Education project empowers school girls

COAST REGION: GIRLS from four secondary schools in Kibaha Town, Coast Region—Nyumbu, Picha ya Ndege, Bundikani and Mwambisi—have shared how they are benefiting from the Girls’ Education Project, implemented by Room to Read in collaboration with the government through the Ministry of Education.

The project aims to support girls in staying in school, progressing toward completing their studies and developing skills that help them make informed life decisions.

Speaking to the Daily News during Women’s Day celebrations in Kibaha Town , the students highlighted the positive impact the project has had on their lives.

“We are now able to make soaps, carpets and snacks, which we sell to earn money. We’ve also been taught how to save, which has been very helpful,” said Vasilisa Paulo, a Form Four student at Picha ya Ndege Secondary School.

Martha Michael, a student at Mwambisi Secondary School, added that the project has helped reduce the number of pregnancies in their school.

“We no longer have girls dropping out due to pregnancy, thanks to the life skills lessons we receive through the programme,” she said.

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Ms Chonge Tukwa, Project Officer at Room to Read, explained that the main goal of the project is to help girls stay in school, complete their studies and equip them with life skills to make better decisions.

Additionally, the girls receive financial education, enabling them to create and sell products to generate income.

“We are working closely with the government to implement this project, which has four key components: Life skills education, mentoring, family and community engagement and material support. Through life skills education, the girls are taught five essential skills: Leadership, resilience, decision-making, critical thinking and collaboration,” Ms Tukwa explained.

She emphasised that these skills play a crucial role in reducing school dropouts due to pregnancy and other challenges while increasing the number of girls advancing to the next academic level.

This year’s Women’s Day theme is “Women and Girls Strengthen Rights, Equality and Empowerment.”