Airtel Tanzania expands SMARTWASOMI teachers’ training to Zanzibar

Zanzibar :  More than 30 secondary school teachers in Zanzibar have been equipped with digital teaching skills as Airtel Tanzania, in partnership with UNICEF and the Ministry of Education, rolled out its transformative SMARTWASOMI programme to the Isles.

The training, conducted over the weekend at Jang’ombe Hub, forms part of Airtel’s nationwide initiative launched in May 2024 by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.

To date, SMARTWASOMI has connected over 400 schools across the country, giving thousands of teachers and students zero-rated access to curriculum-aligned digital content from the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) and Shule Direct.

Gracing the occasion as Guest of Honour, Director of Secondary Education in Zanzibar, Ms. Asia Iddy Issa, commended the programme, saying it was bridging the gap between traditional teaching and modern digital delivery.

“This initiative supports our vision of creating a digitally literate generation while addressing long-standing challenges in accessing quality learning tools,” she said, noting that more schools in the Isles stand to benefit.

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Head of Secondary Education Division in Zanzibar, Mr. Mfaume Jaffary Mfaume, who opened the workshop, said the training empowers teachers to embrace digital tools that improve lesson delivery and student outcomes.

Teachers who took part welcomed the move, saying it has transformed their approach to teaching. “Before this workshop, many of us did not know how much digital tools could transform our lessons,” said Mr. Yussuf Mwadini Haji of Hamamni Secondary School.

Airtel Tanzania says it aims to connect over 1,000 schools nationwide to the platform by the end of 2025 as part of efforts to improve digital literacy and make education more inclusive.