Barriers to School in Tanzania

Primary School is universal, compulsory, and free in Tanzania, but there are a number of reasons why many students attend sporadically or dropout altogether.

• Cost of required uniforms, textbooks, and school supplies
• Desire for a child’s labor at home or on the farm
• Distance – the time required to travel to schools
• Health and nutrition – most schools don’t provide meals and student either go hungry or have to travel long distances back home for lunch.
• Belief that school will not benefit the child
• Belief that even if they complete primary school, secondary schooling will be financially out of reach

Solutions

Project Zawadi addresses these obstacles by partnering with students, their families, communities, and schools to:

• Provide the students with the most need the uniforms and school supplies they need to attend school.
• Ensure there is time and space at home to study
• Provide mentoring and support such as academic and career counseling to demonstrate how their school efforts can help them in attaining their goals.
• Facilitate empowerment clubs that explore relationships, healthy boundaries, decision making skills, goal setting and more through games, song, and play.
• Ensure students have regular a nutritious meal while at school.
• Empower students with the knowledge that as long as they are hard working and succeeding, their higher level schooling costs will be covered.

These solutions are just pieces of a larger puzzle that are increasing access to education and enhancing the quality.

Individual Sponsorship Details

Donors can support individual students as they pursue their education. The cost of supporting is $240 a year. Project Zawadi makes a long-term commitment to everyone of our students, thus we also ask individual sponsors to commit to supporting their student for multiple years as well. In shared photos, and letters you will be able to learn a bit about each other and see the difference sponsorship makes as the student progresses from year to year.

Sponsored students at the primary level receive the following standard resources to support their education:

• 2 sets of school uniforms
• 2 pairs of shoes
• textbooks for their grade level
• 10 notebooks, pens, and pencils
• a book bag
• a solar-powered lantern (Standard 6 and above)
• reusable menstruation kits (girls, Standard 6 and above)
• all school and exam fees

As students advance through secondary, tertiary, or vocational levels, the resource needs for these programs are properly fulfilled. Often this will include room, board, living and travel expenses for schools outside the village area, and specialized items or equipment as required by individual programs of study.

Visit our donate now page to become a sponsor! Give at the $240 level!

Communications with Sponsored Students

Sponsored students write a letter to their sponsors at least once a year. This yearly letter consists of an age-appropriate note, translation, and a photograph. Sponsors are welcome to write to sponsored students. Children most often like to hear about family members, work, and normal daily activities. Photos of sponsors and their families are especially appreciated. You can write to your student by sending mail overseas (requires patience), or electronically.

If you wish to mail a letter:

Put the student’s first and last name and the school prominently on the envelope and mail to:

Project Zawadi
Attn: Student first and last name (school)
PO Box 10955
Arusha, Tanzania
EAST AFRICA

If you’d like to reach out to your students electronically:

E-mail notes and pictures to sponsorship@projectzawadi.org. They will be printed at our office in Nyamuswa, translated, and distributed to your student the next time a staff member visits their school.

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*Project Zawadi does not allow direct communication via phone, email, text messaging, or social media between students and their sponsors due to privacy and safety considerations.

*Project Zawadi discourages gift-giving to sponsored students as it can create discord and hurt feelings among sponsored students when some of them receive gifts from their sponsors and others do not.