Tanzania

WeWorld has been present in Tanzania since 2010. Our intervention focuses mainly on improving the quality of education in kindergartens and primary schools in the Dar es Salaam region and in the Ludewa district. In addition, we are actively engaged in providing support, care and psychological, legal and medical assistance to girls and boys who are victims of psychological and sexual violence, abuse and negligence.    

In Tanzania, children often do not have access to an adequate education. The school infrastructure is in poor conditions: the classrooms are overcrowded, with an average of 99 students in each class, the teaching materials are lacking or are of poor quality.    

The management system of school institutions does not provide for collaboration with families and the community: this makes it difficult to identify and adequately protect children who are victims of violence, and, more in general, the most vulnerable subjects.    

Furthermore, the phenomenon of truancy is common in Tanzania. It is estimated that about 1.5 million young people between 7 and 17 years old have dropped out of school: about one in every five children in primary school, while at the age of 17 years old half of the girls and boys have stopped studying.  There are many young people with disabilities who do not attend school, due to the limitations of the infrastructures and the lack of personnel with specific skills.  

We support girls and boys, by carrying out projects that aim to ensure a universal and quality education.  We have refurbished the classrooms, installed sanitation services in schools and equipped the schools with chairs, desks for children and teachers and blackboards, but also didactic material, such as textbooks. We have organised training courses and workshops for teachers and parents on subjects, such as teaching, the protection of child's rights as well as sexual and reproductive health.     

We are committed to facilitating access to education for young disabled people: we have involved children with physical and intellectual disabilities in Art Therapy courses together with their classmates. Thanks to this opportunity, students are able to better manage and express their feelings. For teachers, however, it is an opportunity to measure themselves with new teaching methods, which place the playful, creative and relational aspects of learning at the centre of attention.     

 In Tanzania, the children who are victims of sexual abuse and violence - which often occurs within the school - do not receive an adequate assistance. Physical violence is deeply rooted in the traditions, culture and norms of the country and practices, such as corporal punishment, are common and accepted both in the home and at school. WeWorld supports boys and girls who have suffered abuse through legal, psychological and medical assistance.  For this reason, we have carried out actions for family reunification and empowerment of the victims, as well as awareness-raising campaigns and events within the communities aimed at increasing the awareness concerning the rights of children with the final aim of preventing violence.