The Six Women Who Brought Spice Processing to Kwemashai

Kwemashai T lies deep in the Usambara Mountains beneath the slopes of Kivugha Hill. The village takes its name from the mishai trees that once covered the landscape. Here, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and lemongrass have always grown well, yet they were mostly consumed at home or sold raw whenever buyers could be found.

No one had ever processed spices into finished products.

That changed on 16 July 2024, when six women—Sarah Reuben, Easter Eliya, Zahida Ali, Anna William, Gelite Erasto, and Mahija Omary—formed Nitunze Spices. Each belonged to a different Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) established through CARE Tanzania’s Her Money, Her Life Project.

The women shared a simple ambition: create a business that could generate income while adding value to the spices already growing in their community.

Although the group had already been formed, they quickly realised that enthusiasm alone would not be enough. They lacked technical knowledge about food processing, packaging, hygiene and quality standards.

Recognizing this gap, CARE Tanzania supported five members of the group—Sarah, Easter, Anna, Zahida and Mahija—to attend a three-day training in Korogwe delivered by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO).

The training covered food safety, quality standards, business management and market requirements.

“It helped us understand how to produce quality products that customers could trust,” Sarah explains.

But confidence alone could not buy machinery. The women had little capital, and raising enough money to start production was one of their biggest challenges. Still, they refused to give up.

Using the business and marketing skills they had learned during training, they slowly began building the enterprise. Without a grinding machine, they relied on a traditional wooden mortar (kinu) to pound spices by hand before drying them on mats under the sun.

As the business continued to grow, CARE Tanzania provided the group with its first spice grinding machine, dramatically increasing production capacity. CARE also linked the women with SIDO, which supported them through the business registration process with the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA). What could have been a difficult administrative process became much easier thanks to this partnership.

The organization also helped the group secure a rented three-room workspace.

One room serves as a changing room to maintain hygiene standards, another functions as a showroom and meeting space, while the third houses the processing machine where production takes place.

Nitunze Spices serves around 50 regular customers every month, generating up to TZS 300,000 (USD 114.24) in monthly income, depending on customer orders.

The business has also created a reliable market for local farmers.

Today, 10 farmers regularly supply Nitunze Spices with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper and other spices, creating new income opportunities throughout the community.

The first product the women introduced was Tea Masala—a fragrant blend of mint, lemongrass, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper.

It remains Zahida Ali’s favorite.

Now, the group also produces more products like Pilau Masala, grinded cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper and lemongrass, with products reaching customers across Bumbuli, Lushoto District and beyond.

The business has transformed the women just as much as it has transformed their village.

Every important decision is discussed collectively. The women meet in their showroom to review ideas, solve challenges and agree on the next steps together.

“My confidence has grown,” says Sarah.

Looking ahead, they have two clear ambitions.

The first is to purchase their own motorcycle to reduce transport costs and improve deliveries.The second is to obtain certification from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), allowing Nitunze Spices to expand into larger and more competitive markets.

Before 2024, spice processing did not exist in Kwemashai T.

Today, six women have built a business that processes more than 60 kilograms of spices every month, supports 10 local farmers, serves around 50 regular customers, and has become one of the area’s recognised spice brands.

What began as a shared dream has become a growing enterprise; proof that when women have access to savings groups, business skills, technical training and the right support, they do more than build businesses.

They create opportunities that ripple through an entire community.