March 2025
Education is crucial to unlocking the potential of children and building a brighter future for all.
In Tanzania, significant strides have been made to improve the education system and invest in their children. Since declaring primary schools free to access in 2002, enrolment rates have steadily risen, alongside the overall literacy rate of the population.
Despite this progress, there is a long way to go.
Even though 86% of children are now enrolling at primary schools, more than 40% are dropping out. A 2023 study by the World Bank found that the enrolment rate is likely to be lower and the dropout rate higher when also considering intersecting factors such as rural location, gender and household economic status.
In places such as the Sengerema District – a rural area along the shores of Lake Victoria – education remains under-funded, under-accessed and under-valued.
OUR WORK IN SENGEREMA
Since 2022, we have been working with our local partner Fanisi to support primary schools in the area, aiming to improve both access and retention.
Driven by detailed needs assessments, we identified 10 schools in communities across the district that were experiencing low levels of enrolment and high levels of dropouts.
Looking deeper into the root causes, we found:
- High levels of poverty: Many children were not going to school as their parents could not afford the cost of materials such as uniforms and books, forcing them to stay home.
- Lack of awareness: many parents, caregivers and children themselves had little understanding of children’s rights, leaving children vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
- Weak systems and protection structures: There were no functional child protection systems in place to prevent the abuse of children’s rights or support vulnerable children.
As a result, not only were many children missing out on their education, they were also driven away from school by issues such as child labor, early marriage and teenage pregnancy. This is a story that is unfortunately all too common across the communities we work where extreme poverty levels are high.
OUR APPROACH
For the past three years, we’ve partnered with Fanisi to lay the foundations for lasting change. Together, we’ve worked closely with entire communities to tackle the root causes and build a safer, more supportive environment for children. We’ve done this by:
- Establishing Child Rights Clubs in the 10 primary schools as safe spaces for children to learn about their rights, support each other, and run awareness campaigns.
- Setting up help desks in schools and trained teachers in child protection to provide children with a place to report abuse and receive proper support.
- Collaborating with local authorities to create child protection systems and committees for identifying and addressing abuse promptly.
- Launching the Village Investors Program (VIP) to train parents and caregivers in financial skills, enabling them to save, grant loans, and start businesses to improve their incomes.
- Creating parenting clubs where caregivers attended workshops on child rights, protection, family planning, and the importance of education.
WHAT WAS THE IMPACT?
Data collected by Fanisi shows that our investments in these interventions resulted in a 97% increase in the number of children enrolling for their first year at the 10 primary schools over three years, taking 2021 as a baseline before we started working in Sengerema.
In real terms, this means that an additional 1,505 children have accessed primary school over the past three years who may have otherwise missed out on this crucial stage in their education.
Even more pleasing is that the number of children dropping out decreased by 96% from 571 in 2021 to just 22 in 2024 across the schools. This means that our interventions to protect vulnerable children are not just getting them to school, but ensuring that they are staying and learning for longer.
Across the three years, the number of girls falling pregnant also fell sharply. In 2024, none of the girls who were attending the primary schools fell pregnant, clearly showing that they are being better protected and a higher value is being placed on their education.
Underpinning these achievements are the community banking groups set up for parents and guardians in Sengerema through the VIP.
Initially starting four groups for 120 members in 2023, within a year they have grown their savings to more than $11,500. Building on this success, we have supported Fanisi to expand the programme and start 12 more groups, ensuring that a further 384 parents and guardians can access financial opportunities generated through the VIP.
This has meant that more than 2,300 children will see the benefits of a greater household income, such as more money to invest in their health, wellbeing, and education.
We are delighted with how our work is progressing in Sengerema, and are so grateful to our supporters for their continued commitment.
Education isn’t just an investment in children – it’s an investment in stronger communities, thriving economies, and a better future for all.
