hotel and enjoy a meal there. Due to the hotel’s manageable size, students are closely involved in daily operations and gain valuable hands-on experience through direct interaction with Aldiana guests.
Our vision reaches far beyond the present. We aim to ensure that
100 women secure safe and well-paid employment
more than 90 women are protected from forced marriages, and
over 80% of entrepreneurship graduates go on to start their own businesses.
Each graduate supports an average of eight family members. In this way, education becomes the foundation for self-determined lives and a powerful step toward breaking the cycle of poverty in the long term.
The training restaurant and training hotel are more than learning spaces – they are key drivers of our sustainability approach. All income generated by both operations flows directly back into the school. From the third to fourth year onward, the school will be able to operate financially independently.
Close cooperation with government authorities and local partners in Zanzibar, including education and tourism authorities and the National Vocational Training Authority, is an essential part of the project.
Because we believe that lasting changes can only be achieved together.
You can find out more about our cooperation partner,
More Than A Drop e.V. Germany, on project partners.
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