Tanzania: Over 2,000 Mothers Set for Secondary Education

By Venance Nestory

MORE than 2,000 young mothers are lined up for enrollment in Secondary education, vocational and entrepreneurship trainings scheduled to start this month under the government's programme dubbed ...

'Elimu Haina Mwisho'.

The programme, an initiative through the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in collaboration with the Karibu Tanzania Organisation (KTO) caters for young women and girls, who dropped out of school for various reasons under the age of 25.

It gives them hope and second chance for a brighter future as it aims to build their skills.

Speaking during the opening remark of a two day workshop in Dar es Salaam, recently, KTO Director Mr Maggid Mjengwa said that the programme would provide them with an opportunity to re-enter Secondary education once one performs well.

"Secondary education together with other alternative paths like technical and vocational skills can empower young people with expertise required for sustainable development and for their wellbeing," he commented.

Mr Mjengwa further said that Tanzania has one of the world's largest young populations, whose youth can transform much for the nation's industrial development by 2025.

"Focusing on the role of providing skills development programme to the young women, Folk Development Colleges (FDCs) focuses on building their capabilities," he further said.

Elaborating, he said: "As a result, they are empowered and become skilled enough to join formal education stream through Qualifying Test (QT) and continue with their studies or be self-employed."

On his part, KTO Board Chairman, Mr Aidan Mchawa said that the programme for the young girls focuses on rescuing high dropouts from school.

"This is why KTO in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Science and Technology decided to put more emphasis to empower young girls through FDCs, by their re-entry to Secondary education, vocational training and life skills," explained Mr Mchawa.

Commenting, the head of FDCs branch at Msinga, Kilimanjaro, Ms Milliam Juma said that among the challenges they face was counselling young women to further cope with the difficult situations they find themselves in after dropping out of school.