Tanzania, March 17 -- Dar es Salaam. When the cost of living began to rise, Anitha Edward started thinking seriously about how she could secure financial independence without waiting for formal employment.

Today, the 26-year-old social welfare graduate has built a thriving juice business after making a bold decision to pursue self-employment instead of following the conventional white-collar career path.

Her journey into entrepreneurship began while she was still a first-year student at the Institute of Social Work, where she pursued a degree in Social Work and Psychology. Like many students, the money she received from home was not enough to meet her needs.

She recalls that simple personal expenses often forced her to think of alterna...