A. Background and context
The Center for Counselling, Nutrition and Health Care (COUNSENUTH) in partnership with Mastercard Foundation implemented a learning pilot project called Kijana Jiongeze in Tunduru District using a
Participatory Performance Improvement Approach (PPIA) from May 2019 – September 2020.
The goal of the project was to document learnings on ways to improve performance of students in Tanzanian secondary schools leading to school completion with better grades and transition to the next level of education i.e. from Ordinary Level “O” to Advanced Level “A”.
The project had two objectives:
- Address academic performance challenges and
integrate ways to equip girls with soft skills that
will help them unlock their potential, build their
confidence and prepare them for employment - Address unemployment for youth by using
unemployed university graduates as facilitator
interns to the 8 schools with the aim of preparing
them for gainful engagement in formal
employment or entrepreneurship post project.
Education is a key cornerstone for human capital development of a country. Cognizant of this, the government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has a strong focus on ensuring that students’ learning and wellbeing underpin all policy development and the services provided. The education system has made considerable improvements on many fronts over the last years including in increased enrollment at all levels as well as improvements in the quality of education through investments in infrastructure. For example, total enrolment in secondary schools (Form I-VI) has been increasing over the years, partly as a result of the fee-free basic education in public schools. In 2018 – 2019, this increase was 8.8% (MoEST). However, challenges still persist and it is evident that effort is needed to address them in order to see even more improvements in outcomes for both boys and girls across Tanzania.
Tunduru District Council is one of the seven Districts of Ruvuma Region which is one of the five regions in Tanzania that are considered “The National Food Strategic Reserves” and situated in the southern part of the country. While Tunduru rural shares most characteristics with other rural communities in
Tanzania in terms of lower education performance compared to urban centers, there are some unique factors that single out Tunduru from the others, that affect education performance more severely. These factors include:
1) The matriarchal nature of the society that gives the mother a more powerful voice over father on issues concerning children especially the girl child and their preference for girl marriage over education;
Zuena, Form III Student, advising her classmates during a girls’ talk session urging them to keep in mind the reasons why their parents sent them to school and reminding them to maintain good relations with their teachers and follow school rules and regulations
2) Most Tunduru residents believe in early marriages to avoids promiscuity among boys and girls; and
3) Cultural practices of introducing girl children to early sexual practices, famously known as Msondo.
