EDUCATION PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT

BACKGROUND

General Information

The basic educational problem in Tanzania is that of resources which have been declining progressively since 1980s. The country is caught in downward economic spiral following natural disasters and servicing external Debts. As the government concentrates on overcoming national economic problems, it improves short term palliatives to educational crises.

Provision of quality education theoretically continues to be the policy of the government. In practice however, meaningful learning cannot be achieved where there virtually no desks, inadequate classrooms and sometimes not even blackboard, chalk for the class. The rich people respond to such situation by setting up private schools where only children from the rich families afford to attend classes. The basis is thereby laid for the growth of class society, with all that this implies for mutual of respect, equality and even equality of opportunity among all citizens in future.

The request is an attempt at augmenting government efforts, in provision of education by mobilizing other sources of finance to enable children from low income family access quality education

Despite good plans by the government to bring about equality in education, there is no information on funding for various those with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable children (child labourers, street children). They are unable to effectively access and complete high quality, child friendly and gender sensitive education. This approach takes the programme beyond just children directly affected by HIV/AIDS, to work with children made vulnerable as a result of poverty, disability, abuse and exploitation. These live below at or the national poverty level and have no access to education. The number of children to be   reached by the programme is about 1463 identified

The programme focus aim is to provide effective services of education and sustainable support that have a real and lasting impact on children’s lives. Quality of education provision and sustainability, focusing on effective support that truly   makes a difference. A standardized process of identifying children has been laid by Government Department of Social Welfare and carried out by District Council in conjunction with Local Community.

The magnitude of problems; The high number of orphans and vulnerable children , adolescents in the marginalized areas, to with level of poverty, geographical scale have posed challenges for the programme

Whether we are tackling the persistent achievement gap in Tanzanian education, the unequal access that persists between youths, children, orphans and vulnerable children or inconsistent quality of education available at Tanzania’s many types of schools, we focus on concrete results every day.

While also striving to drive measurable and sustainable system wide rang. The focus on education is based on:

• To improve performance
• Ensure consistent quality of education and
• Increase access to school.

  

AYORPO is committed to improving student performance and increase access to education so that children, orphans and vulnerable children, disadvantaged people and youth/adolescents every where in marginalized areas in Tanzania have the opportunity for life-long success.

From early childhood through adolescence, orphans and vulnerable children face multiple educational hurdles including poor attendance, high drop out rates and uneven school quality. To help these children to achieve the education and skills that will enable them to break out of poverty, AYORPO funds large-scale interventions that:

• Help students achieve grade-specific term levels through in-school academic support.
• Promote access to school.
• Improve quality performance and capabilities and more sustainable skills development.

Our goal is to ensure that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are at least admitted to school, college, and university and obtain long-term employment Self or Governmental employment. Initial investments are in the AYORPO scholarship programme in collaboration with Donors, Development Agencies and Other International Non governmental Organizations through Grants, which provides holistic support to vulnerable students to help them through graduation and beyond.

JUSTIFICATION OF QUALITY EDUCATION:

Education means training, knowledge, skills or wisdom by educating a person, it means teaching or guiding him/her in obtaining knowledge of skills, hence education is something whish has got a particular purpose and this purpose is; to transmit from one generation to the next, the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of the society, and to prepare young people for their better future membership of the active participation in its maintenance and development.

Availability of adequate, teaching and learning materials greatly influence the provision of quality education. Likewise the learning environment need to conducive.

PROVISION OF EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP AND SUPPORT

The background information briefly shows the critical areas that need to be funded in the different capacities. There basically areas for primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities that need attention.

This programme is incorporates the objective of providing education support for identified and registered by AYORPO ; orphans and vulnerable children, disadvantaged people and adolescents to assist them in special needs.

We seek to improve by special assistance at-risk children’s ability to engage and perform effectively at school. Promote behavioural and academic improvements among Tanzanian students who face significant economic and personal challenges by soliciting grants from donors, development partners and agencies, and International non governmental organisations.

THE GRANTS PORTFOLIO FOCUSES ON

v  The increase percentage of boys and girls with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable children who qualify for secondary education enrolled and complete schools.

v  Grant requested will fund to assist low income students who performed well on examinations but could not afford to meet costs of higher education.

v  To ensure access to quality nursery, primary and secondary education that would disproportionately exclude the poor, children with disabilities, orphans vulnerable children.

v  To reduce number of child labourers and street children by improving capacity and equal participation at all levels of education by increasing enrolment percentage of children with disabilities, orphans and vulnerable children who lack government support.

v  The funding requested will help orphans, street children and Most Vulnerable Children, adolescents to achieve educations and skills that will enable them to break out of poverty, promote self help income generation projects and empower them economically and enable support their families.

v  Reduce number of children withdrawn from schools due to economic pressure and the responsibilities of caring for parents and siblings which lead to withdraw from schools, even which their parents are still living.

AYORPO;s giving/receiving reflects its commitment to transforming the lives of children, orphans and vulnerable children, adolescents and disadvantaged people living in urban and rural poverty through better health, education and family economic stability.

Street children are some of most vulnerable children in Tanzania. The issue has become chronic and there currently no specific actions to remove from towns and cities and support those children from the risk environment, further, these children are perceived negatively and often associated of crime. Many of the challenges faced by street children (beggars) and their guardians are associated with poor urbanization, family disintegration and violence, rapid population growth, and an extreme condition of poverty. As a result, children are unaware and deprived of their basic rights to health, education, and protection.

For example, a recent report on Street Children Beggars in Dar es Salaam, provide results that challenge everyone with the responsibility of ensuring every child live in a safe and supportive environment. The report shows that a majority of these children come from families of beggars and that their parents are still begging. This calls for collective interventions by different Stakeholders and community to sustain children safety net through family support system. Report findings also indicate that 75 percentages of these children are between ages of 6 and 14 years. Of the children surveyed 64 percent of them would like to re-join the school system.

Very little efforts have been made to remove and support Street Children Beggars and their guardians from these devastating situations. Therefore, effective strategies were made to address the root causes of the problems are a critical concern for every stakeholder in this time.

 

 

AYORPO MEMBERS

Members Contributions and Future Trends

The Organisation Members have helped the organisation in a number of ways. For example they have brought relief to the Needy by sharing the weight of social change in communities to work towards poverty eradication, good governance, increased transparency – in short community empowerment. They have injected various technical skills into the organisation and enable AYORPO to implement a variety of programmes successfully. They have made it possible to expand services so as to reach as many Tanzanians as possible. They have also improved enormously the management of the organisation

The organisation members’ contributions identify key steps in the community mobilisation process; it stresses the role and responsibility of the community member participation in social community development must be stimulated, encouraged and facilitated around a cause. In future it may therefore become necessary to design ways for people to participate in community mobilization in which can change attitudes, norms, practices and individual behaviours.

AYORPO believes that Social Community Development process usually does not occur spontaneously it must be guided by effective organizers (organisations) and leaders. The process depends on co-operative among a variety of agencies, groups, and individuals, cutting through denial and apathy, as well as managing inter-organizational suspicion and conflict, so that the process leads to changes in awareness, understanding, and improved response to the problem.

 

 

PARTNER ORGANISATION

Co-operation and Partnership:

AYORPO has co-operation with many stakeholders at different times for various reasons. This co-operation has extremely useful for AYORPO although there have been also arisen a few problems along the way. Some of the stakeholders that have co-operation with AYORPO include:

-          The government of Tanzania (ministries, Departments and government independent Units)

-          AMREF Tanzania

-          Forum Syd Tanzania

-          World Vision Tanzania

-          Care Tanzania

-          Pathfinder Tanzania

-          Foundation for Civil Society

-          Business Community

-          Non- Governmental Organisation

-          Religious leaders and their Organisations

-          Local Government Authorities

Forum Syd has been funding for the year 2006/2007, continued to be close and covered nearly areas of activities of Organisation, chief among them being consultancy in needs assessment and strategic planning, funding training on HIV/AIDS prevention, support and care and treatment, Entrepreneurships training skills, soliciting of funds from other donors. Through such co-operation the relationship between AYORPO and Forum Syd has continued to be open, frank, intimate, symbiotic and family-member like.

Meetings and conferences have facilitated exposure and growth of the organisation through the exchange of ideas and experiences.

Besides the Forum Syd (Swedish International Organisation), AYORPO has maintained co-operation with many other International (based in Tanzania) Organisations at different times in implementation of some projects and programmes such as education, capacity building, training, consultancy et cetera.

Experience has shown that most donors have little interest for projects such as human resources, construction of buildings and other income generating programmes, while prefer funding for short periods only.

AYORPO has worked with the Central Government in a number of ways with other governmental Ministries. For example, AYORPO has worked with Prime minister’s Office -- Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Capacity building for Community members on HIV/AIDS prevention, support, care and treatment. We also resolve to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women as effective ways to combat poverty, hunger and disease and to stimulate development that is truly sustainable.

Working closely with government is one of the objectives enshrined in AYORPO’s constitution which clearly stipulates that the organisation will co-operate to the fullest degree possible with the government, non- governmental and International Agencies in the execution of projects/programmes based on education, health and Socio-economic activities mandate.

 

A Bright Future Ahead:

AYORPO is fortunate in that, unlike other growing/developing organisations we have a good management team working to advance society through income generating activities, empowerment and the creation of wealth. We need to raise the awareness of business’ positive role in this regard.

We will also continue to build our relationship with government, local and International agencies, donors, reiterating the importance of income generating activities as a partner. In addition the organisation will be part of the transformational process in our country.

 

 

We are committed to improving student performance and increase access to education so that children and adolescents everywhere in Tanzania have the opportunity for life long success.

 

 

(Not translated)