Vodacom Foundation unveils 3.25bn/- education investment
DAR ES SALAAM: VODACOM Tanzania Foundation announced a 3.25bn/- investment over three years to advance education through new partnerships with the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) and Twaweza East Africa.
The announcement was made at the official opening of CSO Week 2025, witnessed by the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda.
The Director of External Affairs at Vodacom Tanzania Foundation, Ms Zuweina Farah, emphasized that investing in education today will unlock greater opportunities and pave the way for a brighter future for generations to come.
“Through these partnerships, we aim to help strengthen the quality of education in Tanzania by supporting teachers with the right tools and helping young learners build strong foundational skills,” she said.
In partnership with the Tanzania Institute of Education, Vodacom Tanzania Foundation will equip 184 Teachers Resource Centers (TRCs) with modern ICT tools and reliable internet connectivity to support the government’s Teacher Continuous Professional Development (TCPD) programme.
This initiative aims to strengthen the digital infrastructure necessary for effective teacher training and professional growth across the country. With this enhanced digital network, over 300,000 teachers will gain access to a wealth of professional development materials through the Learning Management System (LMS).
This access is crucial for improving teaching quality and ensuring educators are well-prepared to deliver Tanzania’s revised 2023 competency-based curriculum, which emphasizes practical skills and learner-centered approaches.
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By investing in ICT and connectivity for TRCs, Vodacom Tanzania Foundation is helping to bridge the digital divide in education and foster a more inclusive learning environment.
This collaboration supports the government’s broader goals of modernising education and empowering teachers to meet the evolving needs of students in a rapidly changing world. The Director General of TIE, Dr Angela Katabaro, emphasized that digital empowerment of teachers is critical for delivering quality education.
“With Vodacom’s partnership, we can scale our TCPD programme and bridge the digital divide,” she stated.
Equipping teachers with digital tools and skills enhances their ability to effectively implement the updated competency-based curriculum, ensures continuous professional development and ultimately improves student learning outcomes.
This focus on digital capacity-building plays a vital role in modernising Tanzania’s education system and preparing both teachers and students for the demands of the 21st century.
Additionally, Vodacom Tanzania Foundation’s partnership with Twaweza will support the expansion of the KiuFunza Pay-by-Skill programme, which incentivizes teachers of grades 1 to 3 to help students’ master foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
The programme will be rolled out in 865 schools, reaching over 360,000 early primary students, with the aim of improving learning outcomes during the most critical years of a child’s education.
This initiative addresses a pressing national challenge, as data shows that 60 per cent of 10-year-olds in Tanzania struggle to read and comprehend a simple story highlighting the urgent need for targeted, results-driven interventions in early grade learning.
The Executive Director of Twaweza East Africa, commented, Ms Anna Bwana, “This partnership is about ensuring learning happens in every classroom. We have strong evidence that Pay-bySkill works. It motivates teachers and improves outcomes for children.”
