DIT completes 98pc of EASTRIP project

MWANZA: THE implementation of the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP) project at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) has reached 98 per cent.

A delegation from the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) and the World Bank visited the project site recently and commended the good pace of the implementation.

Speaking to journalists after inspecting part of the project known as the Regional Advanced Faculty of ICT Centre (RAFIC), where IUCEA Deputy Executive Secretary Prof Idris Rai praised the project’s progress and management in the country.

Prof Rai noted that based on the inspection and project reports, RAFIC buildings and student hostels are complete, with the Dar es Salaam campus exceeding project targets.

“The classrooms and hostels are complete and DIT’s Dar es Salaam campus has exceeded the project’s targets,” said Prof Rai.

He stressed that for a country to receive World Bank funding, it must deliver results by completing projects on time and to agreed standards.

ALSO READ: AFFM de-risks fertilizer supply chain with 4.9bn/- credit guarantee

While acknowledging substantial progress at DIT Dar es Salaam, which specialises in ICT and ATC Arusha, which focuses on clean energy, Prof Rai pointed out delays at DIT Mwanza dedicated to leather production despite funds being available.

“If funds are not utilised within the set timeframe, they must be returned to the World Bank,” he cautioned, adding that follow-up will determine reasons for the delay. The delegation commended DIT for engaging over 50 industry partners to support hands-on, industryaligned training through the teaching-factory model. “I commend DIT for successfully engaging more than 50 company partners, enabling students to learn through practical experience,” said Prof Rai.

The EASTRIP project has increased DIT’s student enrolment capacity from 800 to 2,000, while the proportion of female staff has risen from 30 to 40 per cent. RAFIC Project Coordinator Dr Joseph Matiko said the new facilities can accommodate 1,800 students in classrooms and 300 in hostels.

The project has also enabled DIT to acquire modern teaching equipment, upgrade 26 curricula from diploma to degree level and launch PhD programmes.

Additionally, EASTRIP has facilitated student exchange programmes and staff capacity building.

“We have strategies to ensure the benefits are sustainable, including aligning DIT’s plans with the project and preparing proposals to secure additional funding for advancing technical education,” Dr Matiko said.

EASTRIP aims to strengthen Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions by establishing Regional Flagship TVET Institutions (RFTIs) in ICT, transport, manufacturing, agro-processing, or renewable energy. The project is implemented in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, with 16 RFTIs in total.

A Kenyan delegate, who is also Director of TVET in Kenya’s Ministry of Education, described the visit as beneficial and praised Tanzania’s strong collaboration between project managers and the government.