Dar es Salaam — Plan International (Plan), in a bid to deepen the impact of its programmes, has said that it will invest an additional $65m in Tanzania the next five years.

According to Plan, one of the oldest and biggest global development organizations focusing on children's rights, it has so far sunk in Tanzania more than $100m in different development projects.

Plan said the development projects focused on improving community health, giving children access to education, water and sanitation as well as strengthening children's capacity to participate in issues that affect them.

Plan's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nigel Chapman told East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam that so far, nearly 1.6 million children have benefited from their programmes.

"We are working in partnership with other organizations to promote Village Savings and Loans Associations (VLSAs) to support a plethora of rural communities access loans to shore-up agricultural productivity and help them venture into small business enterprises," Chapman said.Chapman added that currently there are more than 4,000 VSLA groups established across the country with more than 80,000 members. Majority of them are women.VSLAs are proving to be hugely popular in the country as they offer cheap and easily accessible loans to rural communities.

Plan is also involving children in VSLAs to encourage a culture of saving among children and youth, he said, adding that the number of savings clubs run by children has swollen to 300 as 9,000.