Redefining education through voucher system assistance

TANZANIA: IMAGINE a young girl every day walking to school with no simple essentials like a pair of shoes and uniforms that should make her feel part of the school society and in turn concentrate in her studies.

To such girls, education becomes a formality rather than practice inborn desire to study hard with others so that future potentials are reached.

As the story might develop, an intervening philanthropic movement, or rather a transformative initiative by Plan International Tanzania, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), is rewriting this scenario by giving such kinds of adolescent girls a chance to love school and concentrate in studies.

Through the “Keeping Adolescent Girls in School (KAGIS) project by the Plan International Tanzania in Geita and Kigoma Regions, there is a Voucher System Assistance campaign that has been introduced to support underprivileged girls, especially by providing them with essential learning materials so as to renew their sense of confidence back in school.

By introducing a ground-breaking voucher system, KAGIS project is empowering underprivileged adolescent girls with the materials so that they become part and parcel of the school community and in turn concentrate in their studies.

No longer are these girls left on the sidelines, watching their peers study while they struggle with pairs of shoes and uniforms to afford and wear, instead, they are now stepping into classrooms well-equipped and ready to learn with their heads raised high as others.

“Going to school well-dressed and with the necessary learning materials is not just about appearance, but it is also about dignity, confidence and the ability to focus on studies,” said KAGIS Programme  Director Nicodemus Gachu.

“For many of these girls, something as simple as a pair of shoes or a new uniform can mean the difference between excelling in their studies and falling behind,” Gachu added.

Veronica, a 14-year-old student from Geita is one of the beneficiaries, who struggled to attend school regularly, but due to financial constraints from the family, she had to wear wore worn-out clothes and lacked basic school supplies, making her feel embarrassed and disconnected from her classmates.

“I used to feel ashamed because I did not have a proper uniform or even a pair of shoes….it was hard to concentrate in class, she said.

However, her life changed dramatically when KAGIS project reached her school with the voucher system that provided them with materials such as school uniforms (skirt, sweater, bag) , pairs of shoes and other hygiene essentials like sanitary pads.

“When I got the new uniform and pairs of shoes, I felt like a different person,” she says. “I walked into school with my head held high and for the first time, I felt like I truly belonged to the school community.”

The voucher system, one of the key components of the KAGIS project, is meticulously designed to meet the specific needs of such students, particularly the adolescent girls.

The vouchers cover essential items such as school uniforms, backpacks exercise books, pens, pencils, underwear and reusable sanitary pads. Each voucher is personalised and also includes a student’s details, school name and a barcode to prevent duplication on the kit.

“Once a girl receives her voucher from the KAGIS project, she can take it to one of the local vendors recruited by the project. These vendors are experienced and have been carefully selected and trained to provide the necessary school supplies, including uniforms, shoes, exercise books and sanitary pads.

“Furthermore, vendors receive orientation on safeguarding to keep project participants safe and they visit schools to measure the actual school uniforms are of the size required to the identified adolescent girls who received the voucher.

“The process is straightforward as the girl, together with her parent or caregiver, presents the voucher to the vendor ready to receive the scholastic materials…the Voucher includes her personal details, school information and a unique barcode to prevent duplication.

“The vendor then provides the required items free of charge and thereafter, the vendor submits a claim to the KAGIS project, which reimburses them for the materials and this system not only ensures that the girls received the supplies they need but also, supports local businesses hence fostering a sense of community collaboration,” he said.

For many girls like Veronica, the impact has been profound. “Before this programme, I felt ashamed to go to school because I did not have proper clothes or exercise books, now, I feel proud and eager to learn and my performance at school has improved, surely, I am more confident than before,” she said.

But the benefits of KAGIS extend beyond just the classroom through recognising the need for long-term solutions, the programme also trains parents and guardians in entrepreneurship particularly the Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), helping them to build sustainable livelihoods.

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“We know we cannot provide direct support forever as such, by equipping families with the skills to start and manage small businesses, we are ensuring that these girls can continue their education even after the programme ends.” Gachu remarked.

The results speak for themselves and currently, over 1,200 students across 73 Primary Schools in Kigoma and Geita Regions have already been supported through the voucher system in both formal education and non-formal education and almost over 900 in school adolescent girls and 300 out of School adolescent girls from non-formal education.

And it does not stop there, last year alone, 274 parents’ groups were formed, exceeding expectations and these groups collectively saved over 41m/- under social funds and directly supported more than 8,000 underprivileged children.

“KAGIS is not just about helping girls, it is also about transforming entire communities and through recognising the importance of gender balance, the voucher system assistance is now expanding to include 300 adolescent boys from vulnerable families, ensuring that all children regardless of gender, have the chance to succeed,” Gachu concluded.

On his part, KAGIS Technical Lead for Education Simon Gervas narrated that the initiative has been a game-changer but the fact is that they cannot do it alone, they need more stakeholders to join them in this mission and to ensure that every child in Tanzania has access to inclusive and equitable quality education they deserve.

“This project contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) particularly Goal 4 -Quality Education and Goal 5 – Gender Equality.

“The impact of KAGIS is perhaps best summarised by Felista Mondeya, a teacher at one of the projects’ schools in Geita, who disclosed that before KAGIS, many of her students were hesitant to come to school because they lacked the basics.

“She said now, they arrive every day looking smart, feeling confident and eager to learn…the difference is like night and day, as these adolescent girls step into their classrooms, their future look brighter than ever before.” Gervas said.